damned sight easier to do that than to go through the horrors of separation and all it would involve.
She leaned against the parapet and breathed in the evening air. Of the Italian lakes, was this her favourite? Como was much smaller, hemmed in by the mountains, but it had its own charm and Maggiore with its islands and flowers was magnificent but Lake Garda and its position close to Verona and Venice, again rating amongst her favourite cities in the whole world, was special.
‘Good to be back, eh?’ Henry appeared at her side, his hand circling her waist. He had drunk a little too much of the very good wine he had chosen, more than she had anyway, but he could hold his drink. ‘I hope you aren’t going to complain any more about the hotel. I like it and even you couldn’t complain about the food tonight. I thought it was exceptional.’
‘I don’t complain for the sake of it,’ she said. ‘But you’re right. It was a lovely meal.’
‘You look beautiful tonight and you smell gorgeous,’ he said, lifting her hair and nuzzling her neck. ‘I could see old Al eyeing you up.’
‘Don’t be ridiculous. He only has eyes for Paula.’
‘More fool him. You were the best-looking woman there tonight. By far.’
‘Was I?’ She laughed low, leaning her head against him. Compliments came easily to Henry, but they were always welcome whether or not he really meant them. ‘You don’t look so bad yourself for a middle-aged man.’
‘Less of that. I don’t feel middle-aged. To tell you the truth,sometimes these days I feel about a hundred.’
‘That’s work for you.’ Before the nuzzling became too intense, she turned and they went back inside their room. ‘You work too hard and there’s really no need for you to make all those trips to London when we have people there to look after things. You should be thinking about retiring, Henry.’
‘I’m only fifty-bloody-six. And what would I do if I retired? And don’t say play golf because I hate it. I only do it because it’s good for contacts.’
She glanced at him, knowing she had spoilt the mood, for it was true that he had no interests other than the business he had run successfully for the last twenty-five years or so. It was amazing it was going strong in these difficult financial times, but there were still an awful lot of people out there who could afford the small items of furniture and high-class collectibles that they showed and sold in their galleries dotted about the West Country. Henry imported the furniture from abroad, his contacts long established, and they could offer something different that appealed to their clients.
The Internet meant that their client base had broadened; people who returned when they were on the lookout for a difficult-to-find item. They had also attracted the eye of an excellent up-and-coming interior designer in London who now knew exactly where to come when she was on the lookout for a particular item for her clients. Eleanor considered it vulgar to name-drop, but she knew for a fact that a couple of wellknown actors had a few of their collectibles in their homes courtesy of this particular lady.
‘We should have a boardroom in the middle of the golf course for signing contracts,’ Henry went on in a grumbling tone. ‘The number of deals struck between the tenth and eleventh hole is unbelievable. Small-fry stuff admittedly but it all helps. For instance I persuaded Reggie Lord to take on that bloody awful frosted glass ashtray you found in that fleamarket in Caen. Who wants an ashtray these days? You can’t give them away, but he was more than happy to part with three hundred and we only paid a few euros, didn’t we?’
‘I know it was frightful but it had the name and the seller had no idea of the significance.’
‘Doesn’t that make you feel guilty?’
‘Why should it? I can’t be held responsible if people don’t do their research. I did tell you somebody would buy it. Let’s not talk about
She leaned against the parapet and breathed in the evening air. Of the Italian lakes, was this her favourite? Como was much smaller, hemmed in by the mountains, but it had its own charm and Maggiore with its islands and flowers was magnificent but Lake Garda and its position close to Verona and Venice, again rating amongst her favourite cities in the whole world, was special.
‘Good to be back, eh?’ Henry appeared at her side, his hand circling her waist. He had drunk a little too much of the very good wine he had chosen, more than she had anyway, but he could hold his drink. ‘I hope you aren’t going to complain any more about the hotel. I like it and even you couldn’t complain about the food tonight. I thought it was exceptional.’
‘I don’t complain for the sake of it,’ she said. ‘But you’re right. It was a lovely meal.’
‘You look beautiful tonight and you smell gorgeous,’ he said, lifting her hair and nuzzling her neck. ‘I could see old Al eyeing you up.’
‘Don’t be ridiculous. He only has eyes for Paula.’
‘More fool him. You were the best-looking woman there tonight. By far.’
‘Was I?’ She laughed low, leaning her head against him. Compliments came easily to Henry, but they were always welcome whether or not he really meant them. ‘You don’t look so bad yourself for a middle-aged man.’
‘Less of that. I don’t feel middle-aged. To tell you the truth,sometimes these days I feel about a hundred.’
‘That’s work for you.’ Before the nuzzling became too intense, she turned and they went back inside their room. ‘You work too hard and there’s really no need for you to make all those trips to London when we have people there to look after things. You should be thinking about retiring, Henry.’
‘I’m only fifty-bloody-six. And what would I do if I retired? And don’t say play golf because I hate it. I only do it because it’s good for contacts.’
She glanced at him, knowing she had spoilt the mood, for it was true that he had no interests other than the business he had run successfully for the last twenty-five years or so. It was amazing it was going strong in these difficult financial times, but there were still an awful lot of people out there who could afford the small items of furniture and high-class collectibles that they showed and sold in their galleries dotted about the West Country. Henry imported the furniture from abroad, his contacts long established, and they could offer something different that appealed to their clients.
The Internet meant that their client base had broadened; people who returned when they were on the lookout for a difficult-to-find item. They had also attracted the eye of an excellent up-and-coming interior designer in London who now knew exactly where to come when she was on the lookout for a particular item for her clients. Eleanor considered it vulgar to name-drop, but she knew for a fact that a couple of wellknown actors had a few of their collectibles in their homes courtesy of this particular lady.
‘We should have a boardroom in the middle of the golf course for signing contracts,’ Henry went on in a grumbling tone. ‘The number of deals struck between the tenth and eleventh hole is unbelievable. Small-fry stuff admittedly but it all helps. For instance I persuaded Reggie Lord to take on that bloody awful frosted glass ashtray you found in that fleamarket in Caen. Who wants an ashtray these days? You can’t give them away, but he was more than happy to part with three hundred and we only paid a few euros, didn’t we?’
‘I know it was frightful but it had the name and the seller had no idea of the significance.’
‘Doesn’t that make you feel guilty?’
‘Why should it? I can’t be held responsible if people don’t do their research. I did tell you somebody would buy it. Let’s not talk about
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