The next day’s ride took them along a fascinating route, south east, back towards the Adriatic once more, en route to the even more historic city of Ravenna. The roads were dead flat and at one point the computer on Gianluca’s bike even indicated that they were below sea level. The fields looked fertile and it was clear that agriculture was the main industry in that part of the world.
As they were passing a particularly smelly group of farm buildings, presumably containing pigs, Sarah was joined at the back of the group by Miles. She felt an immediate sense of pleasure to see him.
‘Hi, Sarah, did you have a better night last night?’ He sounded very cordial. Their conversation the previous evening had been interrupted by the arrival of Glynis and Jo, both full of the joys of Ferrara, and they hadn’t been able to talk about anything more intimate, even if either of them had been prepared to do so.
‘Yes, I did, thanks. What about you?’ She saw him nod.
‘Yes, I’m glad to say. There’s nothing like riding a hundred kilometres for knocking you out.’
‘So, no time for reading up on our next port of call?’ Sarah was pleased for him. ‘Nothing you can tell me about Ravenna?’
‘There’s lots I could tell you about Ravenna. How about it having been the capital of the western Roman Empire, for instance?’
Sarah was impressed. Clearly, Miles knew his history, or at least he had a good memory for facts. ‘How long ago are we talking?’
‘Some time in the fifth century; that’s over fifteen hundred years ago. There are churches and monuments there dating back to those days. I’m really looking forward to seeing the place.’ They rode on in silence for a few minutes, before he brought up another subject. ‘Have you seen Gianluca today? He looks like he’s had some bad news. I was going to ask him about it, but maybe it’s better coming from you.’
Sarah had a sudden fear that Gianluca’s glum expression might be the result of yet another night on the grappa, but then she remembered that she had chatted to him barely an hour ago and he had been fine. ‘Of course, leave it to me. Will you play tail-end Charlie until I get back? If anybody gets a puncture or falls off, just give me a call. You’ve got my number, haven’t you?’ Miles nodded and she left him there, heading for the front of the group where she found Gianluca riding along all on his own. Normally he was very sociable so this was something out of the ordinary. She slowed as she came up level with him and glanced across. Miles was right. The expression on Gianluca’s face was anything but happy.
‘Hi, Gianluca, you all right? Has something happened?’
He glanced over his shoulder to see if anybody else was nearby, but the two of them were well clear of the rest. He turned back towards her and nodded his head.
‘Sort of.’ He hesitated. ‘It’s nothing to do with the ride; it’s a personal thing, to be honest.’
‘Is there anything I can do to help?’
He hesitated again. ‘No, not really.’ He sounded despondent, but Sarah knew better than to insist.
‘Well, if you need to talk about anything, you know I’m here for you, all right?’
He nodded and managed a little smile. ‘Thanks, Sarah. That’s really sweet of you.’
She slowed down and let the rest of the group come past until she was right at the back again, alongside Miles, reflecting that she now had two men in the group with problems they were loath to discuss. She gave him her report. ‘Gianluca says he’s got a personal problem, but he doesn’t want to talk about it. He says it’s nothing to do with the ride so I suppose we just have to leave him to work it out by himself.’
‘Poor guy, he looks really unhappy. Maybe I’ll see if he wants to talk to me about it. You never know, maybe it’s a man thing and he’s a bit shy.’
Miles’s tone was compassionate and Sarah took another good look at him. This gentle, caring side of him was something she hadn’t encountered before and she rather liked it. He seemed genuinely sorry for Gianluca. ‘You do that, Miles, but don’t tell him I said anything to you.’
‘Of course. If the opportunity presents itself, I’ll have a go. If you want my opinion, I think he’s grieving. Didn’t you say his granddad had died? Maybe he was especially close to him and it’s just hit him now. I know a thing or two about grief and it hits people in different ways, you know. Anyway, leave it to me.’
As he set off back up the line, Sarah found herself reflecting on his unexpectedly caring attitude, and that phrase he had used about grief kept turning over and over in her head as she rode along.
From time to time they passed large brick farmhouses, some fortified, some even with their own chapel, some large enough to be little hamlets in their own right. It was easy cycling and even yesterday’s gentle wind had disappeared. The reeds at the roadside only moved a fraction in the breeze created by the passing convoy of bikes, but otherwise, everything was motionless, baking in the sun. The grass was still green, but after another two or three months of this sort of weather, Sarah knew full well the landscape would be yellow and brown. As the ride continued deeper into the isthmus of three or four different rivers, they started to see fewer and fewer cars. The transport of choice around here was pretty evidently flat-bottomed boat or tractor.
They stopped for morning coffee in a little village in the middle of nowhere. Lined up outside the café were no fewer than three tractors, whose drivers were sitting around a table under the shade of some fine old trees, smoking, drinking glasses of red wine and talking. There was one interesting moment as they were all getting off their bikes. There was a sudden squeal and Sarah looked across to find Glynis lying in Paul’s arms. She was about to go over when she realised what had happened. Like Sarah herself and many of the riders, Glynis was wearing special cycling shoes that clipped into the pedals, allowing the rider not only to push down, but to pull up for increased power. Clearly, in a typical Glynis moment, she had omitted to unclip her feet as her bike came to a halt and, as a result, had fallen off sideways. Luckily for her, Paul had been close enough to catch her. From the position of his hands on her body and from the smile on his face, he was enjoying playing Sir Galahad. As for Glynis, her face was a picture, her expression a mixture of embarrassment and satisfaction that even a master portrait painter like Titian would have been hard-pressed to reproduce.
