The Festa del paese was amazing. Katie and Victoria left the car at home and walked down the hill to the village at just after six o’clock on Saturday afternoon. As they walked, still quite slowly for Katie’s sake, they met other locals on their way down to see the show. Katie recognised a number of the workmen from the estate as well as some of the people from the houses that lined the bumpy road. Katie didn’t know their names, but had got used to seeing them as she walked past with the dog. They all gave her a smile or a wave. She found herself thinking how nice it would be to live here, rather than return to England. Her appendicitis had prevented her from fixing up an interview at the English language school in Florence, and she resolved to get onto that on Monday.
Both of them had slept late that morning. The previous night, they had talked and talked and, gradually, the air had cleared between them. Katie was well aware that Dante the dog was not the only one she would miss if she left Tuscany. Victoria might well be her employer at present, but she had also without doubt become one of Katie’s very best friends. And best friends have a duty to make up after the bad times. A long walk with the dog in the morning had further served to clear Katie’s head and she had returned to the villa in a brighter frame of mind. In so many ways, Vicky was still a teenager in a grown woman’s body, and teenagers often make poor decisions. That Vicky bitterly regretted her poor decision was all too clear, and Katie forgave her.
Martin had decided to take himself off to the hotel once more, rather than stay at the villa and Katie was grateful for that. Although his last words to Vicky were that he would go to Rome to see his sister in the morning, Katie had texted him to invite him to the Festa del Paese. She was determined to show both Vicky and him how grown-ups should behave.
As they reached the old medieval heart of the village, they heard the peal of a trumpet.
‘Oh, look, it’s the band!’ Vicky sounded excited and Katie realised that this was another first for her after her years of seclusion. A marching band, sideshows and street performers were all new experiences. Katie set her thoughts aside and did her best to enter into the spirit of the event as the band went past.
‘Check out the triangle player.’ Sure enough, the triangle was held by the smallest member of the band, a young girl only about half the height of the men playing the trumpets. As the band marched past, the little girl gave them a proud smile and they waved back. Katie had never seen a band like this before, row after row of drummers making up over half the number. The rhythmic beat echoed up between the walls of the houses on either side of the road. The drummers themselves were dressed in medieval costume, complete with pantaloons and big, broad flat caps. She and Vicky followed the band as they penetrated further into the medieval heart of the little town. The route grew ever narrower and the noise of the drums deafening. Luckily, a few hundred metres further on, the road opened out into the square.
‘I never realised the piazza was so big.’ Vicky had to shout to make herself heard.
‘It’s because there are no cars.’ Katie had been thinking the same thing. Normally the square was a public car park, inevitably crammed with cars and vans all the time. ‘Shall we move up there, away from the band?’
Vicky nodded, and led the way diagonally across the stone-paved square, towards the far side, where a brightly-lit merry-go-round was entertaining the under sevens. The square itself had been set up with long tables and benches, with odd groups of people already scattered about, drinking and chatting. To one side, a stage had been erected, presumably in readiness for the promised music to come later on. As the noise of the band diminished behind them, the jingling of the carousel took over, the combination of the two conflicting tunes far from harmonious. But at least they could hear themselves think again.
‘Those drummers must be deaf. What a racket!’ Vicky spotted a drinks counter set up under the old medieval arches. ‘Beer?’
‘Lovely. I’ll sit down and save us a spot.’
While Vicky went off, Katie took a good look round. She saw a few vaguely familiar faces, but nobody she knew by name. Of Marco, Giuseppe and Franco there was no sign and, in particular, she couldn’t see any trace of either Martin or Paul Taylor. She sat down at the end of one of the long tables and waited for Vicky to come back with the drinks. It was a glorious evening, still very hot, but not oppressively humid. The sky was royal blue and hungry groups of swallows wheeled overhead, screaming at each other as they performed their acrobatic display. It was almost the middle of August. Before too long, the birds would set off for warmer climes, while Katie and Vicky would head back north. Or would they? Katie was idly wondering what that would mean to her, when Vicky reappeared with two plastic beakers of beer and Martin.
‘Hi, Katie.’ He looked and sounded very, very subdued. She looked up and gave him a smile.
‘Hi, Martin.’
‘Katie… Look, I’m so sorry. About yesterday, it was just the place… I don’t know what… I just…’ Jenny had described him as flailing about on the end of a hook, and, to Katie, he certainly looked like he was floundering. She found she was still smiling.
