by Melissa Hill
Not because Vanessa had somehow got it into her head that he wanted to get married in such a place, but because he couldn’t believe that out of all the companies in Dublin involved in catering, she had turned her attentions to Stromboli.
He supposed it was partly his own fault, given that he’d been the one to make her aware of it in the first place.
Damn that stupid bread, and damn Terri too for putting the ring in it and turning the whole palaver into a three-ring circus. Although that was unfair; he knew that Terri had only had the best intentions in doing so, and he was genuinely grateful to her for trying to help him out.
Still, gratitude was the last thing Ethan was feeling just then, and he wondered what on earth he was supposed to say when he, Vanessa and Daisy waltzed into the bistro today, Vanessa proudly wearing Rachel’s lost engagement ring.
He could only assume that either Rachel or Terri was aware of the reservation, and saw no problem with it; so perhaps he was worrying for nothing.
Possibly the truth about the ring’s origins had all come out in the meantime, and Rachel, far from being upset, might actually be anxious to apologise? Which left him with another problem he hadn’t previously thought of. Obviously Vanessa knew nothing about the mix-up or the resultant hullabaloo, and Ethan didn’t relish the thought of telling her that his ‘surprise’ proposal was as much of a surprise to him as it was to her.
Then again there was always the horrifying chance that neither Terri nor Rachel had any idea that the wedding in question was actually his. The enquiry had been made by Vanessa, presumably in her name, and as Stromboli catered events on a regular basis, why would anyone there bat an eyelid at today’s lunch reservation?
After Vanessa had dropped the bombshell at her parents’ house the night before, Ethan had tried his best to talk her out of it, dismissing Stromboli as a small enterprise, unlikely to meet her exacting standards. ‘It seemed more like an individual or two-man outfit to me, fine for smaller events like parties, I’m sure, but hardly experienced enough for a full-blown wedding.’
‘I disagree actually. The woman I spoke to on the phone sounded polished and confident, and from what I’ve seen on their website they look very professional,’ Vanessa retorted, while Ethan tried to work out whether she’d been talking to Rachel or Terri. ‘Not to mention that it would be fitting for them to take part on the day, given their important contribution to our engagement, wouldn’t it?’
So Ethan had little option but to go along with today’s lunch, and just pray that it didn’t all explode in his face.
‘What’s wrong, Dad?’ Daisy asked, taking his hand as they walked through the landscaped grounds, and he quickly rearranged his expression into what he hoped was a less anxious one. Sometimes his daughter was just too perceptive for her own good.
‘Nothing, darling. Just lots to think about for the wedding. What do you think of this place?’ he asked, indicating the estate’s perfectly manicured gardens.
She shrugged. ‘It’s OK, I suppose.’
‘Just OK?’
Daisy seemed to hesitate. ‘It’s sort of . . . posh, isn’t it?’ she whispered, and Ethan couldn’t help but smile. Once again Daisy had hit the nail on the head.
‘Are you looking forward to the big day in August?’ he asked then. He still hadn’t been able to tease out her feelings about the wedding taking place in such a relatively short time. ‘I know it might seem fast but . . .’
‘That’s OK, Dad. I think I know why,’ she replied ominously, but Ethan didn’t have the opportunity to query this any further because Vanessa, who’d been chatting to the estate’s events manager, came rushing over.
‘Isn’t it perfect?’ she gushed. ‘I just adore these grounds, and if the weather is kind we can arrange for a garden party on the terrace upon arrival, sort of like a grander version of afternoon tea. I’m thinking perhaps macaroons and champagne? Remind me to suggest this to the caterers this afternoon, won’t you?’ She smiled at Daisy. ‘Does that sound good to you?’
The little girl looked dubious. ‘I think most people would still be hungry. Maybe dinner might be best,’ she suggested, her tone perfectly serious, and Ethan had to smile. Out of the mouths of babes . . .
‘Well, of course we’re going to have that too, silly!’ Vanessa joked, and Ethan noticed that Daisy seemed hurt by what she’d obviously construed as a dismissal. He smiled at his daughter and reached for her hand.
