Marina explained to them that Turin and the whole region of Piemonte – which meant literally ‘at the foot of the mountains’ – was famous for its antipasti. Apparently, meals here could consist of as many as ten or even twenty different starters, before moving on to the next courses. After just a few small snacks on the flights, Emma was hungry, but not that hungry, and she opted to go for the antipasti first and reserve judgement on whether to have another course until she knew how much room she would have left after all the starters.
As it turned out, the answer to that was quite simple: none.
A succession of waiters began to appear at regular intervals bearing silver salvers, from which they deposited spoonfuls of food onto their plates. This entire process took almost an hour and by the end, Emma knew she was full. Finally, she sat back and tried to remember just what delicacies she had been served.
First there had been homemade Russian salad and a vast selection of salami and ham, then crostini: pieces of toasted bread covered with porcini mushrooms in a truffle sauce. This was followed by roast onions and slices of cotechino – a thick warm, boiled sausage accompanied by mashed potato – and then red peppers grilled and covered with a thick sauce made of anchovies and garlic. In spite of its potentially lethal-sounding ingredients, this sauce turned out to be exquisite. After that had come tomatoes stuffed with cheese and breadcrumbs, slices of veal in a tuna sauce, slices of tongue covered in a rich green parsley-based sauce, tiny round pieces of cheese, some topped with a spicy red sauce, others with a chunky green sauce made with parsley, garlic and olive oil and, finally, roast potatoes liberally smothered in gorgonzola.
Along with this feast, they ate the local breadsticks and she and Marina drank an amazing light red wine called Grignolino that fizzed as it landed in their glasses but then settled down almost immediately. Altogether, it was a wonderful introduction to the cuisine of this part of north-western Italy and Emma made a point of photographing the spread before them, determined to suggest incorporating a Piemontese meal in the film at some point. While anchovies and garlic maybe weren’t as romantic as oysters or caviar, the end result was that Emma felt pleasantly replete, her taste buds tickled and very definitely ready for bed. It did occur to her that it was just as well she would be sleeping alone. After all the garlic, she had a fair idea that her breath would probably be able to kill at a range of several feet. One thing was for sure – there would be no vampires in her room tonight.
She was particularly pleased to see Rich gradually begin to come out of his shell and start to enjoy the meal. He refused any wine, declaring himself quite happy with cold mineral water and Emma reflected that his abstinence might be good for her, too. Last time she had been in Italy as a student, she had definitely overdone it and she knew she needed to keep a clear head this time.
In the course of the meal, it also became quite clear to Emma that Marina found the tall, taciturn American really rather appealing and Emma found herself hoping nothing would develop between them that might endanger the success of this mission. The last thing she needed was a broken-hearted guide or two members of their little group refusing to talk to each other. She had always been very much against relationships within the workplace, but she decided not to say anything to either of them for now, resolving to keep a close eye on how their relationship was developing. At least, she told herself, it didn’t look as though Rich was too interested in allowing anything to develop anyway. That same rather bleak, detached air was still apparent from time to time and, while definitely sounding a bit more laid-back, he was still very reserved. Once again she resolved to do her best to help him along.
After the antipasti, she sat back and watched as tall Rich and diminutive Marina managed to put away helpings of four different types of pasta, ranging from agnolotti filled with mozzarella and basil to spaghetti in a rich, dark wild boar sauce. She resisted Marina’s attempts to get her to try a dessert of chestnut-based Castagnaccio tart accompanied by the chef’s homemade ice cream, but she did relent and have a couple of the silky-smooth Gianduia chocolates at the very end as she finished her glass of wine. She was mildly impressed to see that there was still wine left in the bottle. It looked as though Marina was also going slow on the booze which, considering she was the driver, boded well. All in all, it was an excellent first meal in Italy and she made a mental note to include some serious exercise in her daily regime or she was going to need a whole new wardrobe if she kept on eating like this.
As they were just about to head up to their rooms she remembered the historical advisor.
‘Marina, we’re going to need somebody who can advise on the historical aspects of all the places we’re visiting. Do you know anything about that?’
Marina nodded. ‘Yes, my boss called me earlier today. It’s all arranged. The guy’s tied up today but he’ll meet up with us tomorrow or Sunday down by the coast, if that’s all right with you. He’ll then stay for as long as you want him.’
‘That’ll be fine. We don’t really need a historical expert for our trip into the mountains tomorrow anyway, do we? Can you tell me anything about him?’
‘All I know is that he’s called Mark and he’s half-English.’
‘And he’s an expert in Italian history?’
‘Apparently. He lives here in Italy, somewhere in Tuscany, I think. Don’t worry, he’ll be fine, I’m sure. He’s a close personal friend of my boss, Gianluca, and I know he’ll vouch for him.’
‘Have you worked with him before?’
‘No, but he comes highly recommended.’
Emma crossed her fingers all the same.
Chapter 4
Saturday dawned bright and clear. So clear in fact that from her room on the fourth floor, Emma had an unbroken view of the stunning crescent of the Alps that ringed the city to the west and north. The distant snow-clad peaks stood out in stark contrast against the deep cerulean blue of the sky. Although a hazy cap of dirty air lay over the city itself, the sky in the distance was clear and she felt sure she should be able to get some good photos today.
Breakfast was a buffet affair, but Emma limited herself to some fresh fruit salad, a warm croissant and a wonderful cappuccino. There was just one problem: there was no sign of Richard. She and Marina waited for him until it was almost nine o’clock and then Emma went up to his room. She tapped on the door and waited for almost a minute until she heard a croaky voice from inside.
‘Yes, who is it?’
‘It’s me… Emma. Are you up, Rich?’
There was a rattling and the door was pulled open. It was dark in his room, the curtains still drawn together, but she could clearly see that he was only wearing a pair of boxers. She took a couple of steps backwards.
‘Everything okay, Rich? It’s nine o’clock and we were supposed to meet up half an hour ago. Marina and I were getting worried.’
He looked shell-shocked and for a moment the thought even passed through her head that he might be stoned. But his response was heartening. He suddenly straightened up, ran his hands though his hair, and glanced back at the bedside table.
‘Shit, I forgot to set the alarm on my phone.’ He looked back up at her. ‘Look, Emma, I’m really sorry. I’ll be down in twenty, I promise. I’m so, so sorry.’