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

emails. Presumably, he had been in a rush. ‘See you on Friday’ sounded good and Alice felt another little shiver of love, lust or whatever it was run through her. She also realised she was feeling quite hungry and the idea of dinner in the famous Michelin-starred restaurant in Rome sounded most appealing – especially with him sitting opposite. Still, she would have him to herself the day after tomorrow, which wasn’t too long to wait. She sent him a short reply, telling him she was looking forward to seeing him again, and she added her phone number, wondering if he might take the hint and call her. It would be good to hear his voice. There was no doubt about it – she was spending a lot of time thinking about him.

Doing her best to relegate any further thought of him until another time, she checked the second email. Also short and sweet, it was from Antonia and it made interesting reading.

Hi Alice. I’m coming back to Europe at the weekend and would love to see you. I have some exciting news. Could we meet up in Florence on Saturday? Antonia

Alice was mildly surprised that Antonia was returning so soon, but she knew she would enjoy meeting up with her again and she wondered what the exciting news might be – presumably something to do with her new TV venture. She dashed off a quick reply, agreeing to meet, before her mind returned once more to the possible movie role that Fliss had mentioned. Fliss had said she would be back in LA next week, so Alice knew the time had come for her to make up her mind and tell her.

As she sat there in the gathering dusk, listening to the rain hammering down outside, she knew she had to put her name forward. Of course, they might say no and it might lead to nothing, but she had to give it a go. After all, the chance to appear in a big Hollywood movie alongside a star of Fliss’s calibre wasn’t the sort of opportunity that came along every day. As for the problems her return to the limelight was likely to throw up and the uncertainty surrounding her relationship with Matt, she would worry about all that if they offered her the part. She composed an email to Fliss, wishing her a happy few days’ holiday in Rome, and asked her to put her name forward. As she pressed Send, she wondered where, if anywhere, this might lead.

She took a long, hot bath and washed her hair, before emerging from the bathroom feeling like a new woman after what had been a stressful day. As a treat, she decided to go along to Giovanni’s restaurant, even though it was still raining heavily. She didn’t have an umbrella, so she stretched her lightweight waterproof over her newly washed hair and made a run for it. The restaurant was packed, as the garden tables were out of commission due to the rain. Giovanni gave her a cheery greeting as she came in and she tried her best to shake herself dry.

‘Good evening. Here, let me take your jacket.’

‘Good evening, Giovanni. You’re busy tonight by the look of it.’

‘It’s the rain but, don’t worry, I’ll find you a space. Just yourself?’ She nodded. ‘Then, if you don’t mind sharing, I’ll put you with Father Gregorio.’ Seeing the expression on her face, his mouth curled into a grin. ‘He’s our local priest but, don’t worry, I promise you he’s good company. I’m sure he’ll be only too happy to have such a beautiful dinner companion.’ He pointed across the room to a table where an elderly cleric was sitting, clad in sober black robes. ‘Is that all right with you?’

Alice would have preferred a table on her own but almost anything was better than going back out into the rain, which had suddenly increased in strength to the extent that it sounded like a waterfall on the other side of the French windows. She followed Giovanni across to the old priest’s table and saw his face light up as he heard of her predicament. He immediately waved towards the seat opposite him and gave her a warm welcome.

‘Good evening, Signorina. What an unexpected pleasure to have a dinner companion.’ He extended a gnarled old hand across the table towards her. He spoke in a smooth musical tone and Alice was delighted to understand everything without any of the problems she sometimes encountered with the local Tuscan accent. He didn’t sound like a local and his enunciation was perfect. Of course, he was a priest and used to public speaking, after all.

‘Good evening, Father, thank you so much for letting me join you. I hope I’m not disturbing you.’ She studied him surreptitiously. He was probably in his late seventies, maybe even older, and he was completely bald; the light reflecting on his shiny pate reminded her of the halos that medieval painters loved to give to the saints and deities in their paintings. He had a gentle face, and his brown eyes were still bright and perceptive.

‘Congratulations on your Italian. I’m afraid my command of your language is next to zero. And what brings you here on an awful night like tonight?’ He stopped and corrected himself. ‘What am I saying? We’ve all been praying for this much-needed rain, and far be it from me to pour scorn on the Lord’s bounty.’

Alice repressed a smile. Listening to his melodious voice and his choice of vocabulary made her feel as though she had stepped back in time and she found herself reflecting upon the endless succession of priests whose shoes he was now filling. She wasn’t a religious person, but she loved the idea that he was the latest in an unbroken line quite probably stretching back to the Middle Ages. She didn’t mention Conrad or her acting background, but told him that she was here on holiday because she loved