Maria smiled around the table at each one of them and Felipe realised what she said was true. Eating together in the depths of their grief had given them purpose; cooking had givenMãea reason to go on, and showing up to please her had been their reason to keep going. He hadn’t appreciated how important that had been until now.
Rebecca looked around the table and Felipe took pity on her. ‘My father and uncle died in an accident together. It was very sudden and a terrible shock for the whole family. It was ten years ago now.’
She put her fork down with a clatter. ‘I’m so sorry. How terrible. I had no idea.’
‘It’s not for you to worry about,’ said Maria immediately, wanting to put her at her ease. ‘Like Felipe says, it was a long time ago. We mustn’t look back. It was a dreadful tragedy, and I miss my husband, but it happened. I am proud of how it has shaped us, made us strong together.’ She smiled at Felipe and then Ana and the two younger girls. ‘We are family. My two daughters have married fine young men and Felipe?—’
He cut her off before she could say too much. ‘Will one day marry a fine young woman.’ He turned to Rebecca. ‘She’s desperate to marry me off.’
‘Not desperate,querido. But you are thirty-one now. Me and yourpaihad been married for ten years by then.’
‘And they’d had you by the time they were twenty-three,’ piped up Katerina with a fiendish smirk. ‘You’re letting the family down.’
Felipe felt his muscles tense at her words.Letting the family down. He’d done his best to make sure that never happened and they were not going to guilt him into a relationship before he was good and ready. At the moment, he relished what little freedom he had.
Across the table, Ana gave him a small smile. Sometimes he thought she might understand, but it would be disloyal to voice his frustrations.
After dinner, they sat around chatting as they finished the bottle of wine while Cristina applied another coat of varnish to Rebecca’s nails.
‘What do you think?’ asked Cristina when she’d finally finished.
Rebecca held up her hands and nodded. ‘Very good. Do I have to pay you?’
Cristina sat up straighter. ‘Now that is a really good idea.’
‘Don’t you dare,’ admonished Maria, reaching over and tapping Cristina’s hand.
The young girl pouted. ‘It was worth asking.’
‘You can do an extra shift in the hotel if you want more money,’ said Felipe, thinking it would be good to get someone to take over the laundry this week.
‘It’s like being a slave,’ moaned Cristina.
‘I know,’ replied Felipe. ‘I’m an awful cousin.’
‘You’re not so bad,’ said Katerina in a comforting tone.
He narrowed his eyes. ‘And what are you after?’
‘Well, if Cristina wants to work extra, she could take my shift on Saturday,’ she said with a sly glance at him.
He shook his head. ‘Nope. Not happening.’
Now she pouted.
‘Maybe I could help,’ suggested Ana.
‘No, because I’m going to need you to help out in the restaurant. I have to go to Lisbon for several meetings.’
‘Ooh, visiting the Love Palace,’ said Katerina, and they both cackled.
‘Yes, Lisbon,’ he said, refusing to justify his reasons. If he took a day off that was up to him. His resolve hardened when both girls began to give smoochy kisses to the backs of their hands.
‘Oh,querida, I’ve missed you so much.’
‘Kiss me again,amada.’
‘Oh, Felipe, you’re so handsome.’
