Sicilian Dreams (28 page)

‘They have a different classification system for olive oil in the States.’ said Liz.

‘Si, the American classification of olive oils uses different names, but they are talking about the same oil whether it is a first, cold pressing, or extra virgin oil, or the lower grade Lampante oil, which is mostly used in the industrial market.

‘The production of olive oil has been going on for centuries hasn’t it?’ said Cassie.

‘Yes, it was an essential part of ancient Greek and Roman life. Not only was it consumed it was also used for medicinal purposes, in religious rituals, to make cosmetics, and as furnace and lamp fuel. Every part of the tree is used and it is considered sacred in the Mediterranean.’

‘Liquid gold,’ isn’t that what Homer called it?’ said Kat, holding the bottle up to the light.

‘Davide’s family also grow olives on their farm.’

‘Si, most farmers have olives to sell locally or for their own consumption.’ said M
arco. Kat told Marco she was going on the boat charter with Davide again in the morning. As she and Marco chatted about Davide and his charter business, Liz and Cassie went into the kitchen to get dessert. Liz had made a lemon flan, one of her own recipes, and using the estate lemons and fresh ricotta in the mixture. She had made strawberry sauce, which she drizzled over the flan and tiny brandy snap wafers which she had artistically arranged on the top. The lemony flan was light and the perfect dessert to have following the ravioli and the chicken; not to mention the antipasto platter; thought Cassie.

Marco finished with an espresso but declined a liqueur because he was driving.

He had been periodically holding Cassie’s hand through out the evening, and now he had his arm slung over the back of her chair. Cassie loved the fact that he was physically demonstrative with his affection without being over the top and proprietorial about it. Now, he looked at his watch and said, ‘Allora, it is late, I should go. I want my mother to rest overnight and she will not if she thinks I am still driving around the countryside late at night.’ He raised both hands and shrugged his shoulders. ‘Mothers, what can you do,’ he said grinning at them and standing up from the table.

‘Indeed.’ agreed Liz. ‘It doesn’t matter how old you are, they still treat you as if you were five years old.’

‘Si, thank you Liz for the wonderful meal. I have not eaten this well in a long time.’ He said, bending down to take her hand and kiss her on both cheeks. Liz looked delighted and beamed at him.

‘You better not let Marta hear you say that.’ quipped Kat as Marco came and kissed her cheeks.

‘Katrina, always a pleasure. Enjoy your boat trip tomorrow. Davide will not be able to believe his luck, having you on board all day with him.’ He moved to Cassie and she stood up as he took her hands in his. ‘Ci vediamo domani, we see each tomorrow.’ he repeated in English softly and kissed her lightly on the lips. His eyes conveyed much, much more to her and Cassie had to look down first. He grinned at her then, dropping her hands and giving them a brief salute, he turned and walked into the house to the front door. Cassie sat back down and took a sip of her limoncello to calm herself down.

‘Are you two getting serious?’ asked Kat. ‘This so called holiday romance seems to have moved up a couple of notches if I am not mistaken.’ They heard Marco’s car leaving the courtyard.

‘It seems like that maybe the case,’ said Cassie, cryptically.

‘Uh oh, did you have the big talk?’ said Liz.

‘Sort of.’ said Cassie. ‘Although he did most of the talking. I am just so useless at expressing my feelings.’ she groaned, hiding her face in her hands. ‘Can’t even say what I feel without turning as red as a beetroot.’ she said through her fingers.

‘Well, what did he say exactly?’ asked Kat, somewhat exasperatedly.

‘Well, nothing concrete like ‘I’m in love with you,’ but pretty close I reckon. She sat back up again and grinned at them.

‘OMG’ said Kat. ‘You are kidding me? He is smitten, unable to be without you, constantly thinks about you? That sort of thing?’

‘Sort of,’ said Cassie. ‘Although not in those exact words.’ she added. ‘I kind of brushed him off because I didn’t know what to say and he asked me to tell him how I felt.

‘And?’ said Liz.

‘And I told him that I felt the same way but that it was all so new for me to feel this way about someone.’ said Cassie.

‘Well that’s okay. It’s the truth isn’t it? You are crazy about him, but you just don’t feel ready to tell him this yet,’ said Liz.

