Page 34 of A Chance in a Million
‘I’m sorry to hear that. How about you? Are you okay? I saw your mum earlier and she looked fine.’
‘Touch wood, I’m fine, thanks. I thought I’d come and see if you fancy going for a walk somewhere today. Di’s feeling better but she doesn’t want to go out so she’s volunteered to look after Linda. I feel I need to get out in the fresh air. I’ve been inside too much this week.’
‘Funnily enough, I was just thinking the same thing. I was wondering if your brother would mind if we borrowed his dog, or even if he might come with us himself?’
Beatrice shook her head and Jane felt a distinct stab of disappointment. ‘I’m sure we can take Dino but I’ve just asked David if he wants to come for a walk and he told me he’s tied up all day. Some international online convention or some such. Apparently he has to give a talk and then do a Q&A session afterwards.’ She looked up from stroking the Labrador. ‘It might even be true this time, but Mum says he’s always inventing excuses for not doing stuff.’
Jane did go and check with David but received the same response he had given his sister, along with his blessing for them to take Dino with them. Leaving him to his online lecture, Jane and Beatrice took the car and headed for the village of Arquà Petrarca down in the southernmost part of the hills. On the way there, Beatrice explained that the famous scholar and poet, Petrarch, the man credited with starting the Renaissance no less, had spent the last years of his life there. In fact, so famous was he that the village authorities had subsequently changed the name of the place from simple Arquà to Arquà Petrarca in his honour.
It didn’t take long to get there. Most of the way they drove past a succession of vineyards extending up the sides of the valleys and through lovely historic villages with red-roofed stone houses and ancient churches. Arquà Petrarca was a small and very beautiful village surrounded by car parks full of cars belonging to people who had come to see the final resting place of one of Italy’s most famous poets – or maybe to have lunch in one of the numerous restaurants. They strolled through the picturesque but busy streets for a while, Jane hanging onto Dino’s lead in case he became too affectionate with the people and dogs he met, before they decided that it really was too crowded. They returned to the car and headed up a very narrow road towards the tree-covered summit of Monte Ventolone, which dominated the town. Leaving the car in a convenient lay-by, they set off through the woods with the dog running free.
The more they climbed, the better the view behind them grew, and within half an hour they had reached the top. They sat down on a fallen tree trunk and admired the scenery. From here they were looking south, over a couple of much lower hills and from there onto the broad expanse of the plains stretching off towards Rovigo, Ferrara and beyond. Arquà Petrarca itself was below them, surrounded by vineyards and olive groves.
After they had been sitting there for a few minutes, Beatrice asked Jane a question that didn’t come as a complete surprise. ‘Jane…’ She sounded unusually hesitant. ‘Mum and Di told me you had lunch with Paolo Padovan yesterday. I was wondering… Di said you and Paolo are just friends. Is that true? Did you mean it?’
‘Yes. He’s a nice guy but that’s all there is to it. I met him at a charity auction while I was bidding for a dress on your mum’s behalf. I like him, but that’s it. Like I told her, I’m not in the market for a man at the moment, but Diana did mention that you and he used to be close.’
‘It was a long time ago, but yes, I liked him a lot but life got in the way. She maybe told you it was while I was studying in the UK.’
‘Yes, she did, and you know that he’s now curator of the Costume Museum in Mantua?’
‘Yes, he’s done well. I’m happy for him.’
‘Are you going to contact him? I can give you his number if you haven’t already got it.’
Beatrice looked uncomfortable. ‘Part of me would really like to but I wouldn’t want to put him in an awkward position. That was fifteen years ago now. I’m sure he’s changed. I know I’ve changed. I’m a divorcee with a child for a start. I can hardly phone him up and say “Hi, Paolo, feel like going out again?”, can I?’
Jane gave it some thought. ‘How’s this for a solution? You call him to say that as your sister is studying fashion, you and she would like to visit the museum. Hopefully he’ll offer to give you a private tour like he did for your mum and me, and you’ll have a chance to pick up where you left off with him – or not, depending on how you feel. What do you think about that as a plan?’
Beatrice looked up with interest. ‘And are you sure you wouldn’t mind?’
‘Of course I’m sure. I bet he’d be happy to help a fashion student and I bet he’d love to see you again. The only thing is that I know he’s away in Paris this weekend. He told me there’s a collectors’ fair. I think it’s just for a day or two but I’m not sure exactly when he’ll be back.’
‘Oh, right, thanks.’ Beatrice was still sounding tentative. ‘I just didn’t want you to think I was trying to poach your man or anything.’
‘Poach my man? There’s nothing between us, so you don’t need to worry about treading on my toes.’ She grinned at Beatrice. ‘Besides, you saw him first.’ The fact of the matter was that she really didn’t see Paolo in a romantic light. Plus, ever since seeing that photo of David in her employer’s bedroom, she knew there was potentially another man already in her head, if not her heart. And, of course, there was the memory of Mark…
‘That’s a relief.’ Beatrice sounded it. ‘Well, I think I will give him a call. Nothing ventured…’ She hesitated. ‘So how come you aren’t on the lookout for a man? You told Di there used to be a guy but he’s no longer in the equation. Was it a bad break-up?’
Jane dropped her eyes to the dog who was rolling about on his back at their feet, making vain attempts to catch his tail in his mouth. It would be good to be like him, without a care in the world – apart from squirrels. Taking a deep breath, she told Beatrice more than she had told most people.
‘The worst. I loved him dearly but he was killed. That was two years ago and I’m still coming to terms with it.’
Just like her mother had done, Beatrice immediately reached for Jane’s hand and gave it a supportive squeeze. ‘How awful. Were you together long?’
‘Long enough: just over a year.’
‘And you said you loved him. Were you engaged, married?’
‘No, but we were very close.’
‘And you would have married him?’
‘Definitely. I was convinced he was the man for me. We had so much in common and I’m sure we would have got married. The funny thing is, though, that since coming over here, I’m no longer quite so sure it really was the Real Thing.’ She looked up from her hands and even managed to muster a little smile. ‘But I’ll never know now, will I? Still, Iamgetting over it. I really am. I can feel things changing inside me, hopefully for the better.’
‘You don’t deserve to be on your own forever. Life goes on, Jane.’
‘I know it does. I’ve even started telling myself the same thing. I suppose it’ll just take time.’
