Page 39 of The Dolce Vita Divas
So, was that it? Was that the final door closing on everything? I didn’t want it to be, but it seemed it was. And what did he wonder?
‘I must go and check on a few things,’ he said, and he started to make the moves men make when they are about to leave. Looking at his watch, collecting up his mobile, checking in his jacket pocket for keys, his wallet, pulling out a scrap of paper and reading the message there before screwing it up and leaving it in the empty ashtray.
I watched him, studied his profile for a moment, remembering how much I had yearned for him once upon a time. How I had wanted to run my fingers down his jawline, through his hair. Wished that his eyes had brightened at the sight of me.
But then I remembered how often we had argued, shouting at each other about nothing. The washing up, the laundry drying on the radiators, books and paperwork strewn all over the table. Simply because we were both passionate, hot-headed people back then. But perhaps that was how I had dealt with my feelings. Hidden my attraction for him with irritation and silly quarrels.
‘I would ask if there’s anything I can do to help,’ I said, ‘but obviously there isn’t. After all, you have a very efficient staff.’
‘Ellen trained them well,’ he said, and then his phone buzzed with a text, and he studied it, looking worried. ‘Oh dear.’
‘Problem?’ I said.
‘It’s from Leo. Eric’s nanny Andrea is unwell. Apparently the travel has brought on one of her migraine episodes which can last two or three days, and Leo and my daughter-in-law are finding it… shall we say, difficult. One would not think Eric would be a problem for them, but he is. Between you and me, I am doubtful that their style of parenting is working but I’m reluctant to interfere. I’d better go and see if I there is anything I can do.’
‘Perhaps I could help?’ I said.
Paulo looked doubtful and then slightly puzzled.
‘Surely one small boy doesn’t need all of us fussing around him?’
I was inclined to agree, but then kids seemed to be treated differently from when I was young. Back then, they were on the edge of everything; nowadays, they seemed to be slap bang in the middle.
‘He’s been travelling. I expect he is jetlagged and confused about everything. There are such a lot of new things to take in,’ I said. ‘Different routine, and food, and a strange bedroom too. It’s very unsettling when he is only five.’
‘Yes, I suppose that’s true,’ he said, ‘but you shouldn’t be worried about that.’
‘I am more than available to keep an eye on Eric. I’m happy to help if I can.’
He looked conflicted. ‘Leo did tell me that Eric has taken a liking to you. Perhaps you are used to small children, you were a teacher weren’t you, and then you had your own grandchildren – so I perhaps… At least you would be able to help keep an eye on him at the event tomorrow? If Andrea is no better?’
‘I’d be delighted,’ I said, my tone firm with confidence.
‘Well, let’s go and see, shall we?’
If I had thought about tomorrow at all, I had imagined myself wandering around, having miraculously found an elegant and stylish outfit that was not the black dress or the sale bargain items I had planned. If only Paulo had told us what the dress code was, we could have avoided this. But then men never seemed to worry about that. Unless it’s a black-tie event, the big decision for them was either wearing a tie or not wearing a tie.
I had imagined myself newly confident, fake it till you make it, a glass of Prosecco in my hand, talking about Ellen, meeting some of her Italian family and friends and generally being a well-behaved guest. Enjoying some delicious canapés and feeling very happy to be in such glamorous and delightful surroundings that were so unlike my life back home.
Supervising a small boy who was the product of ‘No No’ parenting and wanted to be a cowboy hadn’t been on my to-do list. But if Paulo needed my help, then of course I would say yes.
And actually, although I had taught for many years, I didn’t know a vast amount about the modern methods involved in looking after small children. These days I only saw my granddaughters occasionally as their parents seemed to lead such hectic lives, and now Violet and Maud were finding activities and a social life of their own to keep them busy. There seemed to be at least one birthday party every weekend from what I could tell.
Paulo’s confidence in my childminding skills was very far off the mark.
10
We found Leo and Raleigh in their suite. Leo was tucked away in a corner on his mobile having a rapid-fire discussion with someone in Italian, and Raleigh was standing by the window looking elegant but hopeless.
Her face brightened as we came into the room.
‘Leo is on the phone trying to ring round the agencies to find a temporary nanny; so far he hasn’t had any success. And now it’s getting late and they are all closing for the day. We thought we might find a museum to visit, but of course it’s too late for that now, so perhaps we could organise a little evening picnic in the garden, but Eric doesn’t know what he wants.’
She threw a look at the door of the adjoining bedroom, and we heard the sound of a television volume being turned up and then down again, followed by a muffled thud.
‘What’s the problem?’ I asked, feeling a bit irritated that she wasn’t doing anything sensible.
‘Oh, you know, Eric is such a bright boy. He is easily bored and distracted,’ Raleigh said.
