Lunch is a buffet in the dining room and there’s not a lot of talking. Grazia hasn’t turned up at all, while Bernard takes his plate and heads out to the bar where he orders a glass of the villa’s best wine.
Adriana serves him herself.
‘Is this to your liking, Sir Bernard?’ she asks formally.
It gives him no option but to be polite back.
‘Yes, perfectly acceptable, thank you.’
India and Keera try to get Dianne to join them at their table but she shakes her head.
‘I think she was crying, don’t you think?’ India says to Keera when Dianne’s gone.
‘Looks like it,’ says Keera sadly.
Dan sits with them and they eat Greek salads with freshly baked soft rolls and talk about plans for when they’re not in session.
‘I’d love to go on a hike,’ says Dan wistfully. ‘I cycle a lot at home.’
He begins to tell them about his bike and they tease him cheerfully about it.
‘I like reformer Pilates and barre,’ says India.
‘I like strawberry shortcake ice cream,’ jokes Keera.
They’re still joking as they carry their plates into the kitchen.
Christos begins to tell them about tonight’s barbecue.
‘Do we help with the cooking?’ Keera wants to know.
She actually enjoyed last night’s session in the kitchen: it felt gloriously normal.
She’s suddenly imagining a life where she has a small house with a yard out the back and a barbecue. She can have people over, friends like Cat and Taniqua, some of her NA people. India, definitely. India is a friend, for sure. Maybe dogs – she’s always wanted a dog.
‘Of course you can cook,’ says Christos, who really likes this earnest girl with the blonde hair and the friendly smile.
His wife tells him she is very famous but she does not behave that way. In his hotel career, before he and Adriana came back to live in Corfu to run his family’s restaurant, Christos had met many famous people.
Some had outlandish demands and didn’t want any member of staff looking into their eyes.
Some were charming, polite and decent. It’s clear that Keera is in the latter group, so he smiles at her.
‘Let me tell you what we are making,’ he says.
Rose arrives on the terrace after lunch in a haze of freshly applied lime and mandarin perfume. She scans the retreaters skilfully.
Keera, India and Dan look relaxed. They know the next session isn’t going to be about them.
Rose beams at them and wishes for a moment that she had two weeks with the whole group – then she’d really get down into the weeds with them. But nobody would come to a two-week retreat, would they? Maybe.
She saves the thought to talk about with Adriana and Christos later.
‘Let’s go back to you, Grazia and Bernard,’ Rose says. They need to unpack the tricky situation that is a second marriage, difficult adult children and resentment.
‘Earlier, we were looking at the dynamics behind your blended family. How long have you been married?’
‘Twenty-five years,’ says Grazia.
