Lucy went into work on Thursday morning feeling pensive. After David had gone back to the villa and his dog just after dawn, she had lain in bed, reflecting on her experiences the previous evening. On their return to her house, they had enjoyed a delicious homely meal together and a wonderful night, but she couldn’t stop thinking about what he had described as the artificial world in which he lived. Was there any way she would ever be able to fit into such company?
Yes, she liked David a lot, maybe even loved him, and she enjoyed being with him immensely. The fact was, however, that her whole life up to now had been a million miles away from such luxury and privilege, and with a serious job to do. Care for others was her raison d’être and she knew she was committed to it. Did she really see herself settling into that sort of lifestyle, where all that mattered was winning – whether at sport, in love or financially? No sooner did this thought occur than she remembered that he had told her he was thinking about setting up a charity. That wasn’t the action of a heartless and selfish man. Just because he had taken her to the Palio party didn’t mean he was out of the same mould and she would do well to be a bit less judgemental.
Something that brightened her day came from Bruno. He reappeared at work, looking tanned and relaxed, and took her to one side. To her delight, he told her he and Virginia had spoken at length and he had forgiven her. What was more, he had carried out his original plan and had asked her to marry him. She had said yes and Lucy was very happy for both of them. The idea that she might inadvertently have been responsible for splitting them up had been bothering her and it was a relief to hear that relations between them had been restored, hopefully better than ever. She felt even happier an hour later when Virginia took her by the arm, walked her out into the gardens and hugged her. There were tears in her eyes as she thanked Lucy.
‘Bruno told me he went to you for advice and you told him he should give me a second chance. I’m so very grateful, Lucy and when I think that I was worried you’d try to take him from me… You’re such a lovely, lovely person and I hope you’ll forgive me for thinking badly of you.’ She kissed Lucy on the cheeks and hugged her warmly once more. ‘Thank you so very much.’
That evening Lucy and David, accompanied by Boris, walked down to the Cavallo Bianco for dinner and, to her relief, there was no sign of Tommy. Although Boris appeared to recognise his sister, there was no great show of affection and in true Labrador tradition he appeared much more interested in the enticing aromas all round. David was immediately recognised by the owners and most of the other diners, but nobody bothered them, apart from a couple of people who asked him, very politely, if they could be photographed with him. Lucy had little doubt that word would soon get back to Tommy that the two of them had been sighted together and, no doubt, he would ensure the news appeared in his paper. Still, she told herself, this kind of exposure was part and parcel of dating a celebrity, like it or not.
After a very good meal, they walked back up through the olive trees to the villa. The temperature was high and the humidity in the air even higher. There were clouds in the sky obscuring the moon, but they soon got accustomed to the dark and had no trouble finding their way. Boris occasionally disappeared from sight completely, only for his eyes to then appear amid the bushes, glowing an ethereal green colour. David was holding her hand and as they reached the spot where they had seen the porcupine, he stopped and pulled her gently towards him.
‘You’re a bit quiet tonight, Lucy. Is everything okay?’
‘I’m fine.’
She heard him snort. ‘I used to be married, remember? I know what that word means. Even I know that fine doesn’t mean fine. What’s the matter? Come on, we know each other well enough by now. What’s eating you?’
She hesitated but then gave in. ‘I suppose if the truth be told, I’m scared I’ll never be able to come to terms with the whole celebrity lifestyle thing. You know – being recognised and photographed, rubbing shoulders with people with all the money in the world but the morals of a tomcat. I’ve become very fond of you in a very short space of time and I love being with you, but sometimes it’s hard.’
His arms stretched around her shoulders and he hugged her to him. ‘I’ve become very fond of you in a very short space of time as well, Lucy. Listen, what we have is too good to lose. I’ve never felt like this before about anybody, and that includes Rosy back in the day. I’ll do what it takes to make you happy. Just say the word and I’ll happily go back to being a hermit if that’s what you want.’ He lifted her chin with a finger and kissed her softly on the lips. ‘Really, don’t worry. Whatever it takes, okay?’
She kissed him back and did her best to convince herself that, with time, she would be able to settle into his life, but she knew it wasn’t going to be easy.
Over the next few weeks, she experienced some of the happiest days of her whole life as her love for him grew – yes, she had even started using that word, but only inside her head for now. The stress and fear of the Congo disappeared completely along with the nightmares, as she did her best to carry out her stated aim of living for the moment. She found herself settling down even more at the clinic, although she still remained uncertain about the ultimate direction of her future. But, for now, she really did manage to enjoy life on a day-by-day basis.
