gives me time to spend with my mother and Robert first.’
‘That’s a great load off my mind,’ he said, smiling at her. ‘But that’s a long way off, so until then let’s enjoy our summer in sunny Italy. I’ve never indulged in so much leisure time, so I might as well make the most of it.’
‘Everyone needs to unwind now and then.’ Hester got up. ‘Time I went to bed.’
Connah rose immediately and put a hand on hers. ‘Hester, forgive me for my transgression earlier.’
‘Of course,’ she said lightly, and smiled at him. ‘Goodnight.’
The trip to Greve was a huge success. The sun-drenched piazza had originally been square, Connah informed them, but over time buildings with porticos and loggias had encroached on it until now it was a triangle pointing to the church of Santa Croce.
‘The church has paintings of the school of Fra Angelico,’ he added, then grinned as his daughter made a face. ‘All right, don’t panic. We’ll just look round the shops and buy some postcards since it’s your first day in town. Then we’ll have some lunch and when Greve wakes up again afterwards we’ll buy food for supper.’
For Hester it was hard to remember that this was part of a job she was being paid for as she strolled through the sunlit town with Connah and Lowri. Never in her wildest dreams of the mysterious Mr Jones when she was young had she imagined a scenario like the one being played out right now. She could almost believe …
‘Penny for them,’ murmured Connah as Lowri went through every postcard on display before making her choice.
‘They’re worth far more than that!’ Hester assured him.
Lunch was eaten in a restaurant with stone arches and terracotta floors, and best of all to Lowri, a vine-covered pergola with a panoramic view of the sunlit countryside of Chianti.
‘Can we eat outside, Daddy?’ she asked eagerly.
‘Of course, cariad.’ He turned to Hester. ‘Unless you’re too hot and would prefer to eat indoors?’
‘No, indeed. I’ll take all the sun and fresh air I can get.’
Connah had eaten at the restaurant before and, on his recommendation, they all chose light-as-air gnocchi with a sage and butter sauce as a first course, followed by pork roasted with rosemary and served with porcini mushrooms.
‘They’re just like little pillows,’ said Lowri in delight as she tasted the gnocchi … Hester smiled at her lovingly, then flushed when she saw Connah watching her and applied herself to her own meal.
Full of good food, they lingered afterwards in the pergola, the waiters only too pleased to supply them with as much mineral water and coffee as they wanted.
‘They take food very seriously here,’ said Hester lazily, ‘yet they seem quite happy for us to linger as long as we like. There’s no rushing to clear away so that someone else can take our place.’
‘Not their style at all. Besides, they have enough tables to make that unnecessary,’ said Connah, and took his drowsy daughter on his lap. ‘Sit quietly for a while, cariad, before we make for the shops again. They won’t be open for a while, anyway.’
Lowri yawned widely. ‘OK.’ She snuggled her head into his shoulder and her father smoothed the length of silky hair with a stroking hand as she dozed off.
‘I rang my mother last night,’ said Hester quietly after a peaceful interval. ‘She sent her regards.’
‘Return the compliment when you speak to her again.’ Connah looked at her across the shining dark head on his shoulder. ‘Did your mother ever talk about my companion?’
‘Only to say that she was ill. Mother was only too happy for you to stay until the lady was well enough to leave.’
‘To my immense gratitude.’ His eyes turned towards the sunlit view of vine-covered hillsides. ‘I went back to your house a few years later to see your mother, but she was no longer there, of course. And the new owners very rightly felt they weren’t at liberty to give me her address.’
‘Is that why you came to fetch me the other night? To meet Mother again?’
‘Partly.’ The dark, intent eyes turned back to hers as though he was about to explain further, but Lowri stirred and sat up, yawning.
‘I’m just like a baby, having naps all the time,’ she complained.
‘This one was very short,’ her father said, kissing her nose. ‘You go off with Hester to wash your face, then we’ll wander round the town again—maybe we’ll even force you to explore the church if the shops aren’t open yet.’
Lowri slid off his lap at once as Hester got up. ‘Do you like churches, Hester?’ she asked, sighing.
‘I’d like to look round this one. Then we can both write about it on our postcards.’
After a leisurely stroll back to the Santa Croce to admire its neo-classical façade, they went inside to look at the paintings. But Lowri grew restive in the dark interior and they soon went outside again into the sunlight, discussing what food to buy in one of the alimentares, the various grocery stores beginning to reopen after their long lunch break.
‘We’ll definitely get your local fare in one of these, Hester,’ said Connah. ‘We might as well stock up while we’re here.’
Lowri was consulted on every purchase as they bought a great bag of tomatoes, another of peaches, crusty Tuscan bread, ricotta cheese and glossy green spinach.
‘Though I’ll leave Flavia to deal with the last two,’ said Hester, smiling. ‘Perhaps she’ll make ravioli for us tomorrow.’
‘I’ll ask her,’ said Lowri promptly. ‘She likes me.’
‘Does she really?’ teased Connah. ‘Now it’s my turn to choose. I want some of those fennel flavoured sausages, and salami, and thin slices of roast turkey breast and ham, and more pecorino cheese. What about you, Hester?’
‘Mozzarella and fresh basil, anchovies and olives, and some of those gorgeous baby lettuces, please.’
‘Anything else? Speak now while I’m in a good mood, and willing to carry all this stuff to the car.’
‘I’ll help,’ said Lowri promptly.
‘I was only teasing, cariad. I’m happy to carry anything Hester wants.’ Connah grinned. ‘After all, she’s going to make supper for us tonight.’
It was the kind of day, thought Hester, as they drove back to the Casa Girasole, that she would keep in her mind like a snapshot to look back at and sigh over during a cold Yorkshire winter. But the day wasn’t over yet, she consoled herself, and once they were back at the house she sent Lowri off to have a swim with her father while she put the food away.
‘If we all help with that, you can swim too,’ said Connah, but Hester shook her head.
‘That’s my job. Besides, I have more idea where everything goes. Then I’ll have a shower and start getting supper ready.’
‘Can I help?’ said Lowri eagerly.
‘Of course,’ said Hester.
‘No cooking,’ Connah reminded her.
‘My choices were made with that in mind!’
Lowri’s swim with her father was surprisingly brief.
‘It wasn’t the same for her without you,’ said Connah as his daughter ran upstairs to shower. He rubbed at his hair with the sleeve of his towelling robe, his smile wry. ‘I begin to see what you mean. Tomorrow morning I’ll walk into the village with her while you do anything you want.’
‘Laundry,’ said Hester promptly.
He