Olive tree (Tuscany Kisses), Ooh la la (Childhood soul mates), and OH NO (Poor Lizzie)!
By: Carrie-Anne
A/N: This story (in my 'story series' wise) comes after FFF and before RRR--instead of putting it all in Italics because it dates back to Series 1,2, 3 and 4 (1999-2003—except, I saw the show a year after it was aired in UK so the year Archie and Lexie got married is different in my story—not 2002 but 2003)—I'm writing it in present day form. I've been doing some 'Lizzie' research and I decided to twist all three Lizzie's we've seen into one—Ta Da! Man that was um interesting---but I kinda adopted this Lizzie by watching epi 5, Series 1, epi 7, Series 2 and the dreaded epi 6, Series 5 again aside from recently seeing and remembering epi 4, Series 4 (with David Fraser). The Lizzie being a 'masseuse' is something I made up since she lived that 'stressful' PR career and wanting Martha. I'll post my references...I did a lot of 'looking' up Florence, Tuscany Italy to write these first few parts---I'm not going by Lizzie meeting Martha's father in France...I'm twisting it, you'll see.
Somewhere Only We Know --Keane I walked across an empty land Oh simple thing where have you gone I came across a fallen tree Oh simple thing where have you gone And if you have a minute why don't we go Oh simple thing where have you gone So if you have a minute why don't we go This could be the end of everything
I knew the pathway like the back of my hand
I felt the earth beneath my feet
Sat by the river and it made me complete
I'm getting old and I need something to rely on
So tell me when you're gonna let me in
I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin
I felt the branches of it looking at me
Is this the place we used to love?
Is this the place that I've been dreaming of?
I'm getting old and I need something to rely on
So tell me when you're gonna let me in
I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin
Talk about it somewhere only we know?
This could be the end of everything
So why don't we go
Somewhere only we know?
I'm getting old and I need something to rely on
So tell me when you're gonna let me in
I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin
Talk about it somewhere only we know?
This could be the end of everything
So why don't we go
So why don't we go
So why don't we go
Somewhere only we know?
Chapter One J Florence, Italy---Autumn 1999 J
On a rather 'warm' autumn day, a blonde haired and hazel eyed woman with a white 'Sunday's best' hat, wearing a red blouse, floral scarf draped around her neck, and a grey pair of slacks, stepped off the train and onto the platform. She first looked up at the sky until a breeze zipped in blowing the hat from her head. It swirled and twirled into the air but before Lizzie MacDonald could make a grab for it a man's hand did...
"Here..." Lizzie took a moment to latch her fingers onto her stowaway luggage before replying, "Thank-you, I was a wee bit concerned that my hat would be on the rrrr---?" Lizzie looked up at him and a nervous smile formed on her face...
"Lizzie MacDonald, small world after all?" An old friend smiled back and gave her a wink before handing over her hat to her.
"Aye, it is, what are you doing in Florence?"
"Never thought I'd see a familiar face this far away from home...how's Glenbogle?" The man, an old childhood mate of hers, tipped his head while ran his hand which had held her hat through his burnt blond hair and laughed, nervously.
"I wouldn't know, living a life of PR in the 'big' metropolis of...?"
"London as well? You look it," The old friend teased, before adding, "You know look lovely," The old 'friend' of hers replied before offering a helping hand with her luggage aside from carrying his own.
"What?" Lizzie stared at him strangely and then bedazzled at getting a friendly comment from him. The old friend smiled reassuringly, as she then posed a common question, "What have you been up too, David? I'm going to guess that last bit is a complement to my looks?"
"Always, Lizzie, it is, you look marvelous. Still living the life of a financial advisor and selling businesses strategies, tactical marketing, and insurance in the 'big' metropolis of---?" David Fraser winked, laughed and teased Lizzie which made her chuckle out, "London."
"Yes, right, London...How's Archie?"
"Archie is Archie. He's running like a chicken with it's head cut off trying to tend to mother and father, the estate to which he now owns and then his life back in London."
"I thought he was trying to open a restaurant with Justine, the last time I talked to him about business he was..."
"He opened it, with her, had a smashing grand opening actually, it was in the papers, surprised you didn't read it...or does your kind actually read newsprint?" Lizzie teased and flashed grin which actually made David chuckle back, "Hmmmm...Newsprint, I'm sorry, I still make a boat out of it and float the boat in the loch and then fall in after it."
