‘Sorry, Felipe,’ said Katerina, contrite.
‘Yes, sorry and thank you for taking us to Loulé,’ Cristina added.
Ana didn’t say anything but when Rebecca turned round, she could see the other woman’s face was contorted with self-recrimination, which made Rebecca regret speaking so bluntly.
‘Do you know, Felipe,’ said Cristina suddenly, ‘I wish you were my brother because then I could say that you are the best brother on the planet.’
‘Best cousin on the planet,’ suggested Kristina.
Felipe grinned. ‘Can I have a medal with that on? So that I can remind you next time you plague me.’
‘We don’t want you to get too big-headed,’ said Katerina.
‘No,’ agreed Cristina. ‘But we do love you. And I think you’re better than a big brother because I don’t think they are always very nice.’
Felipe laughed. ‘And I love you,querida.’ He reached over and gave Rebecca’s leg a squeeze. She wasn’t sure if it wasa thank-you or ‘crisis averted’. She hadn’t meant to cause difficulties, but her indignation on behalf of Felipe had got the better of her. She hoped he didn’t think she was interfering. After all, it was nothing to do with her.
Rebecca didn’t get the chance to speak to Felipe on her own until they arrived. The three cousins skipped ahead while Rebecca’s senses reeled from the colours and scents of the busy fruit and vegetable stalls and the herb and spice sellers they walked past.
‘I’m sorry about earlier,’ she said quickly. ‘It was none of my business.’
‘No, it wasn’t,’ he said. ‘I never want them to feel beholden to me, but I am grateful to you for changing the subject. It’s one of those perennial family arguments. Every time I produce the rota, they complain. It was alwaysPaiandTio’s wish that everyone in the family was involved. The hotel belongs to all of us. If we all work, I can afford more for the family.’
Rebecca understood this but still felt that the cousins should be more appreciative of what Felipe did and had done for them.
‘Maybe you should ask them to arrange the rotas.’
Felipe spat out a laugh, despite her observation being made in all seriousness. ‘And how do you see that going? It would result in absolute chaos.’
‘Exactly,’ she said, giving him a level gaze. ‘But it would give them some insight. They might see how hard it is and maybe stop complaining.’
He paused and studied her. ‘Actually, that’s not a bad idea.’ His eyes twinkled. ‘I like your thinking.’
A little glow of satisfaction lit up inside her that she’d managed to help him solve another problem… and there shewent again, trying to make herself indispensable. Was she destined to keep falling into the same trap, of trying to meet someone else’s needs and what they wanted instead of being herself?
Chapter Twenty-Three
It had been a thoroughly lovely Saturday, reflected Rebecca when they finally came back to the hotel after a deliciously long, late and leisurely lunch at one of the Rebelo family’s favourite restaurants.
On the return journey from Loulé market, Katerina, Cristina and Ana had insisted on stopping at the big shopping mall in Guia where they’d spent nearly two hours in the fitting rooms of Zara, H&M and Berksha, with each of them bringing armfuls of clothes for Rebecca to try on– from the outrageous and wild through to the amusingly unsuitable. She’d submitted and they’d taken great pleasure in treating her like a doll they could dress up, falling about with laughter as she pouted and posed for them. In between it all, she had found a few items that she liked and got the seal of approval from the girls. Who knew that red was her new best friend? Or that a plain deep-rose-pink dress with a mid-thigh skater skirt could look both cute and sexy, according to Ana, whose judgement she trusted the most, even though the girls were unfailingly honest and direct.
As they drove up to the car park of the hotel, Rebecca smiled to herself at the memory of some of the comments the girls had made in the changing rooms.
‘Oh God, no, you look like a camel!’ Cristina had said of a sand-coloured jumpsuit.
‘Hideous,’ said Katerina, about the little pedal pushers Rebecca had been quite keen on. ‘Make your thighs look like a WWE Wrestler.’
Despite being conscious of her muscular thighs, Rebecca thought this was hilarious because of Katerina’s deadpan delivery. Ana was by far the best at choosing what suited her, although was quick to spot when Rebecca wasn’t comfortable. As much as the three would criticise and tease, they were equally generous and kind, ganging up on her to convince her how gorgeous they thought she looked. It was something she’d never experienced before.
‘You have to buy that! If you don’t, I will buy it for you,’ insisted the mild-mannered Ana with a ferocious glint in her eye.
They’d continued to tease her throughout a late afternoon lunch with all the family, and now, arriving back at the hotel, she glowed with happiness as she carried her shopping bags up the steep cobbled path. When Will hailed her suddenly, appearing out of the blue above the lavender borders, she started, his quick shout of greeting reminding her of the day she’d returned from Lisbon to find him here. Like the previous time, he disrupted her equilibrium, dispelling the sunshine spilling through her.
‘Rebecca, I’ve been looking for you everywhere,’ he said. ‘Where’ve you been?’
‘Out having fun,’ murmured Katerina under her breath as she nudged Cristina.
‘I thought you were working today and seeing your friends this evening,’ Rebecca said, immediately irritated by the apology in her voice, because after all, he’d been the one who had told herhe was going to be busy today, and they hadn’t spoken since he’d turned her down.
