Lucy Gordon - Her Italian Boss’s Agenda

‘Oh, darling, don’t say things like that,’ Angela begged. ‘She doesn’t mean it.’

‘Yes, she does,’ Olympia declared, desperate to seize the chance to say this. ‘Love is a snare for the unwary. My career is all I want.’

Before anyone could answer, there was a soft rumbling in the distance. At once a silence descended on the entire company and their heads turned towards the window.

The rumbling came again, and with one movement they all rose and went out on to the terrace. In the distance a soft plume of smoke rose into the night air and disappeared.

‘Is it going to erupt?’ Angela asked, thrilled.

‘No, these little grumbles happen a lot,’ Hope reassured her. ‘It means nothing.’

‘Oh, yes, it does,’ Grandpapa insisted. ‘It means that someone-’ his eyes lingered on Olympia ‘-is telling white lies. Or maybe black lies.’

‘Or maybe she meant every word,’ Olympia said, managing to laugh it off.

Right on cue Vesuvius growled deep in the ground and sent up another plume. Everyone laughed and there were knowing cries of ‘Aha!’

The meal was almost over and nobody returned to the table. Seeing that her parents were happy, Olympia relaxed slightly. Now she could afford to think of herself and what had just happened. It was only a joke, not worth a moment’s thought. She wasn’t superstitious.

Suddenly Primo was beside her. ‘May I refill that for you?’ he asked, indicating her glass.

‘No, I’ve had enough, thank you.’

He took the glass from her and set it down. ‘You’re looking very well,’ he said politely.

‘So are you. Are you back for good now?’

‘No, just for a few days, then I’m going back to finish putting the new arrangements in place.’

‘How is poor Cedric?’

‘Enjoying his retirement. On his last evening we went out and got a little “drunk and disorderly” together.’

‘You? Drunk and disorderly? Surely not?’

‘I used to in my younger days.’

‘That’s hard to imagine, but I expect you planned it all beforehand, so much of this to drink, so much of that, always stay in charge of the situation.’

Primo gave a curt, mirthless laugh.

‘You’ve just described my brother, not me. Luke’s the cold, hard-headed one, planning everything to suit himself.’

‘I haven’t seen that in him.’

‘No, he’s different with you, I’ll give him that. But if you make the mistake of marrying him you’ll find out in the end.’

‘Then the two of you are much the same,’ she flung at him. ‘Maybe that’s why you’re always at odds. It’s a toss-up which of you is more determined to arrange life to suit himself.’

That got to him, she was glad to see. He flinched.

‘I’m not as bad as you think.’

‘Aren’t you? Then tell me this. I’ve been thinking back and remembering that Cedric had met you before. He knew it was you all the time, didn’t he?’

‘Yes,’ he admitted reluctantly.

‘How did you persuade him to keep quiet? His pension didn’t suddenly double, did it?’

‘Not quite double.’

‘So you bribed him, just like you bribed the hotel receptionist. You only have two ways of dealing with people, haven’t you? Delude them, and bribe them. Did you ever try approaching anyone straightforwardly? Or don’t you know how?’

‘Olympia, please-’

‘All right, I’ve finished. We don’t need to talk any more.’

‘So when is the announcement?’

‘What announcement?’

‘Of your engagement to my brother. Isn’t that why your parents are here?’

‘No, it’s pure chance. They’re just staying with us for a few days.’

‘With us?’

‘Staying at Luke’s apartment.’

‘I see.’

‘No, you don’t see. He said I could invite them while he was away but then he came back early.’

‘Like a good prospective son-in-law. They love him. Your mother was telling me how wonderful he is, and your father longs for the day when he’ll give you away.’

‘And you heard what I said.’

‘Yes, I did.’ He gave a wry grin. ‘So did Vesuvius, and you know what he thought of it.’

‘Don’t tell me you’re superstitious.’

‘You can’t live here without being superstitious. The old man over the bay can tell when you’re lying.’

‘That’s it. That’s enough,’ she said furiously. ‘I spent weeks talking nonsense with you-’

‘You should know. You did most of the talking.’

She breathed hard. ‘I’m going back to join the others now,’ she said, and walked away.

She shouldn’t have talked to him. It had been a mistake, one that she wouldn’t make again.

The party split into small groups to drink coffee. Hope was talking about her first son, Justin, snatched from her at birth.

‘It will be the holidays soon and then perhaps Justin will return with my grandson,’ she said, smiling at Olympia. ‘And then you will meet him.’

‘I’ll really look forward to it,’ Olympia said. ‘I think it’s wonderful how you found each other at last.’

‘That’s what Primo did for me,’ Hope said, regarding him fondly. ‘He gave me back my eldest son.’

‘No, Mamma,’ he said, looking uncomfortable. ‘You can’t give one person to another. If they find you it’s because they want to. Justin was seeking you and in the end he would have found you himself.’

Olympia thought Hope was preparing to say more, but then she checked herself, as though she’d realised Primo wanted to end the subject.

‘Is there any hope that we’ll see Evie again?’ Luke asked.

‘I fear not,’ Hope said sadly. To Olympia she explained, ‘Evie is the woman who came here with him the first time. She’d done so much for him, and anyone could see that they loved each other, but now they seem to have broken up.’

‘Then perhaps they did not love each other,’ Toni pointed out.

‘Why do you say that?’ Olympia asked impulsively. ‘Sometimes people love each other and still break up. It doesn’t mean the love wasn’t there, just that they couldn’t find the path that led to each other.’

Hope made a sudden movement of interest. Several of the others turned to look at Olympia, but she couldn’t see if Primo was one of them as her head was turned away from him. Even so, she sensed him grow still.

‘I think you are right,’ Hope said, nodding to her. ‘I know that Justin is a difficult man. He says so himself. He wouldn’t be an easy husband for any woman, but I think Evie could have been the right wife for him, if only-’ She sighed.

‘If only someone would help them,’ Olympia said impulsively.

‘You think so?’ Hope asked. ‘But how?’

‘Talk to them, make them talk to each other. Knock their heads together.’

‘If only-’ Hope murmured. ‘But then my family would say I was an interfering busybody.’

‘Let them,’ Olympia said robustly. ‘People sometimes call me an interfering busybody, but I’ve never let it stop me yet.’

This caused a general laugh and Hope patted her hand.

‘I knew there was a reason I like you so much,’ she said triumphantly.

As the evening drew to a close Olympia sought refuge in the cool night air, from a position where she could glare at Vesuvius across the bay.

‘You’re a real pain in the butt,’ she informed him. ‘In future, shut up.’

He loomed in tactful silence. He’d had his fun.

It was a relief to be away from the chattering crowd. Her head was starting to ache from the confused impressions she had received tonight.

Primo’s face was in her mind, pale and strained as she’d seen him in the first moment, then cool and smiling as he’d introduced his glamorous companion.