Next morning Alice had arranged to meet Simonetta at the stables and she was keen to tell her all about her meeting with the three architects, particularly with Luca and his canine companion. To her surprise and considerable relief, when she mentioned his name, this actually produced a smile on Simonetta’s face.
‘When you were asking about architects, I didn’t want to mention Luca in front of Papà and Nonna and I wondered if you might contact him. Tommaso’s often told me his brother’s a very good architect. I’ve heard that from other people as well and I’m sure he’d be great for us. I was going to tell you about him on a couple of occasions during the week but each time the thought of the family complications it might cause stopped me. In the end I told myself that if you were to choose him, it had to be some sort of sign and we would just have to do our best to make it work.’
Simonetta waited until the horses had negotiated a narrow gateway and were once again walking side by side before she continued.
‘So, what do you think? Is Luca the best of the architects you’ve seen? We both know it’s going to be difficult if he is.’
Alice answered honestly. ‘I have absolutely no doubt that he is the best candidate, but I’m sure you’re right that it could provoke all sorts of problems. Most important of all, do you think your father could accept having a Montorso working for him?’
Simonetta took her time before replying. ‘I think he’ll take a lot of persuading but, ultimately, the deciding factor will be my grandmother. If we can get her on our side then I’m sure Papà will say yes, probably reluctantly, but I think he would agree. Are you doing anything tomorrow afternoon? Maybe you and I should sit down together with Nonna and have a quiet chat in advance of Monday’s meeting.’
‘That’s fine by me. Good idea. What about Luca and Tommaso’s father? How do you think he’s likely to react? Don’t let’s forget that, as mayor, he’s probably able to create a lot of bureaucratic complications. And what about his relationship with Luca? If it’s bad now, presumably seeing him working for you would only make it worse.’
‘From what Tommi’s told me, there’s absolutely no love lost between Luca and his father as it is. They haven’t seen or spoken to each other for years, so it can hardly make their relationship any worse. And, to be honest, the same could be said about relations between our two families. Cesare Montorso has always hated us and I can’t see that changing. There’s no way he was ever going to make things easy for us with this project so, again, I don’t think we’ll necessarily be any worse off if we go with Luca.’
‘Okay, if you’re sure, I’ll send him a text and tell him I’m going to put his name forward at our meeting on Monday.’
‘Do that, but I still think it’ll be a good idea if you and I sit down with Nonna before the meeting to see if we can convince her to be on our side. Leave Achille to me; I know how to handle him.’
They crossed back to the castle side of the valley and were soon riding on Varaldo family land. Alice followed the directions given to her by Alfonso so that she could show Simonetta the fields where the alpacas were to be kept. From there they rode on into the woods and she pointed out the trees which Rocco felt should be harvested first. Simonetta took photos to show her father and told Alice that now that he had accepted the inevitable, he was beginning to sound a bit more enthusiastic. Apparently he had even been seen reading a book on animal husbandry taken from the extensive castle library, but because many of the volumes were over a century old, he had been unable to find anything definitive dealing with alpacas over here in Europe. Alice promised to lend him the new book she had ordered once she had had a chance to look at it.
It was just starting to rain when they returned to the stables and Alice went home to dry out and do her laundry which she had been putting off all week. Before making a start, she sent a text to Luca Montorso telling him she had spoken to Simonetta and that they were both convinced he was the right man for the job. She reminded him that this would be subject to approval at the Varaldo family meeting on Monday morning and asked if he could let her know his answer one way or the other before then. As she pressed Send she couldn’t help hoping that he would agree, and that the family would endorse her recommendation. This, she told herself, was purely based on his suitability as an architect, but she knew, deep down, that there was more to it than that.
She had just put her delicates into the sink to soak when she heard her phone bleep. It was a reply from Luca.
A few minutes later she received another text, this time from Simonetta.
The following day Alice walked up to the castle at four o’clock and was met by Simonetta at the front door with a conspiratorial grin on her face. ‘Achille’s gone out for the afternoon and Papà’s down in the cellars poking about, looking for historic bits and pieces for his museum. That was a brilliant idea of yours; he’s really excited at the thought of creating a lasting exhibition of family history. This means we should have Nonna to ourselves.’