Vanessa looked at her watch. ‘In fact, that’s what we need to investigate next, and seeing as it’s almost midday we really should be heading back to Dublin soon. I hope everyone’s hungry, as I’ve asked the caterers to let us try a little bit of everything. Although, we’d probably better not eat too much or we’ll all explode!’
And as they followed Vanessa back to the main house Ethan mentally prepared himself for what lay ahead. He wondered if Stromboli’s explosive name would today turn out to be prophetic.
Chapter 40
When he, Vanessa and Daisy arrived at the bistro, Ethan looked around nervously for Rachel, but he didn’t have much of an opportunity to see anything at all before Terri sashayed over, a big smile on her face.
‘Hello there! You must be Ms Fox. Welcome,’ she greeted warmly. Ethan noticed that she seemed to be going out of her way not to make any eye contact with him and he relaxed a little, realising that, given her reaction, Terri had indeed been expecting their visit. ‘And you must be Daisy? Hi!’ She reached down to the little girl’s level and smiled, before finally looking at Ethan. ‘Mr Greene, nice to see you again. I’m so pleased our little surprise worked out well.’ With that she gave a surreptitious wink, and Ethan breathed a huge inward sigh of relief.
It was OK. He’d worried for nothing; Terri had it all under control.
‘It’s nice to be back. And yes, thank you, it worked well.’
‘Good. I have a lovely table set up for you all back here,’ she said, leading them towards the rear of the restaurant.
As Terri continued to chat good-humouredly with Vanessa and Daisy about the menu and the samples, Ethan kept a cautious eye out for Rachel.
‘I must apologise because we’re pretty short-staffed today,’ he heard Terri say then, as if she were reading his mind. ‘My colleague and co-owner, Rachel, is off today, so forgive me in advance if things are a little busy.’
‘I see.’ Vanessa looked slightly miffed by this, but Ethan immediately deduced that the information was for his benefit, to put his mind at ease about any potential drama over the ring. He made a mental note to try to get Terri alone at some stage so he could thank her yet again for saving his bacon.
‘But in any case,’ Terri smiled winningly as she continued her charm offensive towards Vanessa, ‘I’m sure you’d all much rather eat in peace, and perhaps when you’ve finished sampling the menu we can discuss everything in more detail?’
‘That would be wonderful, thank you,’ he replied, when Vanessa failed to answer.
‘Great. First, let me get you some drinks and then I’ll have Justin, our chef, bring out the first platter.’
‘Do you need any help?’ he asked, and Vanessa shot him a look.
Terri squarely met his gaze and just then he felt profoundly grateful for all that she – a complete stranger – had done for him. If it weren’t for her he might never have got the ring back, and without her intervention today could very well be like stepping onto a minefield. He realised suddenly how awkward and difficult this must be for her too, and indeed how much she’d risked in her efforts to help him. Rachel was her best friend and her business partner, yet she’d gambled all that to come to his assistance. Why?
‘Thank you for offering, Ethan, but really I have it all under control,’ she said.
‘That’s great to know. I – I mean, we,’ he corrected, almost forgetting himself, ‘appreciate that, don’t we, Vanessa?’
His fiancée looked at him as if he were stark raving mad. ‘Well, I’d certainly appreciate a drink, if
it isn’t too much trouble,’ she said, smiling tightly.
‘Of course!’ Terri leapt into action. ‘I’ll be right back.’
‘Is it just me or does she seem a bit odd?’ Vanessa said, wrinkling her nose.
‘I think she’s nice,’ Daisy piped up. ‘I really like her eyes.’
Ethan nodded in agreement. Oddly, Terri’s eyes were one of the first things he’d noticed about her too.
‘Hmm. She seems a bit too overfamiliar for my liking,’ Vanessa said, turning to look at Ethan. ‘Did you notice she called you by your first name just now? A bit much for someone who’s only met you once before.’
‘Actually, Terri was the one who came up with the idea of baking your engagement ring into the bread,’ Ethan said, feeling somehow bound to defend Terri. ‘So I suppose she feels somewhat part of it all. Anyway,’ he added pointedly, ‘wasn’t this personal touch the very reason you’re considering the company’s services for the wedding?’
