Chapter Seventeen #2
Isabella gave an enormous snotty sniff, a noise so inelegant he wouldn’t have considered her capable of making it.
‘I suppose it means that at least we might make progress with the banks now.’ She blew her nose, then coughed.
‘Well. I’m speculating. But if he’s been arrested at the wheel of a stolen car, Daddy’s def-definitely a cr-criminal. ’
He searched for a hopeful scenario. ‘Maybe he’ll confess and make our situation easier.
’ Though Isabella’s news was BIG news, he didn’t seem able to concentrate on it, because he could hear his mother’s voice rising, stiff and annoyed.
He stepped into the breakfast room and his heart bounded at the sight of his mum, a bewildered-looking Sofi in train, frowning at Jade.
The receptionist, Yara, spectated with evident interest.
And beside Jade stood Geneva.
Rapidly reprioritising, he hurried across the room. ‘Thanks very much for telling me,’ he said into the phone. ‘Sorry it’s so shit for you, Isabella. I’ll let you know if I hear anything from the bank or the police.’ As he ended the call, he came up behind Jade and Geneva.
Sheenagh caught sight of him and blinked. ‘Leo?’
‘Hi, Mum.’ He didn’t explain his presence, but glanced enquiringly at Jade.
Her face was stiff. ‘Let’s go into the office,’ she said tightly, in English. Then, in Italian, ‘Geneva, please go upstairs to help Carlotta.’
‘Sì.’ Geneva hurriedly skirted the group and mounted the stairs in jerky steps, her gaze fixed straight ahead, colour staining her cheeks.
Jade brushed between Sheenagh and Sofi, and led the way into the office with quick, decisive strides.
Sheenagh swept after her. Sofi shifted from foot to foot and then remained in Reception, clearly reluctant to be caught up in whatever was happening.
Leo, with no such scruples, tagged on behind his mother.
Once inside the small office, he closed the door and leant on it. Jade and Sheenagh faced one another before the desk, glaring. ‘What’s your problem?’ Jade snapped. Leo’s brows flipped up. When had Jade ever spoken to his mum that way?
Sheenagh looked equally shocked. ‘I had to say something, Jade. I couldn’t believe it when I heard you call her Geneva. Then I only had to look at her to see exactly who she was.’
‘And?’ Jade barely moved a muscle, but Leo could see the curls below her bun of chestnut hair trembling. She was seething. Transferring his gaze to his mum, he tried to telegraph with a flat stare that she should butt out.
Sheenagh, however, seemed intent on butting in. ‘What are you doing?’ she asked, forehead puckering.
Jade’s eyes narrowed. ‘I’ve given temporary employment to an unemployed person, while I recruit full-time employees to replace Vittoria and Carlotta. If you must know.’ She tagged that on coldly.
Aware of Jade’s level of anger from her uncharacteristically formal language, Leo tried to intercede. ‘Mum—’
Sheenagh didn’t even glance his way. ‘Vittoria and Carlotta are leaving? I had no idea.’
‘There’s no real reason why you should, Mum,’ Leo put in warningly.
But it was too late. Jade’s eyes glittered. ‘Are you suggesting I should report to you? Because last time I looked, you weren’t one of the people set to inherit Pensione Three Sisters.’
Sheenagh took a physical step backwards from the acid in Jade’s voice, freckles standing out from suddenly pale cheeks. ‘Mairead asked me to—’
‘To barge into the business that I manage and rudely ask my staff, “What the hell are you doing here?”? Then – also in front of my staff – demand I explain myself to you?’ Each of Jade’s words fell like chipped ice.
Leo winced. Used to occupying the top of the Villa Panorama pyramid and demanding answers, Sheenagh obviously hadn’t held back.
Now, she changed tack with an impulsive, ‘What would your grandmother think?’
Jade’s cheeks darkened. ‘That you’d overstepped the boundaries of friendship.’ Spinning on her heel, she reached for the door handle. Hastily, Leo stood aside. The door opened, then snapped smartly closed behind her ramrod-stiff rear view.
Sheenagh turned her dismayed gaze on Leo, her voice emerging as a scandalised whisper. ‘Jade’s never talked to me like that before.’
Leo moved close enough to give his mother’s shoulders a squeeze. She’d lost weight during whatever virus she and Papà had suffered through in July, and he could feel her bones through her skin. ‘Did you seriously walk in and challenge Geneva?’
With a shaking hand, Sheenagh tucked away a loose tendril of hair. ‘I was shocked. Mairead asked me to keep an eye on Jade and that woman might be looking to take advantage.’
He hugged his mother harder, knowing that under her managing exterior beat a golden heart. Still, Jade was right that Sheenagh had transgressed today. Carefully, he asked, ‘Jade’s very fond of you. Are you jealous that her mother’s turned up?’
With a gasp, Sheenagh wrenched herself out of his embrace, eyes blazing. ‘Jealous? What on earth makes you think that?’ She sounded very Scottish in her affront.
He jammed his hands into his pockets. ‘It’s the only way I can account for your reaction.
Or should I say overreaction? Jade’s done the lion’s share of running this place for at least a couple of decades.
You were rude to her staff, questioned her judgement in front of them, and acted put out that she hadn’t consulted you on her staff turnover.
She’s not a child, Mum. And certainly not your child.
’ Then, deciding that if they were on tricky subjects then he might as well finish the job, he added, ‘I am your child and wouldn’t have appreciated what you said. ’
Sheenagh stared at him, eyes wide and disbelieving. ‘Are you taking her side?’
He laughed softly. ‘Mum, in this case, you don’t have a side. There’s only one, and that’s Jade’s. She’s right – you overstepped. Maybe, later, she’ll see it was from the best of motives,’ he added fairly.
‘Do you still have a thing for her? Is that why you’re here?’ Sheenagh demanded. Then she paled, her hand flying to her cheek. ‘You’ve just told me that I overstep and in reply, I overstep.’ She gulped. ‘I must apologise to Jade.’
‘In a while.’ He gave her another quick hug.
‘And, yes, Jade and I are seeing each other, but it’s low key .
. . and private. I’m here because I’m in limbo and she’s short of staff.
’ After swiftly deciding that now wasn’t the moment to tell his mother about Isabella’s phone call concerning Teddy’s arrest – especially as he hadn’t had time to process it himself – he changed the subject.
‘I’ll bet Sofi’s hanging around in Reception, wondering what’s going on. ’
Sheenagh glanced around the neat office, as if only just noticing her daughter-in-law’s absence.
‘We were supposed to be shopping for maternity clothes. I popped in to say hi to Jade as we were passing. Her sisters are arriving on Monday and I wanted to check she’s OK.
’ Her shoulders rose and fell on a huge sigh. ‘Then I realised who Geneva was . . .’
Diplomatically commenting no further, he opened the door. ‘We’re expecting a laundry delivery. I’ll see you later.’
His heart did go out to his mother as she trailed unsteadily from the room, offering a wide-eyed Sofi a quiet, ‘Sorry to keep you waiting. Let’s go.’