‘Seven thirty for eight in the bar, followed by dinner in the Tintagel Room.’ Ruan turned to look at them both. ‘Are you two happy with that, or shall I make it eight for eight thirty?’
‘Seven thirty for eight okay for you?’ Nathan looked at Cat, who nodded.
‘Great.’ Her father smiled and turned his attention to Étienne. ‘Right, my old friend; let’s get you checked in, shall we?’
Luke had just returned from lunch. As he was locking his car he saw his uncle coming across the tarmac towards him.
‘Ah, just the person.’ He stopped in front of him, his smile indicating he was in a good mood. ‘Are you doing anything this evening?’
‘I don’t think so, why?’
‘Ruan’s holding a welcome dinner for Étienne Di Marco.’
‘Who?’
‘An old friend who’s arrived from Italy for a few weeks. The three of us hung around together one summer back in the eighties. Ruan’s invitation was for family and I thought you might like to be included.’
Luke considered the offer for a moment. It meant sitting down with Evie and Jordan. But the bonus was he’d get to spend the evening with Cat. Yes, of course he’d accept.
‘What time?’
‘Seven thirty for eight. There’s a private dining room – The Tintagel Suite. If you can’t find us in the bar we’ll be there.’
‘Great.’ Better than his planned evening in The Smugglers with a plate of pasty and chips, he thought. ‘Dress code smart casual, I guess.’
‘Got it in one.’ Gareth slapped his shoulder affectionately. ‘See you later.’
Making his way back into the service area Luke walked into the mens’ cloakroom and opened his locker. Securing his jacket and valuables he was about to leave when he heard voices outside the open window. He immediately recognised one as Tony Marsh’s. The other sounded like Jordan. Hearing his name mentioned he stopped to listen.
‘Luke and Cat?’ he heard Jordan say. ‘You’re not serious? Does Ruan know about this?’
‘There’s nothing wrong with Luke,’ Tony replied, obviously upset by Jordan’s tone. ‘He’s hard working and well liked at Arcadia. And he’s your cousin, his mother was a Hunter, unless you’ve forgotten. Why should Ruan Trevelyan object?’
‘Don’t get me started about his mother,’ Jordan said angrily. ‘She caused a lot of trouble in our family. I’m not getting into an argument with you over this, Tony. All I’ll say is Ruan will just about tolerate a friendship between them. But if it looks like developing into something else, well …’ He left the sentence unfinished but Luke could imagine the consequences both for him and for Cat.
‘Cat might have something to say about that,’ he heard Tony’s gruff response.
‘Not where her father’s concerned. She would never disobey him.’
Luke turned away. Was Jordan telling the truth? He’d always liked Ruan Trevelyan. A friendly easy-going sort and a good friend of his uncle’s. He’d never had him down as part of the narrow-minded group of individuals in Carrenporth who thought he didn’t quite fit in. Suddenly the whole idea of tonight’s meal left a sour taste in his mouth. Did he really want to put himself through what might turn out to be an embarrassing and uncomfortable evening? He shook off his concerns. Time to get back to work. He’d make a final decision later.
Spending her working days in a suit and off-duty hours mostly in an assortment of casual clothes, tonight’s dinner provided Cat with a great opportunity to dress up for the evening. After sorting through her wardrobe she decided on cream linen pants and a loose, pale turquoise shirt. Adding jet earrings and a matching choker, she finished with a spray of perfume then slipped into high-heeled sandals.
She found Nathan in the lounge looking relaxed in a pale blue jacket, grey trousers and white open neck shirt. As they waited for the lift they chatted about tomorrow and their planned afternoon on the beach. Surfing had been a part oftheir lives since they were very young. Sam Dixon, together with his wife, Benita, ran Sam and Beni’s beach restaurant, a large bleached wood building tucked into the bottom of the cliffs below the hotel. Sam had taken over the business from his parents a few years back. Now Beni looked after the restaurant while he ran the West Beach Surf School, housed in an adjacent building. There he taught youngsters and adults the art of mastering the waves. Cat remembered her own childhood when both Nathan and she were under the tutelage of a much younger Sam. It was also the place where she had met and become firm friends with Jodie. Having been such a full-on time at the hotel, tomorrow would be the first opportunity she’d had since her return from France to revisit her skills … and she couldn’t wait.
Reaching the ground floor, the lift doors parted with a light hiss and they crossed the marbled reception area with its elaborate wrought iron staircase, heading for the bar. It was quiet at this time of the evening with just a smattering of early diners in the restaurant, the sound of wine corks popping and muted conversation drifting through the open doors. As they entered the bar she saw the rest of their dinner group had already arrived and were gathered in the far corner. The bar manager, stood taking a drinks order from Ruan, while Gareth and Étienne were deep in conversation, the Italian’s hand draped casually on his shoulder in quiet camaraderie. Evie stood next to her husband, fussing over Jordan’s tie, much to his annoyance. Seeing them approach he batted her hand away, angry and embarrassed. She noticed Nathan attempting to hold back an amused smirk. ‘Behave,’ she warned, giving him a small dig in the ribs.
They were both greeted with hugs from Gareth and Evie, while Jordan made a hasty retreat to the bar, eager, Cat suspected, to avoid any more of his mother’s unwanted ministrations. Blonde, slim and with great bone structure, whenEvie had been eighteen she had won the Miss Cornwall crown and automatically became a contestant for the Miss England title. Taking in her flawless appearance Cat realised such perfection didn’t come without effort: a personal trainer and regular trips to the most expensive London clinics to ensure she maintained both her figure and looks.
Ruan and Gareth drank a toast to Étienne and their long friendship. Evie rolled her eyes, which made Cat and Nathan laugh. Even after all these years it appeared she either didn’t understand their close companionship or was embarrassed by it. With drinks over, the small group left the bar and made their way down the carpeted corridor towards the Tintagel Suite. As the hotel’s smallest private dining room, the family normally held a block booking for its use as Ruan hosted dinners here for Rotary members and other business associates. Tonight, its cream and aqua décor was enhanced by warm low level lighting, the large circular table laid with gleaming cutlery and shimmering cut glass. As everyone took their places she noticed an eighth setting. Immediately, she observed Gareth and Evie exchanging glances. ‘Well, did you really think he’d come?’ she heard Evie’s sharp comment, and realised her father’s invitation had indeed been extended to Luke.
‘Propping up the bar in The Smugglers, I expect,’ Ruan joked as he seated himself and Anton arrived to consult him on wine choices for the evening.
‘Luke never has been one for formal social gatherings,’ she heard Gareth say quietly.
‘Well, let’s face it, he’s not one of us, is he?’ Evie said with a syrupy smile. Gareth glared at her, animosity crackling between the two of them.
‘I’m sorry I’m late,’ an apologetic voice announced. Cat looked up to see Luke standing in the doorway and dressed for the evening in a pale linen jacket, light blue T-shirt andnavy chinos, his dark hair falling untidily over his forehead. Brushing it back from his face, he gave everyone a friendly if slightly nervous nod, his eyes meeting hers for a moment. She responded with a reassuring smile, one which he returned before stepping into the room and taking the empty seat place between Evie and Nathan.
