Twice Upon a Time (11 page)

The walls were lined with paintings of sour-faced, grim-looking people who Cinda assumed were Ludo and Gus’s ancestors. She pulled out the chair at the head of the table, putting her plate down carefully on the glossy wood.

She felt her posture straighten automatically as she looked around and then took a forkful of cake, imagining what it would be like to be at a dinner in such a room.

How would you hear the conversation at the other end of the table? You’d be stuck talking to the people on either side of you, and what if they were boring? There’d probably be seven forks and four wine glasses at their fancy dinners. Cinda could never remember if you were meant to work from the outside in or the inside out with cutlery.
No, there’s no way I could stand this
pomp and ceremony
, Cinda thought, fondly remembering her worn kitchen table back home.

But now there was stranger about to move into her house, and she couldn’t go home for at least six months.

She didn’t feel like any more cake, so she pushed her chair away from the table and wandered about the room, looking at the paintings through the ages. Women in wigs and ribboned dresses, men in military uniforms, hats in their hands.

No-one looked particularly happy, she noticed, and she stood back, wondering how her portrait of Ludo, if she ended up doing it, would fit among this dour group.

‘Cinda?’ came a voice behind her. She turned to see Ludo standing in the doorway. Freshly showered and in shorts and a T-shirt, he looked about as royal as she did right now, with drips of water on his shoulders from his longish wet hair.

‘Hi,’ she smiled. ‘I was just checking out the art.’ She turned back to a painting of a woman with a small baby in her arms. Both subjects looked uncomfortable, as though neither was used to such proximity with the other.

‘Relatives,’ Ludo said, putting his hands in his pockets and walking to her side.

‘I gathered that.’

There was a silence between them and then they turned to each other.

‘About last night,’ they both said, and then burst out laughing.

‘You go first,’ Ludo said.

Cinda blushed. She hated herself for having to ask this question. ‘What happened?’ She hoped she had showed at least a little decorum.

‘Nothing much. You passed out,’ he smiled at her and she looked down and shook her head.

‘I didn’t have my top on.’

‘I said
nothing much
. I didn’t say
nothing
,’ Ludo said sexily, and she put her head in her hands.

‘God, what must you think of me? Passing out like that!’

Ludo put his hands on her shoulders and turned her to him.

‘I think you’re wonderful,’ he said firmly. ‘I think you’re the loveliest, funniest, most talented girl I have ever met.’

Their faces were inches apart and Cinda drew in a sharp breath as he leant down and kissed her.

‘I want you to stay here with me,’ he said as he pulled away.

‘Paint my picture, be by my side. A minute without you is a minute wasting time.’

Cinda’s mind moved quickly. She didn’t have a home to go back to anyway. She wasn’t invited to her own mother’s wedding. And, perhaps most importantly, Ludo was incredibly cute.

It seemed like a perfect solution.

‘Okay,’ she said before she could change her mind, and he laughed and pulled her into a tight hug. She lay her head against his chest, smelling the lemons and soap again, and breathing a sigh of relief.

‘We will have so much fun,’ he said.

They left the dining room, Cinda insisting on taking her half-eaten cake back to the kitchen even though Ludo told her not to bother. But Cinda was pretty sure it would never feel right to leave a plate for someone else to clean up when she was more than able.

‘I’ll meet you outside in half an hour,’ Ludo had said. ‘I want to show you something special.’

She went upstairs after delivering the cake to a confused maid in the kitchen, who clearly didn’t understand why Cinda hadn’t asked her to retrieve the plate. She knocked on Jonas’s door.

He was back from shopping, a few bags piled on the bed.

‘What did you get?’

‘Some loafers, striped shorts and a polo shirt or six,’ he said as he emptied the bag of gelato-coloured cotton on the bed.

‘Dressing like the locals, huh?’

‘Something like that,’ he said. ‘What’s up?’

‘I’m staying here for a while.’

Jonas paused from trying on his suede loafers and looked at her.

‘Mum’s getting married again,’ she explained.

Jonas’s eyebrows went to the heavens.

‘And I’m not invited to the wedding, not that she’s really having a proper one. And she’s got a house-sitter for six months.’

Jonas sighed. ‘Allegra’s done it again,’ he said, walking over and taking Cinda’s hand. ‘I’m sorry she’s such a narcissist but she does love you. She’s probably just enjoying her freedom,’ he said softly, pulling her into a hug.

‘It’s okay, I get it,’ she said as she pulled away after a moment. ‘I know she doesn’t mean to be insensitive. She’s just so unthinking sometimes.’

‘Love does that to you,’ said Jonas with a tilt of his head.

‘Thanks for that, Oprah.’ She hit his arm and sat on the bed.

Jonas looked at her, his face serious now. ‘Will you do the portrait?’

Cinda nodded. ‘And then decide my next move,’ she said, swallowing the tears that threatened to spill.

‘It’s a hell of a hostel,’ Jonas said, gesturing around.

‘What about you?’ she asked him. ‘I want you to stay too. I can’t cope with Gus by myself, and he seems to like you.’

‘If Ludo extends the invitation to me then yes, I will do as you wish, Mademoiselle. Although I’m nowhere near as pretty as you,’ he said with a wink. ‘Anyway, Gus really is a nice guy when you get to know him.’

‘He’s brainwashed you,’ said Cinda with a sneer.

‘And Ludo hasn’t brainwashed you? Anyway, I love this world.’

‘You were born into the wrong family,’ laughed Cinda. ‘You’ve never been happier, have you?’

‘It’s like I’m finally home,’ said Jonas dramatically, picking up the coloured polo shirts and flinging them into the air. ‘They should throw me a freaking parade.’

