Chapter Thirty-three
Jess
Saturday 29 February
‘This is incredible, Jess.’ Mark stood awestruck, taking snap after snap of the Teatro Antico of Taormina.
She’d known as soon as she’d booked Sicily that they’d have to go to Etna. That was an absolute must-see, but she hadn’t really known at that point what else there was to do in the surrounding area, or quite frankly, in Sicily.
So when Mark had professed a desire to see the Greek amphitheatre, which dated from the third century B.C., she’d been delighted at the possibility of a distraction. It might help settle her nerves. At the very least it would give her something else to think about.
Now that they were actually here, she admitted to being gobsmacked. To be standing in the midst of something so old, so ancient, was humbling. To imagine those who had gone before them was mind-blowing.
She gazed at the pillars, absorbing every last detail. When she glanced at Mark, he was staring at her, an odd expression on his face.
‘Mark,’ she called. No response. ‘Mark,’ she tried again. Nope, he was lost in a wee world of his own. ‘Mark!’
He started then said, ‘Sorry. What?’
‘You were miles away.’
‘Yeah, just thinking about how old this place is.’ He looked down and read from the guide book. ‘The Romans rebuilt it a century after the Greeks constructed it.’
‘You have to wonder why they needed to,’ Jess said. ‘It looks amazing. And let’s face it, the Romans were pretty good at building stuff. Think of all those roads we’ve got back home that are still there today.’
Mark nodded. ‘Indeed, and walls.’
‘Walls too,’ Jess agreed. One of the walls, the Antonine Wall wasn’t so very far from where they lived.
Mark was in his element, clicking away, then flipping through the guide book as Jess walked amongst the amphitheatre’s ruins, transported back in time.
Occasionally, she’d turn round and he’d be standing staring at her, or into space; it was difficult to tell. Clearly, he was as overwhelmed by this place as she was.
‘Ten thousand spectators. Flipping ’eck.’
Jess turned to see Mark waving the book at her as if she needed to see the words for validation.
‘I believe you.’ As she wandered around the amphitheatre and took in the views from it, she thought of all the plays that must have been performed here, and wondered if any of those studied at universities and colleges around the world today had actually been performed here all those centuries ago.
Her mind drifted until finally she felt a sense of peace wash over her. Was this an omen? A portent for this evening’s potentially life-changing event?
As the driver took them back to the hotel, Mark showed Jess all the photos he’d taken.
‘I’d forgotten how much I enjoy photography. I really must get back into it,’ he’d enthused. ‘Let’s definitely come back here someday.’
At Jess’ raised eyebrow, Mark said, ‘What?’
‘It’s so unlike you to want to return to a place you’ve visited. All those pastures new waiting to be explored,’ she teased him.
‘I know, but this place is magical.’ His eyes shone and a wave of love for him swept over her. ‘Thanks, Jess. I know I’ve already thanked you for arranging everything for this trip, you duplicitous little witch.’
Jess widened her eyes, pretending to be offended.
‘That’s a term of endearment in some cultures, my sweet,’ he said, laughing. ‘But seriously, I have no idea how you came up with Taormina, or Sicily, as a destination, but well done, you.’
‘ Cinema Paradiso .’
Mark frowned. ‘ Cinema Paradiso ?’
‘Yes, it’s your favourite film,’ Jess said simply.
‘That’s really why we’re here? That’s the connection?’
Jess nodded.
Mark blew out a breath. ‘Thank God my favourite film franchise wasn’t Star Wars then.’
‘Ha, bloomin’ ha!’ said Jess, but she was smiling.
All that walking around the antiquities had tired Mark out as, on their return to the hotel, he declared he needed a nap. Whilst he went back to the room, Jess stayed in one of the communal sitting areas. Her phone beeped. She picked it up and saw she had a WhatsApp message from Ellie, Kelsea and Lauren, a photo of them holding up a placard saying You Can Do It! Good Luck! xxx . It was adorned with love hearts of various sizes. Despite her nervousness, she smiled. Kelsea and Lauren had always been there for her growing up. They’d even helped her choose her holiday wardrobe for this trip, whilst Ellie and Anouska had assisted her with the wording of her proposal, what she would wear on the night, when exactly she should propose. And Ellie and Anouska had both been so supportive since her decision to propose. She couldn’t have done this without them. She wondered briefly how Anouska was doing.
Now here she was in Sicily and tonight was the night. The jitters had settled. She was going to propose. She wanted to have that happy ever after, with Mark. As had always been the plan. Not with Nathan, or anyone else, but with Mark.
She could only hope she didn’t mess the whole thing up.
