Friday, February 27, 2015

Out of the Past Cont'd

Granny here,

     The morning flew by since there were so busy they had no time to watch the clock, they had agreed to gather information, then wait until they got home to discuss it. Daisy was blown away by all the information from the jeweler and what she had gathered today was just the icing on the cake. Leslie had learned a lot more than she had bargained for and couldn't wait to share her findings with Daisy, but they wouldn't have the whole story until they combined all their findings.
     They arrived back at the villa determined to solve the mystery, they didn't know yet what part the villa actually had played in the whole scheme of things. Daisy put on a fresh pot of coffee and they were going to need it, the task ahead of them was going to be daunting but they were ready for it. Daisy's information on the ring, style, value, and clarity and the report from the gemologist were the same as the information given to her by the jeweler, she also discovered the ring was from the eighteen hundreds probably between 1850 and1900. It had belonged to the royal Castalina family and the heirloom had been passed down for hundreds of years from one royal family to another. It had been given to Victoria Francesca Castalina on her twentieth birthday.
      "That's exactly what my information says, Daisy, interrupted Leslie, it seems that it once belonged to her mother, Princess Marissa Gabriella Giabaldi, who was married to Prince William Vinchenzo Castalina, and before that it belonged to her grandmother Queen Elizabeth Victoria Castalina. This ring has been around, wouldn't you say, I'd love to hear the stories it could tell."
     "This gets more interesting with each piece of the puzzle doesn't it; said Daisy as she looked through the info that Leslie had collected. It says here the ring was given to a soldier during the war, we have to find out who he was." "And just where do we start to find out that story, said Leslie, that's not going to be easy". "This story was told to me as a child, said Daisy, do you think there is a connection between the ring and my family, which would blow my mind. The soldiers name was Lt. Robert Alexander Neilson according to the story; he would have been my father's great, great grandfather."
     It was getting late and Leslie had to be going, she had to call her mom in America about shipping her things to Italy since she had decided to make it home. The girls felt that they had done a good days work and had found out about as much as they could from books, now Daisy needed to ask questions from family members and see if there really was a connection. Daisy would begin her investigation with her mom and dad of course but right now she wanted to see Tory, it had been a few days since they had seen each other and she was getting lonely and hoped he had too.
     Daisy spent Sunday afternoon with Tory, she had invited him over for spaghetti and meatballs which was one of his favorites and Daisy was a very good cook, if she did say so herself. The day was beautiful, not only was the weather cooperative but so were their emotions as usual. they had dinner and watched a movie, went for a walk in the garden and Daisy showed Tory just where she had found the ring. "Tory, do you think that it's possible that the chain is also buried here in the garden? If the ring was lost here maybe the chain was lost at the same time. Would you help me search for it, we can dig with my garden tools that are in the bottom of the kitchen sink." "Sure, I'll help you look but where do we start?" Said Tory as Daisy took him by the hand and led him to the exact spot where she had pulled up the ring hoping that if the chain was there they would be able to find it and have it as another clue to its rightful owner. Daisy ran into the kitchen to retrieve her tools and rushed back out to the garden where Tory was already digging with a stick hat he had found under a tree. He took the tools and began to dig where Daisy had found the ring and Daisy began to dig just a few feet away hoping all the while that they would discover the clue that they needed to tie the ring to Daisy's ancestry.