Sarah was definitely feeling good today after her unbroken night’s sleep, and she felt even better when Paul brought her a big cappuccino, so frothy it looked like a chef’s hat. He sat down beside her and stretched his legs.
‘You’re looking happy today. You look good with a smile on your face.’
‘Most people do, Paul. But it’s hard to be unhappy on a lovely day like this.’
‘Have you been unhappy?’ He gave her a measured look. ‘When I saw you in your office last week, I thought something had happened. So is it all right again now?’
Sarah had to stop and think before answering. She knew she didn’t want to talk about the wedding, but it was an interesting question. No, things weren’t all right again as far as her former fiancé was concerned, but that was his problem. The fact was that, ever since her epiphany the previous day, she certainly did feel better, freer, and much more cheerful than a week ago. She sipped her cappuccino before giving him an answer.
‘I’ve had a pretty rough time recently.’ As she spoke, she remembered what Paul had said about his brother and wondered, yet again, if what Miles had been through could possibly match her own anguish. ‘I won’t bore you with the details, but that’s all in the past.’ She managed a smile without too much difficulty. He nodded and then gave her a broad grin.
‘I think your coffee’s fighting back.’ He pointed towards her mouth. She reached up and ran her finger across her top lip. It came away white with cappuccino froth. She licked the froth off her finger while he looked on, still smiling.
‘Messy girl. So, what about the future, then?’
Sarah pulled a paper napkin out of the container on the table and wiped her lips carefully, trying to formulate a reply. ‘I’ve been living in the past for a few weeks now. I think it’s time for me to start concentrating on the present. The future can look after itself.’ She looked across at him. ‘And what about you? Are you happy with life?’
‘Pretty much, although I wish Miles would open up a bit more. It’s as if he resents me coming into the company.’
Sarah, having tried to help his cause in conversation with Miles the previous day, decided she could maybe return the favour a bit. ‘I’m quite sure he doesn’t resent you. He was talking to me yesterday about the fact that he’s coming back over here and you’re going to the US. He’s probably just worried how long it’ll take you to fit into the space he’s left behind.’
‘It’s like I said yesterday, Sarah. I reckon he’s convinced I’m going to bugger things up. If he could be in two places at once, I’m sure he’d rather run both operations.’
‘I’m sure you’re wrong.’ She paused and wondered whether to say more. Clearly, what needed to happen was for the two brothers to sit down together and talk, sooner rather than later. After reflection, she decided it was best to stay out of things. They needed to sort this out themselves. ‘Anyway, you’ll both feel better by the end of the ride, I’m sure. Personally, I can feel this trip doing me a world of good.’ As she spoke, she realised she meant what she was saying. ‘Polly said it’s all to do with endorphins.’
He shook his head. ‘Too technical for me, but I’m sure you’re right. I think it’s the fresh air, the exercise, the sun and the company.’ His eyes met hers. ‘There are some lovely people on this trip, Sarah. Starting with you.’
‘And I think you’re a lovely person, too, Paul.’ Sarah could feel herself blushing, but she meant what she said. ‘I find you really easy to talk to. And Paul… that’s what you and your brother should be doing. You know that, don’t you?’
***
Ravenna was a stunning city. Just like Ferrara, it was a cyclists’ paradise, dead flat with cycle paths and a sizeable pedestrian area in the old heart of town. All around were medieval and pre-medieval buildings, many of them set in beautiful, lawned grounds, punctuated by palm trees and flower beds. Sarah took Glynis for a walk around town that afternoon, partly to act as interpreter for her as she wanted to buy some things, but mainly because she found she really liked her a lot. As they walked, they talked; not just about historical buildings and cycling, but about life in general.
They were in a rather fine shoe shop, redolent with the heady aroma of leather, when Glynis provided a fascinating insight into her world. It was sparked off by her managing to knock over the growing pile of shoe boxes beside them. As the impassive shop assistant collected them together again, a red-faced Glynis explained to Sarah.
‘I’m sorry about that. I keep doing that sort of thing. You must have noticed. The thing is, when I was growing up, I was diagnosed with dyspraxia.’ She glanced at Sarah. ‘You know, clumsiness disorder, DCD or whatever they’re calling it now. It affects your coordination among other things. For instance, I only learnt to ride a bike two years ago. Up until then, I was just too wobbly.’
‘Wow, Glynis, I’d never have guessed. You seem so assured on a bike.’
‘Apart from when I forget to unclip my shoes from the pedals.’
Sarah grinned at her. ‘Ah, but that was just so hunky Paul could catch you. I can see right through your ruses, you know.’
