The café was quiet, the day was fine and she had some time to herself. Concetta relished this rare day off to sit and watch the sea. It was quite a novelty, this beachside café. The coffee wasn't as strong as she was used to, though the pastries were delicious. She'd selected a buttery raspberry jam concoction oozing cream. She daintily chipped away at the treat with her fork, trying to make it last. It lasted for a whole 5 minutes.
She idly looked around the light airy space. There were flowers in the corners and the windows were open, bringing the tang of salt air. The conversation around her was muted. A girl on a table across the room caught her eye. She had neat light brown plaits and she wore a rusty orange skirt. She was eating her strawberry tart hungrily while talking animatedly to a man with a kind face. Concetta smiled. An affectionate father was a wonderful thing.
She was about to look out of the window again when something occurred to her and she snapped her attention back to the table. She thought she recognised the man. Could it really be him? She surreptitiously angled her chair and watched them covertly in the nearby mirror. It was him. Nobody but Gianni had that smile just so, those understanding eyes. She recognised his coat with the distinctive burgundy lining. So who was the pretty child with him? Well, she was almost a woman, she would very soon grow out of those plaits and do something daring with her hair.
The thought that occurred to her made her catch her breath and make her feel dizzy. She knew that he had been married before. He'd hardly been forthcoming about the subject. But he had never mentioned that he had a daughter! She must be his. She couldn't make out the girls features, were her eyes as green as his? After a while she concluded that they were probably blue but she couldn't be sure.
Taking deep breaths to calm herself down, Concetta knew she looked like a crazy woman. She was over him, she knew she was. It was just a shock to see him after so long, accompanied by a daughter she never knew had existed. Imagine if he had accepted her proposal, would she have become a stepmother? When she'd found out that the lady detective had stolen his heart, she had handed the matter over to destiny. She could have done nothing more. Maybe she could have competed for his affections with another woman. But with a daughter? No chance. A father should always put his daughter first, that was the way it should be. She was glad that he was still as always, an honourable man. He hadn't tarnished himself in her eyes.
Gathering her coat and handbag, she downed her lukewarm coffee and stood up to leave. She risked one last glance at the table. He had a contented glow about him, something she'd never seen on him before. If it couldn't have been her, she was glad that someone more important had given him that. Her yearning wasn't as sharp as it used to be, but it was still there. It had subsided to a gentle tug of the heart and right now it was threatening to overwhelm her. Tears pricked her eyes and she wiped them away. It was silly to get emotional over someone else's man and child. She made herself concentrate in making it out of the café without stumbling over anything and making a scene. She had passed near by the table to leave but they continued chatting in a free and easy manner. He hadn't seen her and she was grateful for that. He'd stopped coming to Stranos a long time ago. It was best for everybody.
The air felt fresh and cool on her face. The ache in her heart slowly subsided. Onwards she walked, to nowhere in particular. She would end up somewhere and decide what to do from there. That was the way she lived her life. She smiled as the wind breezed through her veins, blowing her heartache away. One day she'd have someone for her own, she was sure of it. Today was just not that day.
Jack looked at his watch and saw that there was time for one more pot of tea. And maybe another cake? Jane asked hopefully. He summoned up the cake of her choice and sipped his tea, looking over the rim to observe the woman she was on the verge of becoming. Phryne had brought her up well. He and Jane had a kinship now that she was older. In the comfortable silence that followed, he reflected on the way this had come about, this pleasant turn of fortunes that finally made him a father.