     After digging several holes the two were beginning to lose hope of finding anything at all, they had dug up rocks, marbles, metal chips and coins that were worthless. Daisy was feeling a bit let down when her shovel revealed a piece of chain that was different than anything that she had seen before, it was broken in two pieces, the first piece was easy to pull from the ground but the second piece seemed to be hung on something. She quickly called for Tory to help her dig deeper, her excitement kept building the farther down Tory dug. Then, it appeared the other half of the chain and attached to it was a military dog tag covered with so much dirt that the name was filled in and unreadable. Tory began cleaning with the tail of his shirt and there it was  Lt. Robert Alexander Neilson engraved in large letters.
     Daisy fell to the ground beside Tory as he cleaned the piece of metal and she couldn't believe her eyes, the chain and the dog tag proved it, the story of her ancestors from many years ago was true. All the stories the family had told all these years was true and now she had the proof. How is this possible after a hundred years or more that she had found the heirloom that indeed belonged to her family? This was mind boggling!
     Tory gave Daisy a big kiss as if to say congratulations, you have made your discovery. She stood to her feet and began laughing out loud, "Oh, Tory, isn't this wonderful, my family will be so pleased." "I'm sure they will be, but for now let's get ourselves cleaned up and all these holes filled back in so the garden will be beautiful again."
     After cleaning themselves up they knew that it was getting late and time for Tory to head home although as usual he didn't want to but knew that Daisy would want him to leave.  They enjoyed the view from the veranda with a glass of wine while feeling the comforts of the large chaise lounge. There were moments where restraining themselves became an art but both of them passed with flying colors. As Tory was leaving, it became obvious that their restraint was going to be more challenging as their relationship developed. Parting was becoming a problem for them and their kisses became more passionate as they thought of leaving each other, Daisy could tell that Tory wanted to stay and she couldn't deny that she wanted him too.
     Daisy had been asking quite a few questions of her family since spending the day at the library, her curiosity had been peaked and her memory refreshed after reading all that information. she was now more curious than ever, as an adult she now realized that the stories she had heard as a child were true and could have more meaning than she could have ever dreamed. Daisy now had more information to tell her parents, she had called her mother once and told her all that she had found out about the ring, her mother had almost forgotten the stories she had heard from the grandmothers in the family through the years.
     Daisy was trying to work out some strategy so she would be able to find out all she could about the ring but in the meantime she had placed it in a safe deposit box at the bank and bought insurance on it. She had no idea that the ring would have such an impact on her entire family and now that she had found the identifying dog tag she knew that she had to talk to her grandmother on her father's side, she remembers her dad saying something about one of his grandfathers having an affair during the war, now she knew they were one and the same. Daisy would have to make a trip to America to get all the answers she was looking for. Maybe she and Leslie could make a holiday of it since Leslie really needed to go to America and pull together all the loose ends of her life there.
    

Monday, February 23, 2015

Pandora's Box

Granny here,

Even though there are many years behind me I am still learning that life is like Pandora's box you never know what you will find. Life is full of surprises, some good, some not so good but all surprises none the less.

While trying to learn how to blog I still am a novice at it and learn something new all the time.  I was surprised to get a comment from a new reader the other day and was thrilled to make a new acquaintance. Making new friends is always good and sometimes surprising.

I am glad that she found me even if by accident and hope that she continues to enjoy my musings and viewpoint on life and whatever subject I dare to tread upon.

I plan to keep writing if only for myself but do hope that others will have the opportunity to travel this journey of word and page with me. So as time goes by and I learn even more I will continue to open Pandora's box and maybe life will become more exciting for all of us.

So until next time

Granny here, just saying!

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Alert!

Granny here,

Just a quick alert, there will be no more postings of my book "Out of the Past" until there are some comments to assure me that someone out there is reading it. It's a lot of time and effort to post it if no one is taking the time to read it.

So if you are reading it I would appreciate a one liner to let me know my efforts are not in vain.

Granny here, just saying!

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Out of the Past Cont'd

Granny here,

      Alex had vowed not to return to the villa again without Cesca and he kept his vow by returning to the barracks. As he undressed he noticed that he had lost his dog tag identification with the ring that Cesca had given him. He had no idea where he had lost it and with the pain his heart was already suffering he didn't have it in him to go looking for it, at that moment he was fighting for his life and it would take some doing to keep him from the depths of depression. Lt. Donavon was out of town on maneuvers so there was no chance of getting him to look for the chain if indeed he had lost it at the villa which he doubted. In his moment of deep despair Alex gave up the idea of ever retrieving his treasure and felt that since he had lost the real jewel he would not search for the material one.
     With his broken heart and his memories fresh Alex knew this time in his life would never come again and he had to face his future without her, he flung himself across the bed and fell into a deep sleep. It was over.

