Chapter 2
2
BEN
‘I can’t believe we got diverted,’ Rose muttered angrily as she absently swung the dog carrier around her legs so vigorously that Ben wondered if Coco was going to get whiplash.
He prised it from her tense fingers and watched as she sped up, marching along the cream and glass corridor towards passport control, overtaking at least a few dozen passengers on the way.
Ben followed amused.
Rose was a vibrant, prickly dynamo.
Exactly his type. Then again, there weren’t many women in his experience that he didn’t feel at least a modicum of fascination for.
He just had no intention of letting it get beyond that again.
‘That’s what happens when there’s a fire at the airport you’re supposed to be landing in,’ he said to Rose as he caught up, trying not to smile because he guessed it would irritate her.
And while he relished watching the flickers of exasperation light up her blueberry-coloured eyes, they had a long drive ahead of them.
‘Still, did it have to be Nice? It’s miles from where Luna is!
’ Rose harrumphed as they joined the back of the queue of people, and she carefully opened her brown, leather handbag before pulling out a wallet of neat paperwork.
Two large white envelopes fell onto the ground, and she quickly retrieved them and shoved them back into her bag looking perturbed.
She was remarkably uncreased – and despite the stain on her linen trousers, she looked perfect.
Ben knew if he was dressed in the same, he’d look like he’d just crawled through a junkyard on his hands and knees — and that was without an accidental coffee spill.
He went back to studying Rose as she retrieved her passport and then Coco’s paperwork.
Her hair was blonde and styled in a perfectly set shoulder-length bob.
Ben had watched, captivated, during the flight to see if even one of the lustrous strands had dared to move out of place.
None had – and he’d enjoyed a short fantasy that involved mussing it with his fingertips before he caught himself and stopped.
She was a beautiful woman, but a little tightly wound.
He could see that from the way her mouth pursed into a perfectly formed ‘o’ whenever she was concentrating.
As if even the shape of her lips had to conform.
‘It’s going to take hours to drive to Bellemilia from here,’ Rose complained.
‘I called Marco when we landed, so he’s aware,’ he told her.
‘When?’ Rose’s forehead creased and she glared at him suspiciously.
‘While you were discussing travel options with Mandy.’
By options, Ben meant Rose had asked if the airline could charter a special plane to take them back to Pisa.
She’d been serious too.
Needless to say, the hostess hadn’t been able to help, although she had offered them both another biscuit which unfortunately Rose had declined.
Rose had been most put out when Mandy had offered him her phone number, though, so Ben had decided to put in into his mobile to rile her up a little more.
‘Marco understands that we’re going to be a little late and he said he’d change the booking for our hire car, so we’ll be able to pick it up from here.
’ He paused and winced.
‘He asked if we could make a short detour since it’s not that far.
’
‘Not far from where?’ Rose asked as the delicate bow at the top of her lip pinched, and Ben realised she’d found the time to apply a fresh layer of lip gloss, causing him to momentarily lose his train of thought.
‘Um,’ he croaked, a little surprised by his reaction.
‘How far is this detour?’ she demanded, narrowing her eyes.
‘This isn’t some devious plot to keep me away from Luna, is it?
’
‘Nope.’ He chuckled.
‘Although I probably should have thought of that. It’s just a couple of hours out of our way,’ he confessed.
‘To a village just across the Italian border called, Neruno.’
‘And what’s there?
’ she snapped as Coco let out a rough bark from the carrier and Rose knelt so she could look inside.
‘It won’t be long,’ she told the dog, her voice gentle.
‘We just need to go through passport control, collect our luggage and then I’ll let you get out for a while, it’ll give me a chance to check my emails and talk to my assistant.
I’ve got lunch and treats in my handbag.
If you stay quiet, I’ll give you some.
’
‘You think she understood?’ Ben teased when the shih tzu growled and started to yap loudly, making Rose look around at the other passengers in the queue and wince.
‘I should have remembered that demons can’t be bargained with,’ she ground out, rising to her feet and smoothing a hand over her trousers.
‘Perhaps we should try one of those treats now?’ Ben suggested as the dog’s barks grew more frenzied.
She frowned. ‘She’s not doing as she’s told.
How’s she supposed to learn?
’
‘It’s up to you,’ he said as the dog’s barks intensified further.
