Page 15 of A Chance in a Million
‘Not at all.’ Jane realised that leaving Venice for two whole months would mean that the chances for Paolo to attempt to see her again before the autumn would diminish accordingly and spare her a possibly embarrassing conversation. Nevertheless, she had to admit that these first couple of weeks here in Italy had been very positive so far. She felt more relaxed than even just a month ago and there had been no repetition of her nightmares. Hopefully the change of setting from the coast to the hills wouldn’t alter the trajectory of her return to some sort of happiness. ‘I’m looking forward to some cool air as well.’
They met up with Paolo in the main square as planned, and Jane could instantly tell he was pleased to see her again. He was wearing a blue polo shirt and chinos and there was a welcoming smile on his face. She was about to make the introductions when it emerged that he and Veronica already knew each other.
‘Lady Cooper, it’s lovely to see you again. You remember me, don’t you?’ Jane could see recognition dawn on Veronica’s face. ‘I’m Paolo… Paolo Padovan. I used to come up to the villa.’
‘Of course, Paolo. I was telling Jane your name sounded familiar and I wondered if it might be you. I’m sorry, it’s the beard, or I would have recognised you immediately. It’s been quite a few years now, hasn’t it?’
‘It has indeed.’ His expression became more serious. ‘I was sorry to hear of your husband’s death. My condolences.’
‘Thank you, Paolo, but life has to go on.’
Jane was relieved to hear Veronica talking about her husband without sounding totally grief-stricken. Maybe she, too, was beginning to come out from under the grey cloud of sorrow which had gripped her.
‘And now you’re the curator of this museum. You’ve done very well for yourself, Paolo. Congratulations.’
He shook hands formally with her as Jane wondered how they came to know each other but, as neither of them offered an explanation, she left it at that.
He took them into the Costume Museum by a side door and gave them the tour. The collection was housed in a handsome red brick palazzo set in a road just off Mantua’s main square, and the contents proved to be fascinating. Even Jane, who freely acknowledged she had little knowledge of fashion, found it interesting as he took them through garments from as early as the Middle Ages to the modern era. There were clothes belonging to men, women and children, rich and poor, stretching back over the centuries.
The juxtaposition of a wonderful lacy eighteenth-century formal dress, complete with bustle wider than most doorways, alongside a Flower Power miniskirt that barely grazed the tops of the thighs was striking. There were male mannequins in doublets, breeches and codpieces alongside slick-haired rockers in long coats and crepe-soled shoes from the Rock ’n’ Roll era. And there were plenty more. He told them that the exhibits were regularly rotated so as to conserve them from the effects of over exposure to the light and the passage of people, and that they had hundreds of other costumes safely stored away in the climate-controlled basement.
Altogether they were in there for almost two hours and Jane could see how animated her employer had become. It certainly looked as though the outing was doing her good and Jane was happy for her. And if this was a success, she resolved to try to organise other ways of getting Veronica out and about. By the time they finally left the museum with Paolo and walked back to the cobbled expanse of Piazza Sordello for the drink she had promised him, Veronica was chatting volubly and even invited him to come and inspect her own collection after they got back from the hills. According to Maria, this sort of social interaction was something that had been missing from her employer’s life for ages now and Jane took it as a good sign. Things were looking up for Veronica – and for Jane herself as she settled into life in Italy.
Paolo opted for a glass of Prosecco, but as she was going to be driving, Jane just had freshly squeezed orange juice with sparkling water and loads of ice, and she was pleased to hear Veronica order the same. Fears that her boss might have developed a sinister drinking problem had been decreasing day by day and this was just further proof that such was not the case after all. She tried to persuade Paolo to have champagne, just like he had given her, but he refused, saying he preferred to drink local wine from the Veneto region.
Over their drinks they chatted and Veronica asked him if he saw much of his parents.
‘Whenever I can. I live here in Mantua now but it’s only an hour in the car back to Monselice so I see them most weeks.’ He glanced across at Jane. ‘Monselice is where I grew up. It’s on the edge of the Colli Euganei, not far from Villa Morea.’
‘And it’s a pretty little town.’ Veronica nodded approvingly. ‘Jane, you’ll have to go and visit when we’re at the villa.’
‘I’d be very happy to show you around if I can get away.’ Paolo looked as though he meant it. ‘Unfortunately the summer months are my busiest time of the year here at the museum so I don’t get over there as often as my mother would like, but I try to make it once or twice a month.’
Jane filed away the possibility that she might see him again this summer after all, but decided to cross that bridge when she came to it.
They chatted for almost an hour before Veronica cast Paolo an apologetic glance and told him she thought it was time to go. She then went off to the Ladies, leaving Jane alone with Paolo.
Jane looked across the table at him. ‘Thank you for the tour.’
‘Thank you for coming all the way from Venice to see the museum.’
‘I’m glad I came. I’m sorry to have to rush off.’
‘It’s a pity, but maybe we can meet up in Monselice or up in the Colli Euganei.’
Not wanting to commit to a response, Jane changed to what she thought would be a safer subject. ‘It’s quite a coincidence that you already knew Lady Cooper, isn’t it?’
A funny expression spread across his face. It was hard to pin it down but Jane felt sure she could see regret. ‘I lived only ten kilometres or so away from their estate so I used to have a holiday job working in the grounds during my university vacations. I got to know them and the estate pretty well.’
After checking that Veronica wasn’t on her way back to the table Jane leant forward and lowered her voice. ‘What was Veronica’s husband like?’
‘He was a nice man, a bit old-fashioned, but very pleasant. You could tell that he and Lady Cooper were very fond of each other and his death must have been an awful blow to her. I’d heard on the grapevine how distraught she was, and I’m glad to see her looking and sounding a bit more like her old self today.’
‘What about the rest of the family? Did you meet the old lady?’
‘Signora Flora? Of course. She was a very hands-on sort of lady – probably still is.’
‘And did you get to know Veronica’s children?’
