Secrets on the Italian Island Read online

  ‘Elba?’

  Now why did she know that name?

  Chapter 2

  ‘Napoleon!’

  ‘Napoleon?’

  ‘Yes, of course. I knew I’d heard of the island of Elba.’ As Charlie drove them along the busy A30 towards Exeter the following morning, Anna had been checking her phone. Sure enough, the island of Elba, just off the west coast of Italy, had been where Napoleon had gone into exile in 1814 after his forced abdication. He had spent almost a year there before escaping, and the house where he had lived on the island was apparently still standing. She relayed the information to Charlie and heard him snort.

  ‘So why the hell would they send us there? Sometimes I wonder if the old man’s going a bit doolally.’ They had made an early start and he had been driving for well over two hours now and he sounded ready for a cup of coffee. ‘I’m all for a bit of history, but come on…’

  ‘There must be more to it than that, surely?’ Anna was as puzzled as he was.

  ‘Well, at least it’ll give you a chance to speak some Italian. Your mum will be pleased you’re getting some practice.’

  ‘I get enough on the phone with her. She’s been phoning me almost every night recently.’ Anna was an only child and her Italian mother had always had a tendency to be somewhat clingy. ‘Still, some Italian sunshine and some Italian food sound good to me.’

  With the aid of the internet, by the time they reached London Anna knew more about Elba and, for a geologist, there was a lot to know. Amazingly, in spite of its small size, Elba had been one of the most important islands in the Mediterranean for almost three thousand years. The reason for its importance to its various owners over the centuries had been its abundant reserves of iron ore. Although it had now become an attractive tourist destination and there were no longer any working mines on the island, it still sat upon huge deposits of iron. And where there was iron, Anna knew only too well, there were almost certainly many other interesting minerals.

  The meeting with Sir Graham turned out to be less fraught than some they had had with him over the years. He received them in his office and appeared to be in a good mood – by his standards. From the lingering aroma of cigars and no doubt expensive cognac circulating around him, this might well have been because he had just returned from a big lunch somewhere, but anything that kept him from going off the deep end was fine as far as Anna was concerned. His equally crusty PA, Mrs Osborne, who was probably even older than he was and generally acknowledged around the water cooler as being in the process of losing her marbles, big time, plied them with tea and biscuits with a shaky hand, while Sir Graham sat back and listened to Anna’s report on their unsuccessful mission to Cornwall.

  Once she had finished, he grunted dismissively before pulling out a map of central Italy. Leaning forward, he stabbed a gnarled forefinger – some said it had been chewed by a grizzly bear seconds before Sir Graham had torn the unfortunate animal’s throat out with his teeth – at an island close to the coast of Tuscany, between northern Italy and the uppermost tip of Corsica. The island looked vaguely like a walking boot with the heel facing Italy.

  ‘Elba: this is where I want you to go. The main iron deposits are in the east of the island.’ His finger indicated the heel of the boot. ‘But I want you two to do a survey of the whole island, to see if there’s anything more interesting than iron to be found. That’s the name of the game, after all.’

  He lectured them for some time about the possible minerals to be found on the island and, as always, despite her uneasiness in the presence of this mercurial character, Anna could feel a rising sense of anticipation. Might this be the big one? Might this be the place where she would find a hitherto unsuspected mother lode of some obscure metal even more valuable than gold? She glanced across at Charlie but his expression was hard to read – apart from a fair shot of the same anxiety she was feeling in close proximity to the big boss. She and Charlie made a good team, maybe the best in the company. He was meticulous, reliable and totally trustworthy. He didn’t have all her scientific qualifications but he had a knack for sniffing out places of interest and his instincts had led them to a number of discoveries. Would Elba provide another?

  However, with a very pregnant wife, it was understandable that his mind might not be a hundred per cent on the job for now. Anna knew she had to point that out to Sir Graham, as she knew Charlie would never dream of mentioning it. She approached the subject as gently and tactfully as possible, desperately trying to avoid an eruption of ire from the other side of the table.

