Her eyes danced over the words again, committing his note to memory before folding it and slipping it inside her case, beneath her violin. It felt like the only place for it, tucked away from prying eyes but also with her most treasured possession.
Once she’d put her case away, Alexandra fell onto her bed and buried her face into her pillow, muffling an excited scream.Bernard. I’m going on a proper date with Bernard. She didn’t even want to think about how heartbroken she’d be if her aunt and uncle said no.
Her eighteenth birthday was now officially the best birthday of her life.
17
Alexandra had never been so nervous in her life. She’d been hovering upstairs for at least thirty minutes, alternating between pacing back and forth and sitting on the top step, listening out for Bernard’s arrival. But when the knock at the door finally came, she wanted to run back to her room and hide. Sweat broke out across her top lip and her hands turned clammy.
‘Alex, calm down, you look like you’re about to be sick.’ Belle sighed and came closer, staring at her face. ‘You’re as white as a sheet.’
‘What if he doesn’t like me? What if I don’t know what to say to him?’ She gripped Belle’s hand tightly. ‘I’ve never been on a date before, I don’t know what to do!’
Belle rolled her eyes. ‘You two talked for hours last night, there’s nothing to worry about,’ she said. ‘Trust me. He likes you, and I’m almost certain that he’ll be as nervous as you. It’s just two people going out for dinner.’
Alexandra wasn’t convinced that Bernard would be nervous—he was at least a few years older than her and probably very experienced. But Belle was right; it was just two people going out for dinner. Even if it went horribly, she would be home within a few hours.
‘Don’t keep the man waiting,’ Belle scolded. ‘I’ll be right behind you, now come on.’
She squeezed her cousin’s hand. ‘Thank you. For everything.’
Belle just blew her a kiss. ‘You’re very welcome. Now go! Have the best night of your life, and then come home and tell me all about it. Not all of us have dates on a Sunday night, you know.’
Alexandra curled her fingers around the handrail then, taking her first step down the stairs. She kept her gaze down to begin with, but when she looked up she saw Bernard standing near the door, speaking with her uncle. They both turned when they saw her, and she suddenly had to focus on each step, worried that if she didn’t, she’d fall all the way to the bottom.
Bernard watched her the way she’d seen her uncle look at her aunt when they thought no one was watching—his eyes danced over her, as if he simply couldn’t take his gaze from her even if he wanted to. It made every little hair on her arms rise, and when she was finally standing in front of him, his smile calmed her nerves. She’d been so worried he might not like her when he saw her again, but there was no way she could misinterpret his interest now.
‘It’s lovely to see you again, Alexandra,’ Bernard said. ‘I was just telling your uncle that I’ve made reservations at Quo Vadis. I’ve come to know the owner, and he was kind enough to find a table for me at short notice.’
‘Is that the Italian restaurant?’ her uncle asked. ‘I recall the owner was rounded up during the war with all the other Italians, and he rebuilt the place from the ground up when he returned, as it was all but destroyed.’
Alexandra looked up at Bernard, desperately hoping he would say yes. She was more interested in getting going than hearing a history lesson on the restaurant Bernard had booked.
‘Alexandra?’ he asked, taking her by surprise. ‘I take it you’d like to go?’
She nodded, hoping she didn’t appear too eager. But then she remembered Bernard’s words in his letter.
‘Yes,’ she said. ‘I’d very much like to go to dinner. I love Italian food.’ She wasn’t actually sure if she’d ever eaten Italian, but she knew she sounded convincing. He could have said any cuisine and she’d have been sure to sound enthusiastic.
‘Well, make sure she’s home by tenp.m., young man, and not a minute later.’ Her uncle grinned at her. ‘She’s very precious to us, our Alexandra. She’s the second daughter we never had.’
Tears welled in her eyes then, but she quickly blinked them away as her aunt rushed in, holding her arms wide as if she were about to greet a long-lost friend.
‘Bernard! Thank goodness I got to meet you before you left. Will has told me such wonderful things about you.’ Her aunt looked between them. ‘Can we tempt you to stay for a pre-dinner drink, so we can hear all about your rise to fame in the orchestra?’
Alexandra looked up at Bernard, praying he would decline, and she could barely hide her relief when he politely refused.
‘Perhaps next time, if I could be so bold as to presume Alexandra will want to see me again,’ he said, giving her a quick wink. ‘I would hate to miss our reservation.’
‘Of course, of course,’ her aunt murmured, before giving Alex an affectionate pat on the shoulder. ‘Have a wonderful night. You two makesucha handsome couple.’
Alexandra’s cheeks heated, but if Bernard noticed her embarrassment, he certainly didn’t show it.
‘I’ll have her back before ten, I promise,’ he said, shaking her uncle’s hand. ‘Alexandra will be very safe with me, you have my word.’
Bernard stood back slightly to let Alexandra pass as her uncle opened the front door, his palm skimming her lower back as he gently guided her. She glanced briefly over her shoulder and saw Belle standing halfway down the stairs, her hand raised in a wave, and Alexandra gave her a quick smile before stepping out into the cool night air. She would be sure to tell Belle about every minute of the evening when she returned, the two of them curled up in bed together, heads on the pillow, as they did each time the other had something exciting to share.
There was a black cab waiting, pulled up to the kerb right outside the house, and when they reached it Bernard opened the door and waited for her to settle herself before sliding into the seat beside her. Their knees bumped, and when he looked at her, Alexandra let out a big breath she hadn’t even known she was holding, which made them both laugh.