Glynis blushed again and shook her head. ‘No, that was definitely an accident, although, if I had to pick somebody to catch me when I fall, it would have to be Paul, or Miles, of course – the handsome beast.’
Sarah decided not to comment.
‘Anyway, I still keep doing clumsy things but, even though I’m sure you won’t believe me, I really am getting better.’
‘Of course I believe you. I’m just gobsmacked that you only started cycling so recently. And to undertake a big ride like this one must have taken courage.’ She felt genuinely impressed that this sometimes comic character possessed the depths of determination necessary to undertake something like this.
‘To be honest, Sarah, I felt I needed a challenge. I know I do some pretty silly things at times, and there’s a lot of talk around the office, not really unkind, but not exactly flattering either. I thought this would be the way to prove to myself, and to them, that I really am getting better and capable of achieving something when I set my mind to it.’
Sarah couldn’t help herself; she leant over and gave Glynis a warm hug. ‘You’re an inspiration, Glynis. Now, are you going for the boring sandals or the sexy ones with the laces halfway up your ankles?’
‘Well, when you put it like that, there’s no choice really, is there?’
By the time they all got to bed that night, their heads were full of Byzantine mosaics and monumental buildings dating back as far as Roman times, and their stomachs full of more different types of pasta than they had ever imagined could exist in one place. Ravenna was part of the region of Emilia-Romagna, the pasta heart of Italy, and the restaurant where they dined that night was happy to prepare an amazing selection for them. Sarah tried a number of different types, but decided her favourite was papardelle alla lepre. She had regained her appetite by now and put away a hefty portion, accompanied by a couple of glasses of good red wine. Miles was absent from the group and she felt a little pang of regret. Today she had seen a different side of him, less morose and more caring, and she had liked what she had seen.
***
Next morning, for the first time, there were some clouds in the sky. These weren’t sinister, dark, thunder clouds, but puffy, white, high-level clouds that would, at least, provide some respite from the burning heat of the sun. Sarah was pleased to see them, as today was the day the flatlands finished and the hills began. She was one of the first down for breakfast and found Miles already there. As she walked in, he beckoned her over to his table. No sooner had she sat down than he leant towards her and started speaking in a low voice.
‘I caught up with Gianluca last night and we had dinner together. After a couple of beers he told me what’s been bothering him.’ He looked up to check they weren’t being overheard. ‘It’s as I thought. He was really close to his granddad. His mum and dad died young and, in consequence, the old boy looked after him when he was growing up. Apparently, Granddad was a pro cyclist himself, back in the days when they carried spare tyres with them and had to fix any mechanical breakdowns themselves. The old man’s death hit Gianluca really hard and it’s only now that he’s realising how much he misses him.’
‘Oh, how awful for him.’ Sarah was very sorry for Gianluca, but very impressed with Miles for wanting to help and managing to get to the bottom of the problem. ‘Thank you for doing that, Miles. I’m sure he appreciated it.’
He shrugged off her thanks. ‘Anyway, we talked a lot and I think I managed to help him put things in perspective. Often all that’s needed is to talk.’ As he spoke, Sarah found herself yet again with two thoughts in her head – first, that Miles clearly knew his way around grief, and second, that what he and his brother needed to do was exactly what he had said. They needed to talk.
An hour later, as they collected together in the little cobbled square outside the hotel, ready to start off, Gianluca, looking noticeably brighter this morning, warned them all what to expect.
‘Today we cross the Rubicon.’
Sarah looked round the assembled cyclists and noted a few expressions of apprehension. But Gianluca was smiling. ‘I really mean that. Today, around mid morning, we’ll cross the same river that Julius Caesar crossed two thousand years ago.’
‘The point of no return.’ Polly jingled her keys. ‘If anybody wants a lift, just ask.’
‘Well, maybe not quite no return, but it’s only a few kilometres later that we turn inland and climb up to San Marino. We start at sea level and end up at 750 metres.’ Gianluca looked across at Chuck and the other Americans. ‘That’s a 2,500-foot climb, you guys, and it just goes on and on, not viciously steep, but probably the longest, toughest climb of the whole trip, so take it slow and stop if you feel you need a rest. Okay?’
As they threaded their way out through Ravenna’s narrow streets and set off southwards along the coast, Sarah could sense a change in the mood of the peloton. There was still chatter and joking, but there was a discernible edginess about things now. Today would be their first big test. Paul dropped back to see what Sarah thought about the upcoming climb.
‘Today’s going to sort the men out from the boys, eh, Sarah?’ He was grinning.
‘Or the girls from the boys, Paul.’ She nodded in the direction of Terri.
‘Or, indeed, the girls. So who’s going to be first to the top?’
‘It’s not a race, Paul.’
‘Says who?’
‘Says me. I’m not racing up a hill in these temperatures.’ The clouds she had seen earlier were gradually disappearing as the sun rose higher in the sky; it was as hot as before and, if anything, a bit more humid. ‘And I’d rather you didn’t encourage any of our people to do anything silly. I don’t want a heart attack on my hands.’
