“True,” Adrian answers as he slips an arm around my shoulders. “And it makes for intimate date nights, too.”
I look at him and shake my head, but I don’t remove his arm. The breeze is chilly and his arm is warm.
“You’re not getting into my pants tonight,” I tell him bluntly. “Just so you know.”
He laughs. “You Americans. You’re always right to the point.”
I smile. “I suppose. You should just know that my heart isn’t going to be broken by you and left behind your steam-roller.”
He laughs again. “I think you mean street-sweeper.”
“That too.”
We round the corner and step onto my drive and I stop short. A shiny black Jaguar is parked in front of my cottage. And Luca Minaldi is sitting on my porch steps. His dark eyes briefly flicker over my face, over Adrian’s arm that is wrapped loosely around my shoulders, over the entire scene. I wonder what it looks like to him, but don’t take the time to dwell on it.
“Luca,” I say as we approach. “What a nice surprise.”
And it is. I’m surprised by the jolting thrill that shoots through me when I see him.
What is even more surprising though, is Adrian’s reaction. He’s standing at attention, ever-alert, staring at Luca anxiously.
“Luca, what are you doing here?” Adrian asks. “Is everything alright?”
I glance sharply at Adrian and then our conversation from Marianne’s comes back to me. He grew up on an estate outside of town with a boss who doesn’t like people.
He works for Luca.
Luca looks at him. “I’m fine,” he tells him. “It’s my mother.”
And then he shifts his attention to me.
“Dr. Talbot, I realize that this is an imposition, but could you possibly take a look at her? She’s been despondent all day and we cannot calm her down. Her doctor is out of town for the next two weeks. I’m not sure what to do with her.”
“You could take her to the hospital,” I suggest. But Adrian is already shaking his head.
“No, we can’t do that. She would hate the publicity. Would you mind coming to look?”
It is Adrian who is asking me now and I find it sweet that he is so loyal to his employer. He said we, as if the problem is also his. I add loyal to his list and then look back to Luca.
Luca’s expression is unreadable and as dark as always. But his eyes, there is something deep within his eyes, something vulnerable and sad, that does me in and I find myself nodding.
“Okay. I’m not licensed to practice medicine in Malta, so I can’t prescribe her any medication, but I can come take a look at her.”
“Thank you,” Luca tells me and his voice is sincere. “I appreciate it more than you know.”
I only just now notice that he is holding a bag. He sees me notice it and he holds it out. “I didn’t come empty handed,” he tells me. For the first time, I see the hint of a smile on his lips. “I brought you a house-warming gift.”
I eye it curiously as he hands it to me. I peer into the bag and can’t help but laugh.
There are two cans of aerosol insecticide nestled within tissue paper. The black and red labels on them announce that they are guaranteed to rid a house of common and pesky spiders. I look up at Luca and grin.
“Practical, yet thoughtful. Thank you.”
He smiles back, and for the first time, it seems to really reach his eyes and warm them. They seem like milk chocolate now.
“You’re welcome. I won’t always be in the neighborhood when Spawns of Satan come calling. I thought you should be protected.”
I smile and shake my head, embarrassed once again at how terrified I had been of that spider.
“Thank you. I’ll just run this inside and grab a bag and then I’ll be ready.”
I brush past him to get inside and I know the instant I touch him. He’s hard and masculine and he smells like spicy musk. I inhale slightly as I pass and his eyes meet mine. There is a connection there, a charged and potent connection. It’s like he doesn’t see anyone or anything else in the world but me, as though I have his complete and undivided attention. But the moment quickly passes when he turns away to speak with Adrian.
I drop the spider spray in the kitchen and then hurry to stuff a stethoscope and various other things that I might need into a small bag before I join them back outside.
“I’m ready,” I announce. Both men nod and both men gesture toward their cars.
I stop and look at them.
Adrian looks expectant. I was, after all, just on a date with him. It would be perfectly normal for me to ride with him. He’s standing next to a dark blue Mercedes, waiting for me to join him.
Luca stands still, completely quiet, next to his black Jaguar. He looks at me, but doesn’t say anything, his face still expressionless. He doesn’t ask me, implore me or expect anything from me. He just waits for me to choose him. And honestly, I know there is nothing else I can do. He draws me to him like a magnet.
I walk straight to him and he opens his car door for me. Although he doesn’t say anything, and I might be mistaken, I think that I see a slight smile as I duck into his car.
He closes the door behind me and as he does, I catch a glimpse of Adrian’s face in the side mirror. He isn’t happy about my decision and I find that silly. I just chose a car to drive in after all. But as Luca slides into the driver’s seat and the car engine roars to life, he brings with him his intense energy and I am once again mesmerized by his unique presence.
And I wonder if the decision that I just made is as inconsequential as it would seem.
The night speeds past us as Luca drives. He’s a fast driver, but I see in the side mirror that Adrian is right behind us. He hugs our tail as we curve through the country roads.
“What are your mother’s symptoms?” I ask Luca. He doesn’t take his eyes from the road as he answers.
“My mother has had dementia for years. It has gotten progressively worse and although she is medicated, some days are worse than others. She hallucinates quite a bit, even when she is taking no medication at all.”
