to use her first name, or that she was buying his house, or was it about the possibility that they would see more of each other as a result of being neighbours? Though they had originally met under strained circumstances, she now felt sure she would like to see more of him – and not just because of his friendly dog – though she would have to be careful not to let things get too intimate. It would be awful if his wife were to react as Virginia had reacted when they had first met. The last thing Lucy wanted was a jealous woman living next door to her. So, she told herself sternly, she would do well to add David Lorenzo to the list of men with whom she knew she should never get involved. This simplified life, but she couldn’t help a feeling of disappointment.
Chapter 11
Back at home, she made herself a sandwich and spent the afternoon out in the relative cool provided by the shade of the loggia. After a little snooze, she picked up her history book once more. She had been reading it bit by bit and she was now well into the turbulent history of this region and the regular squabbles, or worse, between Siena and its neighbours – most notably Florence – but also wars that involved larger powers such as Spain and even the Holy Roman Emperor, based far to the north in Bohemia. The Middle Ages and the Renaissance had been a time of great cultural achievements in the little republic, but also the time when so many fortresses and watchtowers had been built. There was no doubt the castle here had been designed with defence in mind. It was just a shame so little was known about it.
Her reading was interrupted by a knock at the front door. She closed her book and went over to the balustrade to look down onto the road. It was the elderly lady she had met on her first day here. Lucy gave her a little wave.
‘Buonasera, Signora Bianchi.’
‘Ah, there you are, Lucy. I’ve brought you a little housewarming present.’
Lucy hurried down and opened the door to find Signora Bianchi carrying an unlabelled wine bottle.
‘Here, Lucy, I’ve been meaning to give it to you for weeks and weeks now, but I keep forgetting.’ She smiled ruefully. ‘I’m afraid I forget a lot of things these days.’
Lucy took the bottle from her and thanked her profusely. ‘Can I offer you a cup of coffee, or tea, maybe?’
‘That’s very kind of you. If you’re sure it’s no trouble, I’d love to try a cup of real English tea if you have one. I went to London many years ago and I still remember the tea I had there.’
‘Of course, and do sit down, Signora Bianchi.’ Lucy gestured to a chair.
‘Please call me Margherita. Everybody in the village calls me Margherita.’ She sat down at the kitchen table while Lucy filled the kettle. ‘You’ve got this place looking so welcoming. It’s good to see it lived in once again. It’s been empty since the war, you know.’
‘That’s what Armando told me. You know… Armando from the villa.’
‘Of course I know Armando. I know everybody around here.’
‘Have you lived here long?’
‘Eighty-seven years, my dear. I was born here and I have no doubt I’ll die here.’
As Lucy put the kettle on, a thought occurred to her. ‘Can you tell me anything about the castle up by the villa? I’m interested in history, you see, and I’m trying to find out about it.’
Margherita shook her head slowly. ‘Not very much. You know it’s ruined, I suppose? All I know is that when I was a little girl, my grandfather used to call it the Englishman’s castle, but I never did find out why he called it that.’
Lucy registered the information. That really was interesting and it just stimulated her historical appetite to find out more. While the kettle came to the boil, she dug in a cupboard for a packet of biscuits and put them on the table alongside the wine bottle Margherita had brought. It was only then that she realised that this didn’t contain wine after all. The stopper was a small, wedge-shaped cork that barely sealed the top. She picked the bottle up, held it against the light of the window and tilted it, realising that it was full of oil, no doubt precious extra virgin olive oil. Setting it down again she returned her attention