Page 40 of My Lemon Grove Summer
I stare at their blank expressions.
‘Billy, you don’t want to go back to travelling again, do you? Working for other people’s dreams of a life abroad? Don’t you want to get that dream of your own back?’
Billy shakes his head sadly, and Sherise lets out a little sob. ‘I just want a home of my own again,’ she says. ‘To be able to open the fridge and know what I’m cooking. To sleep in my own bed every night.’
‘Let’s ask Giuseppe if we can stay on. Run the Airbnb whilst we make new lives for ourselves, set up businesses of our own, find homes here. I know how it feels to lose everything you’ve worked for.’ I look at Sherise and Billy, and at Ralph and then at Barry. ‘And I’m not going to let it happen again. I want to stay. I want to fight for my right to make my dreams work out!’ I look at the confused faces around the table. ‘Just give it a try! For three months. Don’t let Tabitha’s words be true. Don’t let us be that bunch of losers she’s written about.’
Tabitha looks mortified. And so she should.
Suddenly Giuseppe appears from inside the house.
‘Good news! The dust has settled. You can leave.’
We all look at him.
‘What? What’s happened?’ he asks.
‘We’re staying, Giuseppe. If you’ll let us. Aren’t we?’ I look around the table.
They all nod, slowly to start with, and then more emphatically. All except Tabitha, who has her head dropped forward.
‘I’m in,’ says Barry.
‘And me!’ says Ralph.
‘And us.’ Sherise and Billy speak together.
Tabitha raises her spiky blonde head. ‘And me, if you’ll have me.’
‘Only if you promise not to write any more columns,’ says Sherise sternly. Barry nods in agreement, but Ralph can’t look at her. He stares straight ahead, as if blanking her out completely.
‘I promise.’ She smiles a watery smile.
‘And the wedding?’ Giuseppe asks.
‘Back on! Definitely back on!’ I tell him, and he flings his arms around me and Lennie.
‘Let’s tell everyone!’ he cries.
Chapter Twenty
I stand and stare at the yellowing wedding dress in the shop window. There are three mannequins dressed in elaborate gowns. The one at the front, faded lace, is very low-cut. I could never wear that. I’m not sure I want to wear any of them. To be honest, I’m feeling a bit dazed.
Giuseppe arrived back at the farmhouse this morning as we were clearing up after breakfast.
‘Buongiorno!’ he announced with a big beam on his face. ‘Look!’ He bent down to pick up two loaves of bread from the doorstep.
‘Where did those come from?’
‘A gift, I would think,’ he said. ‘People are grateful you are here and that there is going to be a wedding!’
I found myself blushing as I took the loaves.
‘They must be from the baker in town,’ I said. ‘He’s never been open when I’ve tried to buy bread there.’
‘And . . .’ announced Giuseppe, ‘you have a visitor. A guest! Arrived on the first flight this morning.’
‘Mum?’ said Lennie, staring at Valerie in her big sunhat and with a large suitcase by her side.