                                                    Chapter 10
                                                    Present Day

     As Daisy was lost in thoughts of the ring and its mystery the phone was ringing loudly, it was Tory. "Hey Doll, how about a date, haven't seen you in a week, how about a day at the beach, tomorrow?" "I'd love that, Tory, I'll fix a picnic basket, you get the wine and we'll make a day of it?"  Answered Daisy with excitement in her voice. "I'll pick you up around nine, will that be too early?" "No, that's great, see you then." As far as Daisy was concerned it was never too early to see tory and she was always ready to spend a day with him.
     Tory was there early, they had not seen each other in a week and their desire was at its peak. they met with a passionate kiss that left them wanting more, but they had made a vow that they would g slow and would try to keep it if possible. The vow to each other gave them reason to always keep themselves in public places and when in private to use self control, which they had been able to do thus far, but they both knew the more they saw each other, the harder it would be to restrain their emotions. they had been faithful to their vow up to this point in their relationship, although there had been moments of passionate love making that had brought them to the edge but never to the point of submission and they wanted to keep it that way. Their total submission was a gift they desired to give to their spouse on their wedding night whoever that person turned out to be.

     Daisy had the picnic basket filled to the brim with good food, all the things they loved, good breads, cheeses, fruits wine glasses and all the necessities. Her tote was filled with towels, bathing suits, lotions of all descriptions, sunglasses and anything else she thought she might need. They would also need a blanket, umbrella which she hoped Tory would remember to bring. daisy could hardly wait, this was one of her favorite things to do with tory other than spending the evening on her veranda in the moonlight and nothing could top that. Daisy was surrounded with contentment when she was with Tory, he brought her happiness like no one else and she loved him for it.
     The sun was already high in the sky and the beauty of the day had already brought out the beach lovers. The sand was hot beneath their feet and the beach was very crowded, it looked as if everyone had taken a holiday. Tory had remembered to bring the umbrella which he sat up in as private a spot as he could find which wasn't easy. Daisy spread out the blanket and sat down the picnic basket, took her tote and ran to the beach house to change into her bathing suit and Tory did the same.
     Tory chased Daisy into the water splashing as they went, she tried to get away from him but her efforts were futile, he had her right where he wanted her, although pretending to get away from him she was right where she wanted to be, in his arms. Their lips met, the water rushed over them as they sank embracing each other and still locked in their kiss, they came up for air laughing at each other as they caught their breath. This lover's game went on for quite sometime until they both were so exhausted they had to take time out on the blanket. Daisy set up the lunch while Tory continued to snooze, to alert him Daisy planted a big kiss on him and he pulled her down onto him, the weight of her made his desire come alive but Daisy brought it to an end by kicking sand on him, laughing as she stood up and presented the meal she had prepared. The beach was far more public for Daisy to show that kind of affection and Tory knew it but he couldn't help but try.
     After their lunch of cold chicken and all the other goodies Daisy had packed, their conversation turned to what lay ahead, but they tried to steer clear of any future commitments. They talked the afternoon away and the evening was turning into a thing of beauty as the sun began to set. Daisy and Tory had a day that most young people only dream of. It was getting late and time to call it a day, the drive home was quiet; the two of them were too exhausted to carry on a conversation. Tory dropped Daisy off just before midnight; their kiss at the door was long and wanting but tomorrow was going to be a tough day since they had stayed out so late, but they knew it had been worth it.

