The Heavenly Italian Ice Cream Shop (17 page)

‘Actually I already know what I’m going to spend it on,’ Imogen said bluntly. ‘A flight out to Italy.’

‘Oh,’ Jan said. ‘This all seems quite sudden. Have you spoken to Anna about it?’

‘Yes, of course I have. She’s excited,’ she said.

‘Sounds wonderful. Are you going, too?’ Tom asked Finn.

‘I wish I could. But with the building work I’m going to have my hands full here.’

‘As well as seeing Anna, I think there might be some potential for photos – especially out on Capri. I’ve always wanted to go there.’

‘How nice,’ Tom said. His eyes misted over. ‘Your grandmother always said it was beautiful.’

Imogen thought of the letter she’d found, the complex web she seemed to have stepped into and hoped that – out in Italy – she’d be able to start unravelling.

‘Well, as long as it’s not just an excuse for a holiday, Imogen,’ Jan said. ‘Because you’ve had plenty of those.’

Imogen gave her mother a stern look.

‘What?’ Jan asked. ‘Everyone has to settle down sometime. Even you. Now, anyone for dessert?’

Chapter 22

Anna crossed the square and went into Luigi’s restaurant. At ten in the morning, the place was quiet, and her neighbour in the Sorrento square was occupied with cleaning the tables, singing to himself loudly and cheerily, operatic songs that Anna knew vaguely from ice cream adverts.

‘The English Lady!’ he exclaimed. ‘You have come to brighten my day once again,
principessa.
’

Anna laughed. ‘I got some good news yesterday, Luigi. My sister’s booked her flights to come out here to visit.’

Anna had received the confirmation in an excited text message from Imogen late in the evening.

‘Fantastic! If she is anything like you, meeting her will be a delight,’ Luigi said.

‘Imogen’s nothing like me,’ Anna said, smiling. ‘But all the better for it. You’ll like her.’

‘I’m sure I will. And it will be nice for you to have someone from home here with you, I imagine.’

Anna nodded. Loneliness had crept up on her, so stealthily she almost hadn’t noticed it, and the thought of Imogen’s visit had lifted her spirits.

‘Bring her here for a meal,’ Luigi said. ‘I will get you the best table in the house.’

‘Thank you. I will.’

‘And today – I could flatter myself that you came just for my conversation, but I know that you are a busy woman.’

‘Actually, Luigi, you’re right. I did come to ask a favour. We’re all out of ice cream bowls, if you can believe it. Do you have any spare?’

‘Of course, of course,’ he said, motioning for her to come behind the counter. ‘The shop is getting busier than you expected?’

‘I thought it would take a while for us to get established,’ Anna said. ‘But we’ve had queues into the square today.’

‘That is good news,’ Luigi said, loading a tray with bowls for her. ‘And you’ve earned it. The tourists? Well, they’re not too choosy. But the locals will not come for just any ice cream, you know.’

‘Yes, it’s a compliment. How’s your daughter getting on in her new job, by the way?’

‘Very well, thank you. Long hours but she really enjoys the work and she studied a long time to get there. As it happens, we’re all waiting for a phone call at the moment. Her brother, my son – he works the land not far from here – he and his wife are getting ready to welcome a baby to their family.’

‘That’s great,’ Anna said.

‘Any day now, I’ll be a grandfather.’

‘Wonderful. Let me know when you hear.’

She saw something new in him, that excitement in his eyes. She thought of her own father and the way he had cradled Bella in his arms when she was a newborn. It wasn’t just her and Matteo’s lives that had changed that day.

Later that afternoon, Anna prepared tea and cake, and Carolina came and sat with her and Matteo out on the balcony. With Elisa out with Bella that afternoon, Matteo had suggested they invite his sister round.

‘How is Filippo’s trip going?’ Matteo asked. ‘Mamma keeps saying how well his business is going.’

‘Business is terrific,’ Carolina replied.

‘But?’ Matteo said. So he’d detected the coldness in her voice, too, Anna thought.

‘It’s going so great that I don’t think he’ll be coming down here at all this summer.’

‘That’s a shame,’ Anna said.

‘Is it?’ Carolina said, with a shrug. Anna noticed that there were dark shadows under her eyes.

‘Are you OK?’ Anna asked gently.

‘Not really.’ She shook her head. ‘I don’t know what I ever saw in that man, really.’

Anna froze for a moment, shocked. ‘Are things really that bad?’ she asked. Matteo looked equally concerned.

‘Worse,’ she said. ‘I think our marriage is over.’

