Whisked Away by the Italian Tycoon

The sound of someone clearing their throat caused them both to turn, the moment broken as a woman stepped forward, an apologetic smile on her face.

She started to speak, the Indian language of familiar cadence to Emily, but she had never learnt it and now it was her turn to smile apologetically as she shook her head and turned her hands up.

The woman pointed to the camera round Emily’s neck and then at herself before putting her palms together and holding them up in a gesture that clearly indicated ‘please’.

‘Of course.’ Emily smiled her understanding and took a few pictures of the smiling woman, including one with Luca.

With another beaming smile the woman left and Emily turned to Luca, relieved that the interlude had hopefully eradicated the previous atmosphere. ‘I’ll develop the photos and give them to Samar.’ She glanced at her watch. ‘We’d better head back for tea and cakes.’

Fifteen minutes later they sat in a cool white-walled room, decorated with family pictures, some clearly from a previous era, garlanded in fragrant chains of flowers. Samar had introduced his wife, Shamini, a slender petite woman with grey-streaked black hair and a serene smile.

‘These are delicious,’ Emily said as she bit into the sweet, crumbly round laddu.

‘Thank you. I am pleased you like them.’

‘Was your tour successful?’ Samar questioned.

‘Definitely,’ Emily said, and sudden heat touched her cheeks at a memory of being astride Luca’s shoulders. ‘We met one of your employees, a woman called Priya. She asked for a photograph of her and Luca. I’ll get it developed and send it to you for her if that’s OK.’

‘Of course.’ Samar nodded. ‘I too have a request. If you have time whilst you are here and Luca can spare you, would you perhaps take on an additional job, take some photos of the farm for our website?’

Emily hesitated, glanced down at her plate, picked up her cup of tea and put it down again as doubts pervaded. ‘Um...to be honest that isn’t my speciality. The pictures I took today are more for inspiration and ideas for Luca’s ad campaign and...’ And in truth she didn’t want to do it, could see Howard’s slow head-shake, the incredulous rise of an eyebrow that she was even considering it. It was one thing suggesting a few pictures of Luca for a website, but this was...an actual job. Plus Luca hadn’t taken her up on her offer—true, he’d explained why but...somehow insidious doubt crept in and there was Howard’s voice now. ‘Stick to what you know.’

Countered, she realised, by the very real and present voice of Luca. ‘That sounds right up your street, Emily.’ He turned to the couple. ‘Emily took some wonderful photos already and earlier today she came up with some amazing ideas for my website. I think she’ll do a great job.’

Now she was torn, between her inner doubts and pleasure at the endorsement. ‘Of course, I’d like to help,’ she said.

‘Excellent.’

Now Shamini beamed at her. ‘And I too have a request. Would you be able to take a family portrait for us to put on our wall? We have four children and eight grandchildren and we have no picture of us all.’

‘No problem.’ That she could do.

‘Thank you. We will, of course, pay you.’

Emily shook her head. ‘For the website pictures, sure, but I will not accept payment for the family photo. I feel like you have paid me in cakes.’

‘I can go one better than that.’ Shamini clapped her hands together. ‘You and Luca come with Samar and me to the local dance tonight. There is a performance by a visiting dance troupe and then it becomes a bit of a party.’

‘Um...’ Emily exchanged a quick glance with Luca, read in his gaze that, not only would it be impolite to refuse, but an evening in company would be much safer than a dinner à deux. A whole village would surely act as an effective chaperone. ‘That sounds marvellous.’ She took a deep breath. ‘Would it be OK if I got started on the website pictures now?’

‘Good idea,’ Samar said. ‘As long as Luca can spare you?’

Luca rose to his feet. ‘No problem. I’ll meet you back at the resort and we can walk down to the dance, grab some food on the way.’

* * *

Later that evening, Luca looked up as Emily approached the entrance to the resort, noted the lithe grace of her walk, and to his own chagrin his heart pitter-pattered at the sight of a woman he had seen mere hours before.

‘How was your day?’

They asked the question at the same time and she smiled, a smile that stopped him in his tracks. ‘You go first,’ she said.

Luca hesitated. In truth he’d spent his afternoon looking for clues as to what Jodi had done whilst on Jalpura. He’d secured a meeting with Pradesh Patankar, the royal representative, in two days’ time. The exchange of emails had been brief and to the point and all related to Luca’s request to apply for royal endorsement of his chocolate. There was no indication from Pradesh that the Petrovelli name was familiar, but perhaps that meant nothing. Perhaps the royal representative had simply assumed it was a common name, or a coincidence. Next Luca had gone to the hostel where Jodi had stayed, followed up his previous calls, but he’d drawn a complete blank. The proprietor thought he had a vague memory of Jodi, but given the volume of visitors he couldn’t even be sure of that.

‘Luca?’

He heard the concern in Emily’s voice and blinked, erased the frown from his forehead. ‘Sorry. I was thinking about work. I caught up with the office. And I have a meeting set up with the royal representative to discuss the endorsement.’