Lucy Gordon - Married Under the Italian Sun

2006

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, here we are again with your favourite TV programme, Star On My Team, when the famous-and sometimes the infamous-ha-ha!-team up with you to win fabulous prizes

Sitting backstage, Angel prayed for the burbling introduction to be over soon. In fact, she thought, please let the whole mindless business be over. Just as her marriage was over, and only awaited a decent burial.

The presenter was getting into his stride.

On my right, Mr and Mrs Barker, and their famous team member-He named the star of a minor soap opera. Watching the backstage screen, Angel saw him enter, flashing his teeth and grandstanding to the audience.

Nina, her personal assistant, surveyed her with critical approval.

You look perfect, she said.

Of course she did. Angel always looked perfect. That was her function. Long blonde hair, large, dark-blue eyes, slender figure encased in a tight gold dress, cut teasingly low. Masses of glittering, tasteless jewellery. Bling, bling!

And now, the lady I know youre impatient to see-

Not as impatient as I am to finish this, she thought wryly, while trying to remain good-tempered. Time to get out there. Big smile!

The one weve all been waiting for

Especially since my husband plastered my face all over the front pages, trying to divorce me on the cheap. Never mind. Smile!

A look in the mirror, a final adjustment of her dress to ensure that her assets were displayed to advantage, mouth widened just so far, no further. And now for the last walk to where the lights beckoned and the cameras preyed on her. It felt like a walk to the guillotine.

Here she is. The beautiful, the fabulous-Angel!

Shed done this a hundred times before, and it should have been easy, but as she emerged and the applause washed over her, something terrible happened. The lights seemed to dim, and suddenly her mind was filled with darkness and panic.

Please, not now! I thought those attacks were over!

Mercifully, the dreadful moment passed swiftly. She could cope again, just.

She advanced on the suicidally high heels, hands outstretched, voice tuned to a note of artificial ecstasy to greet the presenter.

Her fellow contestants were Mr and Mrs Strobes. Shed met them in the hospitality room before the show and it had been an endurance test.

Were so sorry about your divorce, Mrs Strobes had said. We think its just terrible the way he threw you out.

Parting was a mutual decision, Angel had hastened to say.

But what was the point, with Joe flaunting his new companion at every party and nightclub?

The audience was agog to see her, so she smiled and waved, turning this way and that so that they shouldnt be disappointed. She could almost hear the comments.

A right sexy little piece-a bit of all right.

That was what her husband had wanted from her. For him shed been a right sexy little piece for eight years, and suddenly eight years felt like a very long time.

The show started. The questions were ridiculously easy, but even so she gave a performance of racking her brains, giggling at her own ignorance. They wanted dumb blonde so that was what she would give them.

The soap actor on the other side seemed to be genuinely dumb, and Angels team was soon in the lead. The clincher came when the host burbled, And now, Angel, heres a real tough one for you. Who painted the Sistine Chapel? Was it a) Maisie the Mouse, b) Michelangelo, or c) Mark Antony?

She did her bit, putting her dainty fingertips to her mouth and giving an Angel giggle.

Ooh, dear! I dont know. I never studied music. Roars of laughter from the audience. Could you repeat the question, please?

He did so and she gave a little squeal.

You always give me the hard ones. Ill have to guess. Michelangelo.

Michelangelo is right, and you have won.

Cheers, applause, her team mates bouncing with joy. It would be finished soon. Cling to that thought.

At last it was over and she could escape. Nina was waiting for her with the car, so that she could make a speedy escape from all the prying eyes.

Nina had been with her for eight years, secretary, maid, gofer and good, solid friend. She was a little younger than Angel, plain, funny, and a rock to cling to.

When they were on their way, Angel let out a long sigh of relief.

At least thats over, Nina said. With luck youll never have to do another one.

Not once Im living in Italy, Angel agreed. Amalfi, here I come.

I really wish I could come with you.

So do I, Angel said, meaning it. Ill miss you, but I shant need a secretary, even if I could afford one now. Im going to live a very quiet life.

Joe called me today and asked me to go back to work for him. He said darling Merry needs me. Merry! I ask you. Her names Meredith.

And mines Angela, but I let him rename me Angel for the sake of his image.

I told him Id found another job. As though Id work for him again-a great, stupid vulgarian who thinks hes somebody because hes rich.

Mind how you talk about my ex-husband, Angel said mildly.

You object?

Certainly. Great, stupid vulgarian doesnt begin to do him justice.

How about, coarse, spiteful, bullying thug?

Thats much better, Angel said with a wry little laugh.

Youre well shot of him. And, even if he did cheat you out of a proper settlement, you got an Italian palace out of it.

The Villa Tazzini isnt a palace. If it had been, Merry would have wanted it. He bought it for her, but without letting her see it first. It was to be a wonderful surprise. But when she realised it wasnt palatial, just a large country house, she didnt think it was wonderful at all.

Rumour says it cost him a million.

A palace would have cost at least five million. I heard he showed her a lot of pictures hed taken, and she ripped them up.

I suppose Freddy told you that, said Nina, naming Joes PA, who was secretly on Angels side, as was everyone whod worked for her.

Thats right. Apparently her language would have made a stevedore blush.

And Joe let her talk to him like that?

Shes twenty, and sexy. It boosts his ego to flaunt her-

Next to his fat, forty-nine-year-old self?

Angel laughed. Next to his fifty-two-year-old self, actually. But thats a secret. Even I only found out by accident. But the point is that as long as Merry does him proud, she can talk to him how she likes. Anyway, he finally tossed the place to me and said, You can have that as your divorce pay-off. Take it or leave it.

And thats all?

I get a lump sum as well, but Ill have to be careful with it. Itll cover my expenses until the lemon harvest comes in. Part of the estate is an orchard, and when I sell the crop Ill have enough to get by.

Even so, you could have fought Joe for a fair share. With his millions hes got off cheap.

I know, but he could have tied me up for years, fighting him and his army of lawyers. I simply felt very tired, so I took it. After all, Ive always loved Italy.

Once, shed planned to study art at college, then go on to Italy to study some more. Shed even learned Italian. But that dream had come to nothing, when her beloved grandfather had fallen ill and needed her.

Now, ironically, she was going to Italy after all. But not to Rome or Florence, the centres of art. Her new home was a villa on the Amalfi coast where the cliffs plunged dizzyingly down to the sea.

Anything was worth it, she told herself, if she could still take care of the old man who had offered her a home after her parents died when she was eight. They had been strangers, not having seen each other for five years.