Rose sighed. ‘Knock yourself out,’ she said, reaching into her handbag and handing him a tin.
‘Just be careful if you want to keep those fingers. I expect Marco would prefer it if you had all ten. For the wedding photos,’ she added with a smirk.
‘So now the wedding’s going ahead?
’ Ben teased and laughed when she huffed and turned away, before spinning back.
‘You didn’t answer my question,’ she said, looking annoyed, as if she suspected he’d deliberately changed the subject.
He dropped treats into Coco’s carrier and the dog quieted down.
‘About the purpose of our detour,’ Rose prodded.
Ben stood, straightening his legs which were still stiff after being jammed into the tiny space on the aeroplane.
‘We’re going to pick up Marco’s Aunt Aurora.
She’s a clairvoyant.
Apparently, she predicted that our plane was going to be redirected and rang Marco last night to ask if we’d give her a lift.
’ He kept his face deadpan.
The look Rose gave him would have soured tiramisu, but the corresponding thump in his chest proved he was already half gone on this woman.
‘You’re mocking me,’ she said sternly.
Ben shook his head, stifling a laugh.
‘Wait until you meet her. You’ll see.
’
Ben watched Rose stare at the empty luggage carousel and shake her head for the twentieth time, looking around at the large, bright hall with high ceilings which had all but emptied of the rest of the passengers from their plane.
‘Neither of them are here. How’s that even possible?
’ she asked, pacing to the other side, perhaps to check if she’d somehow missed the two suitcases while the other travellers were gathering theirs.
Ben frowned at his own small leather bag which had skipped off the belt first, feeling guilty.
‘I think we might need to accept that your suitcases have somehow been misdirected,’ he suggested tentatively as she turned and fixed him with her deep blue eyes.
Somehow, despite queuing for an hour at passport control and waiting here, she didn’t look tired.
But it was obvious from the way she kept stroking the brown patch on her trousers, that the stain was bothering her.
She shut her eyes momentarily.
‘What am I supposed to wear while I’m here?
I’ve got nothing,’ she asked when she opened them again.
‘Most of my toiletries, clothes, even my phone charger is in my suitcase. Not to mention all my files.’
‘I’ve got a charger, some toiletries and a spare T-shirt you can borrow,’ Ben offered.
She winced. ‘I’m not sharing your toothbrush,’ she said stiffly, looking down her nose at him.
‘I’ve no idea whose mouth it’s been in.
’
‘Just mine.’ He shrugged, trying not to be offended.
‘Alternatively, we can see if there are any shops open in Nice after we pick up the car?’
‘I’d rather get on with our journey,’ Rose said.
‘I’m sure my luggage will turn up by the time we get to Luna.
’ She glanced at her outfit looking worried.
‘I suppose I should go and report the suitcases missing.’ She sighed wearily.
‘With any luck, they’ve somehow found their way to Pisa instead.
Lucky them.’ With that, she took off.
The queue to report the missing luggage was long and it took almost an hour for Rose to fill in the relevant forms, including details on exactly which clothes and toiletries they contained.
Ben was impressed by Rose’s recall because the list was both extensive and expensive – she even knew to the penny how much everything was worth.
He was quite taken aback by how many suits she’d packed, though.
Then they’d had to queue for the hire car, while multiple passengers fought to secure themselves last-minute transport.
Ben was grateful Marco had called ahead, otherwise they might have ended up with a scooter or something equally unsuitable.
The garage was almost empty by the time they were led to their car.
‘It’s small for three people and a demon with an ego the size of Rome,’ Rose observed as she paced around the cherry red Citroen C1, frowning while Ben fiddled with the keys.
‘I expect the choices were limited today. I’m happy we have a car at all,’ Ben said as he opened the boot.
‘And I think we might have to thank our lucky stars that your luggage went missing.’ He put in his bag which – despite its size – took up most of the tiny space.
Hopefully, Aurora would be travelling light, or one of her spirits would have to arrange some kind of astral luggage transportation.
‘We’d have managed somehow,’ Rose muttered, looking upset.
‘If your suitcases do turn up, I might have to share your wardrobe,’ Ben joked, pointing to his small leather bag, hoping he might elicit a smile from Rose who was looking glummer with every minute that passed.