At the beginning of September her parents came over to stay with her for a week. Although she had already told them she was seeing David, they were pretty star-struck – particularly her mother, still a keen tennis player – when they met him. For his part, David was charming, communicative and generous as always. He insisted on taking them for lunch at the villa outside Florence where he and Lucy had eaten on the day he was first outed by Tommy, and her parents were most impressed with the place and the food. He drove them there in the Mercedes – the Ferrari, apart from being too small for four people, had not been out of the garage since the day they went to Punta Ala – and Lucy could sense her father’s fascination with the luxury vehicle.
That night, after David had returned to the villa, Lucy was surprised to hear her father tackle the subject of relationships; something he had scrupulously left to her mother all her life so far.
‘Lucy, sweetheart, are you sure you’re going to be able to cope with being with somebody like David?’ Seeing the expression on her face, he was quick to clarify what he meant. ‘Don’t get me wrong. He’s a good man, and your mother and I like him a lot, but he comes from a very different world, you know. Is that going to be a problem for you?’
‘It’s something we think you should consider, Lucy.’ Her mother laid a comforting hand on top of hers.
‘Oh, I’ve been considering it all right, I can assure you. Not a day goes by without me wondering whether we can make it work and how.’ She gave a frustrated shake of the head and a sigh escaped her lips. ‘It’s complicated. I really do like him an awful lot and I’m pretty sure he feels the same way about me. If he were to get really serious, I honestly don’t know what I’d do. I know I want to be with him, but I also know I’d want to keep on working. And if I took another job somewhere else, what then? What if I decided to go back to MSF?’
‘You’d work it out, Lucy.’ He mother gave her hand a squeeze. ‘You’re a bright girl and he’s a good man and you’d come up with a solution, I’m sure. Don’t forget, you can’t expect to have everything the way you want it. Life – and relationships – demand compromise.’
‘I’m sure you’re right. Yes, as far as the practicalities are concerned I expect we could sort something out, but, deep down, it’s a question of principle. I know what I think about the injustice of most of the world’s wealth being in the hands of the very few and that isn’t going to change. Sooner or later my principles are going to come up against my feelings and it’s going to be tough.’ She shrugged, trying to release some of the tension creeping into her shoulders, and did her best to sound positive. ‘Anyway, I’ve only just started going out with him and everything’s going so well at present, so I’m going to let the future look after itself for now.’
On their last night before flying home to the UK, David invited Lucy and her parents up to the villa for dinner. She and he had been keeping chastely apart while her parents were here and she had been missing him a lot. To her surprise when they got there she found that he had prepared the meal by himself, rather than asking Fioretta for help. There was ham, melon, finocchiona and fresh figs as a starter and then he had made a wonderful mixed salad, all apparently grown in the vegetable garden on the estate. They ate outside on the terrace in front of the villa from where they had a spectacular view out over the hills as far as the distant mountains. He had decided to do a barbecue and, assisted – or at least tailed – by Boris, he grilled a fine selection of meats, along with skewers of prawns and octopus interlaced with baby tomatoes. To drink there was champagne, followed by Armando’s red wine, and it was a lovely evening. As the sun sank below the hill behind them, they sat back and enjoyed the peace and quiet, while Boris noisily crunched his way through the remains of a massive T-bone steak at their feet.
‘And when’s your friend getting married?’ Lucy had told her mum all about Nicole’s upcoming wedding.
‘This time next week in Avignon. David’s going to come with me, so I’ll have my plus one for a change. Normally at weddings I end up all on my own.’
She saw her mum smile contentedly. ‘It’s about time you got yourself a plus one, Lucy. You’re very lucky to have found David.’
‘I’m the lucky one.’ David reached over and caught hold of Lucy’s hand. ‘She’s the best thing that’s happened to me for years and years.’
Fortunately it was dark enough for Lucy’s blushes not to show, but she chose to downplay the significance of his remarks. ‘Ssh, don’t let Boris hear you say that. I wouldn’t want him to get jealous.’
Later on, as he walked with them back down to her cottage, David took her by the arm and slowed his pace, letting her parents go on a little way ahead. She pressed herself against him, curious to see if he had something to say. As she waited, she watched the fireflies dancing underneath the trees and breathed in the scent of lavender in the air. His voice was little more than a whisper, but the message was unmissable and her heart leapt.
‘I meant what I said about you being the best thing that’s happened to me. The fact is, Lucy, in case you hadn’t realised, I’m afraid I’ve fallen in love with you.’
Hearing him use the L-word for the first time gave Lucy an overwhelming desire to leap on him and roll him into the bushes but, in deference to her parents, she restrained herself and just raised herself on her toes to kiss him softly on the cheek. As she did so, she almost tripped over Boris who was trotting along at their feet.
‘Love me, love my dog. And I do, David, both of you.’