‘Sounds lovely,’ Jade said. Friendliness at Three Sisters was mentioned in many a Tripadvisor review.
Leo chimed in. ‘We’re going next door to the bistro. Apparently, their pasta’s amazing.’
The stocky, florid father smiled as widely as his daughters. ‘That sounds awesome. Maybe we’ll eat there tomorrow. But there are nice eateries in every street in Como, so it’s hard to choose. It’s a beautiful place with all the different-coloured buildings.’ Then he shifted his gaze between Jade and Leo. ‘Youboth sound a bit Scottish, but look Italian. Are you brother and sister?’
Leo glanced at Jade, his widening eyes dancing with laughter.
Though embarrassed, as their history didnotindicate a sibling relationship, Jade maintained her cheery host persona. ‘Just family friends. We were both brought up by Scotswomen and Italian men. Are you enjoying your holiday?’
The mother wore her ashy blonde hair in a twist behind her head, but looked pink and sweaty even in the air-conditioned foyer. ‘The days are flashing by. We haven’t even been on a ferry yet.’
The long-haired twin broke in. ‘We want to go to Bellagio and spot celebs.’
‘Bellagio’s busy, but beautiful. Give yourself an hour to queue for the ferry,’ Jade said.
‘Thank you.’ The family called goodbye and headed into the evening discussing whether they should go to Bellagio tomorrow or take the funiculare to Brunate and try the steep trek to the Volta Lighthouse for its stupendous views over Como and the lake.
Leo turned back to Jade. To her relief, he didn’t comment on being mistaken for her brother. ‘Come out for pasta. It’ll make Mum feel better to know you’re not sitting home alone.’
Jade felt herself weaken. Every evening of the last couple of weeks she’d watched TV and tried not to stew about the pensione and Mairead’s will. Reluctantly, she said, ‘OK, I’ll come.’ She glanced at her watch. ‘Are you going somewhere till seven-thirty?’ She ignored a twang from her conscience. Mairead would have beckoned him through the apartment door to the cosy kitchen and given him a cool drink.
‘Give me a job,’ he suggested.
‘Don’t have any.’ It wasn’t even a fib. The small team at the pensione worked like a machine.
He rocked on his heels to peer through the doorway to the empty breakfast room, where chairs with scrolled wooden backs waited around square tables with pink cloths diagonally over white cloths. One wall was painted the same pink, hung with heavy oil paintings; the other walls were white and lit with wall lamps. ‘OK if I sit in there?’
‘Sure.’ She turned to the computer on the reception desk, intending to find work to do rather than monitor the desk from the apartment and feel guilty that she’d left him out here. Leo vanished into the breakfast room. It was unsettling to see him back at Three Sisters. In the two years they’d been together he’d been a frequent visitor, always happy to help guests with suitcases so Jade would be free to spend time with him all the sooner. She shovedthatmemory firmly back in the box labelledway in the past.
She noticed a new-booking notification via the Pensione Three Sisters’ website and clicked on it, pleased, because direct bookings were more profitable than those received through booking sites. Better still, today was Wednesday and the booking was Friday to Monday, filling one of the rooms available after a late cancellation had incurred a fifty per cent fee. To obtain a full price booking on top was a result.
Then the name leapt out at her.Erin Ferguson.
Her stomach lurched. Ferguson might be a common name in Scotland, but it would be an enormous coincidence for one Erin Ferguson to be in Gran’s will and a completely different one make this booking. Jade’s breathing fluttered. She’d prepared herself for contact via Mary Smith, but not for this. It was as if she’d known Jade was already making plans for Pensione Three Sisters and was hopping on a plane to check nothing untoward was happening. Would she be difficult? Or friendly? Jade wasn’t certain which she’d prefer. Her grandmother’s letter floated back to her...I have a dear wish that you’ll formattachments to each other and not be alone, any of you.A pity Gran had been upset by the prospect because, if Jade couldn’t have her dear grandmother, she’d be happier alone.
She wished Vittoria was here. Vittoria would have looped her arms around her and said sensible things, like, ‘I think I’d be filled with curiosity and want a peep too,’ or, ‘Perhaps she just wants to meet you. You’re her sister, you know.’
Jade would have insisted, ‘Ahalf-sister,’ prompting Vittoria to pat her shoulder and say, ‘But still a sister.’
Jade’s eye fell on the space for notes to host. Erin had typed:
I thought we should meet. Best wishes, Erin Ferguson.
Somehow, this brisk brevity grounded her. They were adults. It would be weird to be face to face with a sibling she’d only now learnt about – it was weird just to know she existed – but no amount of wishing was going to rewrite history.
Joey’s chicks were coming home to roost.
She utilised the message function to reply.
Of course. Best wishes, Jade Beretta.
Erin must have still been online because a response zipped back.
I see there’s another room empty. Have emailed Mary Smith to ask her to pass a message to Rosalie Beretta asking if she wants to join us. Hope this is OK.
Crossly, Jade thought that if Erin had already emailed Mary, it was a bit late to ask if it was OK. She typed,I suppose so. Then she deleted the snappy comment and answered with a neutralOK.
Finally, at seven o’clock, she put out the sign that said in both Italian and English that Reception was closed and provided theemergency number. A quick peep told her that Leo still sat in the breakfast room, busy with his phone, so she slipped into the apartment to discard her black dress.