"I was nine when that happened and I wouldn't have fallen in if you and Jamie hadn't decided to 'sink my battleship with stones and sling shots during that 'boat' race.'" Lizzie retorted, before David smiled, "Aye, but it was so much fun getting the chance to 'rescue the fair maiden of the loch,' and swim after you..."
"For whom, Mr. Fraser?"
"For you..." David joked as Lizzie rolled her eyes in away that made David laugh again. Lizzie and David entered the train station as Lizzie turned to him, "Well, Davy, I'll take my suitcase from here, good to see you, I'll tell Archie hello."
"Davy, I haven't heard that in years...nice to cross paths with you too, and yes give Archie my regards, Liz, may we meet again,"
"May we...well, just contact Archie and he'll let you know where I'm living... thanks for the trip down memory lane and saving my poor defenseless hat," as Lizzie placed her hat back on her head, waved to him, while David, whom waved back, watched her tote her luggage behind her and towards information desk, instead of traveling him self on...
"I need the nearest taxi..." Lizzie started to speak Italian but it came out to the receptionist, 'Excuse me, I fly on the bunk steam boat...' David listened to Lizzie rattle on and on like a broken record as the attendant, staring at Lizzie like she was a foreign alien, who she was, replied back in 'mocking tone' Italian, "No bunk steam boats here. I'm closed."
Lizzie sighed exasperatedly, as she spoke again, "Excuse me I need the nearest taxi...vrrummm, vrummm..."
The attendant rolled her eyes at Lizzie and kept saying (in broken English, even though she was actually a fluent English speaker) again and again, "No speak English, Italian Information Desk" and pointing at a sign that stated, "CLOSED" in big green letters, "No! No! No speak English—you need to go to the 'English information desk! Closed!'"
Minutes after Lizzie continued to speak atrocious Italian, and the attendant continued to be stubborn as possible, Lizzie boasted in full on English—still ignoring the 'sign' that the woman pointed out on her desk, " I don't understand! Listen Lassie, I have work to do. I have to check into a hotel, and all I need is a taxi! Help me out here!" Lizzie put her hands up again as if she were steering a car while trying to justify her now testy attitude towards the grumpy dark haired woman dressed in a blue business suit with a red tied collar (with no name tag). David in a distance stood there and shook his head at Lizzie's 'vehicle impression' and could tell by her body language and her raised voice that she wasn't the least bit impressed with the info desk woman and thought to himself, 'How much longer shall I let the fair maiden drown? Um...sink or swim, darling. Ah right help her float, off to the rescue...'
Attendant sited back in another 'crude' Italian voice and with her 'first impression thoughts of Lizzie' , "Crazy woman tourist—snobby, bratty to boot, in vain, must have money with her pressed outfit, her girly scarf and frou-frou hat, no car in the station nutcase...it's outside of the station, what does she think this place is a circus? I'm closed."
"Slow down! Slow down! I don't speak Italian that fast!" A now frenzied Lizzie pleaded at the attendant who bantered on and on and then gave her unruly looks and heaved a few heavy sighs, while Lizzie added one last "Vruummm, vruuummm..." with her hands at 10 o'clock and Two o'clock on her pretend steering wheel and bellowed out trying to get the awful woman's attention, "Tassì?"
The frustrating 'who refused to speak English' attendant and Lizzie then heard from the far desk corner in her fluent tongue, charming her as best as he could, "Madam, before you close, kindly direct my friend in the direction of a taxi...I'd appreciate it if you'd help her out."
Lizzie turned her body to face a very stern faced David, who knew where the taxis were at the station but he just wanted to stand up for Lizzie. David placed him self proudly behind her, while wrapping an arm around the small of her back. The terrible desk 'ogre' glanced at David getting huffy because she just wanted to end her work day, but pulled out a map of the station circled a taxi landing outside, slung the map down on the desk top and pointed them in the direction---while giving them both a 'friendly now get lost' superficial grin.
David spoke up again to the attendant which shut the woman right up when she realized he had heard every word that she said about Lizzie, "Thank-you, and one more thing, you're not fooling anyone honey with that fake get-up, 1960's wig, and your bldy lousy directions aside from faking 'not speaking English' to boot. Have a great afternoon, ditzy nutcase."
David then carted Lizzie towards the exit while taking over carrying her luggage again and she nodded her head with gratitude for David's help. He handed her the map, "Sorry in there, she wasn't the best person to ask for directions, infact I've met her before...she knows English, she was just being difficult and trying to send you away since she wanted to get off her 'shift' apparently."