“So her hallucinations stem from her own mind, rather than a side effect of medication,” I answer. He nods.
“How old is your mother?”
“Sixty four.”
“Is she in good health otherwise?”
“Yes. Physically, she’s in perfect condition.”
“What is she doing right now that is causing you such alarm?”
He glances at me.
“I’m not alarmed. It’s just a new behavior. She’s been screaming all day. She won’t stop.”
I look at him.
“Screaming?”
He nods.
“You said that she is medicated. Does she have sedatives?”
He nods again. “Yes. And she has been sedated today. Heavily. It does no good.”
He glances at me once again, his gaze dark in the night, before he returns his attention to the road.
“I apologize if I interrupted a date.”
I am startled by the fact that I don’t want him to believe that it was, even if it is the truth. I’m not going to make excuses, however. I’m a grown woman and I don’t need to explain myself to anyone.
“I met Adrian in town today,” I answer instead. “He was kind enough to stop and talk to me, then invite me to dinner.”
I am pointedly reminding Luca that he ignored me earlier. And he gets my point.
And then he smiles about my point.
“Yes, Adrian is good like that. He loves people, women in particular. I would have been surprised and disappointed in him had he not tried to date you. It would have been ever so out of his character.”
Somehow, I feel like I’ve been pushed back into my place, as though Luca is telling me that I’m just one of many. That Adrian simply loves women. Which may or may not be the case and it doesn’t really matter to me.
“He’s good company,” I answer simply. “Very frien
dly.”
“Oh, he is that,” Luca agrees. “Very friendly.”
He turns the car onto a drive and passes beneath large gates. The name Chessarae is scrawled in the iron above us and the mansion itself looms on the horizon, rising out of the dark and clouds like something out of a movie. I can’t help but stare because it is magnificent.
“Welcome to my home,” Luca says as he pulls the car up front. He quickly gets out and walks around to open my door. He has impeccable manners. I add that to his list.
Adrian has pulled past us and disappeared around the side of the house. I can only assume that he is putting the car away. Luca leads the way to the front door, where he holds the door open for me and gestures for me to pass.
As I do, as I cross the threshold of his home, I wonder just what exactly I am getting myself into.
Chapter Eight
Chessarae is majestic and enormous.
It takes several minutes to wind our way through the front doors and the sparkling, perfectly decorated house before we find ourselves standing in front of Melina Minaldi’s bedroom doors.
Luca is slightly in front of me, Adrian is to my right and we’re all three staring at each other as we listen to the wailing coming from within. It’s horrific and filled with angst; and it causes chills to run up my spine.
I don’t hesitate. I push at the doors, but they won’t open. Luca quickly pulls out a key.
“You keep them locked?” I am surprised by this.
He nods. “We have to.”
He inserts it, turns it and opens the door for me, holding it as I pass.
“Wait,” he tells me. “Let’s see where she is.”
He’s hesitant and that surprises me. Luca is so strong and confident, yet he is leery of his mother? I once again wonder what I’ve gotten myself into as we tread quietly through her rooms, following the sounds of her screams.
We find her perched like a bird on a window sill, staring out over the estate. Her white filmy dressing gown hangs over the ledge and I can see from here that there is a beautiful view of the sea and the moon from where she is sitting. But she isn’t enjoying it. Her face, which is normally lovely I am sure, is twisted at the moment into something unrecognizable as human. I can’t help but suck in my breath at the eeriness of this situation.
Luca hears it and turns to me.
“Are you alright?” he asks. “Would you like to leave?”
And his face is softer in this moment than I have seen it yet. He sounds concerned and even a little bit protective, but then it is gone just as soon as it was there. He politely waits for my answer.
“I’m fine,” I tell him. “This is what I do. Nothing surprises me anymore.”
I approach Melina quietly and calmly. And instead of trying to talk to her, I sit on the opposite side of the window ledge and watch her.
She screams for a few minutes more and then she stops, staring at me.
In her agitation, her eyes are as black as night and I can see where Luca inherited his. Hers are as fathomless as his.
“Who are you?” she asks me. I can hear in her voice that she is lucid, and I can see it in her eyes, as well. She knows exactly what she is doing. So the question remaining is: why is she doing it?
“My name is Evangeline Talbot,” I tell her. “I’m American and I’m here on your beautiful island for the summer. Who are you?”
She looks surprised by my question. I’m sure that she certainly isn’t used to it. Everyone knows the Minaldis on this island. She probably hasn’t had to introduce herself in years and years. But she looks at me squarely in the eye and extends her hand, her chin raised regally in the air.
“I’m Melina Minaldi,” she says gracefully. I can see that she is proud of that fact. She is proud of who she is. But most importantly, she knows her name. This is an important gauge of her sanity.
“It’s very nice to meet you,” I tell her. “You have absolutely lovely skin, Mrs. Minaldi. Whatever do you use on it?”
As I speak, I slide my fingers along her wrist, along her pulsepoint. I pretend to feel the softness of her skin, but truly I am checking her pulse. It is steady and slow, not erratic and fluttery as I would expect from someone in a psychotic episode.
