Page 41 of Best Laid Plans
They’d come to a halt on the outskirts of the town at that point and Ruth put a comforting arm around her. ‘If it’s meant to be, you’ll see him again, honey,’ she said with a warmth in her voice that made Indigo think of the cuddles her mum used to give her when she was upset about something. From out of nowhere, she experienced a sudden and intense pang of loss. The grief of losing her mother never seemed to lessen, though it hit her less often these days, usually when she was feeling particularly low. This time it had the disconcerting effect of reminding her just how alone in the world she was right then.
Forcing back the tears that threatened to spill over, she hugged Ruth back hard, finally pulling away to give her a grateful smile.
‘Thanks for taking me under your wing; I really needed the company today,’ she said.
‘You’re welcome, sweetheart. We’re flying back to England tomorrow so I’m afraid we won’t be able to continue on your travels with you. I hope you enjoy your time in Capri, though – and that you find what you’re looking for,’ she said with a kind smile.
Indigo couldn’t help but smile back, albeit with a twist of sad scepticism.
‘Yeah, you never know,’ she said.
And now here she was, stepping off the ferry in Capri into the bright morning sunshine and the first person she laid eyes on was Julien.
He appeared to have been watching the people getting off the ferry and as soon as he locked eyes with her, he stood up and started walking towards her.
She came to a sudden halt in shock, feeling the other passengers push past her and hearing the odd ‘tut’ as she blocked part of the gangway. Her heart hammered in her chest, her senses on high alert as she watched him pushing his way through the crowd.
What was he doing here?
Pulling herself together, she started walking towards him again, feeling the tide of people drawing them ever closer together, until finally they were standing only feet apart, grinning as if they’d not seen each other for a year.
A gentle breeze whipped her hair around her head, and she pushed it away from her face with a shaking hand.
‘Julien – I thought I’d seen the last of you,’ she said, hyperaware of a tremble in her voice. ‘Were you waiting here for me?’
‘Oui.’
She gazed into his eyes, looking for a clue as to why, hardly daring to hope that he’d come to tell her he’d changed his mind about being ready for a new relationship, but his expression was inscrutable.
‘I wanted to catch you before I leave Capri and sail on to Naples,’ he said, taking her hand and leading her gently away from the crowd of people still mingling around the ferry and over towards the quieter side of the port.
So he wasn’t staying on Capri? Was he here to try and persuade her to leave with him then? The idea of it made her stomach flutter.
When they reached a small stone bench next to a closed ticket office he let go of her hand and, reaching for her rucksack, lifted it from her shoulder and propped it up against the bench.
The anticipation was killing her. ‘What’s going on? Is everything okay?’ she asked, hugging her arms around her. Despite her conviction they were meant to be together, something in the back of her brain warned her not to get her hopes up, just in case.
‘I have something I want to give you.’ He moved his hand around to his back pocket, glancing behind him as he removed whatever he had in there.
For one ridiculous, heart-thumping second she thought he was going to produce a ring and she drew in a sharp, shaky breath…
It was a large white envelope.
He held it out towards her, an expectant smile lighting up his eyes.
She tried hard not to let her disappointment show on her face as she stared down at it.
‘What’s this?’ she asked.
‘Open it and see.’
Her hands shook as she took the envelope from him and lifted up the flap at the back.
She stared at the contents, a heavy sinking sensation turning her stomach over.
It was money. Lots and lots of money. All in fifty-euro notes.
‘It’s a donation to help with the running of your cafe. So you can keep working there,’ he said, not appearing to notice her distress.
