Sicilian Dreams (32 page)

Cassie woke first and looked over at Marco. He lay still, his breathing quiet and she was loathe to disturb him, but Liz and Kat would be home soon and she wanted to be up, or at least in the pool, not in the bedroom. As she slipped her hand out of Marco’s, he started and he turning his head, his green eyes pierced hers.

‘Marco, we need to get up. Liz and Kat will be home soon.’ whispered Cassie softly, her long hair falling in soft waves over her shoulders.

‘Why, we can just stay here in the room,’ said Marco.

‘Don’t be silly, come on get up.’ She leapt out of bed before he could catch her and wrapped her discarded sarong around her, knotting it between her breasts. Marco sighed and stretched like a big cat and climbed out of bed, searching around in the dim room for his clothes.

‘Come, we are going to the stables. I need to exercise Diavolo,’ he said, promptly, pulling up his jeans.

‘Now?’ said Cassie.

‘Si, it is cooler now and it is a beautiful afternoon. Dusk is one of my favorite times to ride.’ He paused and looked over at her. Looking her up and down and giving her a devilish grin, he said. ‘You look fantastic, but I think you should wear something underneath your sarong because we are going to gallop.’

‘Don’t be a sexist creep.’ said Cassie, putting her hands on her hips and pouting.

‘You want to argue about it now?’ he said, striding over to her, his eyes suddenly darkening with desire. Cassie yelped and leapt out of the way. She knew that look now and what he wanted, and quite frankly, they just didn’t have time. She did not want to be caught en flagrante by Liz and Kat and be subjected all evening to their teasing.

‘Okay, okay, just give me a minute.’ she replied, searching around for some underwear and her leggings.

‘Wear some socks and your trainers.’ he commanded, remembering Cassie’s feet. ‘You can ride behind me on Diavolo.’

Diavolo whinnied from his open stable door as he saw Marco. He stomped his hooves in excitement.

‘Arrivo’.’ said Marco walking up to the big horse and holding his head gently and stroking his nose, as Diavolo closed his eyes in pleasure. Cassie came up beside Marco and patted Diavolo on the neck.

‘To take Diavolo was asking for trouble.’ he said to no one in particular, as he slipped a halter around his nose and ears and led him out into the courtyard. His hands worked all over the animal as he checked him for any signs of injury.

Diavolo stood patiently, occasionally turning his head to look around at Marco, and, at one stage, he tried to take a nip as Marco was bent over examining his back hooves.

Cassie laughed and Marco jumped up.

‘There is nothing wrong with this devil,’ he said, slapping the big horses neck. Cassie held him while Marco went into the tack room to get the bridle and Diavolo tried to nibble her hair.

‘He likes you’ said Marco.

‘I’m not sure about riding pillion on him though, and especially bare back.’ said Cassie.

‘Don’t worry Cassandra. Diavolo and I will take extra special care of you.’ Cassie didn’t feel very reassured by the cheeky grin he gave her. After fitting the bridle and the bit on a docile Diavolo, he moved the horse closer to the post and rail fence and beckoned Cassie to his side, lifting her up neatly onto Diavolo’s back, before putting one booted foot on the rail and swinging himself up in front of Cassie.

‘Andiamo.’ he said and Cassie clung to him as the big horse moved off. Diavolo was huge compared to Stella and Cassie was more than a little nervous.

‘Relax Cassandra, we are only walking, relax.’ said Marco, confidently, and Cassie stifled the urge to give him a dig in the ribs. Old Mr Cocky, she thought, so sure of himself. The late afternoon sun cast long shadows over the landscape and Cassie had to agree that it was indeed a wonderful time to go for a ride. It was still very warm, but the harsh afternoon sunlight had dissipated and now cast a golden glow over the sky.

Marco took a new path as they left the stables and Cassie was grateful they weren’t retracing the same steps she had so painfully trodden a couple of days ago. She relaxed and rested her head on Marco’s shoulder, enjoying the swaying motion Diavolo made as he walked. The passed through olives groves and climbed higher, threading their way between the neatly ordered vines, heavy with bunches of purple colored grapes. At the top of a craggy bluff, Marco stopped Diavolo, and Cassie caught her breath as she looked around her at the entrancingly beautiful landscape.

