‘He’s your very own prince charming,’ she gushed.
‘Hardly,’ Rose huffed. ‘I really need to get some clothes that fit.’
Ben insisted on holding on to her until they reached the top and then Rose shook off his hand, irritated by the tingles left shooting across her skin.
She wasnotgoing to let herself be attracted to him.
‘I’m sorry about last night,’ Ben whispered as Marco caught up with Luna and guided her ahead of them, leading them through the busy restaurant towards the table on the terrace that Rose had seen earlier.
She paused when they got outside to gaze at the view. It was spectacular. On the right of the balcony were fields of twisty, blooming, grape vines heavy with fruit – on the left, a crisscross of hills filled with pink, orange and green plants and trees were framed by a stunning blue cloudless sky.
She took in a deep breath before turning back to Ben. ‘Sorry about lying to me, or sorry you got caught?’ she asked coldly, taking a seat at the end of the table, closest to the view. Luna headed towards the chair opposite, but somehow Ben beat her to it.
‘Why doesn’t Aunt Aurora sit next to Ben, then I’ll sit beside Rose and you can be at the head of the table?’ Marco suggested to Luna. ‘It means we’ll all get to see how beautiful my fiancée is and you’ll get the most magnificent view of us all.’
Luna beamed at him and sat, gathering Coco close. Rose could see her friend from here, but there would be no chance of a private conversation. Were the two men trying to separate them?
Ben leaned forward again as Aurora began to chat with Marco and Luna. ‘I guess I’m sorry about both,’ he said, answering her earlier question, his voice low.
‘You’re not going to stop me from speaking to Luna,’ she said, glancing at her friend who was now talking animatedly, waving her arms as she recounted a story.
Ben shrugged. ‘You strike me as the type of person who usually gets what she wants. But for now, can we please lay down our swords and enjoy lunch?’
‘I suppose,’ Rose muttered, sighing. ‘We do need to eat.’ Soldiers didn’t go into battle without a full stomach, and she wouldn’t be at her best if she was hungry.
A waiter appeared from nowhere and began to pile the table with large platters of delicious-looking food. ‘I haven’t ordered anything,’ Rose told him.
‘We’ve chosen all our best dishes for you to sample,’ Marco said before he pinched his nose, looking like he was going to sneeze. ‘Try it all, see what you enjoy.’
‘We’re thinking of serving a lot of this at our wedding,’ Luna said excitedly from the end of the table. ‘It would be wonderful if you could tell us what your favourites dishes are. I refused to organise anything until you arrived.’
‘You shouldn’t rely on me…’ Rose said tentatively. ‘You know how I am with strange food.’ She believed in sticking with what you knew. That way there was less chance of getting it wrong.
Luna laughed. ‘Well, I asked Mum, and she said a bowl of cereal, so I think you’ll be more help than that.’ She tickled the demon under the chin as Marco suddenly sneezed, swiping tears from his eyes.
‘Where is your mum?’ Rose asked, talking loudly so Luna could hear above the din.
‘It’s taking her a while to get off the island. Apparently, the ferry’s been out of action, but someone’s promised to take her in their boat.’ Luna shrugged. ‘The only problem is she’s not sure when they’ll be able to do it. So she’s just waiting at the moment. She’s bringing my grandmother’s sapphire necklace;it’s my borrowed, old and blue.’ She smiled shyly. ‘I know I’m being superstitious.’
‘She’ll get here,cara,’ Marco said, patting her arm. ‘You’ll have your jewellery, I guarantee it.’
‘But what if she can’t make it?’ Rose asked reasonably. ‘Surely it makes sense to delay things until you’re sure she’s going to arrive?’
Perhaps persuading Luna to postpone the wedding would be easier than Rose had imagined. If Deborah couldn’t get here in time, surely they’d have no choice?
‘I’m sorry, but it’s not going to be possible.’ Marco frowned.
‘Sadly, it’s not.’ Luna nodded. ‘We plan to hold the wedding on the same day as Marco’s parents married,’ she explained. ‘Which is in four days.’
‘It is a lucky day for the Marinos,’ Marco said, picking up his wine. ‘My grandparents also wed on this day and their parents before them. It is important to my family, and it cannot be changed.’ His voice was firm.
Luna smiled at Rose. ‘I’m not worried, Mum won’t let me down. She’ll get here somehow – fate will be on her side.’
‘Indeed, it will,’ Aurora agreed. ‘Aldo says she will definitely be on time.’
Rose pursed her lips. The special date explained Luna and Marco’s haste. It also meant her plans for an alternative wedding in Brighton would definitely be rejected. But whether Deborah would be there was another matter altogether.
‘So now you understand why everything’s happening so quickly,’ Luna said, beaming.
