Chapter 17
17
PRESENT DAY
Allegra and Maggie set off down the hill from the Old Town towards the harbour below, making their way through the narrow streets and into the main square. The cafés in the back streets were busy with locals, those in front of the harbour busy with tourists. As Maggie walked along beside Allegra, she realised the woman who claimed to keep herself to herself clearly knew everyone in the town.
Crossing the road to the quay, Maggie saw an older grey-haired man in a small white motorboat waving at them.
‘Bonjour, Henri! ?a va ?’ said Allegra, waving back. ‘This is Maggie, Maggie meet Henri.’
‘Bonjour,’ said Maggie. ‘Nice to meet you.’ She turned to Allegra. ‘Are we going on this?’
‘By the smile on your face, I’m hoping you’re happy with that idea,’ said Allegra, laughing.
Maggie looked at the boat, astonished. ‘Absolutely! Where are we going?’
Henri pointed at the islands out in the bay. ‘Over there. Please,’ he said, offering his hand to Maggie.
She stepped down on to the teak deck, then helped Allegra do the same. They both sat on the long, cushioned seat behind Henri as he started the engine. Soon they were heading out into the deep blue waters of the Mediterranean and with not a breath of wind, the sea was calm. In his thick French accent, Henri told Maggie about the islands to which they were headed.
‘There are four islands, but only two are inhabited. The smaller one has a monastery; the larger one in front has the fort on it,’ he said, pointing it out.
Maggie looked out across the water as they sped towards the islands, taking in the impossible blues of the sea and sky around her.
‘It gets very crowded by lunchtime, even now. So, I thought we’d come early before the rush and we can have a swim between the islands,’ said Allegra, shouting over the sound of the engine.
Maggie leant towards her. ‘So, is he—’ she looked at Henri, his back to them as he helmed the boat,‘—an old friend of yours?’
‘He’s an artist. I used to look after him here.’ Allegra smiled enigmatically. ‘He’s a very good friend.’
‘Right,’ said Maggie, wondering just how friendly they were.
‘I happened to bump into him this morning at the boulangerie; he lives at the bottom of the hill. He asked why I was buying two of everything. I told him about you visiting and he offered to take us out.’
‘I’m very glad he did,’ said Maggie, hair blowing in the wind. She grinned at Allegra.
‘Me too. Now, look up ahead and you’ll see the fort. We’ll round this point and with any luck it’ll still be relatively quiet.’
Henri slowed the boat down and navigated them gently into the turquoise blue waters between the islands. They found a relatively empty spot close to the shore of the smaller of the two islands, away from the handful of people already sitting on the decks of their boats or on the rocks.
‘Maggie, can you go up to the bow and put the anchor over the side?’ said Henri.
She did as she was asked, glad to be of use, and watched as it sank gracefully into the water before coming to rest on the pale sand below them.
‘ ?a va ?’ he said, looking at Allegra. She nodded and he cut the engine.
‘Are you going in?’ Allegra stood up and started lifting her kaftan over her head.
‘Race you,’ said Maggie, whipping off her T-shirt.
They heard a splash and looked down to see Henri already in the water, swimming below the surface.
‘Too late,’ said Maggie, before leaping off the side of the boat into the sea.
Henri climbed back onto the boat and the two women made their way to shore, swimming carefully through the rocks to a stony beach, Aleppo pines rising behind it.
‘This is so glorious. Thank you,’ said Maggie as she dropped down gently onto the stones.
‘It’s my pleasure. As I said, you came all this way. It’s the least I can do. It’s just a shame we haven’t got longer but let’s make the most of it.’
They lay on their backs, their faces up to the sun, listening to the sound of the water for a while. Maggie felt so far away from her everyday life, it was as if she could see herself from afar. She thought about what they’d talked about that morning. If she was honest with herself, she had to admit she was lonely. Keeping busy was her way of coping with it but all it did was push the problem to one side. It certainly didn’t make the loneliness go away and, sooner or later, it would catch up with her. Maybe it already had. Still, she’d have to take that job whether she liked it or not. There wasn’t anything else on the horizon and she had bills to pay.
‘Penny for them,’ said Allegra.
Maggie turned on her side. ‘I’ve been offered a job, and I don’t really want to do it.’
‘Any particular reason?’
‘It’s complicated,’ said Maggie.
‘Try me.’
‘My ex-husband and his new girlfriend, pregnant girlfriend if I need to remind you, are both working on it. I’m not sure I can cope with that, but I don’t think I have a choice.’
‘There’s always a choice,’ said Allegra. ‘I can say that. I’m old enough to know.’ She smiled at Maggie. ‘Come on, there’s another little cove bit further along; we can lie on the sand for a bit.’
They swam on, Maggie following Allegra as she navigated her way through the rocks towards a small strip of sand ahead. Once again they lay side by side, letting the warm sun dry the water from their limbs. Maggie watched as a kestrel hovered overhead, clearly on the hunt for something to eat in the woodland behind them. A heron sat on a rock a little further out in the bay, elegantly watching the scene. For a short while, the only thing disturbing the peace was birdsong.
Maggie’s eyes were closed when she heard Henri call over to them.