Sarah increased speed and rode up to the three Welsh girls who were looking worried. As Sarah approached, Jo voiced their concerns. ‘Sarah, what happens if we can’t do it? Will we have to drop out of the ride? We’ve raised thousands of pounds in sponsorship and we need to finish the ride.’
‘You don’t need to worry. I’ve seen you ride. You’re all fit – in fact, I reckon you’re some of the fittest in the bunch.’ This wasn’t really true, but she knew the importance of mental strength in any endurance sport. Confidence was everything. ‘Like Gianluca said, just take your time and you’ll be fine. If you see a café and want to stop for an ice cream, just stop.’ She grinned at them. ‘I know I will.’
The others murmured thanks and looked a bit reassured. Sarah decided she would make a point of taking up her usual position at the back of the bunch when the climb started, so as to be able to encourage any stragglers and help out if, God forbid, anybody had any kind of health problems.
The Rubicon was far less impressive than its legendary name might have led them to expect. When Gianluca called a halt and pointed off to the right of the road, the river turned out to be a muddy trickle barely a few feet wide, and it took quite a feat of imagination to think of Caesar leading his men through the water, heading for confrontation with the Roman Senate. A statue of the great man alongside the road marked the spot, and they all duly photographed what was otherwise quite unprepossessing.
As there was a café just down the road, they stopped for a break. It was here that the first problem of the day occurred. Polly had just parked her van and was walking towards the café when Sarah saw Glynis and Jo approach her. They spoke briefly and then came across to talk to Sarah. Polly explained the problem.
‘The girls have committed the cardinal sin of setting off with the key to their hotel room still in their pocket.’
Jo shook her head sadly. ‘I’ve only got two pockets in this shirt and the key’s been sitting in one of them all this time while we’ve been riding down the coast.’ She smacked herself on the forehead. ‘What a moron!’ Beside her, Glynis, clearly amazed, and delighted, that for once she wasn’t the guilty party, was doing her best to look inscrutable, but failing.
Sarah gave Glynis a wink and then smiled at Jo. ‘Don’t worry about it. I’ll give the hotel a ring. If they need it urgently, Polly can run back with it. If they can manage for a few days, we’ll post it to them from the next post office.’ She pulled out her phone and made the call. As she started to explain the problem, she immediately discovered the hotel had already worked out that they were missing a key. The receptionist was equally apologetic.
‘Normally it wouldn’t matter. We’ve got duplicates so you could just send us the key by mail. Unfortunately, we’ve just discovered that when we gave you back the passports this morning, we missed one. It’s here in front of me. I’ve been trying to find a contact number for you. The passport belongs to a Mr Paul Hall.’
Sarah gave a silent hiss of annoyance. Paul of all people. Surely he should have realised he had to check he had got his passport back. There was only one thing to do. Polly would have to drive the forty kilometres back to Ravenna, return the key and collect Paul’s passport. She thanked the receptionist and slipped her phone into her back pocket, breaking the news to Polly, who took it cheerfully.
‘No worries. I should be able to get back in an hour, no more than two.’ As Polly collected the key from Jo and returned to her minibus, Sarah cursed under her breath. The climb up to San Marino would start in an hour or so and she had been counting on having Polly as back-up in case any of the others found it too hard. She walked over to the table where Paul and Miles were sitting and broke the news to Paul, but was unprepared for Miles’s reaction. He turned on his brother with real annoyance on his face.
‘For God’s sake, Paul.’ He shook his head in disbelief and then, as he saw Polly getting into the minibus, made a decision. ‘Go back with Polly; it’s the least you can do. Go on.’ He stood up and flagged Polly down as she was turning the van. ‘Stick your bike in the back and go with her.’
‘But I was really looking forward to the climb up to San Marino.’ Paul sounded like a little boy, and the disappointment was clear on his face.
‘If you want to do the climb so much, get her to drop you at the bottom when she comes back. Now, get a move on.’ Miles shooed his brother away and watched as Paul slid his bike into the van and then joined Polly in the front seat. Sarah had watched the whole scene in amazement. Yes, Paul had been pretty clueless to go off without his passport, but sending him back in the van would achieve nothing, apart from punishing him. She took a better look at Miles and debated whether to voice her reservations, but then decided she would achieve nothing and might risk incurring Miles’s wrath herself. She decided to leave it be and go into the bar to get herself a cappuccino. Before she left, she looked down at Miles.
‘I’m going in to order a coffee. Can I get you anything?’
‘No,’ he almost snarled at her and then immediately remembered his manners. He looked up. ‘Sorry – no, thank you, Sarah. I’ve already got one on order.’ Then, more to himself than to her, he added, ‘He drives me up the wall sometimes.’ Sarah maintained her resolve not to get involved and went into the café. She soon discovered she hadn’t been the only one to witness the scene. Lars was looking quizzical.
‘Big brother’s not impressed?’
Sarah knew she shouldn’t talk about her employer behind his back so she just shrugged. ‘Brothers, eh? I grew up with two of them and sometimes it was like they were sharing a single brain cell between them.’
Lars nodded and said nothing as she placed her order at the bar and helped herself to a croissant from the glass cabinet on the counter. As she sank her teeth into the lovely fresh pastry, he changed the subject. ‘You’ve got a bit of colour in your cheeks today, Sarah. It makes you look even lovelier than usual.’