      It had been almost two months since Daisy had left the ring with the jeweler; she was going to go by after work and see if the report had come back. She couldn't wait any longer; she just had to know if they had any information to tell her, she thought that they had had plenty of time to hear something about the ring if they were ever going too. The traffic was terrible as Daisy tried to make her way to the jeweler, she arrived just as he was about to lock the door but he let her in. "I was just about to give you a call, Daisy, we received the report today." "What did you find out; I am so excited to hear the news." "Well, Daisy, you have quite a piece on your hands, the ring is set in platinum as I thought it was, the main stones are of the highest quality emeralds that can be found. I would estimate its value at somewhere between fifty and one hundred thousand dollars if not more." Daisy stood frozen, she was totally taken off guard, she was silent for a few moments, she couldn't say a word. Finally she caught her breath, "You've got to be kidding me? I can't believe it, I'm in the process of researching the stories I've heard to see if there is any truth to them. The story goes that this ring or one similar to it belonged to a countess back in the late eighteen hundreds or early nineteen hundreds and it was  given to a soldier that rented the same villa that I now live in."
     Mr. Pizzario had a puzzled look on his face, "I have heard those stories too but never thought much about it being true." "That sounds like a story I would like to know more about, said Daisy, are there books about it or maybe information at the library?" "It's not something that is talked about very much out of respect for the royal family that was involved, so the complete details may be hard to uncover but I'm sure they're out there somewhere, you'll have to work to find out the whole story, good luck." He replied. "Thank you so much, Mr. Pizzario, you have been a great deal of help, send me the bill and thanks again."

     Daisy was on cloud nine, she would have to insure her find, and she really should have it put in a safe deposit box. Should she share this information? And with whom should she share it? All these thought were going around in Daisy's head as she drove home. She had already told Leslie about the ring but nothing of its value, but maybe she could remain a confidant, maybe she would help her investigate all the details concerning the ring or would she want to, maybe she wasn't interested. Daisy had to call her and tell her the exciting news, she had to share it with someone she just couldn't keep it to herself. She would call her mom too, she could tell her mom anything and this was just too exciting to keep quiet.
     Daisy would have to call her mother in the morning, with six hour time difference she would be in bed already and a call at night always scared her mother to death. Daisy dialed Leslie's number as soon as she got home. "Hello, Daisy, " "Leslie, you're not going to believe it, I got the report back on the ring I found, it is so exciting that I want to tell you in person, can you spend the night Friday, we can sit up late then spend Saturday at the library investigating" "That would be great, we can have our own slumber party," joked Leslie. "Ok, I'll see you Friday evening around seven, bye." Daisy hung up the phone and took out her treasure, and it indeed was just that, a valuable treasure. Just think this may have once belonged to royalty, was it possible she was going to find out for sure? Everything she had found out so far was pointing to that conclusion. How could Daisy get any sleep with so many questions on her mind?
       Friday evening found Daisy making pizza for the "slumber" party she and Leslie were going to have, am I crazy or what, she thought, as she made the pizza, I live in Italy, does that make any sense? Well, I'm not making any sense right now either. Daisy heard the door bell ring just as she put the pizza in the oven. "Hi, Leslie, come in, I just put the pizza in, it should be ready in about twenty minutes, hope you're hungry!" "I'm famished, said Leslie, but I'm more excited to hear the news about the ring than anything. What did you find out?" "Let's have a glass of wine and I'll tell you all about it," Said Daisy as she retrieved two wine glasses from the fridge she had chilling.
     With glasses in hand Daisy began to fill Leslie in on all the details and value of the ring. Leslie, Like daisy was stunned. "What are you going to do now?" Asked Leslie. "I thought you and I could spend the day at the library tomorrow and do some research and see what we can uncover. the jeweler, Mr. Pizzario, said he had heard an old story that a countess had had an affair with an American soldier during the war and she had given him a ring similar to the one I found as a token of her love for him when they parted. The picture I found did look like it but would that be too weird if they were one and the same. That's why we need to do more research. This is almost unbelievable, I have heard that story from my mom and grandmother but thought of it as a fairy tale, never thinking there was any truth to it. there are lots of question, Leslie; we just have to find the answers, if we can. Leslie, could it be possible that if I found the ring in the garden and it was on the man's chain that the chain could be buried there too. wouldn't that be unbelievable, we have to start digging?" The bell on the oven rang signaling that the pizza was done and not a minute too soon, the girls were ready to eat and then to slumber.
     The girls were up early and wasted no time getting to the library, it was only open until noon so they had to make the most of the time they had. Daisy was handling the jewelry side of the story and Leslie would handle the family history , former owners etc. They had come prepared with iPads, cell phones to take pictures, laptops etc., they would collect their information and then swap it when they returned home. They were ready for the challenge but had no idea what surprises lay ahead of them.