  ‘Erm… there’s just one thing, Sir Graham. I don’t know if you’re aware of the fact that Charlie’s wife’s expecting any day now. He may need to dash off.’

  Sir Graham grunted, but at least he didn’t launch into one of his trademark tirades. He shot Charlie an admonitory glance. ‘I suppose if you have to go, you have to go. Just try not to take too much time off. Time is money, after all, for all of us.’ He looked around belligerently, but seeing only cowed, subservient expressions on their faces, he softened his tone fractionally. ‘Anna’s more than capable of carrying on by herself for a few days while we organise somebody to replace you. Most of the mining on the island has been opencast, so it’s not as if she’s going to need you on the other end of a rope. Anna, you’ll largely be spending your time poking about the old slag heaps on the surface or checking out the rock formations in the cliffs from the sea.’ He subjected Charlie to another of his intimidating looks. ‘Let us know as and when you have to go and we’ll sort out a replacement this end.’

  ‘Thank you, Sir Graham.’ Charlie shot Anna a grateful look as she surreptitiously wiped her palms against her jeans. ‘My wife’s due date’s not for another few weeks, so I may not need to. How long would you expect this survey to take?’

  ‘Who knows? I suppose it all depends on what you find. Probably a couple of weeks, maybe more, maybe less. You’ll have to play it by ear.’ He paused for a moment before hardening his tone once more. ‘Just one thing, though, I need you to keep a low profile, a very low profile. I can’t emphasise that strongly enough. As far as anybody you meet’s concerned, you’re tourists, that’s all. Got that?’

  ‘Yes, Sir Graham.’ They both replied instantly and in chorus. He acknowledged their agreement with another grunt and continued.

  ‘Most of the island’s one of those damn conservation zones and there’s a national park or some such nonsense all around that area. Apparently the locals are very defensive about their precious little island.’ His tone was now dismissive.

  Anna took a deep breath and risked an observation. ‘Does that mean that even if we find something, we wouldn’t be able to mine it?’ It wouldn’t be the first time environmental concerns had prevented them from exploiting a claim.

  Sir Graham shook his head and then produced a positively piratical leer. ‘The locals might be against it, but the Italian government’s in all sorts of dire financial straits. I’m confident I could make them an offer they couldn’t refuse. Leave that side of things to me. Just find what we’re looking for first, but avoid stirring up a hornets’ nest. Is that quite clear?’

  They both nodded. It was.

  * * *

  Anna was able to squeeze in a weekend with her mum and dad in Bristol before heading off to Tuscany in early September and, inevitably, she faced the usual inquisition about her plans for the future, chief of which being the prospect of grandchildren as far as her mum was concerned. As usual, Anna sought to downplay her expectations.

  ‘I don’t know how they did it in your day, Mum, but I really need to find a man first, and there’s no sign of one of those at the moment.’ She ground to a halt, dreading what would come next. Last time she had come down to Bristol, her mum had set her up on a blind date with the son of her hairstylist and it hadn’t gone well – principally, but not exclusively, because he just wouldn’t shut up. Over the course of the evening she had received a blow-by-blow account of the latest developments in virt
ually every soap opera on television, many of which she had never even heard of, let alone watched. Needless to say, there hadn’t been a second date.

  ‘You remember the Barkers, don’t you?’

  ‘Our old neighbours when we lived in Bedminster? Yes, of course. You’ve always stayed in touch with Mrs Barker, haven’t you?’

  ‘That’s right, and you’ll remember little Toby, won’t you?’

  ‘Yes… vaguely. A gangly boy a couple of years older than me who spent all his time playing video games, as a I recall. Why? Have you seen him?’

  ‘As you know, I meet up with his mother from time to time and she’s always asking after you. She was telling me little Toby’s doing very well for himself. I always thought he was a nice boy.’