"Thanks for stepping in, you've met her before?"
"Yes, I could have directed you to a taxi, but I wanted to put the sorry excuse of a woman in her place. And you're still the fair maiden to rescue, Lizzie MacDonald, why wouldn't I step in?" David started to play up his 'hero' role again, charming Lizzie, hoping to charm her...
Lizzie started to blush at David, of all people, her older brother Jamie's best mate ever, before changing back to the subject, "My fault really, trying to speak Italian...I took a very crash course in it three weeks ago and I guess I didn't learn anything with the books on tape, How many times---?"
"I've been here let's see ten times over the past year? There's never a dull moment in Florence, it's actually quite a remarkable place..." David went on and then questioned, "First time?"
"First time," Lizzie replied as she took a look around the busy street with taxis lined up waiting to drive patrons to their destinations.
"I wish I could show Jamie's little sister around the city, for her first time..." David piped up, interested in spending more time with Lizzie and taking more trips down memory lane...David missed home, missed her, always asked Archie about her over the phone and Archie never gave him any information about her whereabouts...just said 'still Lizzie, flaky, flighty, and always failing at something to which blows up in her face and when it does I'm left with the pieces and trying to help glue her back together.'
"I'd like that," Lizzie added nicely, "But I have to check into my room at the hotel, and I'm very busy with getting my presentation together for the trade fair."
David dropped his head and glanced at the map, trying to avoid staring, and any sort of 'old' attraction he had for 'Jamie's little sister', but he couldn't do it and said, while gazing at her, "Where's your hotel?"
"Hotel Pitti Palace,"
"Nice place, walking distance actually," David added as Lizzie answered, "Really?"
"No need for a taxi, unless you really want one..." David suggested, before concluding, "With your luggage, maybe you should get one...the lift is on me..."
"Oh no," Lizzie refused David for paying for her taxi as they approached a driver.
"I insist, Elizabeth...my lemonade queen," David called by her 'childhood nickname.'
Lizzie laughed, as flash of memories came back to her, when they were both so young, "Lemonade queen, I haven't heard that one since..."
"We decided to dye Archie's hair the color of lemons and made him wear signs, on front and on back of his body, and painted 'purple' letters, 'lemonade a couple shillings.' So we could market off our 'drink' in the village during long hot summer days...we took good ol' Killwillie's 'get rich quick' speech to the extreme you might say, and all for the love of..." David joked as Lizzie giggled infectiously, "Ice cream. Mummy wasn't happy about that one, since we stole her hair dye and bleach for the washing...Arch, he got into so much trouble, Jamie---he called him 'Lemonhead' all summer long...how old were we?"
"Oh I'd say about eleven..." David smiled at Lizzie as he then chatted in Italian to the driver about Lizzie's hotel and helped place her luggage into the back of the trunk. Lastly, David then opened the door for Lizzie while she climbed in, settled herself on the seat and then glanced at him through the rolled down window. David reached out to give Lizzie some money, smiled again, "Take it, Liz."
"Thank-you, for another trip down memory lane..."
"Still my pleasure...may we meet again..." David was positive about it...
"We may," Lizzie beamed hopeful as David hit the roof of the taxi for the driver to know to take off.
Chapter Two---Remember when... J
Later that night, Lizzie, wrapped in a terry cloth robe and ready to check out the 'life-sized' bathtub, strolled in to the bathroom. She was exhausted with the figures and labels for a 'table' wine, all twenty six crates of it, which surrounded her bed in her hotel room. It took five bellhops to bring the wine to her hotel door and use huge gold luggage racks to 'roll' it all in. The wine was Chianti Merlot, or a Tuscan table wine from a small vineyard just outside of the city, and since Lizzie was the vineyard's 'business or PR' rep—she would be selling and gearing it towards 'restaurant folk, personal interests and other Tuscan and within Italian businesses' at the fair...
Lizzie turned on the faucet and ran the tap, added bubbles, which came from soap in her handy travel bag, and she tested it out with her fingertips. Her fingers skimmed the top and making ripples on the surface, before finally, scooting out of her robe and into the lavender scented water. Lizzie was in heaven, placed a wash cloth over her face, started to hum a wee tune to herself...until...
