‘And it’s not crazy, Dad,’ Cat argued. ‘You need a break. What better place than the Italian Lakes? Three weeks, that’s all.’
‘And who is going to police Emelia and those blasted awful women while I’m gone?’
‘She hardly sees them now. The museum seems to have taken over her life,’ Nathan informed his father. ‘But should any trouble arise, I can handle it and Anton is here as back up.’
Ruan thought for a moment, running his fingers through his thick fair hair as he got up and paced the room. He battled with his thoughts for a moment. ‘No, it won’t work,’ he said, stopping and spinning around to face his children. ‘It will be a total disaster.’
‘Étienne, please, make him see sense.’ Nathan glared at his father. ‘He needs a break.’
‘Are you party to this conspiracy?’ Ruan asked with an indignant snort. ‘I thought better of you, Étienne.’
‘I am sorry, my old friend, but on this occasion I have to agree with your children.’
‘I haven’t time to be anywhere but here,’ Ruan argued. ‘We’re far too busy.’
‘Oh come on, Dad.’ Nathan rolled his eyes. ‘With Cat’s help, Anton and I are perfectly capable of running this place for three weeks and you know it.’
‘Nathan’s right,’ Cat said, adding her weight to the argument. ‘We’ll be fine. Besides, you’ve not been back to Fiore Del Largo for years and Étienne tells me he’s made a lot of improvements. Aren’t you interested in seeing them?’
Ruan grunted irritably. It seemed the last thing he wanted was to go gadding off to Italy during August. It was their busiest month. As he had said, he needed to be here.
‘You have to learn to trust your children some time, my friend,’ Étienne said gently, ‘so why not now? Besides,’ he waved his brandy glass at Ruan, ‘I need your advice. There is a new place I have my eye on.’
‘Oh.’ Ruan regarded him curiously. ‘Another hotel for the group?’
‘Indeed, and this one is too good to miss.’
‘So, which of the towns on the lake is it this time? Garda? Saló? Malcesine?’
‘It is not on the lake.’ He shook his head and smiled. ‘It is in the Dolomites, just outside Cortina. A family-run business catering for walkers, which is, for me, something totally different. I think it is good to diversify, no? To have a new challenge?’
‘Oh, definitely.’
‘You will come then?’
‘Well …’ Ruan hesitated.
‘Oh go on, Dad,’ Nathan said encouragingly. ‘Everything here will be fine, I promise. And if we do need you, you’re only a phone call or a two hour flight away.’
Ruan paced up and down again. Cat saw him stop, shake his head, and then throw up his hands in defeat.
‘Okay, okay, I’ll go. But,’ he waved a warning finger at Nathan, ‘you must promise to contact me if there’s a problem …anyproblem, however insignificant you may think it is, okay?’
‘Of course,’ Nathan said, ‘that goes without saying.’ He looked across at his sister. ‘But we’ll be fine, won’t we, Cat?’
‘Of course we will.’ She nodded. ‘We’ll be okay, Dad.’
The next morning they breakfasted together out on the hotel’s side terrace, making the most of the continuing sunny spell. Marika was there to serve them with croissants and fresh fruit. Cat watched her as she circled the table with the coffee pot, a self-satisfied smile on her face. She was now convinced that Marika had deliberately set up the incident on the beach. Jordan had dumped Chantelle and days later, if the gossips were to be believed, she had been spotted driving around with him in his car.
Just before eleven, Cat had just finished a call and was busy scribbling down a note when she became aware of a figurehovering in her office doorway. She looked up, expecting to see her brother. Instead, she found Ruan leaning on the doorjamb, a thoughtful expression on his face.
She closed her pad and tucked her pen into the side of her jotter. ‘Sorry,’ she said, checking her watch, ‘you’re about to leave, aren’t you? I completely forgot.’
As she slipped from behind her desk to join him, Ruan walked in and closed the door.
‘Dad?’
‘Cat, before I leave there’s something I need to say to you.’