‘Yes, but there’s a difference between that and over-familiarity.’ Vanessa picked up the sample menu Terri had laid out for them. ‘Still, I must admit that the food here really does sound delicious.’ She sat forward in her chair and glanced around. ‘Shame about the surroundings. Even for Dublin it’s a little bit . . . twee, isn’t it?’
Again, Ethan felt annoyed on behalf of Terri and Rachel. He suspected they had put a huge amount of thought and effort into the decor.
‘I rather like it, as it happens,’ he said. ‘It’s warm and cosy and, more importantly, it doesn’t feel like you’re eating in a science lab.’ It was a thinly disguised barb at Vanessa’s own preference for minimalist London eateries, which looked modern and funky but, in reality, often felt rather sterile to Ethan.
‘It smells great too,’ Daisy agreed. ‘I’m so hungry.’
‘Well, we’re just in time then!’ Terri chuckled, reappearing at the table with drinks; she was followed by Justin, who was carrying a huge platter of various savoury goodies. ‘Now this is a broad selection of options we offer as starters, so I’ll leave you three to dig in. Then, when you’re ready, we’ll bring out some mains. Sound OK?’
Already Ethan’s mouth was watering, and he worried that if Terri kept serving them this great food, then Vanessa really would want to choose Stromboli for the wedding. Which meant that he wouldn’t be able to avoid meeting Rachel again.
As they ate, Vanessa was determined to comment and rate almost every morsel she put into her mouth, and Ethan tuned out and wondered again how Rachel had reacted when she realised her precious ring had disappeared. He knew that he wouldn’t be able to relax properly until he found out.
After a while he spotted Terri across the room, chatting to customers at another table near the bar. He vaguely recalled that the restaurant’s toilets were situated in that area and figured that this was the opportunity he needed to get her alone.
‘Back in a moment.’ Excusing himself, he stood up and tried desperately to catch Terri’s eye as he approached. Luckily, she seemed to sense his gaze and very quickly finished talking at the table and proceeded to a small alcove by the entrance to the toilets. Ethan followed, conscious that while the spot afforded them some privacy, it would still be all too easy for Vanessa or Daisy to spot him from their table.
‘Terri, I’m so sorry,’ he began. ‘I had no idea Vanessa was going to do this. But thank goodness she spoke to you on the phone, otherwise I can only imagine how awkward it would be if Rachel—’
‘How much trouble it would cause, you mean,’ she interjected shortly. ‘Seriously, Ethan, what the hell were you thinking bringing your fiancée and that ring back here? You’ve really made things very difficult. I didn’t know if I should scupper the food on purpose, just to be sure we don’t end up at the wedding!’
‘I couldn’t help it. It was all arranged without my knowledge. Believe me, I had no intention of going within a million miles of this place. Sorry,’ he added quickly, noticing her slightly wounded expression, ‘you must know what I mean. Don’t get me wrong: I’m incredibly grateful that you’re handling it all so well. And what about Rachel?’
Terri fixed those intense green eyes on him. ‘What about her?’
‘Well, she isn’t here – on a busy Saturday. I take it that’s also your doing?’
‘Of course. We couldn’t risk her seeing you again, to begin with, and then recognising what she believes is her ring on another woman’s finger. Rachel can be a bit innocent at times, but any fool would be able to put two and two together.’
Ethan frowned. ‘Knowles still hasn’t told her the truth, I take it.’
‘You take it right.’ She shook her head. ‘I know I did you a favour, but really, Ethan, if I’d known how upset she’d be I’d never in a million years have intervened like that.’
‘For goodness’ sake, how is Knowles getting away with putting her through this?’ Ethan clenched his fists and Terri looked at him thoughtfully.
‘I thought you said that none of it was any of your business,’ she said, her tone implying in no uncertain terms that his reaction seemed over the top for someone who proclaimed he didn’t care.
‘It isn’t, but I just can’t bear to think that the man is still stringing her along like that. She’s much too good for him.’
‘I know, but I think that at this stage we just have to step back and let them get on with it—’
‘Terri!’
Ethan started quickly at the sound of the voice, and he and Terri turned to see a tall, broad-chested man he vaguely recognised heading towards them, a thunderous look on his face. He realised that the very subject of their discussion had just stepped through the door of the restaurant.
