Finding Love in Positano: an escapist, romantic read  

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If you haven’t visited Positano in Italy then take a trip with Marci James…

One summer in Italy might just change everything…

Marci James hasn’t had a holiday for five years. And now it’s finally her turn. Not one for sitting back and relaxing, she’s agreed to head to Positano and pack up her godfather, Richard’s antiques shop. Though she’s tasked with selling the remaining antiques first.

When she arrives, Marci quickly realises that the task is way more daunting than she imagined, and it isn’t long before Nico, one of her godfather’s family friends, offers to step up and lend a hand. As the two enjoy the Positano summer, and all that the Italian Riviera has to offer, Marci finally lets herself relax and begin to enjoy the company of her new Italian friend.

But Richard hasn’t just left his possessions behind, he left a secret, and Marci unwittingly stumbles across it. Will it break her heart after the happiest summer of her entire life?

 

READ CHAPTER ONE:

 

Marci James

Prologue

As I stare down at the postcard on the table, the picture is mesmerising. Three small boats are tied to a large wooden stake on an otherwise deserted beach that most people would consider to be a vision of paradise. In the foreground, it’s easy to imagine the photographer peering out from behind a clump of vibrant greenery, eager to frame the shot to perfection. Beyond the white sand, the turquoise-blue water is crystal clear and far off on the horizon, the sea appears to melt seamlessly into the sky.
My brother, Guy, slowly turns the card over. The handwriting is instantly recognisable, but I can hardly believe my eyes.

My dearest Marci and Guy
Surprise – I’m in Thailand! Your indomitable godfather is on his travels and sending a long-distance hug. I’m standing here looking at this view right now and life doesn’t get any better. Giving you both a heads up that an important email will be winging its way to you shortly as I have some exciting news to share. Hope you and the family are all well. Sending much love – as always,
Richard

He finishes off with a smiley face drawn in the bottom righthand corner, but neither of us are smiling. Richard has lived on the Amalfi Coast in southern Italy for the last eighteen years and when I last spoke with him, a mere fortnight ago, there was no mention of him heading off on his travels. What is going on?

