Page 47 of Far from Home
‘It’s a date. Thanks. I’ll look forward to it.’
The fact was that so would she, even though she felt sure she was on a hiding to nothing.
Chapter 27
Sunday flights from Pisa to London were all full so she managed to find herself a seat on Saturday afternoon. After booking it she sat and looked down at the Labrador, sprawled at her feet.
‘I’m going to miss you, Max.’ He opened one eye and the end of his tail wagged uncertainly. ‘But I can’t make the biggest decision of my life based on a dog, can I? That would be silly, wouldn’t it?’
He didn’t look convinced – but then, neither was she.
As she only had another day and a bit before leaving, she set about clearing everything away and using up the contents of the fridge, leaving just what she would need for two breakfasts and her mushroom dinner with Adam tomorrow. Once she was confident that things were more or less in order, she took Max for a walk up the hill and was delighted to run into a friend, or two friends, if she included Coco.
‘Ciao, Rosa, that’s good, I was going to come around and see you today or tomorrow to say goodbye.’
Rosa looked disappointed. ‘Do you have to leave? Now that the house is all finished we were hoping you’d decide to stay on.’
‘Unfortunately I have to be at work on Monday, but I’ll try and get back here at least for a few days before too long.’
‘Just a few days? That’s terrible.’ An expression of concern appeared on Rosa’s face. ‘You’re not going to sell the house, are you? We would hate to lose you from the town.’
They walked across to the old shed and sat down on the bench. Amy shook her head slowly. ‘I just don’t know. I suppose I might sell it, but I just can’t make up my mind.’
‘Why not settle down here? You know we’d love it if you did.’
Amy smiled at her. ‘Thanks, but I need a bit of time to think things through. You see, I have a big job back in London and it would be a massive step for me to just throw that away.’
They carried on chatting until Rosa had to head off home. Before separating, she gave Amy a big hug and kissed her on the cheeks. ‘Come back and see us as soon as you can. Promise?’
Amy nodded. ‘I promise.’
That evening she decided to go for one last dinner at the Corona Grossa and the first thing Giuliano asked her when he saw her was the same question Rosa had asked, and Amy gave him the same answer. She was spared from having to face another battery of questions by the arrival of a very welcome face. It was her half-brother and he came straight across to her with a smile on his face.
‘Ciao, Amy, I was just on my way home and I saw you sitting here. Have you got time for a chat?’
‘I definitely have.’ Amy jumped up and kissed him on the cheeks and then pointed to the spare chair. ‘Why don’t you join me for dinner? I’m going home at the weekend and I’ve no idea when I’ll be back next. I feel we’ve got so much to say to each other.’
Over a meal of cured ham and melon followed by smoked trout and a mixed salad, Amy gradually continued to bond with the brother she never knew she had. He told her about his years growing up effectively without a father, and she told him about her childhood in return. As they spoke, they both realised how similar their lives had been in so many ways. By the time Amy’s panna cotta arrived, she felt she knew him much better and she sensed that he had fully relaxed in her company.
After a warm embrace, and a promise to come back soon, she walked home with the sleepy Labrador, reflecting that Rolando was another reason why she should seriously consider starting a new life over here. The trouble was that the great unknown still remained: what would she do with her time?
The hours flew by and Friday evening was soon upon her. Tonight she didn’t bother dressing up particularly for Adam’s benefit. She told herself that this was because she was cooking and she didn’t want to risk getting splashes of hot oil on one of her good dresses, but it was also because the realisation had been sinking in that there was no point. It was all too clear that he wasn’t interested in her, and that was that.
Adam arrived to a rapturous greeting from Max and a more subdued greeting from her. She kissed him on the cheeks but then hurried back to the kitchen, leaving him in the living room with his canine friend. She called to him over her shoulder as she retrieved the raw porcini salad from the fridge.
‘Are you feeling brave? You offered to check out my father’s wine cellar downstairs. Would you feel like doing that now?’
He came into the kitchen, closely followed by the Labrador. ‘I will if you will. Why don’t you come down with me and you can take a look for yourself? I promise if there are any anacondas down there I’ll strangle them with my bare hands.’
She shuddered. ‘Don’t even joke about snakes. All right, I’ll come with you, but if I run off screaming you have to promise not to laugh.’
‘It’s a promise.’ Although he was already laughing.
She waited until he had gone down the stairs and had located the light switches. When the new lights down there illuminated the whole of the huge cellar area she took a deep breath and went down to join him. To the chagrin of the Labrador, he was left upstairs. The last thing Amy wanted was for a snake or a scorpion to hurt him, although from the plaintive whining noises filtering down to them, he wasn’t best pleased to be left behind.
Adam led her the full length of the cellar until they were standing right beneath the front door. Here she saw, for the first time, that a brick wall had been built across the far corner, creating a little triangular room. Adam went over to it, opened the old wooden door and located a light switch inside.
‘I thought so.’ He sounded triumphant. ‘Come in here and take a look at this.’