Thirty minutes later, banging and clanging happened at her hotel room door. Lizzie awoke from the water, as she had fallen asleep in the bath. She quickly jumped up and out, rewrapped her robe around her...her hair still in a 'half' bun, with just a few hair wisps at the nape of her neck which curled up from being wet...greeted her distraught 'guest' at the door.
"Look, your room, is above my room and... Lizzie..." David started to chant in Italian before realizing Lizzie stood before him. He had meant to call the front desk for her room number, but got side tracked with his business dealings and phone calls---deciding it was too late to disturb her, he told himself would find her in the morning...
"David?" As a mad dash of hotel staff rushed in past Lizzie with mops, wrenches, plumbing supplies and tool kits past her.
"As I was saying, you've flooded my room, which is below you," David frowned and Lizzie sighed, before they both let out a small laugh, "I'm so sorry, David, I fell asleep in the bath tub."
"I see considering my room now resembles a paddle pool, at least you didn't drown in the tub, you are all right?" David then scolded her as his face showed some concern for her well being.
"I'm fine really. I was warm, cozy, and well, just like father when he bathes in bubbles, I dozed right off."
"Don't worry about it. I seem to have a knack for rescuing you today, my fair maiden?" David sighed with relief, and Lizzie perked up, "You didn't say you were staying here when you had me taxied away?"
"Oh, change of lodging at last minute...I was going to get your room number and ring you when I checked in, but I thought you'd be sleeping and I was half right." David nervously chuckled which made Lizzie smile and laugh again. David tried not to let on he changed his hotel so he'd have a greater chance of bumping into her again...
Lizzie glanced at him quizzically and asked, "Yeah, sleeping...Why the change?"
"The hotel I picked was dreadful," David lied 'smoothly' as Lizzie laughed, catching him in his lie, "But you've been here how many times? Wouldn't you know...?"
"I know, but I'm still getting used to the area, tenth time, first time...still learning the place," David shuffled his feet and rubbed the back of his head with his hand...taking more notice of how Lizzie was dressed and smiling, "There's still places open this late...we could get some coffee or some tea..."
Lizzie blushed again, realizing she was still in a bath cloak, and used her right hand to pull the robe tight at her chest, and knowing David would make some kind of a comment...but he didn't...not at first, "That would be lovely, David, but I think I might scare the city people away suited up like this..."
"Nah, just add curlers to your hair, face mask and then you might resemble Lady Frankenstein..." Lizzie gave David's shoulder a shove with her hand, before her body felt a warm, enchanting and magical tingle from when her hand touched him, "Hush up, you..."
"So?"
"Aye, fine meet you in a bit then?" Lizzie replied as David nodded with a very sly grin, trying to 'play it cool' but happy she was going to join him.
"Lobby, twenty minutes, or I search you out...with or without the robe, curlers and face mask..." David punned while giving one last sweet gaze at Lizzie before giving her shoulder a playful shove and whistling to him self while traveling away down the hall.
"You as a masseuse, you're kidding?" David and Lizzie sipped coffee together, chuckling and chatting about everything under the big full moon during the night.
"No, no, David, PR—health, art and entertainment relations are...stressful, massaging giving is...relaxing. I got my chance to become one and well, I did...I've only been certified for about three months, but I don't run an office or anything for that type of work---I just do it on the side with my full time career in my flat back in London. Just before Archie returned home, he helped be my practice dummy...and so in return, I---?"
"Helped get critics to check out his new restaurant?" David finished Lizzie's sentence.
Lizzie nodded swiftly, before setting her cup down on the table and raising her head to peer at David again, "You still catch on, I sold them on it, Archie, Justine and the critics, you know, my business sense...impressive that you still listen to me, David. Archie hates it when I ramble and dance around the points of conversation."
"I'm not Archie. I've always loved hearing you talk. Jamie, ah, Jamie, he was always a character, talked dignified and miles a minute, I never got a word in edgewise...must be an older sibling MacDonald trait then?" David continued to flatter Lizzie and his voice drifted off when he thought of his best friend, whom never made it to Oxford with him...that was the 'big' dream, for David and Jamie as adolescents to both attend Oxford and join the rowing team on the side...
"Perhaps, or you're just a great listener---father is always awful at it..."
David laughed and Lizzie gave him a look, "What?"
"That's the fourth time you've mentioned Hector tonight..."
"I'm sorry, I never get too..."
"Don't apologize, Lizzie, it's quite all right..."
