Oh, and hidden in one of the suitcases, there was a sculpture of the bride. Later we’d see its broken remains carried from the villa – zipped within a clear evidence bag.
6
Ana
Ana checked her phone. No signal. She moved closer to the window, which was set deep into the stone. Still nothing. The absence of those little bars of connectivity made her feel absurdly dislocated. She was a Londoner: unless she was on the Tube there was always a signal.
Must be the thickness of the walls, she decided, pressing her palm to the cold stone. Earlier, while the other hens had raved about the villa’s beauty, she’d kept quiet, finding the cave-like architecture stark, and lacking warmth and colour. Nothing like her two-bed flat, which was filled with artwork, bright cushions, and stacks of books.
The twin room she was sharing with Eleanor was at the back of the villa. She stared out into the growing dusk, following the craggy spine of the mountain. It felt impossibly isolated. No villages. No buildings. No traffic. Only a single dusty track winding towards their villa. A trail of goosebumps travelled down the tops of her arms.
‘Knock knock!’ Lexi called from the open doorway, startling her. ‘Just letting you know we’re going to have drinks on the terrace.’
Ana rubbed her arms, brushing away the goosebumps. ‘Great. I’ve almost finished unpacking,’ she said, returning to her suitcase and removing a jade dress.
‘That’s beautiful. Is it new?’ Lexi asked, entering the room and shutting the door behind her.
Glancing at the closed door, Ana felt a hot prick of panic. It was a familiar sensation, as quick as a reflex. She told herself: The door isn’t locked. You can leave. You are safe. She allowed the thought to settle, then calmly redirected her attention to Lexi’s question. ‘Yes, I treated myself.’ The dress was vintage, picked up from a dress agency she loved. It was second-hand, but still cost more than she’d usually pay, and felt like an extravagance – much like the hen do. Even though they weren’t being charged for the villa, the flights had been expensive and she’d battled with herself over whether to come. She’d spent a lifetime budgeting, checking and rechecking her cash flow so she and Luca wouldn’t be caught out. Even though her work was steady, her income secure, she couldn’t quite shake her practice of frugality.
Do something for yourself for a change, her sister had signed to her when Ana told her about the hen party. You haven’t been on holiday since Luca was born. Let him stay with me for the weekend. We’ll have a movie night and do take-out pizzas and simsim cookies. He could use some Auntie Lenora time.
Ana had considered her sister’s offer, eventually signing a single beat with her fist: Yes.
Yet as the hen drew nearer, her trepidation about the weekend grew. It was more than the expense that worried her.
Far more.
She hung up the dress and returned to her suitcase. Lexi had perched on the bed beside it. Ana blinked. Her passport was open on top. Panic flared in her chest. She’d been vigilant about keeping hold of it at the airport, making sure no one had access to it except her.
‘I can’t believe it’s only four weeks till the wedding,’ Lexi was saying.
Ana reached towards the suitcase, making as if to unpack a beach towel. With a swift but subtle movement, she slid the passport from sight, tucking it into her pocket.
Lexi didn’t seem to have noticed, thank God. She refocused on what Lexi had said. ‘Four weeks. Is that all? How are you feeling?’
‘Honestly? I’m excited about the evening party, but the formalities of the service, the saying I do in front of all those people, fills me with dread.’
‘But you’ve performed in front of huge audiences. I’d have thought you’d be completely at home before a crowd.’
‘Yes – performed. But on my wedding day, well, that’s actually me.’
‘I get that,’ Ana said. She’d always preferred standing at the back of a room, never desiring the spotlight. Not that she was a wallflower. Absolutely not. She’d been brought up to believe that to be taken seriously, she had to work harder, be stronger, be smarter. Be more.
‘I can’t wait for you to see the venue. It’s set right on the edge of the river and has this gorgeous deck – if we get good weather.’
Ana knew it would be beautiful, and the weather would be fine, and the simple flowers and strings of lights Lexi had described would be perfect – because everything that Lexi touched turned out right.