Dante's Unexpected Legacy(12)

                ‘No, darling. She told me I wasn’t quite as good at reading stories as Mummy, but otherwise settled down fairly well, and went off happy to school this morning. So do stop worrying. Enjoy yourself.’

                Reassured, Rose had a brief rest on the bed, showered herself awake afterwards and changed the white tee for a navy polo shirt. When she saw Dante waiting for her in the foyer downstairs her unruly heart gave a thump as his eyes lit up at the sight of her. He was too good-looking by half, she thought resentfully as he took her hand.

                ‘You slept, Rose?’

                ‘I had a shower instead.’

                ‘So did I.’

                Since he was wearing a fresh shirt, his black curls were damp and he smelt delicious, Rose had already gathered that.

                ‘Where now?’ she asked as they left the hotel.

                ‘To look at shops, naturalmente!’

                Their first stop was on the Ponte Vecchio to look at the jewellery on display, but with her eyes popping at the prices Rose soon abandoned the jewellers for a shop selling silk ties.

                ‘You want a gift for the boyfriend?’ asked Dante.

                Tempted to lie and say yes, she shook her head. ‘For Tom, Charlotte’s father.’ She pointed to one in cream-dotted bronze silk. ‘What do you think?’

                ‘A good choice. What will you buy your mother?’

                ‘I think I’ll go for one of these silk scarves. Which do you fancy?’

                Dante pointed to one in colours similar to the tie. ‘That one, yes?’

                Rose was very pleased with her purchases, sure she would have paid a lot more without Dante’s help. Later, window-gazing at designer clothes in the Via da Tornabuoni, they spent fantastic pretend fortunes on a wardrobe for her before Dante took her to the Piazza della Repubblica to browse through La Rinascente, a department store where Rose could have spent hours.

                ‘Next time stay longer and linger here as long as you wish. Also explore the Palazzo Pitti and the Tivoli Gardens,’ Dante told her. ‘But now, if you are not too tired, let us walk to Santa Croce to visit the Bar Vivoli Gelateria. The best ice cream in the world is made there.’

                ‘An offer I can’t resist!’ She laughed up at him and saw his eyes light up. ‘What?’

                ‘At last you laugh! For a moment I saw the younger Rose again.’

                The smile faded. ‘A fleeting illusion, Dante.’

                Their progress was slow on the way to the Vivoli due to the lure of the small shops in the Santa Croce area. In one of them Rose spotted attractive plaques in papier mâché painted with vegetables and bought a pair for her mother and Tom. ‘They both love gardening, and these will be light enough to stow in my suitcase.’

                He smiled. ‘You have done much shopping for others, but nothing for yourself.’

                ‘I don’t need anything,’ she assured him. She felt guilty enough about spending Fabio’s money as it was. ‘I’ll settle for this ice cream you promised.’

                At the Bar Vivoli Rose rolled her eyes in ecstasy when she tasted her strawberry ice cream. ‘It’s gorgeous—aren’t you having any, Dante?’