Marco slipped off his back nimbly and reached up for her, putting his hands around her waist and lifting her from Diavolo’s back. He looped Diavolo’s reins loosely to a shrub so he could graze, and led Cassie over to a large flat rock where they sat on its smooth, warm surface, gazing out at the vista before them.

‘This is one of my favorite places on the estate,’ said Marco. ‘I have been coming here for years. It is such a peaceful spot to sit and dream.’ Cassie turned to look at him and found him staring intently at her. ‘I have never been intimate with Francesca, and she has never been my girlfriend in the past or in the present. When the time is right, I will speak to her and make her understand for once and all that she is not part of my future. I felt sorry for her for too long and now she has caused so much trouble, and I cannot forgive her for that.’ He sounded so serious, and for a brief second, Cassie felt a stab of pity for Francesca. Marco would not forgive easily, she thought with a shiver. There was so much she did not know about him, but she was inexplicably drawn to him as if she were a magnet.

‘I think she gave herself a huge fright coming off Diavolo and injuring herself,’ said Cassie, not exactly in defense of Francesca, but trying to rationalize the girl’s outrageous behavior to Marco.

‘She deserves it,’ said Marco darkly. ‘If something terrible had happened to you I would lose my mind,’ he said passionately, taking her hand and kissing her open palm.

‘Cassandra, I am in love with you.’ Her mouth dropping open in shock, Cassie said, ‘Marco, I live on the other side of the world. What are you saying to me?’ Her voice sounded croaky, and she thought she might start to cry, as emotions welled up inside her.

‘Don’t be upset amore, please.’ said Marco, putting his arms around her shoulders.

‘I know we have known each other for only a short time, but I feel like we have known each other forever. I want you to be in my life. Please think about it’ he pleaded.

‘Think about what?’ said Cassie, a solitary tear running down her cheek. She wiped it away hurriedly. ‘What are you asking me Marco? I have another life, a job, friends and family. This has been a holiday, a beautiful, wonderful holiday, but it is a dream, not a reality for me.’

Marco suddenly jumped up from the rock and knelt in front of her, taking both of her hands in his. ‘Cassandra, I want you to be here with me always, to live our lives together. Seeing the incredulous look on her face he hurriedly added. ‘I know this is sudden and we have only known each other for such a short time, but I feel in my heart that we are meant to be together. That is why I am not asking you to be my wife, yet. I want you to come back to me of your own volition, not to be put under any
pressure. ‘His green eyes looked so serious and yet she could see the vulnerability of him before her, on his knees, like an old fashioned knight, his curly dark hair falling across his brow, his mouth a straight line, taught with tension, his hands shaking slightly.

Cassie gazed back at him for a few, long seconds as her mind worked frantically to regain control over her heart. She had only known this man for a week. What was a week? Nothing. Not enough time to do more than become acquaintances really, and lovers in this case. It was a holiday fling, that’s all. But she discarded that thought immediately as her heart welled up with love. Rubbish, she thought, don’t be a soppy fool. You may be in love with him, but he is asking you to leave everything you know, everything you have worked hard for all your life to be with him. What about all the careful planning you have done for your real life, wonderful Maggie, your friends and business acquaintances, your country and your lifestyle, which seemed a million miles away from here at this moment. This was all true, but Cassie also knew deep down that she had been unhappy for some time. She acknowledged to herself that she was stuck in a rut of her own making, in her personal life and in her professional life. Too scared to break out of her secure little world and trust her own feelings, she was on a treadmill that offered a safe life, but a life with very little excitement. She could see herself becoming older and more afraid to take any risk as the years passed by, trapped in a life of her own making. She looked steadily at Marco; who was beginning to look desperate; as these thoughts raced through her mind. He could not know the battle that was going on inside her. Here was her chance at real love, with a man she was smitten with. Was she strong enough to take this chance? Would it not be more prudent to step away from the situation and look at it sensibly from a distance? This was the real Cassie, someone who, in her professional and personal life, assessed each situation she was presented with, calmly and coolly, without letting emotions cloud her decisions.

