‘Yes, much too nice.’ Cesca leaned forward and started scrubbing harder, until her fingers felt raw.
‘You know, if you really do need to go home, can we at least agree that you stay until the weekend?’ Gabi asked. ‘Signor Carlton is having a small party, and I’ll need your help to organise everything.’
‘A party?’ Cesca asked, weakly. ‘Does Sam know about that? I thought he wanted to keep his whereabouts quiet.’
‘Oh, there’s always a party at this time of year. It’s the festival, you see. Signora Carlton loves to entertain, and then take her guests down to the beach and watch the fireworks on the lake.’
‘I see.’ It sounded beautiful. A few days ago she would have been excited at the prospect. But now it felt as flat as everything else surrounding her.
‘Please tell me you’ll stay. Sandro can drive you to the airport the very next day, I promise. But it will be so useful to have your help, and I’d be so grateful for it.’
Gabi took Cesca’s hand, squeezing it tightly, as her face lit up with expectation.
‘I guess it might take that long to book the flight any way . . . ’
‘Yes!!’ Gabi gave her a hug. ‘Thank you so much. You’re a lifesaver, you really are. I’ll let Signora Carlton know that you’re going to help.’
Giving her a small smile, Cesca went back to her work, scrubbing the floor with a vengeance.
A few more days, and then she could fly home. She could make it that long, couldn’t she?
‘So what’s your next project?’ Foster’s voice boomed across the table. They were all sitting around on the wooden deck overlooking the beach. As the family ate the feast Gabi had prepared for them, Sandro walked around topping up their wine glasses.
‘The last Summer Breeze movie,’ Sam replied. ‘We start filming in October.’
‘That’s a strange time to film a summer movie,’ Izzy said. ‘Shouldn’t you be doing it now?’
‘It’s pretty warm in LA in October,’ Sam pointed out. ‘And it’s amazing what they can do with effects. The main challenge will be for me not to shiver every time I run out of the ocean. If I can do that, we should be good.’
Izzy and Sienna giggled, and he shot them a wink.
‘I expect you’ll be pleased those films are over,’ Foster remarked. ‘It wasn’t your best idea, signing up for those. They’re not exactly art, are they?’
Sam felt himself bristle. ‘A lot of people enjoy them,’ he replied. ‘And who are we to say what art is, anyway?’
‘I can tell you what it isn’t,’ Foster replied, with a laugh. ‘It’s not staring at some topless guy in the sea, which is all your fans want to do.’
Sam took another mouthful of risotto. It was tasteless and gloopy now. For a moment he longed to be sitting in the kitchen, scooping up pasta as he talked with Cesca. Was it really only a couple of days since they did that?
‘Stop it, Foster,’ Lucia chided. ‘Sam did wonderfully well to get that role. You know he hates it when you tease him.’
Sam stayed silent, not wanting to rob his mother of her innocence. If Foster only teased him, Sam could have quite happily taken it.
‘What’s on the plan after that?’ Izzy asked.
‘I’m not sure yet. I might leave Hollywood for a while. I’m getting sick of the circus there.’
Her face lit up. ‘Maybe you could come home to London, we’ve missed you so much. You could stay with us for a while.’
There followed a moment of pleading from all the Carlton females. Sam shivered at the thought of moving back home. At least he had his independence – he could thank Summer Breeze for that.
‘I don’t know, Izz. I’ll have to see what happens. It’s always easier to be in America when there are auditions and stuff.’ Plus it was thousands of miles from Foster. That was another bonus.
‘We’ll get him back somehow, won’t we, Mama?’ Izzy said. ‘Even if we have to use our female persuasion.’
‘Of course we will, darling,’ Lucia replied. ‘He’s been away for far too long.’
Later that evening, after Foster had holed himself up in the library, and his sisters were watching a movie, Sam went looking for Cesca. He hadn’t seen her all day, and had the distinct impression she was avoiding him after their discussion the previous night.