Tea with Simonetta’s grandmother was taken in the baroness’s own private drawing room. Alice had never been in here before and she cast an appreciative eye around as she followed Simonetta over to a beautiful old brocade-covered couch. Though smaller than the family lounge where they had their meetings, this was still a large room, and it needed to be, because a third of it was taken up by a massive grand piano. The baroness was sitting in an armchair by the empty fireplace and she waved the two of them towards her.
‘Come and sit down, girls. Would you like tea or coffee? Alice, maybe you’d prefer tea.’
Alice sat down alongside Simonetta on the couch. ‘I’m happy with either, thank you. I’ll have what you’re having.’
They chatted idly for a few minutes until Silvia had brought in a teapot, cups and saucers, and even a jug of cold milk which Alice had not been expecting, seeing as here in Italy tea was normally drunk black, maybe with a slice of lemon. Along with the tea was a magnificent-looking chocolate cake. After seeing that everybody had been served, Silvia left the room, and the baroness looked across at her granddaughter with a suspicious smile on her face.
‘It’s very nice to see both of you but I know you well, Simonetta. There’s something on your mind, isn’t there?’
Alice couldn’t help smiling. Although she might be getting on in years, there really was nothing wrong with this lady’s antennae. Alice sipped her tea while Simonetta explained the problem that now faced them, finishing with the words, ‘So you see, Nonna, we both feel that he’s the best architect for the job, but we’re afraid that Papà won’t approve. What do you think?
The baroness had been listening closely without comment to everything her granddaughter had said, and the three of them sat in silence for almost a minute before the old lady spoke. ‘Do you trust this man?’
Simonetta and Alice nodded in tandem and Simonetta replied straightaway. ‘Yes, I do.’
‘But surely, you haven’t spoken to him. Didn’t you say only Alice went to see him? Have you ever met him?’ She really didn’t miss a trick.
Alice now knew from what Simonetta had told her during their ride the previous day that she and Tommaso had met up with his brother in Parma on many occasions in the past, but, of course, revealing that to her grandmother would mean revealing her hidden love affair, and that would risk opening a whole fresh can of worms. Thinking quickly, Alice leapt in to help out.
‘I certainly got the feeling that he was trustworthy. There was just something about him.’ She searched desperately for something else to say in his support, but the baroness was not going to be put off the scent so easily.
‘I’m very pleased to hear that, Alice, but I was asking Simonetta.’ She didn’t say it nastily, but she made it clear that she wanted to hear from her granddaughter. That was a brief pause before Simonetta replied.
‘Achille and I sometimes met him. We met both brothers, when we were younger. You know, at local fairs and football matches and things like that.’
‘Of course, but people can change as they grow older. Maybe he’s no longer a simple, innocent little boy.’
‘Yes, but…’
Seeing that Simonetta was floundering, Alice tried another intervention. ‘I heard that he had a major falling-out with his father a long time ago and apparently the two of them haven’t spoken for years and years. Surely that’s in his favour.’
‘Who told you that?’
Alice felt the baroness’s shrewd old eyes studying her. It had been Alfonso the groundsman who had first given her this piece of information but she felt she had better leave him out of it just in case he got into trouble as a result for talking out of turn.
‘Luca Montorso himself, when I visited his studio on Friday.’ The baroness nodded before redirecting her attention to her granddaughter.
‘But he didn’t tell you, did he, Simonetta. Is there something you haven’t told me?’
After another long silence, Simonetta finally gave in. ‘Yes, there is, Nonna, and I’m afraid you aren’t going to like it.’
‘Why don’t you let me be the judge of that? The older I get, the less things seem to bother me.’
Alice shot a sideways glance at Simonetta and could see the worry on her face as she set about explaining the length and depth of her relationship with Tommaso, finishing with the words, ‘It all started years ago, but we’ve only really been together properly for the last three or four years.’
‘You and Luca Montorso?’
‘Not Luca. His brother, Tommaso; they’re twins.’
Alice did her best to make it look as if she was staring out of the window at the hills on the opposite side of the valley while at the same time keeping a surreptitious eye on the baroness’s face. She hadn’t been quite sure what to expect – outrage maybe – but the old lady’s features hardly changed at all.
‘So you’re telling me that you’re in love with a member of the Montorso family?’
‘Yes, I am.’ Simonetta was trying to sound resolute but Alice could hear the insecurity in her voice.
‘And you’ve felt this way for a number of years, but you haven’t dared say anything to your father or me about it?’
‘Yes, Nonna.’