Two hours later, she figured she had better go check Mark was still alive, since he hadn’t ventured out to look for her. She found him face down in the bed, sheets entangled around his bare limbs. He grunted as she closed the door, and changed position. Actually, viewed like that he was really quite sexy, apart from the rather unfortunate expression on his face. His asleep face.
She shook him awake. ‘Mark. Mark! Time to get up. You need to grab a shower before dinner.’
‘Ugh?’
Articulate as ever. Her Mark. Hopefully soon her fiancé. Soon to be her husband, all going well.
They dressed for dinner in relative silence, Mark wearing a pair of black jeans and a new shirt he must have bought himself, as she certainly didn’t recall buying it. Jess smoothed down the little black dress she and the girls had chosen for tonight– they’d decided to play it safe– an LBD never failed to impress, and this one was classy but sexy at the same time. Not too short, but flared out and with a sweetheart neckline.
Mark was watching some Italian game show on TV, leaving Jess alone with her thoughts. As she fastened her silver bracelet, a birthday present from Mark the year before, and did up the clasp on her Egyptian-style necklace, which Mark had bought her for Valentine’s Day a few years ago, Jess mentally prepared herself for what she was about to do.
This was it. She was really going to do this.
The stars scintillated high above them in the inky blackness whilst fairy lights draped through the manna trees that surrounded the hotel lent the evening a magical feel. Jess’ nerves had abated somewhat after the previous day’s conversation with Mark about Nathan. He had forgiven her, so that was good, but what if he still wasn’t ready, especially given her revelation, to take that final step? Well, she said final, but this would be their first step towards a new life together.
A crescent moon cast its light upon them as the waiter showed them to their table overlooking the olive groves. The location couldn’t have been more perfect. The salty smell of the sea reached Jess as she listened to the lapping of the waves. Earlier, she’d noticed the hotel’s guests were mainly Italian, which would explain why there weren’t any other diners at this time. Italians tended to eat much later than Brits. So she and Mark had this glorious backdrop to themselves, this incomparable treasure of a panorama of the Mediterranean Sea. There really was no finer a setting to make the perfect proposal. She just hoped she didn’t muck it up, and that he said yes.
The smiling waiter placed the caponata Messinese in front of them and Jess kicked herself for not proposing before dinner. At least then she could have enjoyed her meal without her stomach churning with nerves and anticipation, not quite in equal measure. The tomato and aubergine dish looked delicious and the aroma had her sniffing the air like a bloodhound. But her butterflies were back. Whilst Mark oohed and aahed over how fantastic it was, Jess picked at hers, trying to coax a couple of morsels down her throat, which had become drier than a sandstorm. She gulped down a few glugs of wine. It was flowing nicely. Too well perhaps. She didn’t want to be drunk by the time she proposed, so she switched to sparkling water.
‘Everything was OK?’ the waiter asked as he removed their empty plates.
‘ Perfetto .’ Mark tried out the little Italian he knew.
‘Lovely,’ Jess agreed. Should she do it now? Before the mains arrived? God, this was torture. Why hadn’t she asked the waiter to hold the next course? It was too late now. He was coming back.
‘For the signorina, spaccatelle and for you, sir, the pasta alla Norma .’ The waiter beamed. ‘Would you like anything else?’
Jess wondered if he could give her courage, but gathered that wasn’t on the menu. To their headshake, he replied, ‘ Buon appetito! ’
‘I feel as if we’re in a whole different world here, Jess, don’t you?’ Mark sat back in his chair, having a much-needed breather after demolishing half of his aubergine and tomato-based pasta with salted ricotta. ‘That pasta is amazing. It makes anything I’ve tried back home seem like the poor cousin, or the poor cousin’s poor cousin.’
‘I know what you mean.’ Jess sighed in ecstasy. Her pasta with sun-dried tomato and burrata cheese was to die for. ‘Don’t you find it too much having aubergine for both starter and main?’
‘Not at all.’ Mark took a sip of his wine. ‘Do you think we could stay here forever and never go back? I could get used to eating like this every day.’
‘I’ll buy you a cookbook when we get home.’
Mark raised his eyebrows at her. ‘Hey, that was out of order.’
Mark couldn’t cook much. The recent dinner he’d prepared for her had flabbergasted her. It was a definite one-off.
‘You’re still a young dog. I’m sure we can teach you some new tricks.’
‘The new tricks you can teach me, all right, but I didn’t plan on those being of the culinary variety.’ He winked at her.
Jess rolled her eyes, but a half-smile rested on her lips. ‘Promises, promises.’ Fortunately, she’d begun to feel more relaxed and that boded well for her mission.
