The Complete Legacy Series: Books 1 - 6 Read online

  Over the course of the next hour, they enjoyed their main entrees, delighted with both of their choices. Lia shared a taste of the caramelized fruit with Arianna, and they both agreed that it was something that Lia needed to experiment with right away.

  They capped the meal off with dessert, Arianna ordering an almond tartlet with white peach and Lia choosing the dark chocolate cremoso with Amarelli liquorice meringue. And this they coupled with a recommended dessert wine that left them feeling completely satisfied and just a bit tipsy as they ended the night.

  “That was absolutely, hands down, the best meal I’ve ever had in my life,” Lia said as they were leaving the restaurant. “And you? I’m sure that you’ve enjoyed many dinners of that quality over the years—which is incredible. Really.” Lia smiled, and Arianna knew that Lia was only appreciating the privilege that Arianna had grown up with.

  “The best meal I ever had”—Arianna was thoughtful and her voice grew quieter—“was the meal you prepared for me that first time at your apartment.” Her voice caught and she had to hold back a sudden burst of emotion. “Being with you that night—watching you cook in your kitchen—and knowing that that was my mother. It was magical to me. I remember feeling as though I’d been sitting in the kitchen watching you cook for a lifetime.”

  Lia stopped walking and Arianna could see the tears streaming down her face. “Ari, you’ll never know what meeting you has done for me. It’s a completion that I never thought was coming, that I never thought I deserved—”

  “Me too.” Arianna tried to hold back her own tears as she reached over to give Lia a big hug. She waited a minute while they both collected their emotions. “So, are we still thinking that we’re going to go to the Duomo tomorrow morning?” Arianna really wanted to attempt to make the climb to the top of the cupola, famed for the extraordinary view of Florence, as well as the full interior of the dome. But she could feel another headache coming on, and she hoped that she’d feel up to what was known as a decent hike up the four hundred-plus steps.

  “I’m up for it, if you are,” Lia said, wiping her eyes and smiling broadly. “Say around nine o’clock, my suite, for a coffee and bite?”

  “Perfect. Sleep well.”

  Lia reached over to kiss each of Arianna’s cheeks. “You too, bella.”

  Chapter 25

  Arianna woke up the next morning with a slight headache which felt more than a little annoying to her. I really need to try to get through these last two days in Florence without ending up in bed. Then I can relax a bit once we settle into the villa. But I want to get as much out of the time here with Lia as I can. She poured a full glass of water and took a couple of her pills, determined to think happy thoughts and be rid of the ache in her temples before they left that morning.

  She washed her face and dusted it with a little powder, putting on a dash of blush and her favorite lip gloss. This morning she dressed in her favorite pair of designer jeans, some short boots that wouldn’t be difficult to walk in, and a light long-sleeved blouse that was just right for a warm day. She grabbed her sweater, her bag, and her keys and was off to meet Lia for some much-needed coffee.

  Lia had coffee and a breakfast of scones and pastry waiting for her outside on the terrace when she arrived.

  “Oh, this looks so perfect,” Arianna said as she scooped up a scone and took a gulp of the strong Italian coffee. “Exactly what I need right now.”

  “Good, good. I’m excited about this morning. I’ve never actually walked the steps to the top of the Duomo, so it will be a fun experience. I’m doing so many new things here with you. It’s really fun for me.” Lia had the look of an excited child.

  “Me too. I can’t believe we’ve only been here a few days. It feels like so much longer.”

  “And we have the villa to look forward to. I’m excited about being back in Siena. Especially to be able to show you around,” Lia said.

  “Me too. The villa sounds heavenly. And being so near my favorite wineries. I can’t wait to experience all of that.” Arianna got up from the table. “Let’s go meet the driver. He should be there waiting for us.”

  They made their way through the city towards the dome that they’d been admiring from afar from different vantage points within the city. It did look so beautiful, a true work of art. They began their tour visiting the cathedral at the base, which in itself was quite spectacular. It was getting crowded with tourists but Arianna had a feeling that it would only get busier as the day progressed.

