Unmasking Elena Montella (13 page)

He didn’t know why he hadn’t thought of going with her before. Of course, she had made it clear to him that this wasn’t a holiday for her but he should have read between the lines. If an English professor couldn’t read between the lines then who could? She’d probably wanted him to be more forceful and he wasn’t very good at that. If a woman told him that she was happy to go alone then he believed her. He wasn’t used to being dominant and taking control but Elena had definitely said she’d wished he was out there with her.

There was only one small problem. He didn’t actually know where Elena was staying. He’d been very lax in not making her write down the details for him but he really hadn’t considered following her so he’d let it go. All he could remember her saying was that she was in the residential area. She’d mentioned The Island of the Dead being fairly close by too. His knowledge of Venice was pretty sketchy but it couldn’t be that big, being an island, and they were bound to run into each other sooner or later if he frequented the right area, and he could always ask around. His Italian was a little rusty but he could ask if anyone had seen two stunning sisters recently.

Reaching home, Prof opened the door and put the lights on, once again admiring his new-look home. He had to admit that Mrs B had surpassed herself. He’d never seen so many shiny surfaces in his life and, after her big clean up, he felt it only fitting that
he
had a big tidy up, and had collected seven boxes of books which his sister and niece were going to sell at a car boot fair. This meant that you could actually get in the front door without having to lift your arms above your head.

He’d bought new bed linen, had all his curtains dry-cleaned, ordered a new three-piece suite to replace the two-seater sofa which had seen him through his bachelor years and had even bought a few pot plants to make the house seem a little more inviting. Mrs B had suggested some scented candles and potpourri but he wasn’t sure if he wanted to go that far.

Yes, he thought, walking into the living room, he was very proud of his new-look home. The stage was set. All he needed to do now was to find the other player.

‘
You
must
like one better than the other?’ Rosanna said, clattering around the kitchen as she prepared breakfast the morning after the arrival of the fiancés.

‘
I’ve told you, it isn’t that simple.’ Elena put her head in her hands at the breakfast bar and sighed. ‘I thought you understood that.’

‘
But you must - you know -
gel
with one of them more?’

‘
That’s crazy, Rosanna! Are you seriously telling me that there’s only one perfect person out there for us?’

Rosanna stared at her. ‘Yes! I guess I am!’

‘
That’s the most stupid thing I’ve ever heard! That would mean you could be wandering around forever trying to meet them! And what if you missed them? What then? Say if you got on the bus five minutes before they arrived at the stop or if you spent your entire life shopping at the wrong supermarket because you liked Waitrose and your perfect partner preferred Sainsbury’s? Does that mean you’d have to spend your life on your own?’

‘
You’re getting hysterical, Elena. Keep your voice down! Or do you want to wake Mark?’

Elena bit her lip. Mark was still sleeping and it had given her a chance to talk things through with Rosanna but she was beginning to wish she hadn’t asked for her advice.

‘
I guess I just don’t believe that there’s only one perfect person,’ Elena started again. ‘I think there are lots of people you could be happy with - dozens,
hundreds
maybe.’

Rosanna’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped. ‘Dio mio!’

‘
There
has
to be! Think of all the potentially life-changing decisions we make each day. We take a certain route to work, we choose a shop for our groceries, we decide to go to a party - all these things involve meeting people and that means a potential mate.’

‘
God, you make it sound so animalistic!’

‘
I think it is. Do lions or bears or birds hang around for a perfect partner? I think they choose the best that’s around at the time and get on with it.’

Rosanna crinkled her nose in obvious disgust. ‘But we’re not like that - we expect more.’

‘
I know.’

‘
But what you’re saying is-’

‘
What I’m saying is that maybe both Reuben
and
Mark are right for me.’

Rosanna huffed. ‘I think you’re just making excuses.’

Elena shook her head. There was no point continuing with this conversation. Rosanna would never come round to her way of thinking and she didn’t want to spend her holiday arguing with her.

There were a few moments’ silence and she watched as Rosanna tidied the kitchen. She looked just like their mama when she did that.

‘
The thing we have to make sure of,’ Rosanna said at last, in a much calmer tone of voice, ‘is that, whilst you’re doing whatever you have to do, they don’t accidentally bump into each other. Reuben already has his suspicions about Mark, doesn’t he?’

Elena cast her eyes in the direction of the spare room where Mark was sleeping. ‘Yes,’ she said, lowering her voice. ‘He has a rather jealous nature.’

‘
I noticed,’ Rosanna whispered back. ‘How, exactly, did you meet him?’

‘
It was a bit like you and Sandro. I heard he wanted a new model and went along to his studio. I’d never modelled before that. I guess it must run in the family because he kept booking me and the money is definitely better than what I earn at the school - for the work involved, I mean. It’s just a shame his studio isn’t quite like this. I mean, it’s not bad if you compare it to Mark’s place, but it’s a bit of a dump in comparison to this.’

‘
Oh? How?’

‘
It’s a great building - one of those converted warehouses - but it’s not in a very nice neighbourhood.’

‘
He can always move in time.’

Elena nodded. ‘Oh, he plans to.’

