‘No. He thought the police had simply released me.’
‘And you were understandably angry,’ Em supplied.
‘Very. I couldn’t believe he’d left me in there to face a murder charge on my own with a useless brief.’
‘Nor could I,’ Em agreed with a disdainful shake of her head. ‘It’s disgusting and absolutely unacceptable. How did he explain himself?’
‘He blustered a lot. Told me Evie had put a lot of pressure on him. Cursed himself for being weak. However, it was when he began talking about putting the past behind us and moving forward – him, Jordan, me – as a family, that I simply lost it … and quit.’
Em shook her head. ‘Gareth can be an insensitive ass at times. Personally I think you’re well out of that family, young man.’
‘Getting back to Liam …’ Luke hesitated, realising he’d completely forgotten he had a debt to pay. ‘How much do I owe you for his services?’
‘Nothing. He did it as a favour.’
‘A favour? Seriously?’
‘Seriously.’
‘Then I insist on taking you out to dinner to say thank you.’
‘Certainly not. Now you have no job you’ll need every penny.’
‘I already have work. I’m going back to sea. Davyd Coleman’s offered me some temporary work on theMoonrise. It should give me enough time to sort out something more permanent.’
‘Well, I hope you find something else soon. I don’t like to think of you out there in all that rough weather. I also know it can be incredibly dangerous work.’
‘Don’t worry, I’ll be fine,’ he reassured her, touched by her concern. ‘Besides, it’s only temporary; a couple of months at most.’
‘Are you sure?’ She eyed him suspiciously.
‘Absolutely. If you don’t believe me you can ask Davyd. So now I’m in gainful employment, can I coax you out for an evening of good food and wine?’
Em studied him for a moment, considering his proposal. He watched as her expression slowly changed and a smile softened her features. ‘Yes,’ she said, ‘thank you. I think that would be quite wonderful.’
Chapter Twenty-Eight
2018
Funny how a year could change everything, Cat reflected, realising how much she had grown to love the lake during her time here. Back then she had been wondering what life had in store for her. She couldn’t be with Luke any longer and it had broken her heart. She’d loved him so much; had begun to believe they had a future together. But that was before Tanya returned to claim him back. Now she had walled up her heart. Never again would she let herself become so vulnerable. Love was not for her; perhaps it never had been.
Cat kept in touch with home, being regularly updated with all the news and changes that had occurred since her departure. Aunt Em still lived in Caer Gwyn, although she took most of her meals at the hotel having been welcomed back into the family once more. On occasions she kept Ruan company for an evening of backgammon or bridge. Gareth and Jordan’s relationship appeared to have undergone a complete overhaul, with Jordan now promoted to Assistant Sales Manager. At first Cat couldn’t believe the news, but Jodie assured her Evie’s arrest and imprisonment had changed Jordan for the better and brought father and son much closer. But the biggest and most unexpected surprise of all was that Nathan and Jodie were dating. No one ever mentioned Luke. She made it clear to everyone right from the moment she arrived in Desenzano she never wanted to hear his name mentioned again. She didn’t care that he was probably enjoying life with Tanya now; or they might even have a baby on the way. The door to her old life was well and truly closed. Her first few months in Italy were difficult but Étienne wasn’t having her feel sorry for herself.He had something specific in mind for her, he’d told her, but first she must learn Italian. After completing this first task to his satisfaction she joined the hotel staff as assistant to Raphael Bianconi, Fiore Del Lago’s Banqueting Manager. His father, an old friend of Étienne’s, owned hotels in the south of Italy. So where better to send his heart-stoppingly attractive son to gain experience than to a man whose own hotel pedigree went back over one hundred years. Raphael was energetic, charming and fun to work with and she loved being part of his small team.
Étienne’s personal quarters were similar to those at Tarwin House, taking over the top floor of the hotel. Cat’s bedroom was huge with a large claw-footed bath and walk in shower. She had never seen inside Étienne’s rooms, they were always closed off and private, but she imagined, like her own father’s, they were full of memories of his late wife.
The Di Marco quarters were filled with fabulous antiques – family treasures passed down over the years: elegant pieces of furniture, priceless ornaments and oil paintings. The ceilings were tall, the windows shielded from sunlight by voile and shutters. Each of the bedrooms had a private enclosed sun deck, and a covered glass-roofed terrace ran along the outside of the lounge. There, as dusk fell quickly over the lake, Cat and Raphael usually joined Étienne for dinner at the end of each day. The evenings were warm, the lights of Sirmione across the water dancing in the dark, like a string of glittering diamonds. Often, on her free afternoons, Cat caught the ferry over and wandered through its streets, past shops, ice cream parlours and restaurants and up to the castle. Beyond its walls sat a swathe of gravelled beach and a clear view to the north, where the mountains rose up, grey and hazy in the afternoon heat. The longer she stayed, the more she realised she had been right to come to this lakeside town. Its friendly people, amazing sceneryand abundance of flowers had been the perfect place to heal the hurt; to make a new life for herself.
Étienne owned an eight-year-old Maltese terrier called Bianca. Siena, one of the girls who worked behind the bar in the hotel lounge, took her for regular daily walks. She had the run of the top floor and slept in her basket most of the day, greeting her human family with eager yaps and barks on their return each evening. Tonight, as Cat opened the salon door, there was no sign of her; no clatter of nails across the polished wood floor or a happy little yip to greet her. Frowning, she called out several times. When there was no response she phoned down to the bar to speak to Siena, who confirmed she had taken the dog for her usual afternoon walk and had left her in the kitchen drinking water from her bowl.
‘Shall I come? Help you look?’ she asked, concerned something had happened to her.
‘No, don’t worry, I’m sure she’s around somewhere and has crept into some secret little place and fallen asleep,’ Cat replied, not wanting to pull her away from the beginning of a busy evening shift. Ending the call, she began a careful check of all the rooms. The door to Étienne’s bedroom was slightly ajar, giving plenty of space for a small furry body to have wriggled through. With her hand pressed against the wooden panelling, Cat hesitated, aware of being a trespasser. I’m looking for a dog, she argued with herself. I need to go in there. I’m not snooping and anyway, Étienne is in Garda, he will never know. Pushing the door open she slipped inside. Apart from the elegant dark wood antique furniture, as she had guessed the room could almost be a duplicate of her father’s. And just like Ruan, his photographs were set on a table by the window, reminders of his life with Isabella. How sad that just as Étienne had put a first-class teamin place to take over, planning to spend more time with her, she had been diagnosed with terminal cancer.
‘Bianca,’ she called. ‘Bianca.’
A low growl followed by a sharp bark saw the little offender shooting out from under the bed. ‘There you are.’ Cat picked her up, rubbing her head and making a fuss of her. ‘You’re a very naughty girl,’ she scolded. ‘You shouldn’t be here.’ As the dog nuzzled her chin she noticed the paintings hanging on three of the walls and realised they must be Di Marco family portraits. She toured the room, cuddling Bianca as she checked out each of them. One in particular caused her to stop. She was about to take a closer look when she heard the door creak open behind her.
Clutching Bianca tightly, Cat turned quickly expecting to see Étienne, thankful instead to find Raphael standing in the doorway. ‘This naughty girl decided to hide under her master’s bed for a nap,’ she said as she smiled at him, embarrassed at being caught somewhere she probably shouldn’t be. She rubbed the dog’s ears again in an effort to distract him. ‘You’re a little monkey, aren’t you?’