12

‘Are you ready?’ Ludo asked as Cinda adjusted her sunhat and nodded.

Ludo was at the wheel, with no bodyguards in sight. Cinda looked around for them.

‘Where’s the goon squad?’ she asked as he guided the speedboat away from the jetty and out into the bay.

‘They think we’re still in bed together,’ he smiled cheekily.

Cinda looked self-conscious. It was probably still strange for Cinda, the feeling of being watched all the time. She looked out over the water and Ludo focused on navigating around the other boats.

Last night had been great. Cinda was sexy and warm and great fun – until she passed out. Ludo was many things, but he wasn’t a self-serving bastard, despite what his brother claimed. He had hoped for more, of course. But still, falling asleep next to Cinda was wonderful.

He really liked Cinda. She wasn’t like the other girls he knew, and so far she hadn’t asked him for anything, so he found himself offering things, because he wanted to impress her. He had the feeling that, while she appreciated nice things, she didn’t live for them.
Certainly a change from my last girlfriend
, he thought, thinking of the soft-porn star that Gus had thankfully managed to pay off and get out of their lives.

It was a shame Gus couldn’t see how great Cinda was. But then again, what was with Gus’s weird behaviour the night before? If he weren’t so stoned, he would have said Gus was into Cinda. But that couldn’t be right.

Gus wasn’t into anyone who didn’t help him serve his role as the future king of Sardinia. Ludo thought the whole thing was bullshit, given Gus spent hardly any time in the country unless he had to. Gus’s heart was in France. That was where Perrette was. And, perhaps more significantly, that was where their grandfather’s chateau was. Ludo was pretty sure Gus loved that chateau more than any villa in Sardinia. Funny that one day the chateau would be Ludo’s.

Not that Ludo wanted it. He loved Sardinia more than anything. He wasn’t interested in some old chateau. He preferred the memories built into the walls of their Sardinian homes.

Ludo accelerated, feeling the salty spray cooling him as he drove. He glanced over at Cinda, who was lying on the white leather bench seat.

‘You okay?’ he yelled above the noise of the engine.

‘Fine, just resting,’ she said, her hands over her eyes. ‘Where are we going?’

‘It’s a surprise,’ he said happily.

He loved being out on the water without the goon squad or his judgemental brother watching over him.

As he began to slow the boat down, he wondered if he had ever been happier. A beautiful girl by his side, out on the water, the Sardinian sunshine on his face. Life was good.

He brought the boat to a stop, feeling it bobbing gently up and down on the water.

‘We’re here,’ he announced, and Cinda sat up sleepily and looked around.

‘Where’s
here
?’ she asked, looking at the cliff face up ahead.

‘Just wait,’ said Ludo mysteriously, and he started the engine up again and moved the boat slowly towards the cliff.

Cinda stood up and walked unsteadily to his side.

‘Where are we going?’

‘Just wait,’ he repeated, guiding them towards a circle of light coming from the cliffs. The boat moved slowly through the light and into a cave.

Cinda took off her hat and sunglasses.

‘Grotta di Nettuno,’ said Ludo proudly. ‘Neptune’s Grotto.’

Cinda’s mouth dropped open as she took in her surroundings, and Ludo smiled, pleased with her reaction.

He never tired of coming here. It was impressive every time. But Cinda was the first girl he’d shown the caves.

The caves were closed to tourists on Mondays, but with a bit of string-pulling he’d been able to organise a special visit. Shutting off the motor, Ludo guided the speedboat to where a man waited, as agreed. He caught the rope that Ludo threw him and tied it to a metal ring embedded in the rock. Ludo jumped off the boat and put out his hand for Cinda.

She took it and carefully got off the boat, standing next to him and gazing up at the stalactite-studded ceiling of the cave.

‘It’s incredible,’ she said, and he smiled.

For the next hour or so, they were taken on a guided tour of the caves, including the Green Grotto, which wasn’t normally open to visitors.

‘This used to be home to the Mediterranean monk seal,’ said Ludo.

‘Used to be?’

‘There are very few left in the world. They’re one of the most endangered mammals on the planet.’

‘Poor seals,’ said Cinda sadly.

They walked along the thin rock walkway, and several times Ludo turned to make sure Cinda was okay on the slippery rocks. But she was as sure-footed as a goat as she clambered over a rock to get a better view of the ceiling.

‘It’s like a cathedral,’ she said, her voice filling the space, and she burst into the chorus from
Nessun Dorma
.

‘You know Puccini?’

‘My mum was an opera singer,’ explained Cinda, and she launched into song again.

Ludo joined in and their voices soared through the cave.

‘You’re good,’ said Ludo when they finished.

‘Nah, I haven’t got the power, especially for a tenor part,’ said Cinda. ‘But my mum? You should hear her. Amazing.’

Ludo watched as something flickered across her lovely face.

‘Where’s your mother now?’ he asked carefully. He was conscious he knew very little about her.

Cinda glanced at him, her face hard. ‘She’s about to get married and is moving to New Zealand.’

‘Are you going home for the wedding?’ he asked.

‘No,’ said Cinda, and she moved up the rocks and looked down into the green water.

Ludo got the feeling she didn’t want to say any more, and he understood. God knew he found it hard to talk about his family with others.

He looked at Cinda, who was staring into the water. ‘Are you okay?’

‘I’m just trying to memorise the colour,’ she said, ‘so I can paint it later.’ She didn’t look up.

Ludo stood next to her and stared down at the water.

‘It’s green.’

‘Look beyond what you think is there,’ she said. ‘There’s more than just green. What else do you see?’

Ludo stared down into the water for a while and then looked up at her again, grinning. ‘Green. I just see green.’