Second Chances in Chianti (Escape to Tuscany Book 2) by T.A. Williams (online e reader .TXT) 📕

got to the village, but it had been a pleasure to walk in the fresh country air. When she got to the bar in the square she went inside and asked for a cup of tea, specifying that she would like it English-style, with a drop of cold milk, and Rita, the lady behind the bar, set about preparing it. As Alice waited for the tea, they chatted and, quite by chance – or so she told herself – the subject of Matt came up. She discovered that his full name was Matthew Livingstone, but the lady referred to him by the Italian equivalent of his first name, Matteo. It transpired that he came in most mornings just before nine for a coffee and he brought his big black dog with him. She also confirmed what Paolo had said: he had been here for a couple of years, spoke pretty good Italian and was generally liked by everybody who knew him. Alice thanked her for the information but immediately did her best to relegate it to the back of her mind, as she already had enough to think about with the uncertainty about her current boyfriend, the amorous propositions of her former boyfriend and the discussions about the new show.

She told the lady that she and David were thinking about staying on in Tuscany for a bit longer and asked if she maybe knew of any apartments or houses available to let from the end of the week. Seeing as they were now in the busy holiday month of July, this was almost certainly a forlorn hope, but she thought she would ask anyway. As expected, the answer was an apologetic shake of the head, but the lady said she would ask around, just in case.

As Alice walked back up the hill to the villa, she tried and failed to stop her brain from debating just why she had thought it a good idea to look for a place in this area, so close to the tower, Matt and his dog. In spite of Richie’s declaration of enduring love and David’s offer to accompany her to the US, she had to accept that this other man who had barely spoken to her for more than a couple of minutes in total was stubbornly lodged inside her head, if not her heart, and refusing to budge. To say she was feeling confused was an understatement.

She did her best to banish all of these thoughts and concentrated on the lovely views as well as the mixed aromas of wild thyme, rosemary and the almost sickly sweet scent emanating from the vivid yellow flowers on the broom bushes. She heard distant whistling sounds and looked up to see two big birds of prey circling high above, no doubt scanning the fields for their dinner. It was a delightful walk and, once again, she didn’t see a single vehicle – although her brain unhelpfully pointed out that the appearance of a battered old Land Rover would not have been unwelcome.

They all met up on the terrace at seven thirty, as planned. By this time David had warmed up and changed, and was looking unusually smart. Although the rain had stopped less than two hours before, the stone paving slabs were already dry and the sound of dripping water had been replaced by the high-pitched cries of swallows swooping and darting around the villa, catching insects on the wing. The sunset was a glorious rich red tonight, and Alice felt sure tomorrow would once more be dry and sunny.

Yet again, Antonia and Zoë kept their distance, and the members of the group were able to talk freely. It emerged that Harry and Richie had decided they were prepared to join Millie in accepting Zoë as director, if there was no alternative, but Layla and Benny were still steadfast in their refusal to work with her again. Alice would dearly have liked to sleep on it before making her final decision but in the end she came down on the side of Layla and Benny, and she sensed David’s shock and disapproval, although he didn’t comment. Layla volunteered to compose an email to Conrad Chesterfield, explaining their position. It was agreed that they would sleep on it and if they all approved the email next morning, she would send it. As Benny said, ‘Light the blue touch paper and stand well clear.’ No doubt the reaction to their email would be explosive.

After dinner, Alice took David by the arm and walked him around the gardens in the moonlight. The aroma of roses in the air was almost overpowering, and the only sounds were their feet crunching on the gravel and an occasional owl hoot from the woods around Matt’s tower. It was a charming and romantic setting, and it would have been idyllic if she had been able to shake thoughts of the owner of the tower from her head. Beside her, David also seemed preoccupied and they barely spoke a word. Neither of them brought up the subject of Pals Forever and she actually felt relieved. She had done enough soul-searching for today.

They took their time and made a slow circuit of the villa, before ending up back on the terrace once more, where the others were lounging, chatting and sipping cold drinks. Having already drunk some wine at lunch, she didn’t feel like any alcohol and, in fact, realised she was quite tired. To her surprise, when she suggested going up to bed, David told her he would stay for a drink, so she went back upstairs on her own.

Chapter 10

Next morning dawned fine and clear. Alice woke to find David fast asleep alongside her in the bed, but she had no recollection of hearing him come in last night. She must have gone out like a light. Very quietly, she slipped away and went downstairs for her morning run. Today she found not only Harry, but also Richie and Carrie ready to