  As they made their way towards the staircase that led up through the interior of the dome, Arianna stopped for a minute to catch her breath, rubbing her temples slightly as she did so.

  “Arianna, are you okay, bella?”

  “Yes. I have the slightest bit of a headache.”

  Lia had a worried frown on her face. “Do you want to come back tomorrow? I think we’d have time in the morning if you’re not feeling well. Or we can skip it altogether. Whatever you want.”

  “No, no. I think I can manage. I might want to take it a bit slow.” Arianna laughed. “Man, since when did I start acting so old?”

  “Well, you don’t want to get sick. We have too many fun things planned. You tell me if at any time you want to turn back, okay?”

  “I will.”

  The two women followed several others as they began the climb up the steps. Arianna tried not to think about the fact that she’d just read at the bottom that the exact number of steps totaled four hundred sixty-three. Soon her worry was replaced by a sense of awe as they entered the interior of the dome and admired the frescoes of Giorgio Vasari’s Last Judgment.

  “This is incredible, isn’t it?” Arianna said.

  “It’s so beautiful.” Lia had a sense of awe in her voice too as she spoke.

  They continued upward after stopping for several minutes to admire the artwork. The stairs now led them through the outer part of the cupola onto the lantern structure. It was here where they could step out into the sunny day and get a magnificent view of the city stretching out in front of them.

  “Wow. This place really is beautiful. It seems that everywhere we go, we catch another glimpse of Florence that leaves me breathless and in awe of its beauty.”

  “Can you imagine ever living here?” Lia asked.

  Arianna considered how to answer the question being posed to her so innocently. In a heartbeat, she said, but only to herself. “I don’t know. It might be one of those cases where to live here would be to lose some of that magical feeling. Does that make sense? Although I suppose people might say the same thing about visiting San Francisco or where I live in Sausalito. It’s hard to imagine living somewhere else. But I do wish I had traveled more. A lot more. I wanted to see the world—” She caught herself, but not in time.

  “Ari, you’re so young and you’ve plenty of money. You can see the world if that’s what you want to do.” Lia said it with so much conviction, as if she wanted that for her daughter more than anything.

  Arianna looked out over the view and waited a beat before she replied. “I’m here with you now and that’s what matters to me. In all my years of dreaming about travel, Italy was the place that I most wanted to visit one day and the fact that I’m here with you—with my mother… It’s more than I could have imagined really.”

  Lia gave her a big hug. “Well, I think that it’s pretty great too, and I think that you have lots of fun adventures ahead of you, young lady.” Lia laughed, and Arianna turned so that she wouldn’t see the tears that were welling up in her eyes.

  Arianna quickly rubbed her sleeve across her face. “Shall we head down and go find some lunch?”

  “Sounds like a good plan to me,” Lia said.

  They made their way carefully back down the stairs and into the late morning sunshine once again. “I think I spotted a few nice-looking restaurants just down from the square here. Maybe some pizza?” Lia said.

  “Pizza sounds great. I’m anxious to compare the authentic experience w
ith that back home,” Arianna replied.

  They found a great little cafe that wasn’t yet too crowded for an early lunch. They each ordered pizza and a glass of wine, and spent the remaining time taking in the view and watching the people pass by.

  After lunch, even though Arianna was still feeling a bit unsettled, she decided to get in a little more sightseeing, and by mid-afternoon they were both pretty wiped out. They agreed that they would go back to the hotel to rest and take it easy for the remainder of the night, maybe even ordering in room service to share in one of their suites.

  Chapter 26

  Arianna dragged herself out of bed the next morning, feeling rough. God, what was she going to do about this headache? She reached for the pills that she’d been carrying with her in her purse. She thought about phoning Lia’s room to cancel their breakfast meeting, but then decided against it. She really needed a nice cup of strong coffee; maybe it would help her head. She’d wait to see how she felt after breakfast before she made any decisions about the day.