"David, I used to search for a way to communicate with my father...or strike some common ground so I would have something similar to him..."
"But..." David sensed Lizzie needed someone to talk too and she picked David right away, like she would when they were kids.
"Ever since Jamie died, part of father died with him...he's a bricklayer, always putting up walls, never allowing anyone to tend to him or love him, and well...he built the wall so high, between him and I, I just don't know how to connect with him."
Lizzie's eyes for the first time in a long time, started to tear right up, David being 'a loving, kind and wonderful soul' reached out, placed his left hand on hers, soothing her, putting her at ease, and himself instantly while replying, "You'll connect, you're good at it, Lizzie, just like you and I connected wonderfully again when we got off the train."
Lizzie wiped her face with her napkin after pulling her hand away from his grasp, while her eyes scanned his left hand, something Archie had told her popped up in her mind about David and she said, "You think?"
"Of course I do, so let's you and I blow this Popsicle stand, I have a few places in mind to show you..." David tried to cheer her up as best as he could...while offering her a hand.
"All right then, show me," as Lizzie accepted his hand, while David helped her up from the black filigree designed table with cast iron Victorian backed seats which sat on the cobbled sidewalk outside of the café.
They were out all night long, Lizzie and David, walking the cobble stoned, narrow streets of Florence, taking in the views of Ponte Vecchio and the Arno River...
"The bridge dates back to 1080's---first to be stone way back then when all the Roman's did was build with wood before hand, the shops have been around since the 12 century," David explained carefully as Lizzie laughed as she scanned the yellow, then white, then dark green, then blue bright patterned buildings which lined the old walking bridge. The shops had rolled up red and white cloth sun roofs which would hang over their outside the shop goods during the open hours. They also had dark green, white and red flags and name signs hanging over the shop doors. There were also big glass front windows, which clearly displayed lettering about goods, prices, and sales---everything from foods, wines, to clothing and souvenir shops, "Older than my family that's for sure,"
"Mine and yours put together," David chuckled as they continued to stroll, Lizzie stopped walking and turned to him, "How come we've been in the same city and you never once rung me?" Lizzie immediately rubbed her forehead clear of 'silly me for asking that' wrinkles, when everything Archie had told her about David's personal life in London popped up again in her head.
David blew out a breath, smiled again to relieve her and added, "Well, I got reports on you,"
"You checked up on me?"
"Of course, through Archie, but he never gave me much to go on about your life."
"Archie," Lizzie rolled her eyes, "He never said anything remotely good about me did he?"
"Archie, of course he did..." David lied again, while flashing a false smile, as Lizzie, knowing he was just trying to keep her from getting her feelings hurt, picked up on the lie and said bluntly, "No he didn't, well not everything..."
"Okay, you have a weird boyfriend who loves to talk to dead people." David blurted out hoping Lizzie wasn't still 'attached' to Gerald.
Lizzie snickered in correction, "I had a weird boyfriend, split up two weeks ago, mutual decision."
"Oh, sorry to hear this? Where did you find him again?" David seemed happy to hear the word 'had' in her sentence and waited to hear more.
"Aye, oh, PR work, my boss had me 'promoting' part of 'people and health' entertainment---Gerald, over a year ago, sold me on his 'ways to heal people' and I took the 'good will of the situation' and tried to help him profit from it. Anyway, Archie wasn't impressed with my idea to turn the estate into a healing center months ago—it never happened—you know Arch, and well Gerald and I were never meant to work out, I s'pose," Lizzie shook her head, and didn't bring up the fact that Gerald and her had miscarried two babies since they had been together and gone through three 'fake' pregnancies as it just drove a huge wedge between them aside from Lizzie's wanting a baby and not facing the reality, according to Gerald, that it might not happen.
However, Lizzie could hear their last argument---their parting of ways, her kicking him out of her flat two weeks ago, going over and over in her head---Gerald being passive and Lizzie getting aggressive—the relationship they had taking a turn for the worse as Lizzie, sensing she was getting emotional again forced the memories out of her mind.
David and she stood side by side glancing down at the river water below the wide bridge, near the small river look out with benches, when Lizzie finally peeped, through their 'pregnant silence', "And you? Still secretly married I hear?" Lizzie finally asked her question that had been playing on her mind ever since she ran into him at the train station, and she wondered where his wedding ring was. David felt like a few bricks fell on him as he was hoping to not talk about Sarah with Lizzie...
"Oh, you know..."