‘Okay Marco, I will return here to be with you’ and nearly burst out laughing in the highly charged moment as the poor man looked like he would pass out on the spot from a combination of shock and relief. She felt a surge of pure joy sweep over her as he jumped up, pulling her with him, into his arms and kissing her passionately.

‘One thing.’ he said, tearing himself away from her lips. ‘You haven’t said you love me yet.’ His green eyes narrowed and she was sure he was teasing her.

‘Yes, I do love you Marco, truly, madly, deeply.’ she said, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him full on the mouth. He picked her up off her feet and swung her around and around until she felt quite giddy and was sure they would fall straight off the bluff.

‘Put me down Marco.’ she laughed, panting for breath, as he stopped suddenly and gently put her on her feet. ‘You are an idiot sometimes’ she said, gazing up at him and grinning.

‘Yes, but I am your idiot.’ he countered, grinning back at her.

‘Slow down a minute Mister and come sit with me.’ Cassie took him by the hand and led him back to the rock. They sat side by side and Marco put his arm around her shoulders.

‘What is it Cassandra? What do you want to know?’ he said, seriously.

‘You know I have to go back home tomorrow, don’t you?’ she said.

‘Si.’ he said slowly. ‘I know this and I am not happy about it, but with the answer you have just given me, I can live with it. For now.’ he added. ‘How soon can you come back?’ he asked. ‘Will I have to come and drag you away?’ Then suddenly he added. ‘There is not someone else you have to get rid of is there?’ sounding suddenly worried, as if the possibility of her having anyone else in her life had never occurred to him.

‘No, of course not. It’s not that at all.’ Cassie reassured him. ‘But I do have a job and many other responsibilities back home and we need to work through this properly so that it makes sense and is not just a mad, crazy idea that we will regret.’

‘Sense and regret, how can you say those words to me Cassandra. I have asked you to live me, not to be my accountant. It is not a business proposal, I want to share my life with you, here at the estate.’

‘Here at the estate?’ repeated Cassie. ‘I thought you had a business with your cousin in Palermo.’

‘Ah, I can see there is much to tell you.’ He sighed and took her hand again. ‘I have agreed to continue running the estate on a trial basis. I will still work with Luca as I have been doing this summer, spending time here and in Palermo. He saw the questioning look in Cassie’s eyes and shrugged his shoulders. ‘What can I say? My father and I have come to an amicable agreement after all these years of arguing. Maybe he has had a change of heart.’ he looked up at her like a naughty boy and grinned. ‘Excuse the pun.’

‘That was weak and in bad taste, Marco.’ said Cassie, smiling. ‘Seriously, what has changed between you?’

‘My father’s heart attack shocked all of us, him most of all, I think. He knows that the bitterness that he has carried inside him for so long has caused him these problems, and now he has been given another chance at life. We have been talking to each other properly in the last few days in a way that we have never been able to since my mother’s accident. I have also realized that I have been hanging on to my guilt and shutting them both out of my life because it was easier to deal with it that way than have to face them, and his anger and bitterness, all of these years. He cannot make my mother walk again and neither can I, but we can put aside our differences for her and live our lives well with dignity. That is what she wishes.’

‘So you will be happy here at the estate?’ asked Cassie.

‘With you I could be happy anywhere, even on the moon.’ he said. ‘Wait until you see the new labels I have designed for the wine and olive oil. To be able to run this place, as I would like to and to make the changes which will streamline the business and bring it into the modern world is a big challenge, but I am excited about the prospect. It is a new beginning and I want you to be part of it.’

‘Marco, I can’t practice here as a lawyer and, for that matter, I can’t even speak the language.’ said Cassie, thinking of her rusty, school girl French and beginning to experience a glimmer of the challenges she would face in this new life she had just agreed to so spontaneously.