Sarah glanced up in surprise. She had to wait until she had munched her way through what had been a fairly large mouthful before she was able to reply. In the meantime, she found herself wondering if this was just a casual observation or if it was some sort of declaration of attraction. Whichever it was, she told herself firmly, she had had it with men for now and, besides, one of her golden rules was not to mix business with pleasure. Hopping into bed with one of the people under her charge, however appealing it might have appeared as she was drifting off to sleep the previous night, was definitely not to be entertained. Even, she thought to herself with an upturn in her spirits, if they were as good-looking as the tall Swede. Finally she swallowed her mouthful and thanked him.
‘That’s very sweet, Lars. In fact, I feel pretty good today, apart from our little contretemps with the key and the passport.’ Her cappuccino arrived on the counter at her elbow and she murmured her thanks to the lady behind the bar. ‘And I’ll feel a lot better once we’ve got up to San Marino.’
***
The climb was tough, but they all made it to the top. It was only when they had been going for a good while that San Marino itself hove into view and it was an impressive sight, sitting right on top of a rocky mountaintop. As they climbed, the group disintegrated into a ragged line spread over hundreds of metres. At the head of the group, the tiny figure of Terri could occasionally be seen, pulling further and further ahead. Gianluca was doing a sterling job of dropping back to cycle alongside some of the others, offering words of encouragement and checking all was well. For her part, Sarah positioned herself right at the back and soon found herself in her very lowest gear, chugging gently up the hill alongside the slowest members of the bunch. She was delighted to see that Glynis and her two friends were somewhere in the middle of the bunch, looking reasonably comfortable. Here at the back, Sarah’s little group consisted of Chuck, Jean-Pierre and Véronique. Although the two men looked a bit puffed, Véronique was quite relaxed and she and Sarah chatted as they rode up the hill. The two of them were a little way behind the two men and Sarah could see the concern on Véronique’s face.
‘He’s never done a big climb like this before. I just hope he doesn’t overdo it.’
‘I’m sure he’ll be fine, Véronique.’
‘Oh, God, I do hope so.’
‘He’ll make it, don’t you worry.’ Out of the corner of her eye she saw Véronique reach up and wipe what looked like tears from her eyes. Sarah stretched her hand out and touched her on the arm. ‘Trust me, he’ll be okay.’
It took Véronique a few moments to compose herself before replying. ‘I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to him.’
‘Nothing’s going to happen, believe me. All right?’ Véronique just nodded, clearly not trusting herself to answer and Sarah felt a pang of almost jealousy for the clear, undisguised love she was demonstrating. ‘Honestly, you’ve got nothing to worry about. He’ll be okay.’
‘Thanks, Sarah, you’re a good friend.’ Véronique managed a little smile before moving up to be at the side of her beloved Jean-Pierre.
As for Sarah, the pace back here was so slow she felt really quite relaxed, and she was free to let her mind roam as she inched up the hill. Annoyingly, the subject uppermost in her mind, once more, was James. Just as they were setting off again this morning after their stop at the Rubicon café, she had received a text from him.
Hi S. How R U? Tried 2 call U at work but told U R away. Hope U R OK. X. J.
Well, she thought to herself as she dropped back another twenty yards, so as to give Chuck and Jean-Pierre a bit of space as they made their way up the slope, James could never be accused of excess verbosity. She recited the message over and over to herself as she slowly climbed the hill and each time felt the same mixture of emotions, all because of one insignificant little letter of the alphabet. How dare he add that little X before signing his name. X stood for love and, of course, she had loved him, or at least she had thought she loved him. But people who say they love each other don’t break their partner’s heart in such a mean and cowardly way. Even though she had pretty much come round to convincing herself that their relationship had been heading for the rocks sooner or later, his choice to break up by letter had been about as spineless as doing it by email. Somebody who could do such a thing to somebody they claimed to have once loved forfeited the right to use that little X ever again.
She was so lost in her thoughts that she only noticed Miles at the last moment. He was standing astride his bright-yellow bike at the side of the road, drinking out of his water bottle. She reached for her brake levers, but he waved her past. A few seconds later he came riding up from behind her and slowed to ride alongside.
‘I thought I’d come back and see that all’s well. You doing okay?’ He was sweating, as they all were, but he was moving easily and barely panting. Sarah nodded.
‘Yes, thanks. I thought I’d better bring up the rear in case of accidents or bailouts.’ She thought about mentioning the fact that she would have preferred to have the minibus at her disposal, but she had no desire to remind him of his brother. As it was, she needn’t have bothered. It wasn’t long before he brought up the subject of Paul.
‘You look very comfortable. You must be very fit. I wondered why you were lagging behind. Of course, I should have known what you were doing. You’ve got a very caring attitude, you know, Sarah. I’m damn sure if Paul was here, he’d be at the front, desperate to get up the hill first.’
‘I’m not really a very competitive person, to be honest, Miles. Besides, this is my job. I’m here to look after everybody. My place is here.’ She glanced across at him. ‘Paul tells me you’ve been doing a lot of training. It would appear to be paying off.’