"David, of course I know about that 'elopement'. Archie told me the last time I was home, which was about four months ago. I just never asked you how Sarah is until now. She must hate it when you're away on business."
"I s'pose..." David then added, "Actually Liz, Sarah and I have separated, mutual choice really, considering we were supposed to be newlyweds...we were not getting along-probably will divorce soon. I haven't had the money to get the papers up and going, but she always threatens me with them every spat we have..."
"Oh, that's why there's no ring on your finger..." Lizzie summed it up and David sighed, "Not really, I just don't seem to feel the need to wear the ring."
"That probably didn't go over so well with her did it?"
"Not exactly, but anyway, come I have more to show you..." David held out his arm to Lizzie and she linked arms with him.
"Actually, I'm really beat, and I need to go back to the hotel."
"All right, I can show you tomorrow? You free?"
"I will be for the next few days---trade fair is next week---I have a few meetings with the 'fair big wigs' and a conference calls with my boss—apparently she was big on me 'promoting' the welfare of this new Italian 'wine' for her 'friends at this vineyard'---actually, I think she just wanted to get me away from the office and London for awhile and this was her way of doing it--- anyway, it shouldn't take me too long---I could manage some time for you, Captain Davy." Lizzie joked as her mouth danced into a playful zesty smile.
David chuckled, "Captain Davy? I haven't been that awful have I?" as Lizzie laughed, "No, I just remember calling you it when Jamie and you took Killwillie's boat for a joy ride and both managed to fall out of the boat in the nick of time, before it struck the rock jetty at the loch. Killwillie was furious---I had never seen him turn a sherbet of colors, first red, orange, yellow, and then green...he was so blue in the face when he 'assessed' damages. He didn't speak with father for months on end because he kept sticking up for the both of you---saying Killwillie shouldn't have left the boat keys where you could both get at them. Jamie and you both vowed never to become sea captains and felt dismally grim about it all—well, Jamie did," Lizzie then let out a yawn and concluded, "We'll walk back then and you can show me more when we're both free..." Lizzie grinned and David smiled back, "You really are tired, I could actually carry you back..."
David then suggested to his back with a gesture of his hand, "Hop on,"
Lizzie added, "You do know we're not teenagers like we once were, or walking around at 3am on the loch beach...I---?"
"Lizzie, I can carry anything...even you if you let me..." David winked and continued to charm her as Lizzie tilted her head, shrugged, "You sure?"
"Positive and I insist."
Lizzie smiled and did as she was 'told' and David, crouched down a bit as Lizzie wrapped her arms around his neck and he latched both hands under her legs as David piggy backed her, the shortest distance back to the hotel.
Chapter Three---Tuscany Surprise J
A few days passed, Lizzie continued to be focused on her wine PR for the trade fair, which was just days away as she spent more time hanging out with David, everywhere...Lizzie seemed to seek out comfort, and David seemed to provide it. Early one morning, as Lizzie was labeling wine bottles and storing them back into crates and checking her 'To Do' list when she heard, "Room Service" and remembered her breakfast, "Finally," Lizzie muttered and opened the door to find...
"Hungry?"
"That's a country..." Lizzie chuckled as she let David in with the breakfast cart.
"Hmmmm, so it is,"
"How on earth did you talk the---?"
"Placed a very big tip so I could bring this to you," David grinned and spoke right up, "Eat, hurry,"
"What's the rush?" Lizzie asked quickly as she peeked over David's shoulder while he grasped the 'silver' top to her breakfast dish and they both smiled at the fruits, toast, eggs and bacon...
"It's an after breakfast surprise..." David winked as Lizzie added very giddy, "Surprise?"
"Surprise,"
"David, this is really sweet of you...except one minor detail...I didn't order the bacon or the eggs."
"Lizzie, my dear, I know I also have to eat. Dig in...I paid top dollar for this meal you know, you can't let it go to waste..." For the past few days David started learning about what a vegetarian could and couldn't eat as Lizzie was his teacher and a wonderful one at that.
"You're..."
"Eat," David sat down on a crate and Lizzie sat down on the bed with the table between them...Lizzie smiled, "I---?" David then stuck a couple grapes into Lizzie's mouth before she could finish her sentence.
"I'm taking you somewhere special and I require you with a full stomach...so eat the fruit, and the toast..." David instantly answered while Lizzie chewed and swallowed...
"Aye."