Alice didn’t want to swivel her head around so as to look at Simonetta, but from the way her voice cracked, it sounded as though she was about to burst into tears. It must have seemed that way to her grandmother as well, because she was quick to reply.
‘I never cease to amaze at how silly people can be. What’s wrong with falling in love? Some people go through their whole lives without knowing love, so you can consider yourself a very lucky girl.’
‘Yes, but he’s a Montorso…’
‘My dear girl, in this day and age it wouldn’t matter in the slightest if he was a little green man or a two-headed woman. We’ve moved on since medieval times.’
‘You don’t mind?’ Simonetta’s voice was little more than a croak.
‘Of course I don’t. Times have changed. I just wish your father could get that into his head and, indeed, the same applies to the father of your beloved Tommaso. Now come over here and let me give you a hug. It takes me too long to get up.’
Simonetta jumped to her feet and almost flung herself into her grandmother’s arms. From the way her shoulders were shaking, it was pretty clear to Alice that she was crying now and she felt her own eyes stinging with emotion in sympathy. The two of them stayed like that for almost a minute before Simonetta pulled herself out of her grandmother’s arms and perched on the arm of the chair beside her, wiping her eyes with a tissue.
‘And you really don’t mind? You’re sure?’
‘Of course I’m sure. In fact, I’m delighted for you. I’ve been thinking for some years now that it was about time you found yourself a husband. So, are you planning on marrying him?’
Simonetta nodded vigorously. ‘We’d love to get married, but it’s so terribly complicated.’
‘Well, listen to me, it doesn’t need to be complicated as far as our family are concerned. Amor vincit omnia, remember that. Love conquers all. You’re free to marry whoever you like, and I look forward to meeting Tommaso… and his brother.’
‘Does that mean you don’t mind if we employ Luca to be our architect?’
‘If he’s the best person for the job, then you need to employ him. As far as I’m concerned, if you and Alice think he’s the one, then you’ll have my full support.’
‘But what about Papà? How do you think he’s going to react if we tell him we want to employ Luca, and what if I then tell him that I’m in love with Tommaso? He’ll have a fit.’
‘Your father inherited his belief in the sanctity of the family from his father, and he inherited that from countless generations before him, but just as your father’s seen the wisdom of trying to generate a profit from our home and its lands, I’m sure we can convince him of the suitability of the two brothers.’
‘You said “we.” Does that mean you’ll help persuade him?’
‘Of course I will. Now, ring the bell for Ines or Silvia, would you?’
A few seconds later Ines herself arrived and the baroness called her over. ‘Ines, I’ve just had some very good news, and we need to celebrate. Could you find a cold bottle of French champagne and three glasses please?’ She stopped and corrected herself. ‘On second thoughts, make that five glasses and ask Silvia to come back with you.’
Minutes later all five of them had glasses of champagne in their hands, including the embarrassed-looking housekeeper and her daughter. Waving away Simonetta’s offer of help, the baroness got to her feet and held out her glass towards them all.
‘I’ve just heard from my granddaughter that she’s found a man she wants to marry. I couldn’t be happier, and if this doesn’t deserve a toast, I don’t know what does.’
They all clinked glasses together and tried the champagne. It tasted excellent, and quite rightly so. From where she was standing, Alice could see that this was no ordinary champagne. The date on the bottle indicated that it was fifteen years old and she wondered how much a wine like this might be worth. For a second or two she reverted to her role as castle manager, curious if there might be a cellar beneath their feet packed with racks of precious wines worth a small fortune. She would need to look.
Simonetta was hanging on to her grandmother’s free arm with one hand and was visibly overwhelmed. Ines and Silvia were looking uncomfortable to be here drinking champagne with the baroness, but were no doubt pleased to be included. From the expression on Silvia’s face it was clear that she was dying to know the identity of the man of Simonetta’s dreams but this was not revealed for now. Obviously the baron had to be informed first. Alice rather hoped that she herself wouldn’t be there when that happened. She had had quite enough drama for one afternoon.
That evening she once again went to the Casa Rosa for dinner. Tonight, however, there was no sign of Luca, but partway through the best lasagne she had ever tasted, she got a text from him.
All very formal, but it was the reply Alice had been hoping for. Now the next bridge to be crossed was that of getting Simonetta’s father to agree, and in spite of having enlisted the support of the baroness, she knew that wasn’t going to be easy.