‘I’d rather enjoy myself on the ride than do it through a red mist of pain. The higher we get, the views are more and more beautiful. I want to be in a fit state to appreciate what I see.’
Sarah nodded and looked across to her left. The sea was clearly visible as a blue line in the distance, the coast an unbroken succession of houses, high-rise blocks and hotels. From here, it looked as if they had already climbed a good way. A glance straight ahead, however, told her there was still a long way to go. Her eyes alighted upon the figures of Jean-Pierre and Chuck and she was pleased to see them both still going. Not going strong, but still going. She and Miles continued to ride side by side for several hundred metres more before either of them said anything. In the end it was Miles who chose to break the silence.
‘You enjoy your job, don’t you, Sarah?’
She glanced across with some concern. His tone was neutral and, for all she knew, this might be some sort of trick question, designed to test her dedication to the company. She thought hard before replying. ‘What? Doing this? Yes, I do. Of course, my day job’s a bit different, though I love that, too, but I’m really enjoying getting out on the road for a change. It’s good to get away from things.’ She didn’t go into any detail as to just what she was happy to escape. That was her business and hers alone.
‘You know, my father’s always singing your praises.’ Sarah was surprised to hear him repeat what his brother had already told her and felt herself blushing, but she was pretty sure her cheeks were already flushed from the exercise and would hide her embarrassment. ‘He relies on you a lot, you know, and I can see why.’ Sarah’s heart sang. So her position in the company would appear to be safe, even if Miles did start some kind of big review of staff. At the same time she couldn’t help wondering why it was, if he wasn’t checking up on her work, that all through the ride so far he had appeared to be watching her. Could there be some other reason? She dismissed the thought and replied to his remark.
‘I like your dad. He’s a remarkable man. When you think that he built up this business from nothing to become one of the biggest travel companies in the world all by himself…’ She glanced across at Miles and risked a more personal observation. ‘He’s going to be a hard act to follow.’
Miles nodded. ‘You’re right about that. I’m going to need all the help I can get.’ He gave her a smile that lit up his face. ‘You’ll promise to be as good for me as you are for my dad?’
She smiled back. ‘I promise, Miles.’ She decided to test the waters. ‘Although I must say I’m enjoying being back out on the road again. I was wondering whether this kind of thing could maybe become a regular feature for me.’ She hesitated, wondering what his response would be. When it came, it surprised her.
‘So you’ve heard that I’m difficult to work with and this is a polite way of saying you want to get away from me?’
‘Of course not, Miles. Nothing could be further from the truth.’
‘You’re not just saying that?’ He sounded disappointed, and she was quick to set his mind at rest.
‘Miles, I’m really looking forward to being with you.’ She suddenly realised how that sounded so she hurried on. ‘I mean working with you. I think you and I get on very well and I’m sure we’d go well together… I mean, we’d work well together.’ She gave herself a mental slap. Was this her subconscious putting words into her mouth? She risked a glance across at him and was heartened to see the beginnings of a smile on his face.
‘For what it’s worth, Sarah, I know we’d go well together.’
Just then, Sarah noticed something happening up ahead. Two bikes had stopped by the gate to a field a couple of hundred yards up the road. ‘Looks like trouble ahead. Hope it’s not a puncture.’ She accelerated up to the stationary bikes and was relieved to find Mike and Dan standing behind a lone tree, peeing into the long grass, sheepish expressions on their faces as they heard her come up to them. Mike looked back over his shoulder.
‘Just shedding a bit of ballast, Sarah. We’re fine otherwise.’
Sarah was rather regretting the bottle of water she had had with her cappuccino. ‘You men have all the luck. I’ve got to wait until we get up to the hotel.’ She left them to it, glanced back down the road, and was pleased to see the others still grinding their way up towards her. Miles, very sensibly, had remained where he was, to keep an eye on the back markers.
Ahead of them, on a corner where the road got quite a bit steeper, she saw what looked like a café, with tables outside. Here was an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. Chuck and the others could have a break, and the café would be bound to have a toilet. She rode up to the corner and dismounted. As the others came panting up to her, she pointed to the tables. ‘I’m taking a break. You go on by all means, but if anybody wants a little rest, this is the perfect place.’ It didn’t surprise her to find that they all accepted the invitation to stop without hesitation.
After locating and using the loo, Sarah ordered a bottle of ice-cold lemonade. She never drank the stuff normally, but on a climb like this, she knew the sugar would provide useful energy. When she went back outside, she noted that Chuck was taking no chances. As well as a glass of some sort of cola, he had ordered an espresso and was also eating a chocolate bar. She raised her eyebrows.
‘If all that energy kicks in at the same time, you’ll be leaving burning rubber on the road when we set off again.’
‘If it doesn’t, you’ll be leaving me on the road.’ Sarah was pleased to see him smiling and sounding pretty cheerful. ‘Thanks for hanging around to play nursemaid.’
‘You’re very welcome. Besides, I like cycling at the back. That way I can keep an eye on you all.’
