‘This is Villa Paradise,’ Ben announced proudly as he pulled the car in front of the huge building and stopped beside the sportscar Marco had parked. ‘I sat outside for a couple of hours when I first saw it. It’s an incredible piece of architecture – I dream of designing something like this myself.’ He looked wistful.
‘It’s been in the Marino family for generations,’ Aurora chimed in. ‘Shall we get out? I think I spotted Cesare between some of the lemon trees.’
‘That’s Marco’s grandad?’ Rose checked, trying to recall the family from the photo Ben had shared.
‘Yes. He enjoys working in the garden sometimes,’ Ben told her, opening the door and getting out at the same time as Marco and Luna.
Rose got out too, absorbing a blast of pure heat which scorched her skin. She looked up at the villa again, taking in all three magnificent floors, the ornate wall accents, and the mosaic porch that led to an impressive, curved oak front door. There were pots of flowers dotted around adding splashes of pinks, yellows and vibrant blues.
‘It’s incredible, isn’t it?’ Luna said excitedly, bounding over to stand beside Rose. ‘Wait until you see inside. The wedding’s going to take place in the garden at the back of the villa – it’s so pretty. There are trees and so many flowers and we’re all going to sit outside!’
She clapped her hands and yanked Rose away from the Citroën, leading her towards the entrance of the villa. ‘There’s a swimming pool in the back too, and a huge olive grove – there are so many places to sit in the garden, it goes on for miles. You’re going to have to come exploring with me.’
‘Perhaps later,tesoro,’ Marco said firmly. ‘We’ve been gone a while; we should see if Mama or Papa need us to help them get ready for the engagement party.’
‘Of course,’ Luna said, nodding at Rose and mouthing an apology. ‘Let’s catch up later.’
‘Can’t I help?’ Rose offered.
Marco shook his head firmly. ‘You are a guest; my parents would not hear of it. Luna, why don’t you find Mama and I’ll see everyone to their rooms so they can refresh?’
‘I’ll come in a minute.’ Aurora handed Coco to Luna, who immediately took off around the side of the house carrying the dog.
‘I’m assuming Aldo and I are in the usual room?’ the older woman checked and Marco nodded. ‘I’m going to see if I can find Cesare first.’
Marco looked towards a cluster of angular lemon trees positioned on their right, but Rose couldn’t see anyone. ‘Is he hiding somewhere?’ Marco asked, frowning.
‘I think he’s on his phone,’ Aurora said. ‘I’ll go and see if he’s okay. Aldo tells me things have got much worse.’ She headed away from them, her skirts swishing, and Rose watched her go.
What was worse? She considered asking Marco, but from the look on his face guessed he wouldn’t share with her.
‘Is Cesare hiding?’ Ben asked.
‘No,’ his friend said, his forehead knotting. ‘I gaveNonnohis first mobile for his birthday in January and now he’s obsessed with doing crosswords. He says they keep his mind young. Mama says he disappears into the garden for hours sometimes. Of course, he could be using it to distract himself.’ He looked unhappy. Rose shifted her gaze between the two men hoping one of them would elaborate.
Ben winced. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said.
What exactly what he was apologising for. Was something wrong with Marco’s perfect family? Did Luna know about it?
‘No matter,’ Marco said briskly, his eyes skimming across Rose’s face before he glanced at the house. ‘You should followme so I can show you where you’ll be sleeping. It’s a different room from your usual, Ben. We’ll pick up your luggage later.’
‘I’ve got no luggage,’ Rose muttered, following him slowly as she tried to spot where Aurora had gone – wondering why the older woman had been so determined to find Marco’s grandad and what exactly had got worse.
But Aurora had already been swallowed by the greenery, leaving Rose in the dark.
Rose stood on the small balcony at the end of her bedroom and gazed at the view. Villa Paradise was stunning and the grounds were extensive. From here, she could see the perfect backdrop of mountains peppered with trees. Closer to the main house was the glittering swimming pool Luna had mentioned, surrounded by umbrellas and loungers — framed by sprawling gardens of olive, cypress and lemon trees and flowering shrubs.
To the far left of the estate, two small, burnt orange stone houses sat side by side. Each had a blue wooden table and one chair which had been set away from each other on opposing patches of grass. The two gardens were separated by a thick fence panel flanked by stunning pots of pink oleander. The barrier looked new and a little out of keeping with the original buildings. Perhaps the family had begun to rent the cottages in the summer, and it was there to give their clients privacy?
She walked back inside and paced the room, picking up her skirt as Aurora’s dress skimmed along the wooden floor. She needed new clothes but had more important things to worry about. Like where was Luna and when was she going to get a chance to speak to her friend alone?
She knew Luna and Marco’s bedroom was on the second floor of the villa because Marco had mentioned it – while she, Ben and Aurora were all located on the top. Rose had no ideahow she’d find out which of the many bedrooms belonged to her friend, she only knew she had to track her down.
She pulled her mobile from her pocket and tapped out a quick message, checking that she hadn’t already received a reply to the two she’d already sent.
Hi, Luna. Are you okay? When can we talk properly? R xx
Rose returned to look at the view and noticed what she presumed was a woman dressed in black trousers wander out of the doorway of one of the small cottages. The woman moved slowly and it was obvious, even from here, that she was elderly – but Rose couldn’t see her face because she was too far away.