May

1. Drawing the Short Straw

‘Un-be-liev-able,’ Guy exclaims, exhaling slowly as he continues to stare at his phone. ‘Has Richard lost his mind?’
I’m still reading through our beloved godfather’s email, thinking much the same thing. Richard Havrington is one of the kindest, most thoughtful men I’ve ever met, but he’s a man who – even he would admit – enjoys a quiet, simple life. Albeit his style is different to most. The words I would use to describe him are flamboyant, fun and grounded – someone who has never believed the grass is greener on the other side of the fence.
‘He’s married?’ I gasp, staring across at Guy, who doesn’t seem to have reached that part of the email yet.
‘What?’ he replies, his finger scrolling down quickly and when he resumes reading again his jaw drops. ‘This is sheer madness, Marci. Why is this the first we’re hearing about it?’
I shrug my shoulders. ‘I have absolutely no idea why Richard decided to keep this a secret from us – it doesn’t make any sense.’
With two failed romances behind me, Richard was always just a phone call away. He was my listening ear and helped me to put things into perspective – even when my heart was broken. And he was the one Guy turned to when he had some pre-wedding nerves last summer, so for Richard to go off and secretly marry someone without even mentioning it, is completely out of character.
Richard was at boarding school with Dad and after university they were both drawn into the world of antiques. They set up a business together in an old warehouse situated at Gloucester Quays. When Richard suddenly announced that he was moving to Italy, it’s true to say that his decision came totally out of the blue. But it made sense at the time, because for two consecutive winters he’d ended up in hospital with pneumonia. The warmer climate was going to be beneficial for him and it paid off. At the time I was eleven years old, and Guy was about to turn sixteen. Saying goodbye to Richard was tough, he’d been around all of our lives, always present and supportive. As a bachelor, Richard had time for us when our parents were busy and sometimes he’d pick us up from school and treat us to a meal out.
Richard left a hole in our lives when he went, although the irony is that it drew Guy and Dad even closer together.
‘I’m not abandoning you, poppet – I promise to come back to see you all at least twice a year,’ Richard had stated quite firmly, the day before he flew out to begin his new life. ‘Your mum and dad will visit for holidays, and we’ll hire a couple of camper vans and meet up somewhere to discover the delights of Italy together.’
And, true to his word, every summer until Dad passed away just six years later, that’s what we did. We met up during the summer holidays and for two glorious weeks we travelled around in a little convoy. We toured large areas of Northern Italy together before our lives were suddenly turned upside down.
Losing Dad was devastating for us all, but especially hard on Mum and Guy, who had to shoulder the responsibility of the business while dealing with their grief. And my dream of working at Anvil & Anchor Antiques with Dad never came true, as it was another four years until I gained my degree and joined the team. Naturally, Richard took losing his closest friend very hard, not least because he didn’t get to say a final goodbye.
‘I know it’s a shock, and unexpected, Guy,’ I reply, trying to sound composed. ‘And I’m surprised he didn’t drop any hints when he was here in January. But now I think about it, when I met up with Richard in Rome last year, he was a little preoccupied even back then. One of the contacts I was due to visit was based in Genzano, about twenty-five miles away, and when I mentioned that to Richard, he insisted on driving me. He’d always wanted to visit the town during the flower festival, and he told me it was on his bucket list. There were moments when I felt there was something he wanted to tell me but kept putting it off. Maybe he was already thinking of closing the shop before Angela even appeared in his life.’
‘Hmm. And the bucket list? He’s only sixty-two,’ Guy points out.
‘You can have a bucket list no matter what your age, Guy. I have one – whether I’ll ever get to tick everything off is another matter entirely.’
‘Aren’t you a little young for that?’ he quizzes me.
That remark makes me smile. Being five years older than me, at the age of thirty-four Guy pretty much still focuses on each day as it comes. Each to their own, as they say!
‘He was really excited about visiting Genzano, though, and it was awesome. During the festival, the Main Street is entirely carpeted with flowers. The town is on the edge of a volcanic lake called Lago di Nemi, so the views are stunning. Among the tiny alleyways and cobbled streets, we discovered that wonderful haul of eighteenth-century wooden doors. Do you remember them?’
‘I do. We could have sold them several times over, in fact.’
Despite the fond memories, I find myself biting my lip anxiously. Richard would say if his health was failing, wouldn’t he? It’s hard not to dwell on the years we didn’t have with Dad. If he had known how little time he had left, would he have done something totally out of character? Like dragging us all off to Saint Lucia, for the holiday of a lifetime he’d always talked about?
‘You think he’s going through a bit of a… what would you call it? Late-life crisis?’ Guy continues.
‘It’s easy for us to sit here and try to second guess what’s happening, but what if he’s finally found the one, after all these years?’
‘Fine, if he’d flown his lady love over to meet us all. But he’s in Thailand. With his wife. And now he’s asking one of us to head over to Positano to close his business down and sell off his things. It’s bizarre and I refuse to be a party to it. What if this woman is simply after his money?’
‘Her name is Angela, Guy, it says so in the email. Perhaps she was on holiday when they met and the attraction between them was instant, who knows?’
I can’t help but stick up for Richard and hope that he has simply found happiness. Richard has been my go-to person ever since Dad died. Mum was distraught, but she had to keep the business going and I couldn’t bother her with my woes. Then, when she met David Parker, I was glad to see her smiling again, but I was left in limbo feeling on the edge of things. Richard tries, even now, to avoid David on his trips back to the UK and I felt that he thought Mum could do better.
The truth is that I am shocked and a little hurt that Richard hasn’t taken me into his confidence. Naturally, I noticed the contact with him has been patchy recently, which isn’t entirely unusual when he’s busy, but I’m struggling to understand why he didn’t talk to me about this. My annual buying trips to Italy are extra special when Richard can make time to join me for a few days, but I guess I’ll be going it alone in future.
‘Leave it to me. I’ll tell Richard straight that I don’t intend on doing anything until he calls me, and we can talk it through in greater detail. What do you think?’
Guy shakes his head, frowning. ‘Well, he’s more likely to listen to you than he is to me. Look – if it does turn out that he’s met the love of his life and they want to travel the world together, then good luck to them both. But I’d hate to see him turning his back on the great life he’s made for himself, only to end up regretting what appears to me to be a hasty decision.’
‘I promise I won’t let him dodge my questions. But if he’s serious about this, it’s a huge favour he’s asking.’
Guy puts his phone down on the desk and gets to his feet.
‘That’s for sure. Richard knows I’ll have my reservations, so he’s banking on you to sort him out. If you feel it’s the right thing to do, Marci, then go for it. Last summer I left you in charge while I disappeared for two months to get married and take a leisurely honeymoon. If you’re happy to be pulled into this, then Positano’s a wonderful place to spend the summer. I can hold down the fort here. Anyway, I’m in need of a strong coffee – can I get you one?’
I nod, letting out a deflated sigh once Guy is out of earshot.
Oh Richard, you deserve to find a woman as kind and caring as you are, but I won’t relax until I meet her face to face. You told me once that you fell in love at a young age and the woman of your dreams broke your heart. It’s taken you forty years to get over it. And now you’re throwing caution to the wind. I can only hope Angela’s feelings for you are genuine. Guy is right, you’ll talk me into doing this for you because what I want more than anything is to know you’re no longer alone. Is that hopium? I don’t like being on my own, either, but if you can find your soul mate out of the blue, then maybe there’s hope for me, too. The problem is we’re both hopeless romantics at heart, aren’t we?