Letter From a Stranger

  Justine stared at her grandmother, opened the box and gasped. On the white satin were a pair of square-cut aquamarine earrings surrounded by tiny diamonds. ‘Gran, they’re just beautiful!’ she exclaimed, stepping closer and kissing her. ‘Thank you so much, I’ll treasure them always.’

  ‘Trent used to say aquamarines were specially created for blue-eyed women, you know.’

  Justine put them on and turned to face her grandmother. ‘They’re perfect, don’t you think?’

  ‘I do, darling. When you go downstairs you’ll knock ’em all dead. Although I’m sure it’s only Michael you want to impress. I’m right, aren’t I? You have fallen under his spell, haven’t you?’

  ‘Yes, I have,’ Justine admitted. ‘And the feeling’s mutual. Obviously you and Anita have spotted our attraction to each other.’

  ‘Attraction!’ Gabriele gave her a strange look. ‘What a mild word to use to describe what’s been going on between the two of you. I prefer to call it struck by lightning.’

  ‘Is it so apparent?’ Justine’s gaze was fixed on her grandmother.

  ‘To us, yes. He can’t take his eyes off you, and you’re suffering from the same affliction. You appear to be mesmerized by one another. Dazed. Or perhaps I should say dazzled.’

  ‘I’ve only known him two days, and yet I miss him when he’s not with me. It’s so strange, Gran, but I feel as if I’ve known Michael forever.’

  ‘Not so weird, darling. You can be with a man for twenty years and never know who he truly is. Then again, you can meet a man and know everything about him in an instant. I have no worries about you with Michael. There’s no one quite like him.’

  ‘I realize that.’

  Gabriele said, ‘I trust him absolutely.’

  ‘My coming to find you has changed my life.’

  ‘And mine and Michael’s and Anita’s.’ Gabriele studied Justine for a moment, loving her so much. Then she added, ‘And it’s all for the good.’

  ‘I’m hoping Richard’s life will change too.’

  Gabriele looked at her alertly. ‘What do you mean?’ she asked, sounding baffled.

  ‘Because I’m away, here with you in Istanbul, Joanne is taking over for me, keeping an eye on Daisy and Richard. Especially on Richard. She’s been in love with him for years, and I’m hoping something special develops between them while I’m gone.’

  ‘That would be quite wonderful, darling, and he does need a woman in his life. It can’t be easy for him.’ Walking across the room, Gabriele took off her robe and reached for the caftan. ‘I’d better hurry now, finish getting dressed. Please go down and keep Anita company, Justine. Tell her I won’t be long.’

  It was a lovely evening.

  The sky had already darkened, a galaxy of brilliant stars were littered across its arc, and there was a silver-disc of a moon floating over the Bosphorus, as usual.

  Justine moved through the garden slowly, saw at once how magical it had become. Decorative Chinese lanterns were strung between the trees and flowering bushes were swaying gently in the faint breeze, and everywhere there were votive candles flickering in small glass holders, encircling tree trunks and lining pathways. A mixture of flowers plus scented candles mingled and filled the air with a heady fragrance.

  She glanced about, looking for Anita, and discovered she was alone. There was no one in sight except for a trio of musicians, and the waiters hired for the evening. Then she heard his step as he strode across the terrace, looking around as she had done a moment before. He was dressed in a long-sleeved black silk shirt and matching black trousers, and there was a confident air about him, as there usually was.

  She stepped forward, gliding from the garden onto the terrace, and he saw her immediately, stopped dead in his tracks. He stood staring at her, his expression a mixture of surprise and admiration.

  Justine continued walking until she stood in front of him. ‘You look great, Michael,’ she said, smiling up into his face, and wondered if he could hear her clattering heart. She hoped not.

  ‘And you take my breath away,’ he answered. ‘In fact you look so perfect I’m afraid to come anywhere near you, for fear of mussing you up.’

  Nevertheless, as he said this Michael took a step closer, drew her towards him and kissed her lightly on the lips. ‘Still far too chaste, that kiss. Well, we’ll deal with that later, rectify it.’

  ‘I hope so,’ she answered in a low voice.