‘I’m guessing it’s a lot more glamorous anyway.
’
She gave him a tired frown.
‘I have a Chanel skirt that would suit your colouring, although…’ Her eyes skimmed down his length and he felt an immediate burst of heat.
‘It’ll depend on if you’ve got the legs to carry it off.
’
‘Better not risk it,’ he said, a little off balance.
‘I think it’ll be best to put Coco in the back.
’ He watched as Rose opened the door and secured the dog carrier with a seat belt, ignoring the warning growls.
Coco had been given a twenty-minute reprieve while he’d been queuing for the car and had enjoyed a joyful frolic on a small patch of airport grass.
Rose had produced a collapsible dish out of her TARDIS-like handbag and had fed and watered the shih tzu, proving she wasn’t as immune to the dog’s charms as she made out.
Especially considering she’d produced a fluffy toy for her to play with.
Perhaps the prickly ice princess did have a heart?
‘I’ll drive,’ Ben offered as he noticed Rose glance at the driver’s seat and her forehead crease.
‘I can do it. You gave the car hire company my licence too,’ she shot back, folding her arms.
‘I’m sure you can.
’ He shrugged as he squeezed himself behind the steering wheel, shuffling back and forth, trying to adjust his legs in an effort to get comfortable.
The space was small, and he grimaced as his whole body protested.
‘But I know the way to Aunt Aurora’s, so I might as well drive us there at least. If you want to take over after that…
’
Rose looked a little nauseous, and Ben wondered if there was something she wasn’t telling him.
The journey started out well.
It was beautifully sunny once they got out of the garage, and he put the air conditioning on full.
The roads were busy, but nothing Ben couldn’t handle, and he relaxed into the drive, admiring the blue sky and pretty red rooftops on the vibrant white buildings as the road took them upwards, affording them a variety of breathtaking views.
Rose sat ramrod straight staring at the road, seemingly ignoring the broccoli-shaped trees and glimpses of sparkling, azure sea as they flashed past. Instead, she sucked in sharp breaths whenever any cars got within metres of them.
After twenty minutes, she opened her handbag and swallowed a couple of pills.
‘I get car sick,’ she explained when she realised Ben had noticed.
‘I was in an accident in Paris when I was a child and whenever I’ve been in a car abroad since…
well…’ She straightened her shoulders, shrugging off the confidence, as if by the sheer power of will, she could erase the memory or her reaction to it.
‘I’m fine. It’s nothing to worry about,’ she added after a brief silence.
‘So,’ Ben said after a pause, deciding to change the subject because she was obviously uncomfortable about sharing her vulnerability.
‘Tell me about Luna. How did you meet? If we’re going to be alone in a car together for –’ He glanced at the sat nav.
‘– almost three hours until we get to Aurora’s, we might as well make the most of it.
’ He hoped it also might distract her from the other vehicles.
The roads were only going to get busier from here.
Rose considered his question for a moment.
‘I suppose there’s no harm,’ she said with an air of someone who wasn’t sure she was doing the right thing.
‘Luna and I met at Roedean School in Brighton when we were eight. I was a full boarder and she stayed a couple of nights a week. We hit it off and I often used to stay with her family in the holidays. We’ve been friends for over twenty-three years.
’
The air in the car had grown heavy, and Ben wondered what Rose had left out.
He could almost feel the weight of the unsaid words – the burden of emotion that hadn’t been shared.
‘You were young,’ he said as he changed lanes.
‘Were your parents abroad?’
He saw Rose shrug.
‘No, they were in the UK. I wanted to stay at school.’ She didn’t elaborate.
‘Luna’s father died when she was in her early teens,’ she continued.
‘And she was left a trust fund, which she’ll inherit in just over nine months.
She almost married someone last year.
Turned out he was hoping for an injection of cash for his family’s business.
’
Ben nodded slowly as he absorbed that information.
No wonder Rose was worried about Marco.
In the same position, he might have the same concerns.
A mobile beeped and Ben saw Rose wince.
‘It’s my mother,’ she explained.
‘She wants me to call her so she can ask—’ She pursed her lips looking unhappy.
‘You can call her now if you like,’ Ben offered.
‘Is it important?’
‘She thinks it is.’ She shook her head.
‘I’ll wait and ring back when we arrive.