“I use a cream that my mother used,” she tells me. “It’s made from crushed pearls.”
“Well, you can tell,” I answer her. “Your skin is glowing. You don’t look a day over thirty-five.”
“Ha!” she crows. “I’m sixty-four and I’ve earned every line on my face.”
So she knows her age. I’m secretly probing her, trying to gauge how much of reality she is still living in. Someone with advanced dementia doesn’t remember details like their age.
“Well,” I answer. “Your pearl moisturizer must be doing its job. You barely have even one line.”
She sticks her chin higher in the air and I see the light reflected from her eyes. They are slightly glassy, a tell-tale sign of the sedatives that she has taken today. I’m surprised she’s not sound asleep by now.
“My mother always insisted that I get eight hours of sleep per night,” I tell her. “She said if I don’t, I’ll age well before my time. She says it is the fastest way to get wrinkles.”
Melina looks dismayed and she drops her legs from her curled up position, allowing them to swing from the ledge as she looks at me. She trusts me now that we are sharing beauty secrets. Her body language tells me so.
“Does your mother have skin like yours?”
I nod. “Yes, she does.”
“Then your mother must be very wise.”
I smile at her, trying to instill confidence in her. She won’t listen to me if she doesn’t continue to trust me.
“Have you slept today, Mrs. Minaldi? You look a little tired. You should make sure you get your eight hours in.”
She looks pensive. She doesn’t even glance at Adrian or Luca. It’s like they aren’t even in the room. Finally, after she thinks about it a moment, she nods.
“I am quite tired,” she tells me in a conspiratorial whisper. “I haven’t been sleeping well lately.”
She starts to get up and I take her elbow, helping her from the ledge. She barely weighs more than a feather, her arms strikingly thin.
“Oh?” I ask. “We should do something about that. It’s not good to not sleep well. Women like us need our beauty sleep.”
She looks pleased by that as she walks toward what I hope is her bedroom. I continue to hold her elbow.
“Yes,” she agrees. “Beautiful women like us deserve beauty sleep. We aren’t like the others, you know. We’re special. My Nicolas always tells me so.”
I look at her face now and it is open and honest. This doesn’t seem to be an act. She truly does believe that Nicolas is here in the present tense. She was faking her psychotic episode but she’s not faking her belief that Nicolas is alive.
“Well,” I tell her as I ease her into her giant bed and pull her downy comforter up to her chin. “Nicolas must be very wise for a man. They don’t usually know so much about women.”
We laugh together like we know a secret and I know that I have won her over. She curls onto her side and closes her eyes. I am just turning away when I hear her whisper.
I turn back.
“What was that, Mrs. Minaldi?”
Her eyes are open, black as night, and she looks into mine. Her gaze is fierce now.
“You should leave now, Evangeline.”
I startle at the harsh tone of her voice. It is a night and day difference from her laughter a moment ago.
“Why?” I ask.
“Because Chessarae is dangerous for you. My son is evil.”
She closes her eyes again and doesn’t reopen them. I feel frozen as I turn and find Luca. His gaze is dark and mine is tied to it. I can’t look away from the pained expression that he is wearing. But he closes his eyes briefly, then turns away. He’s not going to acknowledge what she said. I know that right now.
He m
otions toward the door and the three of us leave. As we do, Luca locks the door behind us.
“You were very good with her,” he tells me as we walk away. “I’ve never seen her take to someone like that before.”
“It’s just something I’ve learned,” I tell him. “People are much more inclined to be cooperative if they don’t know that you’re probing them for information.”
“That’s probably true in all levels of life,” Luca agrees.
His eyes! His eyes draw me to him. They are filled with so many things, dark things, pained things; and the psychiatrist and woman in me wants to discover what has hurt him. Because clearly, even though he is strong and confident on the outside, there is trauma lurking on the inside. The average person probably wouldn’t see it, but I can.
Luca looks at Adrian.
“Adrian, I won’t be requiring anything further tonight. Thank you very much for staying late.”
Adrian looks surprised, because it is clear that Luca is dismissing him and he wasn’t expecting it. It’s also clear that he isn’t used to being dismissed. He looks almost confused as he looks to me, but what can I say? Adrian doesn’t work for me. Finally, he nods and turns to me.
“I had a very nice time tonight, Eve,” he tells me, his charming tone back in full swing. “We’ll have to do it again soon.”
I smile and he hugs me quickly before he leaves us. Luca doesn’t miss a moment of the exchange and I can feel his dark gaze on my skin.
“Would you come with me for a few minutes?” he asks politely. “I’d like to speak to you about my mother.”
“Of course,” I tell him. He leads the way through the massive house and I soon find myself in a dark and masculine study. Luca gestures toward a leather seat.
“Please sit,” he tells me. “Make yourself comfortable. Would you like a drink?”
“I would love one,” I tell him.
He crosses the room in three strides and pours two glasses of what looks to be Scotch. He walks back and hands me a glass half-filled with the amber liquid.
While I am standing next to him, I can practically feel the power emanating from him. He’s the type of person who has been born into it. It has been cultivated in him from the time he was an infant and it shows. Power and money are in every molecular strand in his body.