‘What’s happened?’ Matteo asked.

‘There were problems before Christmas, and then he said he couldn’t come to England to stay with you,’ Carolina said, her English clear and precise. ‘But I thought we could work through them – I thought our marriage vows meant something.’

‘Is there someone else?’ Anna asked, tentatively.

‘Yes.’ Carolina’s eyes filled with tears.

Matteo shook his head and Anna saw that he was trying hard to keep his fury under control.

‘You’re sure?’ Anna asked.

‘Yes. I knew something was wrong. I looked through his credit-card bills and saw that he’d been staying in hotels and having expensive meals out when he had told me he was away on business.’

‘Did he admit to it?’ Matteo said.

‘No, of course not. That would have made life far too easy.’ She shook her head. ‘He told me I was being paranoid, that I was wrong to have been looking through his things.’

‘That’s terrible,’ Anna said.

She shrugged. ‘It’s hard. You doubt yourself. I’ve lost sight of who’s right and who’s wrong. Maybe I did something to push him away.’

‘Nothing you did would mean you deserve to be cheated on,’ Matteo said. ‘You’re going to divorce him, right?’

Anna gave Matteo a stern look, hoping that he’d understand and go in a little bit more softly.

Carolina looked up, tears in her eyes.

‘You’re too good for him, Caro.’ Matteo said.

‘I just need time to think clearly,’ she said. ‘That’s all.’

Chapter 23

In the early hours of a warm July morning, Imogen checked over the contents of her suitcase: summer trousers, three bikinis, flip-flops and a sunhat on top of some other clothes. Then she got her camera bag ready. Everything that she’d need for a trip to the Amalfi coast.

She couldn’t wait to see Anna, and feel the sun on her face again. It was the right time for a trip away. Over the past few weeks, Evie had proved herself to be a complete natural at Vivien’s; and, at the guesthouse, Martin had found his feet. So Imogen wasn’t leaving anyone in the lurch. She had just one reservation, linked to the guesthouse: she was concerned about Clarissa. After seeing her father’s descent into depression, she didn’t want the same thing to happen again. Imogen had asked her mum to check in on Clarissa while she was away, to make sure that she was OK.

There was just one more thing to pack. She got a folder out of her top drawer and slipped it into her hand luggage. Inside were the letter and photos she’d found, along with the map from the guesthouse, folded up. In Italy she would find out what had happened. She would make some sense of the muddle everything seemed to have become.

She looked over at Finn, still sleeping in bed. The man she loved, but now felt so distant from. A few days and she’d be clearer about everything, she reasoned. She closed her suitcase and checked the time.

Finn stirred. ‘Are you going?’ he asked, drowsily rubbing his eyes. He looked so adorable like that, still half asleep.

‘Yes,’ she said. ‘The cab’s going to be here any minute.’

‘Have fun,’ he said. ‘I’ll miss you.’

She bent down beside him and kissed him, then pressed her face into the warm skin of his shoulder and neck. For that moment everything felt all right.

‘I’ll call you when I get there,’ she said.

‘Sure. Give my love to Anna and Matteo – and a hug for Bella,’ he said. ‘Tell them next time I’ll be there too.’

A text buzzed through to Imogen’s phone announcing that the cab was there. ‘Taxi.’

‘I love you,’ Finn said, simply and clearly.

‘Me too,’ Imogen said.

The words caught. It wasn’t that they weren’t true – they were. But it felt as if they weren’t the only thing that mattered any more.

Part Three

Chapter 24

That Sunday, Anna smiled with delight as she saw her sister walking into the arrivals hall, in a bright-orange, patterned sarong and strappy black top, her sunglasses perched on top of her head. She dashed over and hugged her.

‘I can’t believe you’re really here,’ Anna said, holding her tight.

‘Hold up,’ Imogen said, laughing. ‘You’re squeezing the life out of me here. Have you really missed me that much?’

‘I have, actually,’ Anna said.

‘Aw, that’s sweet. I’ve missed you a bit too. How’s Bella? Matteo?’

‘They’re good, thanks,’ Anna said. ‘Matteo’s running the shop today, and Carolina’s with Bella. I wanted to have my sister to myself for a little bit. Come and jump in the car, let’s get going.’

They loaded Imogen’s suitcase into the back of the car, and hit the road back to Sorrento.

‘How’s the shop?’ Imogen asked, tying her hair up into a loose topknot.

