The Villa of Secrets

Once inside the gates, Cleo stopped and gazed for a moment at Villa Ariadne, taking in the sky-blue shutters, the elegant stone steps and the giant, curved archway surrounding a heavy wooden front door, also painted blue.

Enormous terracotta pots in the courtyard had been filled with architectural palms and colourful flowers and there was a sweet, citrussy scent in the air, coming, no doubt, from the lemon trees dotted all around.

The building was clearly very old and had been lovingly renovated by someone with taste and style.

Cleo whistled. ‘What a gorgeous place! Who owns it?’