After breakfast, David disappeared while Lizzie was in the bathroom getting ready for his 'surprise' outing, she spent a good twenty minutes brushing her hair, applying make-up, as she stared into the mirror, sighed out, "Let's go..."
She opened the bathroom door to find...a newspaper boat with a red rose sticking right out of it at her feet and a note, "Have other means of travel, instead of a boat, but let's go take a ride with me, my fair maiden, away from the moat."
Lizzie was floored, David's poem was hideous, but intriguing, of course, and his penmanship all familiar funky lines and scribbles...but the red rose, and the newspaper boat...it bowled her right over—reminding of when they were kids again. She started to dance around the room while raising the rose to her nose...and taking in the sweet scent. Lizzie pulled on her business jacket, put her room key in her pocket and then made way out of her room.
Lizzie strutted down to the lobby as the concierge, smiling, chatted up with her, and handed her, her 'messages'---her another note card, a helmet, and poem, "Roses are red, the Vespa is red too, put on this helmet and I will too' Lizzie laughed again as she strolled outside of the hotel and noticed a bright red Vespa parked in the loading and unloading area and David standing there.
"Ready?"
"Ready Freddie, where did you get this thing?"
"Funny, you can rent them down at the river for not much...thought we'd take a little ride into the country, visit a friend in a small Tuscan villa south of here, as long as you're okay with it?" David charmed her, before placing her helmet on her head and buckling her up and then his...
"Of course, should I be scared?" Lizzie asked quickly while climbing onto the Vespa behind David and he chuckled, "Not like quad riding when we were kids, but these are actually much faster, fun, and less bumpy a ride! Hang on!"
As they took off on the motorbike and journeyed out of the city, driving east, as they came to a dusty lane and traveled along it. Sangiovese, best red wine grape in the whole country, could be seen everywhere as it hung off vines as the fields surrounded them on both sides of the way. Eventually, David shuttled the Vespa down another road, past a sign named "Classico cantina Vino da Tavola" as Lizzie started to put two and two together that they were off to experience a 'Super Tuscan' treat, a vineyard and wine making site.
David drove the motor scooter up to the main entrance way of a large rusty looking brick building with old wood doors, with stone walled and old wine barrels used to house the flower beds. David smiled wide after Lizzie hopped off of the Vespa and pulled off the helmet, completely in awe of the old structure and it's flower-pot thatched roof and chimney with vines growing all along the old structure from top to bottom, the scenery, leafy olive trees in the distance and grassy green knolls and then rolling hills of grapes as far as the eye could see.
"David Fraser..." As man about Archie's height, dark hair and eyes, with a huge grin walked right up to him, shook his hand and gave him a 'manly' hug.
"Charlie Edwards," David hugged his friend back...
"When you said you were coming, I didn't think you were bringing..."
"Charlie, Elizabeth MacDonald and a really old friend of mine..." David winked and Lizzie and Charlie shook hands, "Beautiful place..." Lizzie studied the architecture, there were large evergreens to the side of the establishment which provided little shade for the house and then her eyes wandered down a long stucco hall with pillars holding up the thatched roofs and red flower baskets hanging between the pillars also lined the hallway, creating an outdoor landing to eventually a patio.
"Nice to meet you, yes it is and you're both in luck today as my workers are out in the fields gathering vines, since this harvesting season, every autumn as long as the heat doesn't get to the Sangiovese, then we harvest early, would you like a look at the ." Charlie nodded to them both, "Come this way, out to the back of the house and away from the dusty road. You both must be a little weary Bettina will bring you something cool to drink, I'm sure."
Lizzie glanced at David, who followed closely behind her, and whispered, "Nice?"
"Yes," Lizzie smiled at him.
"I've known David for quite sometime since we were at Oxford together...exactly how old of a friend are you?"
"She's known me since we were oh, 5 or 6, she's Jamie's sister."
"Oh right Jamie, you've mentioned him in passing," Charlie remembered as he gestured to the patio table and for David and Lizzie to sit down. Bettina Charlie's wife, came wandering out, "David, welcome, welcome," as she nodded to Lizzie, hugged David and kissed both cheeks and he laughed, "She's got a bump since I seen her last,"
"Yes, of course she does," Charlie rubbed Bettina's front side with his hand as he grinned, "Seven down and about..."
"Two more months to go?" Lizzie winked and smiled to Bettina who stood behind Charlie as he sat on a patio chair. Bettina laughed and smiled too, "that's right..."