‘It’s doing really well, thanks. Busy. This place is great and we’ve opened at just the right time of year to build a good buzz around the business, and—’

‘So what is it that’s making you unhappy?’ Imogen asked, studying her sister’s face. ‘Because I can see something’s wrong.’

‘Let’s stop for a drink,’ Anna said. ‘I’ll tell you all about it.’

They stopped at a bar by the coast, half an hour short of Sorrento itself. Out of earshot of Matteo’s family, Anna felt liberated. With Imogen she could say what she wanted without fear of it going back to the wrong (or the right) person. The waiter brought them over two tall glasses of chilled Prosecco.

‘First things first: here’s to you being here,’ Anna said, raising hers.

‘Here’s to me being here,’ Imogen said, chinking her glass with her sister’s.

‘So what is it? Spill. Is it Matteo’s mum still?’

‘Yes,’ Anna said, relieved to be able to open up about it. ‘She keeps meddling in everything. With the business, with Bella . . .’

‘Worse than Mum?’ Imogen asked.

‘Oh, God, she makes Mum look like a saint.’ Anna laughed. ‘But it’s not just her. It’s Matteo. When he’s with me, he’s strong and confident – but five minutes with his mum and he’ll roll over and accept whatever she says.’

‘Really?’ Imogen said, surprised.

‘I know. I’m trying to understand, but it’s like there’s a different side to him that I’ve never seen before.’

‘You should say something,’ Imogen urged. ‘It doesn’t sound like it’s going to settle on its own.’

‘But she’s his mother,’ Anna said, shaking her head. ‘Family is everything to Matteo. I don’t want to make him feel he has to choose sides.’

‘So what’s the alternative? You keep quiet, and go slowly mad with it all?’

‘Don’t be dramatic, Imo,’ Anna said, smiling in spite of herself.

‘I’m serious,’ Imogen protested.

‘I can’t,’ Anna said.

‘Right. Well, if you really are refusing to get this out in the open, then at least come out with me and let off some steam tonight.’

‘That sounds like a perfect compromise,’ Anna said, laughing.

Back at the apartment in the late afternoon, Imogen was sitting out on the balcony painting her toenails. Anna stepped outside to join her.

‘Good news,’ she said, brightly. ‘Matteo’s looking after Bella for the night. So I’m officially free to show you some of the local highlights.’

‘Great,’ Imogen said.

‘Nice colour,’ Anna said, admiring her toes.

‘Thanks. So, what’s the plan? Dress code?’

Anna laughed. ‘Well, we’re starting at Luigi’s.’ She pointed out of the window at the humble restaurant across the square, currently populated by the lunchtime crowd of flip-flop-clad tourists complete with beach inflatables. ‘It does get a little more elegant at night, and there are people out here promenading, but I’d say you’d be just fine in what you’re wearing.’

‘That’s good, because I packed fairly light this time. You know what the budget-airline restrictions are like these days. I was hoping I’d get by on mixing and matching a few separates.’

‘You’ll be fine. No one’s very dressy over here. It’s just Capri where you’ll have to up your game. You’re still planning a trip there, right?’

‘Yes, definitely. Just before I leave. Can I tempt you to come too?’

Anna’s face fell a little. ‘I’d love to, but I can’t – what with the shop and everything . . .’

‘OK, well, we’ll just have to cram in as much fun as possible in my time here, then. Starting now.’

She got out her phone and took a photo of the two of them, faces pressed together, the square behind them.

She uploaded it to Facebook: ‘In Sorrento, with the best sister ever.’

That evening, Anna and Imogen were at Luigi’s, sitting at an outside table overlooking the fountain. Children played by the water in the pale moonlight, and, as they laughed, Anna remembered what it was about Italian culture that had attracted her to living there in the first place. She couldn’t allow the tension with Elisa to take all that positive feeling away.

‘What do you think of the linguine?’ Anna asked, watching her sister shovel laden forkfuls of the delicious fresh pasta into her mouth.

‘Incredible,’ Imogen enthused, her mouth still half full. ‘God, it’s nothing like the pasta you get at home, is it?’

Anna shook her head. ‘Luigi’s is some of the best around, fresh, locally sourced ingredients, and made to his grandparents’ recipes. It’s a shame you won’t get to meet him tonight.’

‘Where is he?’

‘He’s gone to visit his son’s new baby. He’s just become a granddad and he’s over the moon about it.’

‘That’s nice,’ Imogen said. A granddad. So feasibly the same age as Vivien would have been. Her mind ticked over the possibility that he could be the man who had written to their grandmother. His initial – L. – supported her suspicion. ‘Is he as proud as Dad was?’