‘Forget it, Martin. Take a seat and enjoy the evening.’ He did as he was bidden, an expression of bewilderment on his face. She looked across the table at him. Over the preceding twenty-four hours, she really had got a lot of things sorted out in her head. ‘It’s all right. Really.’ Vicky sat down on the bench beside Katie, a look of relief on her face, and handed her a beer.
‘Here, now that you’re off the painkillers, you can drink as much as you like. Cheers.’
The three of them touched glasses.
‘Have you seen what’s happening on the stage?’ Vicky’s voice was more animated now. ‘All that electrical stuff and coloured lights.’ She sounded fascinated.
Katie took a mouthful of beer. It was blessedly cool and refreshing. She took a second, larger mouthful before replying. ‘I think we’d do well to stay a decent distance from the stage. From the size of those speakers, I would imagine the noise output is going to be pretty awesome.’
‘And that open area, in front of the stage, is that for dancing?’
Katie couldn’t help smiling. This, too, was almost certainly going to be a new experience for Vicky. ‘I’m sure that’s the idea. Have you been to a dance before?’
Vicky shook her head. ‘Not that I can remember. I suppose there might’ve been a bit of dancing when I was little, but certainly nothing like this.’
‘You’ve never been dancing? No disco, nothing?’ Martin still sounded subdued, but fascinated. ‘That’s amazing.’ He glanced across at Katie. ‘Are you going to be well enough to dance? Is the tummy up to it?’
‘If I’m in the mood, I can give it a go.’ She turned to Victoria. ‘So, Vicky, I was wondering what you’ve got planned for when you return to England. Thought any more about university?’
Vicky nodded. ‘Martin and I have been talking about it. I think a law degree would be a good thing for me to do. I was wondering about maybe applying to the London School of Economics.’
Katie looked across at Martin. ‘LSE? Is that a good place for law?’ He nodded.
‘After Oxbridge, it’s just about the best.’
Katie gave it some thought. If Vicky went to university in London, then maybe she should seriously consider looking for a job there as well. The problem was, what sort of job?
‘Well, if you’re thinking about becoming a student, Vicky, you’d better get used to this stuff.’ Martin raised his beer and proceeded to drink it down in one. He looked as if he needed it and Katie found herself smiling again. He slammed the empty tumbler onto the table top. ‘Now it’s your turn.’
Victoria picked up her beer and did her best. She managed to drink just over half before she had to stop for breath. She paused briefly before raising it once more and emptying it. She beamed at them. ‘See, I should make a perfect student.’ She tapped Katie on the arm. ‘Right, your turn now.’
Katie hadn’t done any drinking games for the best part of ten years, but she was prepared to join in. She raised her glass and, rather to her surprise, found it remarkably easy to swallow it down in one go. Then she stood up and collected the empties. ‘My round.’ She headed over to the drinks stand and Martin followed her. As they waited to be served, she turned towards him. He was still looking very nervous.
‘It’s all right, Martin. I’m not going to scratch your eyes out. You can relax.’ He hung his head.
‘Like I said, Katie, I’m just so very sorry.’
She nodded. ‘I know. I’m sure you are. Listen, Martin, this last week has been weird for all of us. What with my appendicitis, you and Vicky have been thrown together a lot. It was almost inevitable that you would develop feelings for each other.’ As she spoke, she saw him nod slowly. ‘All I would ask of you is that you go easy on her. She’s a lovely, lovely girl, but she’s still wet behind the ears. She has no real experience of life, or sex or love, and it would be oh so easy for her to get hurt.’ She caught Martin’s eye. ‘Just promise me you won’t break her heart.’ She realised she was repeating Marco’s words to her a week earlier about Paul Taylor.
He smiled for the first time that evening. ‘I promise, Katie. And, Katie, thank you.’
She gave him a smile, but was interrupted before she could say anything else.
‘Ciao bella.’
She suddenly felt a felt strong arm around her shoulders and a kiss on her neck. It was Franco, aka muscleman. Beside him was Giuseppe. Katie gave them both a broad smile and thought it best to introduce them to Martin, who was looking on in surprise.
‘Hello, boys. Can I introduce you to my friend from England? Martin, this is Giuseppe and this large lump of muscle is called Franco. Say hello, boys.’