  Michael took hold of her hand, led her to the bar at the end of the terrace, asked a waiter for two glasses of champagne. Suddenly there was the sound of music filling the air, as the trio began to play. A moment later they saw his grandmother heading in their direction, her red silk caftan swirling around her as she stepped out briskly.

  Michael whispered, ‘I made sure I’m sitting next to you at dinner,’ and clinked his glass to hers. ‘And Iffet’s with us.’

  ‘I’m glad,’ she replied. Moving forward, she gave Anita a kiss and exclaimed, ‘You look fabulous! You should always wear red.’

  ‘I mostly do.’ Anita gazed at Justine and continued, with a hint of awe in her voice, ‘You look incredible. You’re truly beautiful. Isn’t she, Michael?’

  ‘My glamorous, gorgeous girl,’ he answered, putting his arm around Justine’s waist, drawing her closer to him.

  ‘Yours?’ Anita said with quiet emphasis, peering hard at him. ‘Is that actually true? Or just a figure of speech?’

  ‘Ask her,’ he responded, glancing at Justine, his dark eyes dancing mischievously.

  ‘I am,’ Justine replied in a steady voice, even though she was shaking inside. Or was it heart palpitations? He had such an enormous effect on her when they were standing as close as this that she was thrown off balance.

  ‘That was fast.’ Anita looked at them carefully. ‘But fast is best. That’s the way it was for Max and me. We took one look at each other, and that was it. Your grandfather was the love of my life, Michael, as I was of his. We were happy until the day he died.’ A little sigh escaped her, and now, glancing around, she asked, ‘Where’s Gabri?’

  ‘She’ll be here in a few minutes, Anita. I went to see her before coming down and we started chatting. It delayed her.’ Justine touched an earring. ‘She gave me these. Aren’t they beautiful?’

  ‘Yes, I can remember the day she got them, a gift from Trent to match her eyes.’

  ‘Yes, she told me.’

  Michael exclaimed, ‘Here’s Aunt Gabri now, coming across the garden. I’ll go and escort her over.’

  Turning to Justine, Anita said in a confiding tone, ‘If he says you’re his girl in front of me then he really means it. And by the way, I’ve never seen him behave like this. I think he’s serious. I assume you are too?’

  ‘Yes, I am, Anita.’

  ‘That makes me happy, and just know that he’ll never betray you, that’s the way he’s made.’ She took hold of Justine’s hand and squeezed, held onto it. ‘You’re made for each other. I told your grandmother I saw it yesterday – love at first sight; it was written all over your faces.’

  ‘It’s never happened to me before.’

  ‘It only occurs once in a lifetime. You can take my word for it. And I don’t think it’s happened to Michael before either.’

  ‘I believe you,’ Justine replied.

  Michael brought Gabriele over to them, and hurried off, after explaining that he was going to get a glass of champagne for her.

  ‘You look stunning, Grandma,’ Justine said. ‘What an unusual colour your caftan is.’ Admiration echoed in her voice.

  ‘It’s supposed to be burgundy, but it’s got a hint of aubergine,’ Gabriele replied. ‘I thought it was unique, though. I’m sure something went wrong in the dyeing process; however, I like it.’

  Michael was back with the champagne and he gave the glass to Gabriele. Looking at each of them, smiling broadly, he declared, ‘Surrounded as I am by three beautiful women I feel like a happy man with his own harem. Very spoiled.’

>   ‘You are,’ his grandmother shot back, winking at him. ‘And we all love you to death.’

  ‘It’s mutual,’ he said, then added, ‘Oh, I see Iffet on the jetty, and Daphne and Paul Leyland have just arrived too, along with the Drapers, Grandma.’

  ‘Gabri and I must go and greet them,’ Anita announced. Taking hold of Gabriele’s hand, she continued, ‘Obviously everyone’s decided to come by boat tonight. Look how crowded our jetty’s becoming.’

  The moment they were alone, Michael kissed Justine on her cheek. He murmured, ‘After the meeting with my client tomorrow, let’s go off and have lunch, just the two of us.’

  ‘I feel funny about leaving Gran when I’ve only just found her again, Michael,’ Justine responded, although she longed for them to be alone, just as he did.

