at her but she only smiled.
'I would like your opinion,' she said smoothly, 'on those profiteroles. They are supposed to have quite a name for them here…'
'Oh, er,' I stammered, wondering if I ought to pretend I was full from politeness.
Adriana overrode my embarrassment by interrogating the captain on the cream and insisting on inspecting it herself. Not knowing what the hell profiteroles were I was a bit lost and waited till all our fates were decided. They turned out to be little chocolate things that tended to vanish when you bit.
You have to admire a woman like her. Instead of being mortified by this shabby moron whaling his way through platefuls, she blossomed and funnily enough raised her voice, almost showing off. She seemed to take a curious delight in supervising what was going on. I suspected afterwards she was just covering up so I wouldn't feel bad on her account, though at the time I was just a bit surprised because I'd never seen her so animated. If I hadn't known I was a proven liability I'd almost have believed she was enjoying being with me. Like I say, women are odd. Over coffee I tried to apologize in case I'd put her off her grub. I'd just been so hungry.
She smiled. 'Not in the least.'
'You never have much.' As I said it I realized the mistake. It meant I'd ogled her every mouthful whenever she dined. 'Sorry.'
'Don't apologize. I never really enjoy mealtimes.'
A message to cut and run? 'Erm, I think I'd better be getting along…'
'I've ordered coffee,' she commanded. 'I'd like you to try our famous liqueur. Sambuca isn't to everyone's palate, but I'm told…'
She insisted we finish the wine and asked where I was living.
I said, 'Over in a small street near the Castel Sant' Angelo,' but I was trying to work it out. If Piero had followed me to that hotel when I'd visited that lady tourist, and reported back to Adriana, why didn't she know where I lived?
'Is it satisfactory?'
'It's free.' Another mistake, possibly implying resentment at being fastened on her financial chain. Her colour heightened. I could have kicked myself. 'I meant it's okay.'
She gathered her handbag then, in a glitter of emerald and gold. Dinner was over.
Minions panted up, quivering. She said, 'I'm afraid I shall have to ask you to drive.'
'Me? That big thing?'
'No. Something much smaller. The Rolls is… in use. Can you manage…?'
She meant was I tipsy.
An army of waiters leapt to drag our chairs away. We processed out of the restaurant, Adriana sweeping ahead and me following.
The car was the same longish low job. Adriana passed me the keys. All fingers and thumbs, I made a pig's ear of opening the doors, and once in I took a fortnight finding the controls. Adriana said nothing, just laid her head back on the headrest and closed her eyes until we got going. Then she opened her eyes and from then on simply directed, telling me only left or right and saying nothing else.
It came on to rain after some twenty minutes. We were on a major carriageway. Quite a lot of traffic was about though it thinned as we turned off on to a smaller road. I had no idea where we were. She never said where we were heading, though when the city ended and the countryside seemed to rise, and the road with it, I began to wonder.
Possibly they had two houses, and her husband had some business out of the city.
Our drive through the rain took maybe an hour or just a little less. We pulled in to the gateway of a villa. It was lit by an outside ornamental lantern so presumably somebody was home and waiting up for her. Lights of a couple of other villas were visible not too far off. I couldn't see for rain and dark, but gained an impression of palms and paths leading off a patio into a garden.
I waited, thinking, now what do we do? It was a hell of a way back, and by now so late I doubted if a taxi would make the journey out this far.
'You'll have to come in,' she said. 'No sense in sitting here.'
We ran up the few marble steps into the shelter of the porch. Dashing in the rain always makes me smile. I noticed she used keys instead of ringing. I stood feeling full of doubts while she clicked the door open and went in shaking her hair like they do.
She had hall lights on before she realized I was still dithering in the porch. Her shoulders drooped as if with exasperation.
'Lovejoy.' She didn't even turn round.
'Yes, signora?'
'You now come in.'
'Erm, thank you.' I stepped inside. She still hadn't turned.
'And now you close the door behind you.“
'Right.' I did as she said, feeling a twerp. 'Look, signora,' I said doubtfully. 'About my, erm, getting back
She turned then. I couldn't tell whether she was laughing or crying. 'Lovejoy,' she said.
'I don't believe you're real.'
* * *
She said the same thing again during the night. It must have been about three o'clock in the morning. I was across in the bathroom. She came from the bedroom and stood wobbling sleepily in the doorway.