Franco released his hold on her just as the people in front of them picked up their drinks and left. Katie dived in before anybody else could take her place in the free-for-all that Italians classify as a queue. ‘Beers all right?’ The men nodded. ‘Five beers, please.’ She caught Giuseppe’s eye. ‘Or is Marco here as well?’
‘I haven’t seen him yet, but he’s always late. He loves making a big dramatic entrance and the town fair is his big night after all.’ Katie had no idea what Giuseppe meant by that. The evening promised to be interesting.
As the beers were poured, Katie passed them back to the waiting men. By the time she had paid and grabbed the last one, she found Franco and Martin deep in conversation about rugby. They followed her back to the table where Vicky was in a state of growing excitement.
‘Hello there. Isn’t this fantastic?’ She turned to Katie with a smile before scooting up the bench to make way for the new arrivals. ‘It’s an awesome setting, isn’t it?’
It really was. The old heart of the town, normally a chaotic mass of cars, vans and trucks, was revealed for what it had always been; a fine stone-paved square, surrounded by medieval buildings. For hundreds of years it had been the meeting place of Monte a Signa. It was good to see it once again being used for its original purpose. Franco slid onto the bench beside Katie. ‘A penny for your thoughts.’
She smiled at him. ‘I was just thinking what a lovely place this is. Part of me would love to live here.’
‘I know what you mean. Specially on an evening like this. So you don’t think you’ll be going back to England, then?’
‘I’m trying to make up my mind. It’s just so different back there. No home-made olive oil and wine, no home-reared ham, no evenings like this in such a beautiful setting. And none of you lot, either.’
‘So what are you planning to do if you do stay on?’
‘I thought I might teach…’ They were interrupted by a voice she knew well.
‘Well, good evening everybody! I hope I haven’t kept you waiting.’ They all looked up to see Marco make his grand entrance. And it was really grand. He was wearing a very convincing medieval costume, complete with red tights and fur-trimmed jacket over pantaloons.
‘Oh bloody hell, Marco, trust you to turn up looking like Machiavelli himself.’ Giuseppe sounded piqued, presumably because he hadn’t thought of doing it.
‘Love the tights, darling.’ Franco accompanied his comments with a wolf whistle.
‘Greetings, greetings.’ Marco bowed low, flicking his jacket to one side as he did so to show an Indiana Jones-style coiled whip hanging at his side. ‘The person you see before you is not Machiavelli, but Marcovelli the magnificent, accompanied by his dancing bear.’
They all looked round, but there was no sign of a dancing bear.
‘Alas, the bear had a prior engagement and will be delayed. Fear not, before long it will be with us and the dancing can begin.’ He glanced across the table, noted the smile on Katie’s face, and gave a satisfied nod of the head. Reaching under his jacket he produced a straw-covered flask of red wine and a handful of glasses. ‘Here, let us drink to a most enjoyable evening.’
And it was a most enjoyable evening. The food, as usual in Tuscany, consisted mainly of meat. Along with the sausages and chops were piles of roast potatoes and an occasional bowl of salad for those who didn’t want the carnivorous option. As Katie chewed her way through the meal, she wondered idly what the incidence of heart disease was over here.
The dancing bear didn’t arrive until well past dark, by which time the square and all the tables were packed. No doubt the poor man inside the heavy costume had delayed making an appearance until the temperature had dropped a few degrees. Nevertheless, it must have been boiling in there. The bear did the rounds of the tables, prancing about and pretending to attack people. Once Marco had spotted him he went over and the two of them put on a fine show for the hundreds of people seated around the square. Soon the whip was cracking and the bear was cowering in mock fear or roaring ferociously. In the meantime the band was setting up on the stage. Finally, the music started and Marco and the bear brought the house down by performing a creditable quickstep together. As they left the dance floor, people from all over the square got up to take their turn at dancing.
‘Make way for the bear. Out of the way, please, this is a dangerous wild animal I have with me.’ There was a jingling of chains and the two of them collapsed onto the bench. Marco was bathed in sweat and the man inside the bear costume must have been even hotter. Katie caught the flash of eyes and wondered if it was who she thought it was in there. In spite of the heat he didn’t attempt to remove his bear head and that confirmed her suspicions even more.
‘Are you dancing?’ Franco was already on his feet. Katie shook her head and decided to be sensible. ‘Thanks, Franco, but I’d better not.’
‘Come on then you two, let’s show them how it’s done.’ Franco bullied Giuseppe and Marco to their feet and led them towards the music.
