‘Ooh.’ Rosalie clapped her hand over her mouth.
‘Och, fuck.’ Erin squared her mouth in an agonised grimace.
Both stared at her with wide eyes, one pair honey-brown and one whisky.
Jade dropped her head into her fists. ‘I’ll call her and apologise. See if she wants to come back till Monday. It’s the least I can do.’
Rosalie swung a pink bag from one hand. ‘You didn’t actually accuse her, though?’
‘Next best thing,’ Erin declared. Then she winced. ‘Sorry, Jade. That was unhelpful.’
With a huge sigh, Jade trailed into her bedroom, cool behind its shutters, and made the phone call to Geneva, picturing the small, wiry woman, who’d returned to Jade’s life so unexpectedly. Listening to the ringtone, she opened Gran’s jewellery box and touched the little group of Gran and Nonno’s rings.Miss you, she thought.Things aren’t going well.
The call rang out, without even the opportunity to leave a voice message.
Thwarted, Jade sent a text.
Please will you call me as soon as possible? Jade.
No call came.
That evening, Jade poured out her worries to Leo over a plate of linguine carbonara and a glass of crisp, white Gavi wine on theshady terrace of Villetta Nascosta. ‘She might be unable to pay her rent and be living in a cardboard box for all I know.’
Leo lifted her fingers to his lips. ‘You care about her, after all?’
A strange, ambiguous, anxiety-combined-with-uncertainty rippled through her. ‘I want her to know she’s in the clear. Believing her now, when I have proof, isn’t much like believing her in the first place, so I must apologise too. I don’t strictly need her this week as you and the others are helping, but if she worked a few more days, it would leave you free to view those apartments or whatever.’
He frowned. ‘I’m not sure there’s a deal to be done there. In fact, I’ve been waiting to discuss something else with you—’
‘Leo!’ A shout interrupted them, and Jade saw Massimo and Sofi strolling hand in hand up the winding path beneath the palm trees, looking relaxed in shorts and T-shirts. ‘May we join you? We have news that we’ve already shared with Mum and Papà.’ Sofi’s shy but beaming smile suggested it was good news.
‘Of course.’ Leo pushed out a chair invitingly. ‘Would you like water, Sofi? Or fruit juice?’ Sofi was showing a small but distinct baby bump beneath her top now.
‘Fruit juice, please,’ Sofi said, and Leo soon returned with a glass of orange juice for her and an empty wine glass for Massimo to fill from the bottle he and Jade had been sharing.
After helping himself, Massi beamed as he raised his glass. ‘We’ve seen our baby today! It was our sixteen-week scan. It’s too early to be certain, but, from what we saw, we think perhaps a daughter.’ His eyes shone with happy tears.
‘Fantastico!’ and ‘Congratulazioni!’ Jade and Leo said, and everybody spoke at once.
Massimo’s face shone with delight. ‘Mum and Papà haven’t gone home yet. Shall I invite them to join us?’ His phone was in his hand before the words were out of his mouth.
Leo said, ‘Of course, of course.’ Then he sent Jade a speaking glance and whispered, ‘Sorry. I wanted to tell you something.’
‘But who can begrudge Massi and Sofi wanting to share their happiness?’ she whispered back.
The senior Sartoris arrived bearing Franciacorta from the bar and a mocktail for Sofi, festive with curly straws and umbrellas. Everyone made guesses as to what the new baby would be called.
Sheenagh had secured a seat next to Jade, who took advantage of the hubbub to tell Sheenagh about Harry’s email. The good spirits Jade had been feeling on Massimo and Sofi’s behalf plummeted. ‘I keep calling and texting, but she doesn’t answer.’
‘Ghosting you.’ Leo obviously had one ear on the conversation.
Sheenagh gazed at Jade. ‘I don’t feel you owe her anything.’
Jade watched a moth fluttering around a nearby lamp. ‘Yes, I do,’ she said coolly. ‘I owe her the truth. What if she needs a reference for her next job? I could give her one. And,’ she added, her voice catching in her throat as realisation dawned too late, ‘I feel a sense of loss. I knew her for such a short time. She’s just another normal, fallible human being.’
Sheenagh’s brows dipped, meeting the worried lines above her nose. ‘So... you care?’
Jade didn’t have to think about it. ‘I must, at least a little.’