"Been doing a wee bit of reading up on pregnancy, do you know the sex?" Lizzie asked as David watched her pull a strand of her hair behind her ear, and he could tell Lizzie was slightly uncomfortable and not sure of why.
"Not sure, don't want to know, babies are meant to be good surprises, no?"
Lizzie bowed her head and replied, "Yes,"
"Well, I'll get drinks, and you both stay of lunch, yes?" Bettina inquired as David replied for Lizzie and he, "Yes, we are staying, very kind of you to invite us."
"No problem, been a long time, I should show you the grand tour, the wine-making room, the bar area, the gardens, the 'real' way to make wine---the grape stomping vat out behind the cantina and the rest of the place," Charlie boasted, as Bettina nodded her head, smiled, "I'll have lunch ready when you come back..."
Lizzie and David met all sorts of friendly workers along their tour as Charlie added, "It's hard to believe this is all Bettina's, her father passed on a year ago and immediately before he died, the place was signed over to her."
"Wow," Lizzie replied as they walked down stone cracked halls past enormous barrels of wine as Charlie pointed out each barrel contained wines such as merlot, pinot noir, and shiraz---which were hand picked, foot stomped, pressed, corked and bottled years ago. Charlie enjoyed bringing out small wine glasses as he had the pair test each one—there were over hundreds of combinations and finally Lizzie, needed some air as her body started to become slightly buzzed from the wine.
"Air, let's get some air..." Charlie smiled at Lizzie who's cheeks were red and he could tell...he brought David and Lizzie out into the 'grape stomping' area as there were woman workers squishing grapes, "That must be a tiring job."
"Well, the women take moments between and also shifts...this only happens once a year and it was how Bettina's ancestors made the 'real' vino." Charlie laughed, and then suggested to Lizzie, "You can try if you care too."
Lizzie glanced at David very glassy eyed, and then became intoxicated more by the thought, and also giddy, "You're kidding?"
"Nope, you should experience it—it's once in a life time guaranteed, and the women will suit you up,"
David smiled brightly and teased her, "Go for it Lemonade queen...I know you like to make juice," as Charlie started conversing with one of the women who were shin high in juice as she climbed onto a ladder with her dark hair swept back in a floral kerchief and her body dressed in a off shoulder frock with a long skirt that hung at her chins. She had a red sash around her waist as she then latched an arm onto Lizzie and toted her away.
David waved Lizzie on.
"Okay, out with it, where's Sarah? Why didn't you call me as soon as you got into the city? I would have had you stay here," Charlie spoke up to David once Lizzie was off in the changing house.
"Sarah and I separated a while ago, and well,"
"So Elizabeth?"
"Liz is great, classy and comes from a prominent clan..."
"Ah, well, then what's she doing with you?" Charlie questioned with a chuckle as David shrugged and gave a nervous laugh, "I don't know, she reminds me of Jamie, every time I look at her, she shows lots of prospect for me, like I could be---?"
"Okay, you're still married..."
"Of course, but I am divorcing soon. I've know Liz for so long...she's apart of me."
Charlie and David stopped talking when Lizzie returned dressed traditionally, in a long off the shoulder frock with a sash wrapped around her waist before she knew it she had been lead up a ladder, as she made a joke to David, "I heard it through the grapevine, in the---?"
"Italian sunshine?"
Charlie laughed and added the end to the lyric of the 'California Raisins song', "Honey, honey, yeah...Oh I heard it through the grapevine..."
Lizzie was in her element, under the Tuscan sun, with the bottom of the dress gathered up to her thighs as she danced in a circle with the other two women, squish, squish, squish under her feet and in between her toes as they wadded and waddled in the puddle pool of grape juice. More men workers walked over pouring more grapes in and commenting on the blonde, dancing, kicking up her feet, as David view Lizzie going into a trance, very familiar, warm, friendly feeling, remembering watching a barefooted Lizzie groove along the shore of the loch back in Glenbogle when they were adolescents...
Lizzie couldn't stop smiling, every time she smiled, David's heart flip-flopped as Charlie added, "You stare at her beauty like I peer at my wife, why is that?"
"I'm not staring at her."
Charlie scoffed, "Yeah, you are mate."
"She's a childhood friend, mate, just a friend..." David lied to himself and also to Charlie. David found himself longing for Lizzie, regardless if he was still married or not, he craved her in many ways...