with nerves – because tonight meant more than just the guesthouse opening. She’d vowed to herself that at the party, she’d tell her family she and Matteo were leaving, and that they weren’t exactly sure when they would be coming back.
‘I’ve been so looking forward to this,’ Evie said. ‘I haven’t seen anything he’s done, so it’ll all be a surprise. I intended to pop in, see how Martin was getting on, but, well, as you know, there’s been quite a lot going on lately, hasn’t there?’
‘Are you feeling OK about it all?’ Anna asked.
‘Yes.’ She nodded.
‘It’s a lot of change.’
‘I know. And it’s the end of an era, so of course I have some mixed feelings about that. But it’s also a new start for me, Anna – and I need that. This idea you’ve had – about me taking over the ice cream shop – well, it’s just given me a surge of energy. I thought by closing my shop I’d be moving further away from Vivien, all my memories of her. Instead, I’m getting even closer. It’s an honour, really. I can’t wait to get started.’
‘I’m so happy – and of course Imogen is too,’ Anna said. ‘I can’t think of anyone more perfect for the job.’
‘It’s going to be a steep learning curve, though,’ Evie said, laughing. ‘I’ve never made an ice cream in my life.’
‘If Imogen can learn it,’ Anna whispered to Evie conspiratorially, ‘you’ll have no problems. Believe me.’
‘And you, Matteo and Bella – off to Sorrento. You must be counting the days.’
‘I am.’ Anna said. ‘But it doesn’t feel real yet. I think it will after tonight. Once I’ve told everybody.’
‘Of course,’ Evie said, sympathetically. ‘But after that, well, you won’t look back. I’m certain of it. It’s one of the most beautiful places in the world, the Amalfi coast. Intoxicating.’
‘Have you ever been tempted to go back there?’ Anna asked.
‘Oh, I did, once,’ Evie answered. ‘Just once.’ Her eyes glazed over slightly as she said it. ‘Look, here we are,’ she said, pointing at the house.
‘The Elderberry Guesthouse,’ Anna said.
‘What a lovely sign.’
Anna looked at the ceramic sign with the guesthouse name on it, recognised her father’s handiwork right away and felt a wave of pride.
‘I think it’s time to join the party,’ she said, pushing the front door open.
Anna and Evie stepped inside. What had once been Vivien’s hallway and study had been transformed into an elegant reception area, filled with lively guests drinking wine. The living room had been decluttered, and new, mid-century furniture brought in, but the shelves remained full of Vivien’s books and her favourite armchair – upholstered in green velvet – was still over by the bay window, where it had always been. Anna pictured how Vivien had looked sitting in that chair, Hepburn in her lap as the two of them had talked over tea and Anna’s homemade cake. It felt for a moment as if she were there at the party with all of them.
Anna looked around at the new framed photos on the walls, some of Imogen’s prints, and then old photos of their family and friends: Vivien in a full-skirted 1950s dress in front of her shop; standing hand in hand with Evie on the pier, both holding umbrellas; and her treasured black-and-white wedding photo, with Stanley, outside Brighton Town Hall, in the late 1950s.
In the living room were stills from Vivien’s favourite films –
Roman Holiday
,
Breakfast at Tiffany’s
,
Casablanca
.
‘Oh, look at this, Evie,’ Anna said. She pointed at a large map of Sorrento and Capri.
‘Hello, you two,’ Imogen called out. She was carrying trays of canapés through for the guests congregating in the living room. ‘Oh, yes, I found that one folded up in the bureau drawer – nice, isn’t it?’
‘Lovely,’ Evie said. Something passed across her face, and her gaze lingered on the map for a while.
Anna looked through to the living room, where Martin and
‘I’ve been so looking forward to this,’ Evie said. ‘I haven’t seen anything he’s done, so it’ll all be a surprise. I intended to pop in, see how Martin was getting on, but, well, as you know, there’s been quite a lot going on lately, hasn’t there?’
‘Are you feeling OK about it all?’ Anna asked.
‘Yes.’ She nodded.
‘It’s a lot of change.’
‘I know. And it’s the end of an era, so of course I have some mixed feelings about that. But it’s also a new start for me, Anna – and I need that. This idea you’ve had – about me taking over the ice cream shop – well, it’s just given me a surge of energy. I thought by closing my shop I’d be moving further away from Vivien, all my memories of her. Instead, I’m getting even closer. It’s an honour, really. I can’t wait to get started.’
‘I’m so happy – and of course Imogen is too,’ Anna said. ‘I can’t think of anyone more perfect for the job.’
‘It’s going to be a steep learning curve, though,’ Evie said, laughing. ‘I’ve never made an ice cream in my life.’
‘If Imogen can learn it,’ Anna whispered to Evie conspiratorially, ‘you’ll have no problems. Believe me.’
‘And you, Matteo and Bella – off to Sorrento. You must be counting the days.’
‘I am.’ Anna said. ‘But it doesn’t feel real yet. I think it will after tonight. Once I’ve told everybody.’
‘Of course,’ Evie said, sympathetically. ‘But after that, well, you won’t look back. I’m certain of it. It’s one of the most beautiful places in the world, the Amalfi coast. Intoxicating.’
‘Have you ever been tempted to go back there?’ Anna asked.
‘Oh, I did, once,’ Evie answered. ‘Just once.’ Her eyes glazed over slightly as she said it. ‘Look, here we are,’ she said, pointing at the house.
‘The Elderberry Guesthouse,’ Anna said.
‘What a lovely sign.’
Anna looked at the ceramic sign with the guesthouse name on it, recognised her father’s handiwork right away and felt a wave of pride.
‘I think it’s time to join the party,’ she said, pushing the front door open.
Anna and Evie stepped inside. What had once been Vivien’s hallway and study had been transformed into an elegant reception area, filled with lively guests drinking wine. The living room had been decluttered, and new, mid-century furniture brought in, but the shelves remained full of Vivien’s books and her favourite armchair – upholstered in green velvet – was still over by the bay window, where it had always been. Anna pictured how Vivien had looked sitting in that chair, Hepburn in her lap as the two of them had talked over tea and Anna’s homemade cake. It felt for a moment as if she were there at the party with all of them.
Anna looked around at the new framed photos on the walls, some of Imogen’s prints, and then old photos of their family and friends: Vivien in a full-skirted 1950s dress in front of her shop; standing hand in hand with Evie on the pier, both holding umbrellas; and her treasured black-and-white wedding photo, with Stanley, outside Brighton Town Hall, in the late 1950s.
In the living room were stills from Vivien’s favourite films –
Roman Holiday
,
Breakfast at Tiffany’s
,
Casablanca
.
‘Oh, look at this, Evie,’ Anna said. She pointed at a large map of Sorrento and Capri.
‘Hello, you two,’ Imogen called out. She was carrying trays of canapés through for the guests congregating in the living room. ‘Oh, yes, I found that one folded up in the bureau drawer – nice, isn’t it?’
‘Lovely,’ Evie said. Something passed across her face, and her gaze lingered on the map for a while.
Anna looked through to the living room, where Martin and
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