  ‘Not exactly a boy anymore, Mum. Toby must be over thirty now, just like I’ll be before too long. And he was asking after me? I haven’t seen or heard a word from him since they moved away. I was probably only nine or ten then and an awful lot can change in twenty years. Please don’t tell me you’ve fixed me up with him.’

  Her mum shuffled guiltily in her seat but she wasn’t giving up easily. ‘I had coffee with his mother last week and she told me he’s got his own company and he employs almost a hundred people now. He’s really gone up in the world. Anyway, he knows you’re home this weekend and he said he’d like to take you out for dinner tomorrow. That would be nice, wouldn’t it…?’ Her mum was looking hopeful, but Anna immediately smelt a rat.

  ‘Just exactly when did he say that, Mum?’

  ‘Last night on the phone.’

  ‘Toby called here? Out of the blue after twenty years?’

  Her mother had the decency to look a little shamefaced. ‘Well, if you really want to know, I just happened to call his mother about something and I must have mentioned you were coming home. She told him, and he called me with the invitation. He gave me his phone number. Here…’ She brandished a slip of paper.

  Anna sighed inwardly and took a big mouthful of tea to prevent herself from snapping back at her mum. When all was said and done, she wouldn’t really mind going out tomorrow night, even if it was with her former next-door neighbour – as long as he, too, didn’t turn out to be obsessed with the TV. It would make a break from sitting here in the front room with her mum, being reminded of all her childhood foibles and troubles. Besides, it wouldn’t hurt to keep Toby’s mother sweet – for her mum’s sake. Now that her mother had retired and her dad was still working and spending most of his free time on the golf course, it was clear that she often felt a bit lonely. Anna swallowed hard, took the piece of paper with the phone number, and did her best to keep her voice even.

  ‘All right, I’ll give him a ring. But please don’t start going out and buying bridal magazines. Okay?’

  * * *

  Toby came to pick her up the following night in a very swish Mercedes and Anna realised if she had passed him in the street she wouldn’t have recognised him. Admittedly they had both been kids when she had last seen him and that had been the best part of twenty years ago, so maybe it wasn’t so surprising the tall, handsome man who knocked on the door didn’t immediately look familiar. As so often when confronted by a good-looking man, she almost clammed up, but she took a deep breath and forced herself to smile sweetly.

  ‘Hi, Toby? It’s good to see you again after so long. I don’t think I would have recognised you.’ He was now over six foot so surely even her mother – who was no doubt peering around the edge of the curtains from an upstairs window at this very moment – could hardly refer to him as ‘Little Toby’ any longer.

  ‘Hi, Anna.’ Although unlikely to be in her league when it came to shyness, she was reassured to see that he also appeared to be a bit uncomfortable and she took heart. She registered that he was looking very smart in a lovely light-blue linen shirt and sand-coloured chinos, and a sudden doubt assailed her.

  ‘We’re not going anywhere posh, are we?’ She was wearing the only dress she had brought to Bristol with her. Over the years she had grown so used to jeans and T-shirts that she had precious few ‘special’ clothes, even back in the little flat she shared in London.

  He shook his head. ‘No, it’s just a country pub. It’s not the least bit posh. Besides, you look great as you are.’ If he was acting he was doing it very well and her confidence received a little boost. ‘I love the dress, and the hairstyle. It really suits you.’

  She found herself reaching up with her fingers to run them through her short hair, her cheeks flushing as they always did in response to compliments. ‘Well, if you’re sure I’m presentable enough.’

  ‘Absolutely. I don’t go out very often and I wasn’t sure what sort of place you’d like, but if the pub doesn’t suit, just say and we can go somewhere else.’

  Anna began to relax as they set off. It hadn’t been the easiest of openings to a conversation but at least she felt she had managed not to sound too clueless. She had to admit that he was looking really good. His lush dark hair had been trimmed and styled and his designer stubble suited him. There was no doubt he had morphed from shy youth into a handsome man, but she was encouraged to see that maybe there was still a little bit of shyness left. This realisation did wonders for her self-confidence. Normally she was the nervous one in these situations.