They skipped the traditional main course as they’d eaten the pasta course and both had a sweet tooth, plus Jess was desperate to try the cannoli . She’d had them at a friend’s wedding once and loved them, but she was sure they’d be even better here in Sicily. How could they not? And Mark fancied cassata . The combination of chocolate sponge, marzipan, citrus fruits and sweetened ricotta cream that the menu mentioned had won him over.
‘I’m glad you’d come back here,’ Jess said. ‘I know you usually prefer going somewhere we haven’t been, but there’s something special about this place, isn’t there?’
Mark took another sip of wine then said, ‘Yeah, the food.’ He grinned. ‘But seriously, I love it here. If I love it here in February, think how good it would be if it was warm, and we could laze about, getting a tan.’
Jess had to concede that it would have been lovely to have gone bathing in the azure waters of the outdoor pool, but although the temperature was far warmer than back in the UK, she would not be braving it this trip. It would have been nice to try the spa, she mused as she tried to tune in to what Mark was saying and at the same time work out in her head how and when to propose. She would have to make her move soon as they were almost finished dessert. Talk about best-laid plans.
‘–so that’s why I thought this was the perfect place,’ she heard Mark say. She shook herself out of her reverie to give Mark her full attention, which was when he pushed back his chair and knelt on the floor in front of her.
‘Jess, will you marry me?’ He held out a navy velvet box, and looked up at her, a smile playing on his lips. Then he opened it to reveal an exquisite oval-cut emerald ring. His grandmother’s wedding ring. Oh my God!
Jess was speechless. She didn’t know whether to be delighted that he’d asked her, livid that he’d ruined her proposal or hacked-off that she’d spent months planning to ask him and sweated, literally, all through the meal over getting the proposal right, when all along he’d intended to propose to her . In the end, she went with the former.
‘Yes! Yes! Oh Mark, I love you.’
‘I know, and me you. We were always meant to be together. Always. Now it’s official.’ He stood up, crushing her to him, his lips meeting hers. ‘Mrs Featherstone-to-be, I do declare it’s time for some champagne.’
Jess hoped her face mirrored the joy on Mark’s, as right then she couldn’t have felt more loved, more sure of his feelings for her, purely from the sincerity in his gaze. Her heart swelled, and she returned his kisses passionately and briefly wondered whether to tell him she’d been planning to ask him. She decided that would be a funny story best kept for another day.
When they broke apart, Mark said, ‘You have no idea how hard this has been to keep from you. Honestly, I’ve been trying to ask you for weeks, walking about with the ring box in my pocket then worrying I’ll lose it.’
Jess laughed. ‘So why didn’t you ask me before?’
Mark held his hands out. ‘I don’t know. It just didn’t feel right, and one thing I knew for sure was, I wanted it to be perfect. Here’s perfect, don’t you think?’
She glanced around at the olive groves, then at the waves crashing below them on the beach. ‘Pretty perfect.’
‘Good, because we’ll need to come back here for our anniversary.’
Jess paused. ‘Is that why you asked me the other day if I’d come back here?’
Mark nodded. ‘You know me, I don’t like to go to the same place twice, but I thought we may want to return to the scene of the crime, so to speak.’
Jess punched him playfully on the chest. ‘Hey you! That’s no way to speak of our engagement.’
Mark laughed and grabbed her again in a bear hug, then rocked them from side to side.
Jess frowned. ‘One other thing. You honestly planned all this by yourself and didn’t breathe a word to anyone?’
‘Are you kidding? No. I had to seek advice from someone who’d been there, done that. That’s why I was out with Jared, and for so long. Although, to be honest, by the end of our drinking session, I’m not sure if he’d convinced me that getting married was a great idea or the exact opposite. He and Livorna have some epic fights, apparently.’
Jess bit her lip as she considered this. ‘Yeah, I could see that being the case. He is very high maintenance.’
Mark’s eyebrows shot up. ‘He is? She’s an influencer, for goodness’ sake.’
‘Ha! Got you going. Yes, much as I love Livorna, she’s high maintenance. Anyway, he must have said something positive or we wouldn’t be here now… engaged.’
Mark smiled and wound his hand round her waist. ‘I like the sound of that.’
‘That makes two of us,’ Jess said, leaning into his embrace.
As the Prosecco flowed– it seemed rude to ask for champagne in Italy– and they excitedly began to make plans for the wedding: the guest list, the venue, the menus, the music, the location, the best man and bridesmaids, Jess couldn’t help thinking, Wait till I tell the girls. They’ll never believe me.