The Battle for Baiardo

Chapter 3

On a warm, still, late August evening, as the sun dipped into the Mediterranean, Juliet and Carrie sat outside the bar in Baiardo’s only piazza and ordered their usual glass of prosecco: the local semidry, aromatic sparkling wine. In the space of a few days Juliet had taken to la dolce vita and could sip prosecco in the piazza while the sun went down as if she were born to it.

This evening she and Carrie were joined by Antoinette, a vivacious fifty-year-old Frenchwoman, who was visiting her elderly mother, a long-time resident of the village.

Antoinette was extolling the virtues of divorce to Carrie, ‘We get on so much better than we did when we were married, although our daughters don’t approve,’ Antoinette laughed. ‘They think that I should be angry with their Papá for running off with a girl half his age but she’s welcome to him. And now he’s stuck with a new baby and he hates it! He’s always ringing me to tell me how terrible his life is and that makes me very happy,’ she laughed.

‘Good for you! But I had to leave the country to get away from my ex, he was soooo needy,’ said Carrie with the hint of a grimace.

‘And you, Juliet? Did you leave a broken-hearted lover behind in Australia?’ Antoinette asked.

Carrie shot her a worried look, she hadn’t told Antoinette about Juliet’s recent loss.

Juliet, touched by Carrie’s concern, answered, ‘Not in Australia, but I did leave someone behind when I left London a few years back, he wasn’t the type to pine though, I heard he moved in with someone else about five minutes after I’d gone.’

Determined not to allow the thought of Stuart, her ex fiance, to intrude on the serenity of Baiardo, Juliet leaned back in her chair, closed her eyes, sighed deeply and sent yet another vote of thanks to Zellie.

At the sound of a smooth male voice speaking English with a slight accent, she looked up to see Luca standing at the table. Though startled she managed not to tip over her chair as Carrie made the introduction, 'Luca da Silvestri, may I introduce my friend from Australia, Juliet Carlsen?'

'Delighted to meet you, Juliet. I hope that you are enjoying our lovely Baiardo,' he said, a smile lighting up his eyes, which made Juliet think of melted dark chocolate.

Funny, she thought, I didn't notice them before... Then she responded: 'Thank you yes, I'm finding it very relaxing, the scenery, the food, the wine, the people...' Juliet did her best to sound cool, unsure if her confusion was caused by his beautiful eyes or the fact that he didn't seem to recognise her.

'Luca, mon cher, don't stand there: sit down and join us, take pity on three women – we need a man to flirt with!' Antoinette purred.

'Antoinette, cara mia, I'd love to but I have to be in San Remo before dark and I fear that if I join your alluring company I will never want to leave.' His compliment, though a bit over the top, sounded charming to Juliet.

'Ah, you men, you are all talk and no action!' Antoinette flashed her eyes like a silent film actress.

Juliet enjoyed the banter; it went with the prosecco and the sunset.

'Yes Luca, do join us – Max will be here in a minute and I know that he wants to have a word about...' Carrie’s voice trailed off as Luca made a gesture that combined regret with apology before waving goodbye and heading down towards the parking area.

Nice bum, Juliet noted as he walked away from them. She'd also noticed that the smile left his eyes when Max's name was mentioned.

Luca slid in to his sleek, black two-seater and drove off down the hill.

'I can't believe he didn't recognise me or twig that it was me on the terrace. I mean, how many foreign women are there in Baiardo at the moment, apart from you two?' asked Juliet.

'Well, I didn't mention that you are a volunteer – and remember, you were covered from head to toe that morning – I wouldn't have recognised you,' Carrie said, 'Anyway, knowing Luca, he's probably embarrassed by the whole episode; he's not likely to want to remind everybody.'

Antoinette had been a regular visitor to Baiardo for over twenty years, ever since her mother had left Nice to live with Antoinette's widowed aunt in the village. Antoinette was fond of Luca and was happy to tell Juliet all about him: he was in his mid-forties, a widower; his wife had died of cancer six years ago, leaving him to bring up their daughter and son, Lorenza and Matteo, both of whom had recently left home to pursue their interests.

Luca was an architect with specialist knowledge of late-nineteenth and early twentieth-century architecture. He ran a thriving practice in San Remo, restoring and renovating buildings of that era. Since his children had left home, he had started to spend more time in Baiardo; he loved the place it had been his childhood haven, he'd spent a great deal of time here with his aunt, uncle and cousins while his English mother and Italian father had negotiated an acrimonious divorce.

'That explains his faultess English,' Juliet spoke almost to herself. The gleam in her eye was noted by Antoinette who went on to explain that over the years Luca had renovated derelict properties and converted them into weekenders for residents of San Remo. Together with Max, he was considered by the older residents as the saviour of the village. It was rumoured that he had a girlfriend in Genova, whom he never mentioned and no one had ever seen; the gossip was that she was married, but that was no big deal, 'He's a man, he needs a woman...'

'Actually he's quite good looking without the scowl and that gorgeous thick hair...' Juliet trailed off as the other two looked at her.

'Yes, men are so lucky that they can get away with not dyeing their hair once it turns grey... don't you ever think of dyeing yours, Carrie?' Antoinette asked – rather tactlessly, Juliet thought.

'Not me – I'm a natural girl,' Carrie smiled and Juliet inwardly applauded her response. Antoinette's carefully styled blonde hair owed more to the skill of her hairdresser than to nature.

'But you have a timeless beauty, you should make the most of it!' Antoinette stood up and bade them good evening as she went to join her mother and aunt for dinner.

'I love your hair – it really suits the tone of your skin and colour of your eyes,' said Juliet.

With a smile, Carrie rose and said, 'Antoinette is very good hearted, particularly the way she cares for her mother and aunt, but her idea of femininity is way different to mine.' She called buona sera to Maria Luisa, the bar owner, and began manoeuvring her way past the tables.

As she followed, Juliet noticed a tall, olive skinned and rather unkempt man watching Carrie intently. She was about to say something but stopped when she saw Carrie turn and exchange a meaningful glance with the man.

'Oh great, more secrets...' Juliet murmured, as she followed Carrie in silence.