‘
And what are his plans?’

She raised an eyebrow. ‘You’re very interested all of a sudden.’

Rosanna looked a little put out at her observation. ‘Not at all,’ she said. ‘Shouldn’t I show an interest in the man who proposes to marry my sister?’

She smiled. ‘I suppose so.’

‘
I think he’d take good care of you.’

‘
You do? So does that mean he has your vote?’

Rosanna put down the tea towel for a moment and looked at her. ‘I didn’t say that. I only said I liked him.’

‘
So, you think I should go for Mark?’

‘
Porca Madonna
! Elena! You can not ask these questions! What am I meant to say? I can not make these decisions for you!’

She sighed. ‘I’m sorry! It’s just, you’re so wise.’ Elena’s comment instantly calmed her. ‘You always seem to make the right decisions.’

‘
You think so?’

‘
Well, don’t you?’

Rosanna echoed her weary sigh. ‘I’ve got a problem of my own and, I’m afraid, it’s of my own making.’

Elena bit her lip. ‘What?’ she asked in anticipation, relieved that she wasn’t the only Montella girl who got herself into trouble.

‘
I’ve been invited for tea at
La Stronza
’s!’

Elena’s eyes widened in sympathy. ‘Irma Taccani?’

‘
Beetch!’ Rosanna spat, finding it necessary to curse the woman in more than one language.

Elena stifled the urge to laugh. ‘I don’t understand. If you hate her so much, why are you going?’

They walked through to the sofa with bowls of muesli and Elena perched on the arm whilst Rosanna flopped on a heap of cushions.

‘
I’m going because Corrado wants me and his mother to be friends.’

‘
Then you must still love him? I mean, you
must
if you’re doing this for him.’

Rosanna’s face fell. Her whole expression seemed to sink before her very eyes.

‘
If you don’t mind me saying so, you don’t much look like a woman in love.’

‘
I don’t?’

Elena shook her head and rested a hand on her shoulder. Putting her half-eaten cereal down, Rosanna took hold of a cushion and hugged it to her.

‘
I feel as if I’ve had a cold for the last six months.’

Elena frowned. ‘What do you mean?’

‘
You know when your whole body aches and you feel listless and lifeless? That’s exactly how I’ve been feeling. But this is far worse than a cold because I’m denied the pleasure of a good sneeze.’

Elena laughed.

‘
What?’ Rosanna turned to her, her eyes wide with hurt.

‘
I’m sorry!’ she said. ‘I just had this image of Corrado being stuck up your nose!’

‘
It’s not funny.’

‘
I know,’ she said, and, putting her breakfast bowl down too, she nestled up next to her. ‘So, we have three men to sort out,’ Elena told her, doing her best to eliminate Prof from the love equation for the time being.

‘
I don’t know what to do,’ Rosanna whined.

‘
Corrado will be there, won’t he? He wouldn’t leave you alone with the old witch?’

‘
No, he’ll be there all right. Mama’s darling little helper.’

‘
Then, you should go. Go and have tea. Try not to throttle anyone. See how things go and come back and tell me all about it,’ she advised.

‘
And you’re going to sort things out with Mark and Reuben?’

‘
Well, that’s rather a tall order for an afternoon’s work but I’m going to try,’ she said. ‘I’ll have to find Mark a cheap hotel. He doesn’t have a lot of money.’

‘
Well, don’t book him into the Danieli! Can you imagine if that happened? Dio mio! Do you think there’d be a fight?’

‘
Rosanna! They are
not
going to meet! Not if I have anything to do with it.’

Rosanna looked glum all of a sudden as if the reality of it all were just hitting her. ‘Your situation makes me feel much better about having tea with
La Stronza
.’

‘
Thanks a lot! I’m glad I’m useful for something.’

Rosanna kissed her cheek. ‘I’ve got an appointment in Murano.’

‘
Modelling?’

She nodded. ‘A dirty old businessman who likes me to pose with a disgusting teddy bear.’

Elena grimaced and walked down the steps with Rosanna and watched her go.

‘
I’ll be back for lunch - in time to get changed for this afternoon.’

‘
Okay!’ she called after her. ‘You’ve got your mobile?’

‘
Of course!’

Elena smiled, relieved that her sister carried it with her in her line of work. She really didn’t know how she could do her job. She didn’t think
she
could ever do it, and yet she had posed for Reuben. That was different though - she was in a relationship with him before she’d taken anything off. But she couldn’t ever strip for strangers no matter how good the money was which was why she was so surprised at Rosanna for being able to do it. She’d always been the bossy sister - the one in control but, out of the two of them, she was also the shy one. Elena had to admire her, though. She was an independent woman making a good living in a beautiful city. All she needed to do now was to find the right man and Elena had a strong feeling that it wasn’t Corrado.

Rosanna always loved the brief boat ride to the island of Murano. It was normally packed with tourists and it was usually a squeeze to find somewhere to stand as few people wanted to sit indoors when you could watch the progress of the boat across the lagoon stopping, on its way, at the island of San Michele, where everyone would strain their necks to try and get a peek at the graves without actually leaving the boat.