City of Flowers by Mary Hoffman

Author:Mary Hoffman
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub, azw3, pdf
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Published: 2005-07-18T17:00:00+00:00

Rosalind had looked very pleased with herself when she returned from her meeting with Paul. If she remembered that her kitchen had been full of Stravaganti when she left, she said nothing about it.

‘How was the club?’ Sky teased.

‘It was OK,’ she said. ‘But we didn’t stay there. Paul was supposed to be meeting a work colleague in London, but after we’d had coffee, we went out and ended up having lunch together in Soho.’

‘You really like him, don’t you?’ said Sky.

‘I do,’ said Rosalind. ‘Does that make it difficult for you and Alice? I’ve noticed you seem to be, well, having problems.’

‘It’s not because of you,’ said Sky. ‘Though it is a bit weird when your girlfriend’s dad fancies your mum. We had a misunderstanding in Devon. Alice thought I preferred Georgia.’

‘I’m not surprised,’ said Rosalind. ‘You do spend an awful lot of time with her. But aren’t she and Nicholas together? I’ve often wondered.’

‘It’s not that simple,’ said Sky. ‘Sorry. There are things I can’t tell you because they’re not my secrets.’

Rosalind didn’t press him. But Sky wasn’t happy. The new developments in Talia meant that he was going to be spending even more time with Georgia and Nicholas and their shared secrets were going to grow. How could he explain it to Alice? She was already suspicious and, try as he might, he couldn’t see how he was supposed to have a normal relationship with a girl while he spent every night stravagating to another world.

The first problem arose the next day. He was round at the Mulhollands, reporting to Nicholas on the progress of plans for getting him to Giglia. Georgia was there too, and the two boys were trying to draw her a map of the city. But Sky was trying to remember Sulien’s sketch and Nicholas kept telling him he was getting things wrong.

‘Geography homework in the holidays?’ asked Vicky Mulholland, seeing them all bent over the dining table. ‘You are keen.’

‘Vicky,’ said Nicholas, ‘have you got any maps of Italy?’

‘Somewhere,’ said Vicky. ‘Let me think. Yes, up in David’s office. Do you want me to get them?’

‘I’ll find them,’ said Nicholas. ‘Thanks.’

‘I’ll come with you,’ said Georgia.

‘Would you like some coffee, Sky?’ offered Vicky and he went with her into the kitchen.

Now that Sky had met Luciano, he was fascinated by Vicky Mulholland. She had the same black curly hair as her son but she was small and energetic. Nicholas towered over her and so did Sky. As he watched her deft movements about the kitchen, grinding beans, assembling mugs, tipping biscuits on to a plate, he wondered how on earth she had coped with losing one son and gaining another so mysteriously.

What would Rosalind have done if he had died and, a year later, a Sky lookalike had turned up, in need of a home?

‘How’s the fencing going?’ Vicky was asking.

‘What? Oh, yes, very well, thanks,’ said Sky. ‘I’m nowhere near as good as Nick, of course, but he’s a good teacher.’

‘I’m glad to hear it,’ said Vicky, pouring the coffee into mugs.

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