‘Time to go back; he did say he needed to be back just after midday,’ said Allegra, shifting herself up.
‘Is it that late already?’ said Maggie. She’d lost track without her watch or phone to hand.
They swam back to the boat and climbed up the ladder at the stern, Allegra making it look much easier than Maggie did. Given she’d struggled to keep up with Allegra in the water, she made a mental note to finally do something about her fitness when she got back to London, much as she loathed going to the gym. As they sped back across the flat sea towards the mainland, into the wide bay, Maggie thought about the choices she faced. Maybe it was time for her to make some different ones?
* * *
Having said their goodbyes to Henri, Allegra and Maggie crossed the road and walked back into the streets behind the harbour. Somehow Maggie had completely missed the covered market the previous day, quite a feat given the size of the building. As they walked through the earthy red brick-coloured archway into the market, Maggie’s senses were immediately hit by the colour, smell and noise of the place. Row upon row of stalls heaving with vegetables of every colour ran as far as the eye could see. There were glass-fronted cabinets with shelves stacked with cheeses, fresh meat and charcuterie, flowers stalls and honey stalls alongside displays of herbs and spices. Great trays of ice were laden with fresh fish of all sizes, piles of shellfish alongside. Stalls with olives, olive oils and tapenades and tables stacked with melons and green, red and yellow tomatoes, were all doing a roaring trade. The place was rammed, with locals and tourists alike. The former were easy to spot, with their baskets and colourful attire making the tourists with their backpacks and faded T-shirts and shorts look positively pedestrian. Maggie watched as two deeply tanned older women in full make-up, one wearing lime green, the other in purple, arms heavy with bangles, busied themselves feeling the produce and bargaining with the traders as they filled their baskets with their chosen items.
Maggie followed Allegra through the crowd as she made her way straight to a particular cheese stall.
‘Which ones do you prefer?’ asked Allegra, pointing at the display.
‘You choose but let me pay for them,’ said Maggie, reaching for her wallet.
‘Absolutely not, this is on me,’ said Allegra. ‘Pick some more fruit for us to have tomorrow morning for breakfast before you go.’
Maggie walked on through the market, watching the people as much as the produce. She bought some more peaches and a bag of fresh figs, so plump she thought they might burst before they got back to the house. After they’d finished at the market, Allegra suggested stopping at a small café on their way back up towards the Old Town, a run-down looking place in a back street.
To Maggie’s surprise, it served the best coffee she’d tasted for as long as she could remember. ‘That was such a wonderful morning,’ she said. ‘I know I’ve only been here for a day, but I feel like I’ve had a week’s holiday.’
‘I think you needed it,’ said Allegra, before taking a sip from her tiny cup.
‘I’ve been thinking about what you said. And about that job…’
Allegra raised that eyebrow of hers. ‘And?’
‘I’ve got to take it. Unless something else comes along in a hurry, I really do need it, but I have decided I’m going to look to do something else in the long term.’
‘You are?’
Maggie slowly nodded her head. ‘It’s time I made some changes. I’m not as happy as I could be and I think stepping away from it all, even just for a few days, has made me realise I’ve got to do something about it.’
‘Nothing changes if nothing changes,’ said Allegra. She smiled at Maggie, her green eyes sparkling. ‘As I said, I’m old enough to say things like that.’
‘Only just,’ said Maggie, laughing.
They walked up the hill arm in arm towards the clocktower, away from the busy market and into the peaceful streets behind. Allegra put down her basket as she reached for her key under the pot by the front door.
‘Let me take these bags up to the kitchen,’ said Maggie, taking one from Allegra.
‘Thank you, I’m just going to go and change, I’ll see you up there.’
Maggie closed the door behind her and watched as Allegra made her way up the stairs.
She stopped to look at the painting on the wall, a window looking out to the bluest sea beyond. Just then, she heard a yelp.
Maggie took the next flight of stairs two at a time to find Allegra on her side on the floor.
‘Allegra! What happened?’ said Maggie, as she bent down to try and help her up.
‘I tripped on the damn step.’ Allegra’s voice shook a little.
Maggie could tell she was in pain. ‘Don’t move for a second. We need to make sure nothing’s broken. Where does it hurt?’ She noticed a cut on the side of Allegra’s head, a small trickle of blood falling slowly down her face. ‘Hang on, I’ll just get something to stop that bleeding.’ She rummaged in her basket for a tissue.
‘My arm doesn’t feel right,’ said Allegra.
‘Okay, that doesn’t sound great,’ said Maggie, looking at the arm underneath Allegra. ‘Let’s not move from here for a moment, I’m going to call for an ambulance. What’s the number?’ She got her phone from her bag.
‘Just use the phone on the side there, dial the number fifteen and repeat what I say,’ said Allegra.
Ten minutes later an ambulance was outside the house. Maggie showed the two medics in and listened as they spoke to Allegra in French, then helped her downstairs into the waiting ambulance.
‘Shall I come with you?’ asked Maggie.
Allegra nodded. ‘Just lock up behind you and put the key back under the pot. And please can you go and put the cheese and figs in the fridge before you do, I can’t bear them to go to waste.’
Maggie couldn’t help but smile. ‘Sure. I’ll be right back.’