’
He watched as she picked up her handbag and played with the two crisp white envelopes he’d seen earlier, before placing them back inside the bag and zipping it up.
‘You mentioned Luna was close to her mother?’ he asked.
Marco had shared basic details about his bride-to-be, but there were plenty of gaps he’d like filled.
Although all he really cared about was whether she was going to make his friend happy – and so far, she had.
He saw no reason in trying to find cracks in something that on the outside at least, looked ideal.
Marco deserved the perfect relationship, and Ben was determined to make sure he got exactly that.
‘Deborah Kennedy is an amazing woman,’ Rose answered, her voice filled with a sudden burst of warm affection that made something inside Ben’s chest heat.
‘She’s a marine biologist, stationed on an island somewhere off the coast of Scotland.
I can’t remember exactly what it’s called.
’ She paused. ‘Luna and she talk every day – depending on phone signals. Luna told me Deborah is coming to the wedding – she’s bringing her grandmother’s necklace with her.
I’ve no idea when she’ll actually arrive.
Travel can be tricky – it’s a bit of a trains, planes and automobiles experience and that’s before you add in the boat journey.
’ She winced.
‘I’m sure Marco will make sure she makes it on time.
He’ll do everything in his power to ensure Luna is happy,’ he promised.
‘I think this might be out of his hands. That’s what happens when you rush into things without thinking about the consequences.
’ Rose gazed out of the window as the vibrant purple lavender that edged the road obviously caught her eye.
‘What does Luna do?’ Ben asked, pleased that the tension he could see in Rose’s shoulders had begun to ease.
Her leg wasn’t bouncing either.
‘She runs a herbal tea business. She grew it from nothing and now she sells to teashops and hotels across the world. It’s very successful.
It’s why she’s been in Italy.
She has a warehouse in Europe,’ Rose said, turning back to him, her voice filled with pride.
‘Tell me about Marco. You said you worked together?’
Ben nodded.
‘We run an architectural company based in Bristol. We met at university.’ He overtook a couple of cars and heard Rose’s sharp, peppery intakes of breath.
‘Are you okay?’ He couldn’t stop himself from checking.
‘I’m fine,’ Rose said wearily, before lapsing into silence.
‘Have you met his family a lot of times?’ she asked once the traffic around them had eased.
‘Yep, loads of times,’ he told her.
‘I’m like part of the family – his parents joke I’m their second son.
’
Ben had no family of his own.
His parents had been quite elderly when he’d been born.
A happy accident, his mother had once told him, although he wasn’t sure his father had agreed.
They’d died within a few weeks of each other when he’d been at university.
It had been a terrible time, and he’d been inconsolable with grief.
For a long while, he’d been alone.
Until the Marinos had taken him under their wing.
Which was yet another reason why he wasn’t going to let this wedding get messed up.
Family is important to Italians, he already knew from the burst of excited WhatsApp messages that they were all beside themselves with excitement about the upcoming nuptials, eager to embrace their new daughter-in-law.
It had been the same when he’d got engaged…
He shook his head, dismissing the memory.
‘Tell me about them,’ Rose demanded.
‘I don’t even know what Marco looks like.
’ She tapped her fingers on her thigh looking tense.
Ben reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet, holding onto the steering wheel with one hand and eliciting a new gasp from Rose.
He handed the wallet to her without taking his eyes from the road.
‘There’s a photo of all the Marinos in the front, you can take it out.
’
He waited while Rose did as he’d suggested.
‘Which one’s Marco?’ she asked after a few moments.
‘He’s standing in the middle, wearing the dark blue suit.
He likes to dress up,’ he told her.
‘Even while we were at uni.’ Marco had drawn a lot of comments from the lecturers, but he’d won his fair share of admiration from the other students too.
Rose sniffed. ‘Luna prefers casual, she thinks casual clothes give more away about someone’s personality,’ she muttered without irony.
‘Who else is here?’
Ben knew the image off by heart.
He had another copy at home, but carried this one wherever he went.
‘The woman on the right, dressed in the?—’
‘Bright pink dress,’ Rose filled in.
‘Yes, that’s Marco’s Aunt A who we’re going to pick up.
’ He saw her squint at the picture.
‘Next to Aurora, you’ll see her sister – Marco’s mother – Elena.