‘Erm, Katie, would it be all right if I ask Vicky to dance?’ Martin sounded hesitant.
Katie smiled at him. ‘Of course it would. And make sure you dance well. She’s new to it and she needs proper guidance.’ Her eyes met his for a second.
‘Come on, Vicky. Let’s see what you think of dancing.’
After they had all left, Katie found herself alone with the black bear. She waited for him to say something, but he remained silent. After a while she tried a little conversational opener.
‘Hot in there?’
The bear nodded.
‘Not going to take the head off?’
The bear shook its head.
‘Just shy, or is there some other reason?’
The bear made no response. She stared at it for a while. It had to be him. She had, after all, been speaking in English.
‘Is that you, Paul?’
The bear made no response. Katie was getting fed up by this time.
‘For Christ’s sake stop playing games, would you?’
There was a pause, and then the bear reached up and pulled off its head. The face that appeared wasn’t the face Katie was expecting.
‘Loretta!’ Her long dark hair was soaked with sweat and plastered against her head. Her eyes were red and tears were running down her face. Katie was genuinely surprised. ‘I’m sorry, Loretta, I had no idea it was you in there. What’s wrong?’
‘Excuse me, Katie, but I just can’t stop crying.’ Loretta rubbed a big hairy paw across her face. ‘I’ve been doing this with Marco for years and years. And every year my mother would come to watch. This year she’s not here.’ She swallowed hard. ‘She’s gone and I miss her so terribly.’
Katie leant across and found herself in the slightly bizarre situation of hugging a headless black bear. She did her best to comfort Loretta and after a while, she suggested a drink of beer. Loretta shook her head and pointed to the mineral water. ‘If you could pour me a glass of water I’d be very grateful.’
Katie tipped the last of the water into a plastic beaker and held it up to Loretta’s lips. ‘I don’t suppose you bears find it easy to grip glasses in your claws.’
Loretta gave a weak smile and Katie was pleased to see her looking less sad. Loretta drank gratefully and finished the glass. ‘Whew, that’s good. If there’s a better way of losing weight in a hurry, I haven’t come across it.’ She sat back and looked across at Katie. ‘Not dancing?’
Katie shook her head. ‘Like you, I’m resting and recuperating. My tummy’s still feeling a bit sore.’
‘Of course. Paul told me all about your appendix trouble. That must have been scary.’
Mention of Paul Taylor’s name caused Katie to sit up and glance around. Loretta gave her another little smile. ‘He’s here somewhere. He told me he was coming.’ She caught Katie’s eye, now more serious. ‘He’s a fine man, Katie. I know. I loved him deeply; in fact, I still do.’
‘He told me he’s the nearest thing to a brother that you’ve got.’
‘And he’s right.’ She held Katie’s eye. ‘He makes a wonderful brother, even if that’s maybe not all I would like him to be.’ She still looked sad, but at least she had stopped crying by now. Before Katie could respond, Loretta looked across at the dance floor. ‘There he is now. And there’s somebody with him who’s also going to find out pretty soon that he makes a good brother.’
Katie followed her gaze. Paul Taylor was standing at the side of the dance floor with Vicky, his arm around her waist, his lips to her ear. He was clearly deep in conversation with her. From what Loretta had just said, it looked as though he was finally telling her all about the relationship between her father and his mother. Katie felt a sudden twinge of pity for Vicky who was about to discover the truth about yet another poor decision made by her father.
‘He talks about you all the time, you know.’ Loretta was looking more serious. ‘You do know he thinks the world of you, don’t you?’
‘Well, he’s got a bloody funny way of showing it.’ Katie felt her cheeks redden.
‘He told me he’d said some stuff to you that he regretted.’
‘Listen, Loretta, you know him. You say you love him. He’s a great guy and I’d be lying if I didn’t say I felt something for him from the very first time I saw him. But then I saw you and him together.’
‘Me and him?’ Loretta sounded bemused. ‘Where? When?’
Katie did her best to explain. ‘I saw you and him together in Florence, the afternoon your mum died. It was sheer chance. I was picking up a hire car, and you were walking home from the hospital with him. You were right in front of me. You were wrapped around him and he was hugging you.’ She looked up, her expression apologetic. ‘I’m sorry. I put two and two together and I got five.’
‘You thought we were back together? That’ll never happen.’ Loretta’s tone was rueful.