  She made her way down to the hotel restaurant promptly at nine o’clock to find Lia already there looking lovely and ready for her day. “Good morning,” Arianna said as she sat down opposite Lia in the plush-looking dining room.

  “Morning.” Lia grinned. “How’d you sleep?”

  “The bed is like a little piece of heaven, isn’t it? I slept great, thanks. And you? How’s your room?”

  “I love it. Really. Everything is so beautiful and perfect. I feel so lucky to be here with you. I can’t thank you—”

  “Stop.” Arianna smiled. “You’ve thanked me enough, and besides, it’s my pleasure. I’m so happy that you came with me.”

  Their waiter came over to take their order and bring them coffees. Arianna sipped hers and tried to forget about the pounding in her head. “Yesterday was wonderful, wasn’t it?”

  “Oh, it was so wonderful. It was like a little gift of discovery around every corner. I can’t wait to see what today holds.” Lia was peering thoughtfully at Arianna. “Are you okay, Ari?”

  Arianna realized that she had her fingers pressed up against her forehead, either trying to pressure the pain away or willing herself to stop thinking about the dull ache. “Yes—well, no, actually. I do have a bit of a headache.” She sighed. “I just took something for it and I’m hoping that some food and coffee will help.”

  Lia looked worried. “Maybe you should go back to your room after breakfast. I hate for you to miss anything, but we should stay in today if you’re not feeling well.

  “Yeah, maybe I will have to lie down for awhile, I guess. I definitely don’t want you to stay in, though. You should go out exploring. Enjoy the morning.”

  They ate their breakfast and enjoyed some easy conversation before parting ways for the morning. Arianna back to her room, and after some convincing, Lia headed out into the Tuscan morning to check out her surroundings.

  Arianna slept, but as the morning progressed, she felt increasingly worse instead of better. Lia checked in with her around noon, and then was back to her room an hour later with some lunch that she’d picked up at one of the nearby restaurants for both of them. They sat at the table in Arianna’s room and chatted about Lia’s morning.

  “I’m sorry you’re not feeling well. I’m bummed out for you.”

  “It’s okay. I think I should rest for what’s left of the day, and then I’m sure I’ll be well for tomorrow.” Arianna hoped that she could knock this headache and get back on her feet. “You should go. Explore some more and then report back to me.” Arianna grinned. “I love hearing your description of everything.”

  “I feel like I’m living a dream,” Lia said with a strange look in her eyes. “It feels different, yet everything is the same. I’ve missed it, I suppose.” She looked down for a second. “No, that’s not true. I missed it a lot. I probably never should have left. If I hadn’t—everything would be different. We would have been together.”

  Arianna noticed the tears in Lia’s eyes. “You know, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately about regrets. The ones I have and the ones I don’t have. And it’s something I’ve been working on a lot with Doc in therapy. Can I be direct with you?”

  Lia nodded her agreement.

  “Don’t do it Lia. Don’t spend your time worrying about the past. That’s one thing I’ve learned since I—since my parents’ accident. Life is way too short and we just never know, do we?”

  Lia nodded and wiped her tears away with her hand. “You are wise, my child.” She laughed. “I’m not sure where you get that from.”

  “Well, I just think—we’re here now. Together. And I hope we’re making some incredible memories together. I know that for me, I never would have imagined this. And I’m okay with the past.” She really believed it as she spoke the words out loud. She had come to some important conclusions about her life lately, and Arianna felt strong voicing them out loud now.

  “You are right. Absolutely right. And I’m going to make an effort to start focusing on the future. A future that has you in it. And that makes me insanely happy.” Lia reached over to grab Arianna’s hand across the table.

  “Alright then,” Arianna said as she got up from the table. “You go. Enjoy the rest of the day, and come back and tell me all about it.”

