She carried a basket under one arm and proceeded to pick lemons off a tree to the right edge of the property. A few moments later, a tall man dressed in khaki green wandered out of the other cottage doorway. The man watched the woman for a few moments before approaching. As he did, the woman began to gesticulate angrily — then she threw the basket on the ground and stomped back inside her house.
Rose watched the scene play out, fascinated by the body language of the two people. There was anger there, but something else too, she just couldn’t read it. Had she just witnessed a family feud, were they guests of the Marinos, or was this somehow connected to what Aurora had spoken about earlier?
Her senses were tingling, and she wished she could find out more. It had been over forty-eight hours since she’d last spoken with a client, and Rose was beginning to get withdrawal. She enjoyed fixing things when she could – enjoyed the feeling of satisfaction she got from bringing people together. Perhaps she could help the couple? Her phone buzzed and she stepped back inside, out of the sunlight.
Hi, Rose. I’ll come and find you in a few minutes. L xx
Rose smiled, wishing she had the notes she’d packed in her suitcase. She’d have to track down a printer later. She’d prepared a folder for Luna and Marco. A series of questions designed to help them take a step back and think clearly about their impending marriage and all the potential pitfalls. She’d prepared a further list of suggested rules to follow so they could spend time getting to know each other properly over the next few months. She just had to convince them to follow it now.
Her mobile buzzed and she immediately picked up before the ring tone kicked in, expecting it to be Luna.
‘Rose,’ her mother said, and her heart sank. ‘Are you still in Italy?’ The question came out as more of an accusation than interest.
‘Yes, I’m just getting settled in to Marco’s family home.’ There was no point in sharing the story of her lost luggage, or any of the things that had happened since she’d arrived in Nice. Rose hadn’t told her mother Luna’s fiancé’s name and wondered if she’d ask who the man she was staying with was.
‘Did you get my wedding invite before you left?’ her mother shot back. ‘Because you haven’t RSVP’d and I need to know what time you’ll be there.’
‘I got it.’ Rose sighed. ‘Did you know Dad’s getting married on the same day?’
‘It wasn’t a surprise.’ Her mother snorted. ‘Darling, you know your father’s never had an original thought. Of course he’s chosen the same day for his wedding. He’s trying to upstage me. I hear the bride is younger than you.’ She sounded bitter, and Rose went to sit on the bed. It was a four-poster crafted from walnut, with piles of puffy pillows and crisp white sheets. Matching gauzy curtains hung around the sides and they fluttered as a breeze from the overhead fan caught them.Sighing, she lay down and pressed the mobile to her ear, feeling tired suddenly. ‘He’ll be divorced before the cake’s been cut. I need you atmywedding, Rose. You’ll love William – we’re perfect for each other. This time, I know I’ve got it right. You can do a speech, tell us about all the rules we need to follow.’ She chuckled. She’d never taken any of Rose’s advice seriously, often joking about her career.
‘How long have you known William?’ Rose asked flatly.
‘Time isn’t important,’ her mother said dryly. ‘When you finally allow yourself to fall in love, you’ll understand that. Rose, tell me you’ll be there. It won’t feel like a wedding unless you are.’
Rose sighed; she didn’t want to fall out with either of her parents. ‘I need to talk to Dad again,’ she said wearily. Usually, she had plenty of energy for conversations like these. Would at least spend a few minutes trying to show her mother the error of her ways, but the long journey here had sapped it out of her.
Someone knocked on the door of her bedroom and she sat up. ‘I’m sorry, I’ve got to go. Luna’s come to see me,’ she said, feeling a wave of relief. At least she could stop one relationship disaster and save her best friend. ‘I’ll call when I can and let you know about the wedding, okay?’
‘You’d better come to mine,’ her mother snapped before hanging up.
Rose put the phone down, trying to untangle the new knot in her stomach, and opened the door, gaping when she saw Ben standing in the hallway.
‘What are you doing here?’ She folded her arms as something quivered in her belly, making the knot evaporate.
‘Luna couldn’t make it.’ His forehead crinkled. ‘She said she’d just sent you a text?’
‘I was on the phone,’ Rose said roughly, glancing towards the bed where she’d left her mobile.
‘She said to tell you that she’d see you later, at the engagement party or before if she can make it,’ Ben told her.
He’d showered and changed – into a dark blue shirt that made his brown eyes shades darker. He’d put on shorts too, which showcased the perfectly developed muscles of his legs. His skin was tanned, and he looked healthy and far more attractive than any mortal had a right to look. Rose sighed, irritated by her reaction to him, which was the result of unruly pheromones – nothing more.
‘Marco’s taken her to get her hair done for the party. It was a last-minute appointment, a surprise, which is why she didn’t mention it earlier,’ Ben said, avoiding looking at her. ‘Luna asked me to walk you into the village.’
‘Are you sure Marco didn’t ask you to get me out of the way?’ Rose asked suspiciously, pulling Aurora’s dress back onto her shoulder as it slid off. Her linen trousers were washed and hanging in the bathroom, but she wasn’t hopeful that she’d ever wear them again.
‘What have you done with Aurora?’ Rose checked the empty hallway behind Ben. ‘Is she at the hair appointment too?’
‘She’s having a nap with Coco,’ he said. ‘She barely slept a wink last night. Lumpy bed, apparently.’ His lips curved. ‘If you stand in the hallway, you’ll hear her arguing with Aldo. I don’t know how they always seem to have so much to say to each other considering they never stop talking.’ He sounded wistful.
Rose frowned when she heard another shout.
‘Do you want to go to a boutique?’ Ben’s eyes filled with humour. ‘Or are you planning to borrow Aunt A’s clothes until your suitcases turn up?’ The smile he gifted her was the wrong side of wicked. ‘Ifthey ever do.’
‘They’ll get here. But yes please, I do want to go.’ Rose puffed out a breath. She’d worn enough glitter to last a lifetime. ‘I hopethey have shoes.’ She’d been wearing the same pair of pumps for way too long.
‘There’s only one way to find out,’ Ben said, sweeping an arm into the corridor. Rose grabbed her handbag and mobile before following him out of the door.