‘Liz, you make it sound like a transaction between them. So sensible and so sane without all the madness that being crazy in lust/love with someone brings with it.’ laughed Kat. ‘Although I do think you are right,’ she added.

‘So relax Cass, you have a few more days to think about things.’ said Liz. ‘I don’t know about you two, but I am knackered. I think I will head off to bed.’

‘Sweet dreams.’ said Kat.

‘Thanks for the wonderful meal Liz.’ said Cassie. She and Kat stayed outside for a while longer chatting, enjoying the cooler air and the beautiful, star filled night sky above them.

‘We haven’t got much longer here,’ said Cassie. ‘I can’t believe how fast the time has gone. It’s just flown.’

‘I know.’ said Kat. ‘It’s horrible thinking that I will be dragging out winter clothes again in the next few days. It’s already cold in London. My tan will wash off within a week.’

‘I’m sure Mr Berkley will be happy to help you wash it off,’ said Cassie, laughing.

‘Yes, that’s a happier thought,’ replied Kat. ‘ But right now I am looking forward to seeing Davide again tomorrow. Maybe I could have a man in each port so to speak.’ she said, reflectively.

‘They might get a bit suspicious with you dashing back and forwards between London and Palermo’ but I’m sure if anyone could explain it, you could.’

‘Seriously,’ said Kat, not seriously at all, but wanting to know more. ‘What are you going to do about Marco? I mean, if you both feel the same way, how will you continue the relationship? Bit tough for a weekly commute.’ she added.

‘I don’t know,’ said Cassie. ‘I really don’t want to think about it. About leaving, that is. I didn’t think things would move so fast and that I would fall head over heels in lust/love as you call it to someone here of all places. I mean, I’ve got my job, my apartment, my life all set up. I have plans, and now they don’t seem as important as they used to.’

‘You’ve got it bad, trust me.’ said Kat, nodding her head sagely, but still grinning. ‘When the plans of ‘Cassie the life long planner’ seem dull and unimportant, you know that she has been bitten well and truly by the love bug.’ She put an American twang into her voice.

‘Oh, shut up’ said Cassie, laughing, ‘you sound so cheesy.’

‘Well, I’ve go to get my beauty sleep,’ announced Kat, getting up from the table. ‘I don’t want bags under my eyes tomorrow morning. Oh heck, it is tomorrow morning,’ she groaned, looking at her watch.

Kat had left by the time Cassie woke up the next morning. It was after ten and the sun was high in the sky, with just a gentle breeze wafting through the open doors, making the heat pleasantly tolerable. What a gorgeous day, thought Cassie. She made a cup of coffee and went to find Liz, whose bedroom door was open. Liz was nowhere to be seen. She must have gone for a walk, or maybe to see Marta, thought Cassie. Ah yes, the Cassata recipe, that’s what she’ll be after. She remembered that Marta had told them she would give them the recipe this morning. Well, she didn’t need to be there, she reasoned, sitting outside on a lounger and sipping her coffee. Swim or run? Why not both? She changed into her running gear and slathered sunblock all over her face and neck, before tying her hair back in a ponytail, then jamming her cap on her head and searching around for her I pod. It was on the couch with her sunglasses and she strapped it onto her arm before heading out of the villa and onto the gravel road.

She decided to run in the direction of the stables and follow the same path that Marco had taken her on when they went riding. She jogged slowly to start with, warming up her muscles, before increasing her pace and reaching the stable block quite quickly. She pulled up and heard a soft nicker from one of the stalls. Pulling out her ear bud, she walked over and Diavolo whinnied at her again. Stella was in the stall next to him, and her ears pricked up when she saw Cassie.

‘Do you really recognize me? Or do you just think I am the bearer of food?’ she said as she stroked their soft muzzles. They nuzzled her hand with their lips and she wished she had brought some carrots or apples with her.

‘Next time.’ she promised, leaning in and giving Stella a kiss on her soft nose.

