A Legacy of Secrets(34)

‘I don’t think that’s necessary.’

‘It’s very necessary...’ he started, but he didn’t get to finish because his assistant came to tell him that Taylor was getting upset.

‘That’s all I need.’ Santo rolled his eyes and then turned to Ella. ‘Can you talk to her, maybe have lunch with her. You’re good with people. It might calm her down.’

‘That’s not my job, Santo.’ And she should say nothing, Ella knew it, should just walk off and be done, except she couldn’t resist. ‘And I don’t blame her for being upset—she’s done an amazing job this morning. If Rafaele didn’t get his shot, it has nothing to with Taylor. If I were directing we wouldn’t be wasting so much time on the crying scene. I’d zoom into an Italian shot of Taylor crying, which could be done back in the studio if it doesn’t work out here, and I wouldn’t have Vince walking over to her. I’d have a moment of him watching and then Taylor turning, just his hand moving towards her face....’ And she was sulking—oh, yes, she was—because it should be her directing this film, and with that she walked off.

And Santo stood there, when he wanted to chase after her.

Ella was affecting him in a way no woman ever had. Since their time together she was all he had thought about—and for what?

He looked up and straight into the eyes of a pretty young actress who smiled straight back at him. If he just took her to his trailer he’d feel better in ten. He should just get over Ella in ways of old, but he was back to the wedding that never happened again—just utterly bored and unmoved by the usual temptations. He’d been working in the chocolate factory too long, perhaps, Santo realised, had possibly reached his fill, except he wasn’t sure he wanted it over.

And for what?

For someone who didn’t even want to talk to him?

For woman who was heading for Roma and that sleaze Luigi?

A moody, unreasonable, uptight woman who wasn’t even a very good PA, Santo told himself.

So why had he hired her?

You know why, a small voice told him.

Because it wasn’t for her PA skills that he wanted her around, and no, he hadn’t been thinking with his head when, despite her terrible Italian, he’d kept her on.

And then he stopped thinking about Ella. Santo had no choice but to, as suddenly, albeit not completely unexpectedly, all hell broke loose on the set.





CHAPTER NINE



IT WASN’T ALL about Santo.

Ella had been telling the truth.

Today was the day she had been dreading for weeks now.

Calling home had always proven difficult, but in the past six months it had become almost impossible.

She put it off for as long as she could. Ella completed some of Santo’s banking, rang and arranged the interview with Paulo and left a message for Marianna to call her. When she could put it off no longer, Ella dialled her parents’ number and prayed that she’d get the answer machine.

She didn’t.

‘Hi, Mum.’ Ella attempted upbeat. ‘Happy birthday.’

‘Ella!’ She could hear the strain and discomfort in her mother’s voice. No doubt she had been dreading this phone call too. There was just so little they had to say to each other. ‘It’s so lovely to hear from you–where are you?’

‘We’re on location, filming.’ Ella did her best to be vague, but when her mother pressed for more information about her beloved homeland, Ella told her where she was.

‘Oh!’ There was silence for a moment. ‘That is close to where I grew up.’

‘I know.’

‘Have you been to have a look at my village?’

‘Not yet,’ Ella said. ‘I’ve been so busy with work and everything and the shooting is falling way behind.’

‘Your aunts will be so excited to finally meet you,’ Gabriella said. ‘I told them so much about you, about your work in the film industry.’

‘I’m not working in the film industry.’ It was a very sore point. ‘I’m a PA.’

‘For now,’ Gabriella said. ‘But you don’t need to tell your aunts that. You tell them how well you’re doing, how good things are....’ Ella could hear the veiled warning, the call to keep up the pretence, to carry on with the hopeless charade that everything was perfect. ‘Or maybe it would be better for you to say nothing about work. I don’t think it will be good if they know you are working for a Corretti.’