"I think that's a very good idea." She stretched languidly, lifting her head to sniff the clean spring air. "This is a very nice area."
"The company took it over a year ago when it started to get overrun by drug dealers and homeless people."
"I used to come here when I was a child."
"Really?"
She nodded, smiling slightly. "It was out of our way, but Mom used to bring a picnic basket some Sundays after service." Her smile faded. "That was before..."
"You don't have to say it, darling. I can see it is making you unhappy."
She shook her head, heart racing at the endearment. "It's fine. I have very fond memories of her." She appreciated the fact that he had gone with her to visit and put flowers on her mother's grave. It meant a lot to her.
"Being with you makes it bearable."
He hugged her tight. "That's what I'm here for."
*****
He took her to places she had never been to before. When she confessed that the only places she had ever visited were Paris and London, he set out to rectify that. And on their two-week honeymoon, they went on a tour of several countries. He startedin Italy, Tellaro, Liguria, a quiet steep village with delightful pastel houses.
To her surprise, she discovered that her husband spoke Italian like a native and was also fluent in four other languages.
"You've been holding out on me," she accused. "I can only speak basic French, and my pronunciation is not the best." They were strolling along Orta San Giulio, Piedmont, on the serene Lake Orta. He was determined to show her something different. He knew that she liked art and was fascinated by different cultures.
"I have a penchant for languages." He did not add the fact that he had mostly learned these different languages to make an impression on the ladies.
"Uhm hmm." She cast him a skeptical look and he had the uncomfortable feeling that his explanation was not readily accepted.
During the days, they would explore the delightful villages and at nights he would make love to her at some quaint little inn where the food was scrumptious and the service pleasant.
And the best thing about these little villages was the fact that they were not hounded by the press.
The two weeks flew by so quickly, she could not believe the honeymoon was over.
He had told her of his plans regarding the project he had begun just before they left. His family's business was more geared towards the rich and influential, but he was determined to start credit unions geared towards the little people. Small business owners who wanted a say in what happens to their money, more like a partnership than anything else.
"I was talking to Ingrid a few years ago and she told me this fascinating story about 'throwing partner'." He smiled at the blank expression on her lovely face. "That was how I looked when she said the words. She's from the Caribbean, Jamaica to be precise. She came to this country when she was in her twenties. Her parents are Jamaicans who migrated to find themselves a better life."
"A partner is when a group of people come together to save money for a specific reason. It could be to start a business, put a down payment on a piece of property, even something as simple as a graduation gift for a child. They have a banker, someone trustworthy, and that person collects the money at the end of the week from everyone. Each week one person gets what they call a 'draw', and they continue to 'throw' the money until each person receives their bulk sum."
"That sounds fascinating and convoluted."
"It does in a way sound like a simple solution and, as Ingrid told me, it's very effective. It helped to start up her diner. She has three."
Catherine's eyes widened. "Oh. That's impressive."
"I thought so. She doesn't trust banks or bankers." He smiled wryly. "Says they are bloodsucking parasites out to get rich off the little people. My family has been in the business for more than two hundred years and, despite their not so stellar personal reputation, as bankers, they're above board."
"You want to start your own thing." She nodded in understanding.
Taking her hand, he linked their fingers. "Before I met you, I was content to drift through life. I had money and nothing to look forward to." Lifting their joined hands, he brushed his lips on her knuckles, eyes darkening. "I have a purpose in life and intend to make a contribution."
*****
They were getting to know each other. The press had stopped hounding them apart from when they happened to go out to afunction together. She was still called the 'unlikely bride', but it did not matter to her in the least.
In the privacy of their home, they were lost in each other. The passion that overtook them whenever they came together was still going strong. They spent time together. Even though he was busy with his new project, her husband would set aside whatever he was doing just to be with her and talk about their day.