’
‘She’s very beautiful,’ Rose commented, although her tone suggested there might be something wrong with that.
‘I’m guessing the man on the left is Marco’s father?
’
‘Yep. Leonardo Marino, he’s a good man,’ Ben said, smiling.
‘He’s not into suits but likes white shirts and chinos.
His father, Marco’s nonno, Cesare – that’s Italian for Caesar – is beside him.
’ He pictured the older man’s face, which was wrinkled from a lifetime spent in the sun.
He was still handsome, and, in the picture, he was grinning.
Ben knew he hadn’t had a lot to smile about recently, though.
‘And the older woman?’ Rose asked after another moment of silence.
‘The one with the big smile is Isabella Marino, Marco’s nonna.
She’s…’ He had to search for the right words.
‘A tricky woman sometimes, but she has a big heart. In many ways, she runs the family or at least she keeps everyone in line.’
‘Does she keep you in line?’ Rose shot back.
Ben grinned. ‘She tries. Isabella taught me how to make the perfect pizza. She also told me how to impress women in Italy.’ He frowned, slamming his foot on the accelerator and overtaking a car as it slowed, before pressing his palm on the horn.
‘Did she teach you how to drive too?’ Rose asked, her voice breaking as she clearly tried to hide her panic.
‘Sorry, I tend to get carried away when I’m over here,’ Ben said, slowing and allowing a couple of cars to overtake.
Rose folded the photo carefully and placed it back in his wallet.
‘Tell me more about the family,’ she said.
‘Are they close?’
‘Yes, very. They own a restaurant in Bellemilia, did Luna mention that?’ he asked as soon as the road was clear again.
‘She said something about it. She also told me we’d all be staying together in the family house.
’
‘You don’t sound very happy about that,’ Ben said.
‘In my experience families can be complicated,’ Rose said.
‘I’m concerned they’ll be a distraction.
I want Luna to really think about what she’s doing without the added pressure of people who might not have her best interests at heart.
She can be a bit too trusting sometimes.
’
Ben bristled. He couldn’t help it.
‘I think you’ll find the Marino family are just as infatuated with Luna as she is with Marco.
They’re good people,’ he added.
‘The best I know.’
‘I’m sure they are,’ Rose said gently.
‘But that still doesn’t mean this marriage is a good idea.
Wed in haste, repent at leisure is a mantra I share with all my clients.
’
‘Clients?’ Ben asked as a car came up behind them at speed and overtook before weaving back into the same lane, forcing him to apply his brakes again.
He saw Rose grip the edges of her seat and swore he could hear the enamel chipping off her teeth.
In the back seat, Coco let out a yip.
‘I’m sorry,’ he muttered.
‘While it’s tempting, I’m not blaming you for other people’s driving.
’ Rose shook her head and reached into the back so she could pat a hand on the dog carrier, muttering sweet nothings under her breath, and getting a growl in return.
When she turned back, she folded her arms.
‘You were about to tell me about your clients,’ he pressed, partly to take her mind off the other cars and partly because he wanted to know.
If he understood Rose better, it might be easier to convince her to let Marco and Luna’s wedding go ahead without interference.
Rose sighed. ‘I’m a psychologist,’ she said.
‘I specialise in working with people on improving their relationships. Some of my regulars call me the Love Doctor.’
Well, that explained a lot .
‘I see,’ Ben said. ‘Then I’m surprised you’re so against what is so clearly a love match.
’
Rose snorted. ‘I think I need to meet Marco before I can make a decision about that,’ she said.
‘I’m not against love, but I am against any connection that doesn’t go through the proper format.
’ Her voice was clipped.
‘In my experience that’s only going to expose people to a lot of future pain and Luna doesn’t deserve that.
’
Ben remained silent as he tried to work out exactly what that meant – and what might have happened to this woman to make her so suspicious.
It was usually easy for him to get people – especially women – to open up.
He was about to ask more, but another car sped past and Rose let out a curse.
Then she pulled her earphones out of her bag and put them on before shutting her eyes.
‘I’m going to try and get some sleep,’ she muttered.
Ben remained silent, absorbing the pretty views as they sped towards Italy.
But his mind was whirring.
How many more surprises was the woman going to deliver on their journey?
And why – despite their opposing views – with every additional moment they were together did he like Rose a little more?