‘Oh shit! Just what we need,’ Terri whispered
And to Ethan’s dismay he realised that all attempts at controlling this situation had now gone right out of the window. There was no question that Vanessa would have heard; in fact, the majority of diners in the room were already glancing in his direction.
He took a deep breath. Here goes . . .
‘What do you want, Gary?’ Terri asked. ‘Ethan, we’ll talk again later,’ she said, dismissing him.
‘Ah, what a coincidence! So this is the famous Mr Greene,’ Gary said, glowering at Ethan.
As the man stood in front of him, Ethan tried to remind himself yet again that he had nothing to be afraid of – Gary Knowles was and had always been in the wrong – but when the guy had a good twenty pounds on him, this was difficult.
‘I knew it. I knew you two had to be behind this,’ Gary boomed, and Terri grabbed each of them by the arm and (quite forcefully, Ethan noticed, considering her small frame) pulled them into a quiet alcove nearby out of sight of her customers.
‘Gary, what the hell are you doing?’ she hissed. ‘This is a restaurant, not your crappy Saturday-night local!’
‘You should have thought of that before you helped Mr Do-Gooder here to steal Rachel’s ring,’ he growled.
Ethan was flabbergasted. Was this guy really so stupid as to have convinced himself that the ring actually belonged to him? ‘Rachel’s ring?’ he retorted hotly. ‘For goodness’ sake, you know damn well that ring was never Rachel’s, or indeed yours!’
Gary took a threatening step towards him. ‘Where is it? What did you do with it? I’m warning you, Greene. You make sure she gets it back right now or I’ll—’
‘Ethan? What’s going on here?’ Vanessa interjected, white-faced, Daisy standing by her side. ‘Who is this man?’
Suddenly Ethan saw his carefully ordered life come crashing down before his very eyes.
Gary crossed his arms, a slight smirk on his face as he realised that this was an awkward moment for Ethan in more ways than one.
‘Don’t worry, darling. It’s a long story,’ he replied, putting a soothing hand on Vanessa’s arm. ‘You and Daisy head back to the table and I’ll explain it all later,’ he added with a tight smile. The last thing he wanted was for Daisy to be upset by all thi
s, so he prayed Vanessa would take the hint.
‘No, I want to know what’s going on right now,’ she insisted forcibly. ‘Clearly there’s something that you’re not telling me and—’
‘Hey, Daisy, would you like to come into the kitchen and say hi to Justin? I know he’d love to meet you,’ Terri interjected, swiftly taking the little girl’s hand and turning her away from the spectacle, and once again coming to Ethan’s rescue.
‘Good idea, buttercup,’ he reassured Daisy while she reluctantly followed Terri through to the kitchen.
‘Well?’ Vanessa looked from Ethan to Gary. Then she frowned. ‘Excuse me, why are you staring at me like that?’
Ethan looked at Gary to find that he was indeed staring at Vanessa with a perplexed look on his face.
‘Hey, I know you,’ Knowles said then, his eyes narrowing.
‘What? What are you talking about? I’ve never seen you before in my life. Ethan, are you going to tell me what the hell is going on here?’ she repeated impatiently.
‘Darling, I really don’t think this is the time or the place,’ he mumbled.
‘Hold on! I do know you.’ Knowles continued to stare at Vanessa with confused recognition.
‘Don’t be silly. I’ve never met you—’ She glanced disparagingly at Gary as if he were a particularly annoying fly she wanted to swat away, and refocused her attention on Ethan.
‘Vanessa—’
‘Bloody hell!’ Gary said finally. ‘It’s you.’
‘Excuse me?’
‘It is you. The bird in the taxi – the one from New York.’
‘I’m sure I don’t know what you mean,’ Vanessa replied shortly, but Ethan noticed a faint blush creep across her face.
‘No, no, I’m right! I know I am. I’d swear to it,’ Gary insisted. ‘I recognise you from the CCTV footage. You and that guy were in the taxi that ran me over.’
Ethan was now seriously perplexed. ‘Knowles, what on earth are you talking about? How could Vanessa possibly have been . . . ?’ But the rest of the question trailed off when he noticed that Vanessa was looking momentarily unnerved.