  ‘I understand, but unless they’ve cancelled it, they usually go to lunch with Anita’s great-nephew, Ken. He’s taken over from his father, and he’s their business partner. But you’re right, I guess we’d better play this one by ear.’

  ‘Let’s do that, decide tomorrow.’

  ‘We might just have to go with them to the lunch,’ Michael said, throwing her a knowing look, making a face.

  ‘As long as I’m with you,’ she answered, laughing.

  ‘Try and get rid of me,’ he answered, and turning her around, he went on, ‘Look, there’s Iffet coming through the garden. Very chic in a midnight-blue dress.’

  A moment later Justine and Iffet were hugging, and then admiring each other’s outfits.

  Michael excused himself, muttering that he had to get the waiters moving around the garden with trays of drinks.

  The two women stood chatting about the documentary, and Justine said, ‘By the way, the FedEx envelope from Richard came today, and I can now start working on the advertisement, get things rolling.’

  ‘That’s wonderful. Let me know how I can help. Are you bringing Eddie Grange over to Istanbul?’

  ‘I might, Iffet, I’m not sure. I have to get my sequences worked out, plus a storyline developed, but Eddie could be useful, actually. Certainly he could get more stock footage. I’ll give him a call on Monday.’

  A few minutes later, Michael was back by their side, bringing with him a man called David Grainger, an English novelist, and his friend, Catherine de Bourgeville, a dress designer from Paris.

  One of the waiters suddenly appeared, carrying a tray of assorted drinks. Iffet took a glass of sparkling water, David and Catherine white wine; within minutes they were all chatting, finding much in common to talk about.

  Michael positioned himself slightly away from the group, watching intently, noticing how at ease Justine was with everyone. She was being gracious and charming.

  His phone began to ring, and Michael pulled it out of his pocket, stepped farther away from the group. ‘Hello?’

  ‘Good evening, Michael. It’s Charlie. Am I phoning at an awkward hour? It must be nine o’clock there.’

  ‘It’s okay. My grandmother’s giving a little dinner party, and the guests are just beginning to arrive. Are you all right? Is there something wrong? At the bank?’

  ‘Not exactly – however I do need to talk with you. In person. Not on the phone. When exactly are you planning to come to London?’

  ‘To tell you the truth, I was trying to put it off until Thursday. I have to be in Paris on Wednesday morning for a meeting. I intended to stay in Istanbul until Tuesday afternoon, when I was going to fly to Paris.’

  ‘Can you come here for a meeting with me on Monday, Michael?’

  ‘Of course. I’ll change things around here. Charlie, listen to me, you don’t sound like yourself. What’s the matter? Is it something to do with the bank?’

  ‘It’s more of a personal problem, Michael. I need your advice. You’re the only person I can trust to give me the right answers. I also trust you. And your discretion and confidentiality. Sorry to call at this hour, but to be honest I’ve been struggling with the problem all day.’

  ‘Don’t worry about the time, you can phone me whenever you wish. Listen, I can call you back later if you like, for a longer chat.’

  ‘No, I can’t, I’m afraid. Dinner plans looming. How about tomorrow morning?’

  ‘I do have a meeting with a client at eleven, Istanbul time. So we can speak before ten, which is when I’ll go over to meet him. I shouldn’t be much longer than an hour. Then I’m reachable on my cell phone.’

  ‘Shall we speak at nine? Your time, of course.’

  ‘Perfect. Goodnight, Charlie, have a nice evening.’

  ‘And you too, Michael. Thanks again. Oh, and I’ll have my private plane waiting for you at Istanbul Airport early Monday morning. That way it makes things easier for you. We can meet in the afternoon.’

  ‘That would be a great help, thanks, Charlie.’ They both clicked off, and Michael couldn’t help wondering what this was all about. Intuitively, and with nothing to go on but his gut instinct, he knew something was terribly wrong. Charlie was going to give him bad news. He suddenly realized he was already bracing himself for it.

  Trying to shake off this feeling of apprehension, Michael walked back to the group where Justine and Iffet were standing together, and joined in the conversation. He was clever at disguising his feelings, displayed no emotion whatsoever. He kept the smile anchored on his face, spoke animatedly to them all, being the charming and welcoming host, as he always was when his grandmother entertained.