‘I’m afraid that’s the conclusion I jumped to. As soon as I saw you two together, I knew I had to back off.’ She caught Loretta’s eye. ‘For what it’s worth, I didn’t want to, but I knew it was the right thing to do.’
‘Are you going to introduce me to the bear?’ Martin reappeared, red in the face and sweating. The evening temperature was still high.
‘Martin, this is Loretta, aka the dancing bear. Loretta, this is Martin.’
‘Hi, Loretta. That’s one hell of a costume you’re wearing. You look pretty hot in there. Can I get you a drink? I’m dying for a cold beer.’
‘Some more water would be great, please.’
Martin looked across at Katie. ‘A drink for you? Another beer maybe?’
She shook her head. ‘No, thanks. I think I’ll stay off the alcohol now. I’m still a bit tender down in the tummy department. Get a big bottle of mineral water and I’ll have some with Loretta.’ He disappeared into the crowd.
‘Is that your boyfriend? Are things serious between you?’
‘No, Martin’s just a friend.’ She shook her head. ‘He’s going back to Britain tomorrow to start a new job in London.’
‘That sounds exciting. I lived in London for four years while I was studying. It’s an amazing place.’
‘But so’s Florence.’
Loretta smiled at her, a happier expression on her face now. ‘That’s why I came back. So, if you stay here, what will you do? From what Paul was telling me, Victoria’s thinking of going to university in the UK, isn’t she?’
Katie nodded. ‘That seems to be the plan. I reckon we’ll be here for the month of August and then it’ll be time to head back home. If I stay here, I thought I could look for a job in TEFL; you know, teaching English as a foreign language. You see, I used to be a teacher in the UK until recently.’
A thought occurred to Loretta. ‘Now that my mum’s gone, I was thinking of looking for somebody to share the flat. You might like to bear that in mind.’
Before Katie could reply, Martin returned with the drinks and squeezed in beside the bear. ‘Paul and Vicky are doing a lot of talking.’ Katie followed his eyes and saw the two of them now sitting together on the side of the stage, deep in conversation. The band had stopped for a well-earned rest which appeared to consist of swallowing staggering quantities of red wine. How this would affect their performance when they picked up again was anybody’s guess. In consequence, the dance floor had emptied for the moment.
Katie poured two glasses of water and held one up to Loretta, who shook her head.
‘Hang on, I really need to get out of this.’ She wriggled about until she managed to extricate herself from the top half of the bear suit and let it fall around her waist. She was only wearing a bikini, but she was running with sweat all the same. Katie sensed Martin’s interest. It was a very small bikini and Loretta’s glistening body amply filled it.
‘That’s better.’ Loretta, her hands freed from the bear claws, reached for the glass of water and drained it. ‘So, Martin, you’re starting a new job.’
He told her all about it while Katie sat back and let her mind wander. Martin and Loretta chatted about London and the myriad things to do there. It really did sound appealing. But then, so was this place with its wonderful weather, incredible atmosphere and amazing sense of history. And, of course, there were the people. Her thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of Vicky. Alongside her was Paul Taylor. Katie dropped her eyes, uncertain what to say to him, concentrating on Vicky. To her relief, she was looking happy, her face flushed. She settled onto the bench beside Katie and pulled Paul down on the other side of her. This way, at least, Katie didn’t need to worry about talking to him.
Vicky leant towards Katie and whispered in her ear. ‘Paul’s just told me all about my father and his mother. I feel so terribly sorry for her.’ She took a long drink from her glass. ‘But some good has come out of it. I’ve got a brother now!’ She sat back upright again and a smile spread across her face. She looked across the table.
‘Hi, Loretta. You must be glad to get out of that bear costume.’
‘You bet.’ Loretta picked up a handful of paper napkins and wiped her brow. ‘I was just telling Katie that I’ve been doing this every year for ages. I think it might well be time to pass the baton. I tell you what, Victoria, if you’re here this time next year, you can take over from me.’ Her face broke into a smile. ‘Don’t worry, I’ll get the suit cleaned first!’
Vicky had no hesitation. ‘Definitely. I’d love that.’ She turned towards Katie. ‘So that’s a date, then. This time next year we’ll all be here. All right?’
‘Count me in.’ Martin avoided looking at Katie.
‘Absolutely.’ Katie nodded. From the other side of Vicky, Paul Taylor’s face appeared and they made eye contact for the first time. Katie hastily refocused on Vicky. ‘No doubt about it. It’s a date.’