  The pub was lovely: old, atmospheric and panoramic, situated outside Bristol on the edge of the Mendip Hills. Their table was right by the window, and from there they could gaze out over beautiful gardens to what looked like an old deer park and beyond. In the distance, laid out as flat as a pancake, were the fields and rivers of the Somerset Levels, and the setting sun bathed the whole scene in a charming rosy glow. Anna gave a little whistle of appreciation.

  ‘What a gorgeous place! I didn’t even know it existed.’

  He looked relieved. ‘Do you really like it? I’ve been here a few times and the view never fails to surprise me.’

  ‘I thought you said you didn’t go out much.’ She found it unexpectedly easy to tease him.

  ‘Sorry, I meant I don’t go out socially. I sometimes bring people here for work – you know, important clients and so on.’

  ‘So you don’t make a habit of bringing girls here?’ She was delighted how naturally she was managing to talk to him. So often in these circumstances she would find herself sitting mutely, desperately hoping the floor would open up and swallow her whole.

  His cheeks actually flushed for a second or two as he shook his head. ‘Not at all. Like I say, I don’t go out very often.’

  ‘That surprises me.’ And it did. Anna felt sure there must be a whole heap of women who would like nothing more than to be whisked around in a Mercedes and wined and dined by a lovely man like Toby in a charming old place like this.

  ‘I’ve been far too busy.’

  This was a bit hard to believe but then, she reflected, if he had built up a business employing a hundred people as her mother had said, maybe it was the truth after all. She shot him a little smile.

  ‘All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.’ No sooner had she uttered the words than she regretted them as she saw him blush and drop his eyes. ‘Not that you’re dull, Toby. Not in the slightest. I’m really enjoying this evening.’ Somehow this vulnerability in a man who had so much going for him was very endearing and she reached across to give his hand a reassuring tap with her fingers. Touching him felt remarkably good. ‘And I’m grateful you’ve made time for me.’

  She was pleased to see a smile back on his face. ‘It’s my pleasure. Anyway, what about you, Anna? I was half expecting to hear you might be married by now.’

  She shook her head. ‘Me, married? You maybe know I’m a geologist. I work for a mining company and spend half my life either in hotels or aircraft or stuck down some hole in the ground. Not exactly rich pickings when it comes to forming meaningful relationships.’ She thought it best to turn the subject away from her non-existent love life. ‘Tell me about your work. Mum says business is booming. Just
what exactly is it you do?’ She really was finding she could speak to him almost as easily as with Charlie. As far as first dates were concerned – if this was indeed a date – this was a real rarity for her. Maybe it was because her subconscious remembered him from way back or maybe because he sounded almost as timid as she was.

  ‘Computer software – principally database and cloud-engineered software, if that means anything to you.’ Her blank expression must have been all too evident. ‘We help companies with digital transformation.’ This didn’t help either and it must have shown, so he just smiled. ‘Computery stuff.’

  ‘Ah, right… computery stuff, I know exactly what you mean. Sounds fascinating.’ She didn’t mean to sound ironic, but he grinned anyway.

  ‘It probably sounds as boring as sin to most people, but to me and the team it really is exciting – and profitable. What’s life like as a geologist?’

  Anna gave him a quick rundown of the sorts of metals for which she and Charlie were being sent all over the globe and he appeared genuinely interested. When she started telling him some of her horror stories about some of the uncomfortable or even downright scary incidents she had suffered, she saw him shudder.

  He insisted on ordering bottle of very good white Burgundy and when it arrived, he raised his glass and held it out towards her.

  ‘Cheers, Anna. It’s really great to see you again. I mean that.’

  ‘I’m really glad I came. Thank you for inviting me.’ And she also meant it. She clinked her glass against his and reflected that it was so refreshing to find a good-looking man who wasn’t full of himself for once, and even more refreshing that she was actually able to converse with him rather than stammer and blush. ‘It’s good to see you again after so long, and somehow I get the feeling this is going to be a memorable meal.’