  But he felt as if he had a lump of lead sitting in the middle of his stomach. Worry edged around the back of his mind. He had learned when he was in the Secret Service never to ignore his forebodings. Nor could he now.

  After everyone had found their place-marked seats at the two tables on the terrace, Anita, Gabriele and Michael ushered their guests into the dining room where the buffet had been set up. Elaborate flower arrangements, silver bowls of exotic fruit, and white tapering candles in silver candlesticks created a stunning effect on the table, which was covered in a crisp white-linen cloth.

  All of the many dishes were elegantly presented. They were the usual Turkish mezes, starters such as börekas, dolmas, lakerda – salted tuna from the Black Sea – many different fishes cooked in numerous ways, shellfish of every kind and grilled meats. Interspersed between these were large bowls of pasta, rice and vegetables, as well as baskets of local breads.

  On a trolley nearby was a whole roast lamb, and it was there that Mehmet stood, waiting to carve, looking very professional in his chef’s outfit and his tall white toque on his head. There was a huge smile on his face as he nodded to those guests he knew.

  Waiters helped the guests, served them the mezes first, and offered breads and biscuits. Raki was served with the mezes and the fish, and there were white and red wines, fruit juices and water.

  Everybody agreed it was the grandest of feasts. The trio continued to play in the background, and the guests chatted happily with each other, laughing and joking. The party was deemed a big success by Michael, who was watching everything carefully, with an eagle eye.

  He was sitting between Iffet and Justine, and fully conscious of the latter at all times. He was also attentive to Iffet, whom he had grown to like over the last few hours. He understood why Justine found her so compatible and charming; she was also an intelligent woman with whom he could have a grown-up conversation.

  But what pleased him the most was being close to Justine. The idea of going to London and Paris now dismayed him because he didn’t want to leave her. Under normal circumstances he would have taken her with him. But that was not possible; she needed to be with her grandmother, and he understood perfectly why this was so.

  Looking across the table at Gabriele, he felt an enormous sense of relief. He had never seen her looking better, and she was obviously filled with joy tonight. He also noticed that when she glanced at Justine there was pride as well as love in her eyes. It seemed to him that her heartache was at last assuaged.

  TWENTY-FOUR


  It was one o’clock in the morning when Michael and Justine were finally alone. The guests had left, the help had finished their work and disappeared, and Anita and Gabriele had gone to bed.

  Now they were sitting on the seat overlooking the Bosphorus, relieved to be by themselves at last. They sat in silence, enjoying the peacefulness of the garden after the busy and hectic dinner party. Everyone had enjoyed it, and been delighted to meet Gabriele’s granddaughter, and Gabriele had been as proud as she’d ever been. And so had Anita. Both women had glowed all night.

  It was Justine who spoke first, when she said, ‘Something’s wrong, Michael, isn’t it?’

  ‘What makes you say that?’ he asked swiftly, staring at her, taken aback by her astuteness and perception.

  ‘Because I can tell. I knew during dinner that there was a problem.’

  ‘I’m amazed how well you read me,’ he murmured, still peering at her in the dusky evening light. ‘I thought I was being cool, even nonchalant.’

  ‘You were, to a certain extent. Nevertheless, I saw behind that façade of yours.’

  ‘How? I’d love to know how, Justine?’

  ‘There was something about the expression in your eyes. I saw apprehension flickering there, or perhaps it was worry.’

  ‘You’re very intuitive and observant, because I’m not that transparent. I’ve trained myself to keep a neutral face at all times. I learned to do that when I was a Secret Service agent.’

  ‘You do, but I was looking at your eyes. Concern was reflected in them. And there’s something else, I’m involved with you, and conscious of you at all times. And I know you without the benefit of time. My grandmother made a comment earlier tonight. She said a woman can know a man for twenty years and never know him at all, and then again, she can meet a man and know who he really is instantly.’

  There was a pause before she added, ‘When I met you, had only spent a few hours with you, I knew you, and what you are as a person. And naturally a man can experience exactly the same thing. That’s what we’re about, isn’t it? You and me, Michael?’