Santa Lucia by Ann Jennings

Author:Ann Jennings
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Architect;Artist;Italy;Tuscany;International
Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
Published: 2015-08-18T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Five

The powerful car soon reached Rome, the eternal city. Gina leaned forward excitedly, a confused mass of impressions swamping her senses, as Sebastian drove the car skilfully through the frantic traffic. She caught a glimpse of the fabled Colosseum, and the Forum, and so many other things she had always dreamed of seeing. Twisting her head this way and that, she tried not to miss a thing.

Sebastian glanced across at her and laughed. “You’ll get a crick in your neck if you’re not careful,” he warned.

“But I’ve never been to Rome before, and I don’t want to miss anything,” Gina exclaimed.

“We’ll come to Rome if you like, some other time, and stay for two or three days. Then I’ll show you everything,” Sebastian promised.

“It’s a marvel that there are any pedestrians left alive,” she remarked, after seeing yet another narrow escape. “No-one seems willing to give way, either motorist or pedestrian.”

Sebastian gave a deep throaty chuckle. “That’s the Italian way,” he said. “It all looks worse than it really is. Personally, I always feel much safer here than I do in London.”

Oh, Cousin Sebastian, she thought wistfully, I wonder what you think of me. Her uneasy musing was brought to an abrupt end, however, as Sebastian swung the car up a steep narrow street, and parked it outside a small ristorante. The wheels of the car squealing in protest as it slid to a halt on the shiny cobbles.

“Come on,” he said, lithely swinging his long body out of the car, “we’re here. The best restaurant in Rome. At least I think so.”

Ristorante dei Fiori, as it was called, was open to the sky, or at least most of it was. Coloured lanterns flickered around the perimeter of the restaurant, and each table was illuminated by the soft glow of a candle enclosed in rose coloured glass.

Gina looked around her, entranced, but then seeing the view as she went to the edge of the terrace, decided that the panororama spread below, was perhaps the best part of all.

She hadn’t realised how high they had climbed in the car, now however, she could see that they were on one of the seven hills of Rome. The view from the terrace looked right down on to the city.

Drawing in her breath sharply at the beauty before her, and surrounding her, Gina turned to Sebastian. “This really is a lovely place,” she said softly. “Thank you for bringing me here.”

He smiled. “It’s not all for your benefit,” he said matter-of-factly. “I like it here too, and what is more the food is good. Although you should thank Giovanni, he introduced me to the place.”

As he spoke a dark shadow crossed his face, making Gina glance at him sharply. He looked a little sad. There was a softness about his mouth she had never noticed before.

Suddenly the thought struck her, perhaps he was thinking of other times he had been here, with another woman. Maybe she had done him an injustice, perhaps there was someone he loved.

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