‘Has anybody ever told you, you’d make a great sheepdog?’ Chuck gave her a wink.
On the next table, Jean-Pierre was already on his second coffee and he and Véronique had already drunk half a big bottle of water between them. Sarah caught Véronique’s eye and got a thumbs-up in return, before taking a seat alongside Miles on the end table, looking back down the hill. From here, the slope looked really quite steep and she felt that same sense of achievement she always got on a climb. She took a big swig of her drink and relaxed.
‘What do you reckon? Are we halfway up yet?’ Miles put down his glass and ran his hands through his hair. His was shorter and wirier than his brother’s, with just a hint of grey at the temples, but, like Paul’s, it had sprung obediently back into shape. He looked fit and happier than earlier and Sarah realised she really liked his company. The grumpy, rather stuffy figure could morph into something more relaxed when it suited him, even though his outburst to his brother today had been unexpected and a bit disconcerting. Sarah pulled her rather sweaty, damp map out of her back pocket and spread it out on the table. She pointed with her finger to where she thought they were.
‘I reckon we’ve got about another ten kilometres to go so, yes, about halfway.’ She noticed the others listening eagerly and modified her calculations. ‘In fact, I think we’re a good bit over halfway. Not too much longer to go.’ She caught Miles’s eye and saw a flicker of amusement. He dropped his mouth down until it almost touched her ear.
‘Liar.’ He was whispering, but his voice gave her goose pimples all the same.
She turned towards him, her mouth now only a few inches from his, and whispered back. ‘Pour encourager les autres, as Voltaire put it.’ Miles had laid his sunglasses on the table by his drink and she found herself looking straight into those deep blue eyes at very close range. For a few seconds she felt herself mesmerised and unwilling to move, but then she suddenly tore her eyes away. She hadn’t been meaning to play the staring game again. She had just, to her considerable surprise, enjoyed the sensation of being so close to him, but she knew it was wiser not to proceed down that path. Only one thing was more taboo in her book than fooling about with the tourists under her care, and that was fooling around with her boss. Definitely not a good idea. At least, that had been her belief up to now.
***
They all made it up to San Marino without mishap and they got there almost exactly at the same moment that Polly appeared with the minibus, minus Paul who had asked to be dropped off at the bottom of the climb with his bike. Sarah and the others checked into the hotel and, by the time she had taken a shower and changed, it was mid afternoon. Not having stopped for lunch, all she had eaten since breakfast was the croissant in the Rubicon café and she was hungry. As she stepped out into the warm afternoon sunlight, she wondered if she would find somewhere still open at this time where she could buy a sandwich. She needn’t have worried. San Marino turned out to be a major tourist destination and its old town was packed with tourists, the streets full of shops, cafés and restaurants. Interestingly, wherever she looked, menus, signs and advertisements had even been translated into Russian. Clearly, this place was popular with many different nationalities. She and Polly made a beeline for a pizzeria and ordered two beers and a big Quattro Stagioni to share between them.
As they sipped their beers and waited for the pizza to arrive, Polly told Sarah about her drive with Paul.
‘He was telling me his brother’s always picking on him and finding fault. He thinks it very unfair.’
‘I can imagine that being unpleasant, but leaving his passport behind wasn’t the brightest thing to do, was it?’
Polly shook her head. ‘No, but he said Miles gave him a right earful. Is that right?’
‘Pretty much. Poor old Paul. So he’s feeling a bit sorry for himself now, is he?’
‘I think he’s feeling a bit annoyed, to be honest. He set off up the hill on his bike like a steam train… if a bike can be like a steam train. I hope he doesn’t give himself a heart attack.’
Just then the pizza arrived and it was enormous. They had asked for it to be cut into slices and they helped themselves eagerly, eating it with their hands. It was fresh, hot, thin-based and excellent. As they ate, Sarah told Polly about the text message she had received from James and how it had annoyed her. Polly was intrigued.
‘So, do you think he was trying to tell you he still loves you? How do you feel about that?’
Sarah shook her head decisively. She set down her fork and looked across the table. ‘It’s over, Pol. No question. I’m fed up of being under his thumb. Even now, after dumping me, he’s trying to creep back into my affections and I’m not having it.’ As she spoke, she realised it felt good to be standing up to miserable, selfish, controlling James for a change.
Polly nodded. ‘You know you’re better off without him. Now you can start living life to the full yourself. Why not let your hair down and fool around with a whole bunch of men just to spite him?’
‘Become a tart, you mean?’
Polly shook her head. ‘I’d better qualify that. I shouldn’t have said a whole bunch of men. I just meant that you could maybe play the field a bit, see how other men match up to James.’ She grinned. ‘After all, Sarah, there are a few real hunks on this bike ride, like a certain tall, handsome chap whose name begins with an “M”, for instance?’
Sarah did her best not to blush as she shook her head, deciding this was a good moment to divert the attention away from herself.
‘Talking of hunks, there’s always Dan, with his poor, sore knee, for example?’ She couldn’t miss the colour that rushed to Polly’s cheeks. ‘He managed the climb up here today without any trouble.’