She walked on past the stables until she saw the track that she and Marco had taken and she began to jog up the steep incline. Her thighs ached by the time she reached the top and she paused to enjoy the magnificent view. Well, I’m not going over the cliff and down the canyon this time, she thought and looked around until she saw a another winding path which took her down the right side of the hill instead of straight over the top and into thin air as Marco had done. Jogging around the base of it, she found the track again and continued on the path towards the lake. She made good time despite the uneven terrain, and it wasn’t long before she came to the grove of trees, which encircled the lake. The water looked as inviting as the last time and so she stripped off to her underwear and skipped over the hot stones of the little beach and into the water. It felt fantastic after her run and she dived down and swam underwater, holding her breath for as long as she could, only resurfacing when she thought her lungs would burst. She gasped as she broke the surface and then lay on her back, catching her breath. She didn’t hear anyone calling her until a stone hit the water near her and she turned to the shore and saw a woman in riding gear, large dark sunglasses and a hard hat, calling out to her. She swam closer and now saw Diavolo tethered underneath a tree, half hidden in the shade.

‘Cassandra, it is me, Francesca.’ and now Cassie recognized her. It was the girl from the nightclub who had been all over Marco that night. Her riding pants looked painted onto to her body and she wore a tight, white low cut top and knee high black riding boots. Her long hair was drawn back and hung down her back in a ponytail. Cassie reached the point where her toes touched the sand, and she started wading ashore.

‘Hello.’ said Cassie, wondering what she wanted. Cassie had to admit that Francesca looked amazing and that didn’t endear her any further towards her.

‘I saw you start running on the track for the lake as I arrived for my ride’ she explained. ‘I have something for you. In fact, I have two things for you.’ She had one hand behind her back, and though her heavily accented English made the words sound musical, her tone was cold. Cassie reached the shore and stopped a meter away from Francesca. She wrung the water out of her long ponytail and put one hand up to shade her eyes as she looked at Francesca. Francesca tight little smile had disappeared, and she stared with frank dislike at Cassie, looking her up and down with disdain.

‘Well, what do you have for me?’ asked Cassie, well aware this was not a social call, and uncomfortable standing there half naked in her sports bra and briefs, with no make up and soaking, wet hair. She looked very bedraggled compared to Francesca and she suddenly felt very much on the back foot.

‘These.’ spat Francesca, throwing Cassie’s G-strings at her. Cassie started, and jumped back a little as the tiny garments hit her square in the face, and then fell to the ground at her feet. ‘You slut, puttana.’ she shouted at Cassie before calming down a little.

‘Imagine my surprise when I went to the villa this morning and the first thing I see is your underwear hanging from the chandelier in the salon. I called Marta from the kitchen to show her and then made her call the gardener to get them down. He had to get a ladder.’ She laughed and it was not a pleasant sound. ‘So now everyone knows your dirty secret, that you are screwing Marco like the cheap, tourist bitch that you are.’ Her hands were on her hips now and the words spewed out of her, her face red and contorted.

‘On my way out I decided to look into his office in the carriage house and found another pair. You have been busy, haven’t you? Do you leave them like calling cards when you screw men? Does he realize what a loose bitch you are?

Cassie stood rooted to the spot in shock. She felt ashamed that Marta and Guido, the gardener, had been involved in the whole thing and what they must now think of her. If Francesca had used her descriptive language in front of them, Cassie had no doubt they thought she was a cheap tart as well. It was a galling thought. But Francesca wasn’t finished in fact she was just warming up and getting into her stride.

‘Marco is mine, he will never be yours.’ She shouted, getting red in the face. ‘He loves me, he always has, and he knows we are meant to be together.’

Cassie had recovered some of her equilibrium and began to get angry herself.

‘He can’t love you that much if he is having a relationship with me’ she retorted, hands on hips as well.

‘You call screwing a tourist a relationship?’ Francesca gave a bitter laugh and Cassie’s heart plummeted a little. ‘Don’t you know that it is a game here for the men, to have sex with the easy English and American girls? They are always the first to fall over backwards and spread their legs.’ She snorted with disdain. ‘He would not even be with you if I hadn’t kept him from my bed for the past six months.’ She laughed with satisfaction as she saw Cassie’s face fall. ‘Yes, he needed to be taught a little lesson, but now it is time to take him back. You have been a diversion, a little interest on the side, but don’t think for one minute that you can step in and take my place. Who are you anyway? You are just a little nobody from nowhere. She walked backwards as she spoke and unhooked Diavolo’s reins, steadying him, then leaping up into the saddle in one fluid motion. Turning the big horse she came right alongside Cassie and leaned down brandishing her riding crop and pushing the leather tip right under Cassie’s nose.