  Lia checked back with Arianna later that afternoon and they discussed plans for the next morning. They’d decided to leave for the villa in the late morning, and Arianna had already arranged the car and driver to take them there. The drive would be about ninety minutes, and she was looking forward to seeing some of the Tuscan countryside along the way.

  The two women ordered pasta delivered to Arianna’s suite and enjoyed a relaxing evening in, with Arianna still nursing her headache. She didn’t have a huge appetite but the delicious food was hard to resist; and it did seem to help her to get something in her stomach.

  “Oh, I hope I feel better tomorrow.”

  “Me too.” Lia frowned. “I’m so sorry you’re not feeling well and haven’t been able to enjoy this last day in Florence. I predict that you’ll be back here another day in the near future.”

  Arianna smiled but inside she doubted that she’d be back.

  Chapter 27

  Arianna slept soundly during the night and woke up feeling better, although she still noticed a dull ache in her head that she hoped would lessen as the morning went on. She thought that being in the villa and spending some good time in the fresh air of the countryside would do her a world of good, and she couldn’t wait to get settled there to explore Siena.

  Whenever she had thought about traveling to Italy, it was mostly the picture of the rolling hills of Tuscany that came to mind. She was anxious to finally explore it a bit, along with the wine tours and bike rides that she was hoping for.

  And it would be fun when the others arrived. She still wanted more time with just Lia, but she was also missing them, especially Blu. And she and Lia would have a few more weeks together after they left. It would be a great time, and one that she hoped would create some good memories for everyone.

  Arianna spent a few minutes packing up her things before breakfast so that they could take their time, enjoying the food and coffee before they left. They both agreed that it was bittersweet to leave but they were looking forward to a new adventure at the villa.

  They met the driver outside at the designated time; and with one last glance towards the hotel, they were off for part two of their trip.

  When the driver asked if they wanted the faster route or the slower scenic one, they opted for the more direct because Arianna still wasn’t feeling very well.

  The drive was very beautiful, though, and did go through a good portion of Chianti, which was so lovely to Arianna. The vineyards and rolling hills were just as she’d pictured them, and she couldn’t keep her mouth from hanging open as she saw a new view around every turn. She glanced at Lia, who was looking out her window and seemed to be enjoying the view too, lost in her own thou
ghts—which Arianna guessed had to do with her childhood and being back here.

  “Are you okay?” Arianna asked.

  Lia turned towards her. “Oh, yes. I was thinking about how I might feel being back home now. It seems like such a journey that I’ve been on, all of a sudden. And it wasn’t always good. Being back here the last time wasn’t good, really. It was sad and tragic saying goodbye to my father. And I can’t help but think how much I would have liked for my parents to have met you. They would have adored you, and I wish that I could have given that to them. And to you too,” she said softly.

  Arianna reached out to touch Lia’s arm. “I’m sure that I would have loved them. It’s funny, but I think being here with you will give me a good idea of who they were. And if we can go to where you lived—where you were raised—if you’re comfortable with that, I think it would be lovely.” Arianna hoped that it was something Lia would enjoy doing and not feel pressured into in any way.

  “Yes, I’ve been thinking of that too, actually. I think it’s a good idea, and of course we should do it. I’m so happy to show you my Tuscany, even though it’s been so long since I’ve really felt that way about it.”

  “Well, I look forward to seeing it all.”

  They sat back and enjoyed the remainder of the ride in comfortable silence, each lost in their own thoughts and marveling at the changing landscape outside their window.

  Soon they came upon road signs for Siena, and the driver said that he would continue to the villa, bypassing the city unless they wanted to drive in. They opted for going straight to the villa, knowing that there would be plenty of time for driving into town. Arianna had booked them into the best villa that she could find in the area, sparing no expense. It included a driver, housekeeper, and cook, although Arianna had a suspicion that Lia would happily be doing most of the cooking that would be enjoyed at the villa. And Arianna didn’t want Gigi to lift a finger while she was here. This was to be a vacation for her; she was a guest and friend, to be treated accordingly.