When she looked again, Paul Taylor’s face was once more hidden by Vicky’s shoulder. As for Vicky, she sounded bubbly.
‘I’ve been telling Paul about my plan to go to university in London.’
‘To do what?’ Loretta sounded interested.
‘Law. Martin’s been telling me all about it and I’ve decided to try to get a place in London.’ She turned towards Katie. ‘And hopefully Katie will be coming with me. What do you say, Katie?’
Katie suddenly felt herself the centre of attention. She searched desperately for a response. While she was still flailing desperately round for something suitable to say, it was Paul Taylor who came to her rescue.
‘Loretta, carissima, I think break’s over for you. Time to get back into the bear suit. Look, Marco’s waving.’
They all turned and looked. The musicians were resuming their places on the stage and Marco was strutting up and down in front of it, cracking his whip and calling for the bear. Soon his call was taken up by the crowd.
‘Orso, orso, orso!’
‘It’s show time, folks.’ Loretta wriggled back into her costume and replaced the head. As she did so, she met Katie’s eye and smiled. The band struck up a tune that could have been anything, but it had a rhythmic beat and soon got the audience on its feet.
Martin looked across at Katie. ‘Dance?’
She shook her head. ‘No, thanks, Martin.’
He nodded and transferred his attention to Vicky. ‘Dance?’
She leapt to her feet and took his hand, leading him onto the dance floor.
Katie and Paul Taylor were left together. After a pause, he turned towards her. Seeing the expression on his face, she reached out her hand and took hold of his.
‘Paul, I’m sorry. I didn’t know…’
‘No, Katie, I’ve behaved very badly. I’m the one who should apologise. I let my emotions get the better of me and I was rude and unkind, specially as you had just come out of surgery.’ He sounded subdued.
She didn’t raise her eyes to look at him, but concentrated her gaze on their linked hands. ‘Loretta’s been telling me about her mum, and how she thinks of you like a big brother.’ Steeling herself, she finally looked up. His face was only a few inches away. ‘I think any apology should come from me for following you and for jumping to the wrong conclusion.’
She saw his face relax a fraction, although the apprehension was still there.
‘That doesn’t excuse me for upsetting you. Do you think you can forgive me for what I said?’
She had no hesitation. ‘Of course I forgive you. And you need to know that Martin’s arrival was as big a surprise to me as it was to you. And there’s nothing between him and me.’
She saw him smile and felt his fingers tighten against hers.
‘Marco’s told me all about what happened last night. I’m sorry.’ He hastened to change the subject. ‘I’ve spoken to Victoria. She’s taken the news about her father really well. You know, Katie?’ He caught her eye. ‘I really do believe I’ve got a sister now.’ He raised her fingers to his lips, a nervous smile on his face. ‘So, what about your plans for the future? Am I really going to lose you to London or is there a chance you might want to stay?’
She didn’t answer at first. She looked past him, down across the crowded square. Vicky and Martin were dancing happily together. Paul followed the direction of her eyes.
‘They look good together, don’t they?’
Katie didn’t answer at first. At that moment, the song finished and the band launched into a slow number. She saw Vicky’s arms reach up and catch Martin around the neck. He pulled her towards him and her face nuzzled against his chest. Katie had to admit that they did look good together. For a moment she felt a surge of resentment, but no sooner had it surfaced than it left her again. She looked back at Paul Taylor.
‘Yes, they do.’ She paused for a moment. ‘Actually, they really do.’ She took a deep breath and let it out very slowly. ‘Well, one thing’s for sure. I think Vicky definitely won’t need me to guide her much longer. Tom’s waiting for her back in England and, by the looks of it, Martin will look after her in London. No doubt about that.’ She smiled up at Paul Taylor. ‘And there will be others, I am quite sure of that, too. Somehow, I think Vicky’s only just started and she’s got a lot of making up to do.’
She glanced back to the dance floor. Martin and Vicky had almost disappeared into the crowd by this time. Alongside them Marco, Franco and Giuseppe were prancing around the black bear. They were surrounded by a mass of people, among whom Katie recognised Nando and Rosina and the faces of a number of neighbours. Night had fallen and the square was illuminated by the old street lights that picked out the ancient façades of the medieval buildings all around. It was a beautiful and a romantic scene. Katie turned back towards Paul Taylor and gave him a gentle smile.
‘I’ll be staying. You know what they say. Home is where the heart is.’
He leant across and kissed her gently on the lips.
She didn’t object.