‘Er, yes, he seems to have recovered well.’
Sarah didn’t torment her friend any further, but filed away in her brain the confirmation that Polly rather liked the quiet American.
***
Sarah spent an hour walking round the old town, enjoying the meticulously preserved medieval feel of the place. She even summoned the courage to climb up onto the old stone walls that circled the very top, but the old familiar feeling of vertigo assailed her as she peered out from the battlements. She had always been afraid of heights and, as her eyes looked out into the void, down to the rocky slopes far below, she took a hasty step backwards and rested her shoulder against the comfortingly solid rock walls until she regained her balance. After a while, she felt well enough to walk round a bit further until she found a spot well away from the edge, from where she could see all the way out across the surrounding countryside to the east, as far as the sea in the distance. It was a stunning view, the yellow of the fields interspersed with the darker green of trees creating a patchwork effect that finally disintegrated into the hazy blue line that marked the sea. Beyond that was a sinister grey layer of what was in all probability pollution and, above that, the lighter blue of the now completely cloudless sky. Above her, off to her left, was the castle, sitting on the very top of the mountain, a winding path along the battlements leading up towards it.
She decided to have a try at the path, but had to give up halfway, her head spinning, and she sat down gratefully on a bench. She was still trying to recover her equilibrium when she heard a familiar voice.
‘Hi, Sarah, you all right?’ It was Miles and he sounded concerned.
‘Oh, hi, Miles. I’m afraid I was just feeling a bit giddy. I’ve got no head for heights at all, I’m afraid, and I made the mistake of looking over the edge.’
He sat down on the bench beside her, still looking and sounding concerned. ‘Are you sure? It’s not some kind of delayed reaction to the big climb today?’
‘No, Miles, I’m sure it’s nothing like that. I came up the hill so slowly, after all.’ A thought occurred to her. ‘What about Paul? Did he get in safe and well?’
Miles nodded. ‘Yes, I saw him arrive just as I was going out for lunch.’ Sarah wondered just when the two brothers would make peace with one another. ‘I’m sorry I lost my temper with him this morning in front of you.’
‘You’re sorry you lost your temper, or you’re sorry you did it in front of me?’
‘Both.’ She raised her head and saw him looking at her, the cobalt eyes as hypnotic as ever. ‘Paul just drives me crazy.’ He shook his head and sighed. ‘He’s really bright, much brighter than me, I’m sure. He passed out top of his class at Harvard, and that takes some doing. The trouble is, everything’s just a joke to him. What he doesn’t seem capable of realising is that he’s got responsibilities now. I told you he’s supposed to be taking over the US operation from me? It’s a really tough market over there and I’ve been working my butt off for the past few years. If he goes in there with his lackadaisical attitude, he won’t last long, and if he goes down, Hall’s Tours USA goes down with him, and maybe Hall’s UK as well.’ Miles ran his fingers through his hair in frustration and Sarah couldn’t help noticing the muscles in his arms ripple as he did so. She hastily returned her attention to what he had been saying and added her own observation.
‘Passing out top of the class at Harvard doesn’t sound too lackadaisical to me. Clearly, when he wants to, he can turn it on.’ She caught Miles’s eye. ‘Maybe he’s just doing it to wind you up?’
‘What, you mean he deliberately forgot his passport?’
‘Well… no. I must admit that was a bit daft.’ Sarah nodded her head. ‘But we all make mistakes, Miles.’
‘You don’t make mistakes, Sarah. I was just telling Paul the other day that he should be more like you.’
Sarah was suddenly reminded of James. He had to be her biggest mistake ever. She shook her head ruefully. ‘I’m not sure I’m the best role model for him to follow. Some of my choices have been pretty poor.’ She saw interest in Miles’s eyes, but immediately changed the subject, raising her arm and pointing out towards the southwest. The view in this direction was very different. They were looking down on the red-tiled roofs of the town as it sloped more gently away to the valley below. Beyond that was another range of hills, and beyond that another and then another, gradually rising until they disappeared into the haze on the distant horizon. ‘Anyway, have you seen where we’re going tomorrow and the next few days?’
‘Looks absolutely great, doesn’t it?’ He grinned at her. ‘A bit hilly, but after today’s climb, I reckon they’ll all be up for it. As for you, Sarah, I still haven’t got over the way you suddenly accelerated up the hill when you thought Mike and Dan had a problem. You left me for dead. It’s all in the legs.’
Sarah had a shrewd idea that he could easily have followed her as she sprinted up the hill, but she accepted the compliment anyway. She then made the mistake of glancing down at his strong, hard, muscular legs and almost felt another attack of giddiness coming on again. She reached down with her hands to steady herself and only increased her discomfort as one hand landed on his warm, hairy thigh. She whipped it away instantly and heard his voice.
‘Are you sure you’re okay, Sarah?’ The note of concern was back again.
She took a deep breath and did her best to concentrate on the distant view ahead of her, rather than the man beside her. ‘I’m fine, thanks, Miles. Just fine.’ Fortunately, at that moment, Chuck and Mike appeared and prevented her from having to delve any deeper into her already confused emotions.