‘So what did he say, our kid?’
Millie was sitting in Tessa’s kitchen, drinking tea and sampling a new variety of flat bread. She chewed thoughtfully, eyeing up the fibre-optic tree on the windowsill. It was changing colour every few seconds and was peculiarly hypnotic. At least it was cheerful. Outside it was another day of dark clouds and cold winds. The calendar might be hurtling towards Christmas but the weather hadn’t noticed. So much for Arthur’s promised snow.
Tessa watched anxiously. ‘The bread. No good?’
‘Oh Tes, it’s gorgeous but I’m not sure fig and Serrano ham fits in with my ethos of locally sourced.’
‘Suppose not. But hey, the caff isn’t going to be yours for that much longer. Why do you care?’
Millie swallowed. It was true. The thought that her life in Berecombe would be over in a few short weeks was terrifying.
‘And I thought you’d like the Italian connection. Speaking of which, you still haven’t told me how he reacted.’
‘Who? Savio?’
‘Know lots of Italian millionaires, do you, pet?’
Millie stared into her tea. ‘He took me to Samphyre, Dora’s parents’ place. It was great food.’ She drifted off for a second, dreaming about what she’d eaten the evening before. ‘I had the house fish pie with loads of juicy prawns and a chocolate mousse with real gold flakes on it. It was fabulous.’
‘Concentrate, Mil. Back to Savio.’ Tessa rapped a teaspoon on the kitchen counter, making Trevor bark.
Millie pulled a face. ‘I felt really guilty about him. I mean, I’d never actually encouraged him. He didn’t need much encouragement, to be honest. Savvy sort of steamrolls you into submission and I suppose I’d just gone along with it.’ She blew out a breath. ‘He was okay about it, in the end. Sighed in an extravagantly Italian way, declared his undying love for me and then spent the rest of the night chatting up the waitress.’
‘Oh bab, that’s priceless. Is he going back to Italy now?’
‘No, he’s driving on to Cornwall. Turns out I was right about me being a bit of a stopover, he was heading to stay with family for Christmas.’
‘Nothing to feel guilty about there, then. More tea?’
‘Thanks.’ Millie held out her mug. ‘Hopefully not.’
‘And no regrets over missing out on a Maserati and a villa in Tuscany?’
‘Not quite my style.’ She reached down to fondle Trevor’s ears.
Tessa stirred a generous spoonful of sugar into her own mug. ‘Ought to give this up, but the weather’s so cold I need all the calories I can get.’ She nodded to the gunmetal sky outside. ‘At least we’ve got rid of that freezing fog, but I’m not sure this is any better. I’ve never known it so cold down here. Temperature dropped to minus three last night.’ She gave a dramatic shiver. ‘I’m not sure I’d have given up on some Italian sunshine so easily.’ As Millie didn’t rise to the bait, she went on. ‘How’s the wedding panning going?’
‘Good, thanks. All set.’
‘Still on for next week?’
‘Yup. A Christmas Eve wedding. I’m just agreeing the menu. Steak pie with a Stilton and leek crust, winter veg and Pavlova with a berry compote.’
Tessa grimaced. ‘Sounds a bit heavy for a wedding breakfast.’
‘Well, it’s what they want and the ceremony is at five, so people will want something warming to eat after they’ve been sitting on a cold beach.’
‘Fair enough. Are the dogs still going to be bridesmaids?’
‘Yes.’ Millie giggled. Biddy’s wedding was the one bright spark in her life at the moment. ‘It’s so sweet, they each have green velvet waistcoats and Elvis is ring bearer. It’s in a little sparkly box hung from his collar.’
‘Get away. Gotta love our Biddy. Tessa shook her head, fondly. ‘What about a honeymoon?’
‘Think they’re waiting until the New Year and then going to somewhere on the Gower. Biddy said the beaches there are great for the dogs.’
‘Ace. Speaking of all things Welsh, has that Eleri left you in the lurch?’
‘Oh I can manage. Not that busy and Zoe is feeling better, so she’s holding the fort today.’
‘Can’t understand what happened.’
‘Nor me.’
‘Mind you, Ken said that Alex was a bit of a stick in the mud. Went all peculiar when he showed him Eleri’s portrait.’ Tessa sniffed. ‘Seemed an odd couple to me.’
‘Did you? I thought they were well suited.’
‘Cold fish, I thought he was. Not like his brother.’
Millie winced at the mention of Jed. She shrugged. ‘I don’t agree. I think Alex is just very conformist. I agree they were complete opposites, but I thought it worked. It’s such a shame Eleri didn’t give him more of a chance. He’s distraught.’
‘Is he?’
‘It’s all quite romantic in a way,’ Millie sighed. ‘He’s gone up to London to try to find her.’
Tessa gathered up their empty mugs. ‘Well good luck to him with that. Fresh one?’
‘Oh, go on then.’ Millie nodded. ‘I agree with you there, but Alex seems to have friends in high places. He might just find her.’
Tessa snorted derisively. ‘If there’s one place you can hide in, it’s London. Maybe he shouldn’t have been so quick to judge the girl. We’ve all got our pasts.’ Flicking on the kettle, she huffed at the injustice.
‘That’s just it, though, Tes. He hasn’t rejected her. Not to my knowledge, anyway. Eleri assumed he wouldn’t want her. She doesn’t actually know. She didn’t bother to stay and talk it through.’
‘Always said she was weird.’
Millie raised her eyebrows. ‘You said no such thing.’
‘Hmm. Thought it, though. All that mermaid crap, I ask you.’ Tessa opened a cupboard and rootled around. ‘If Roland has eaten all the biscuits again, I’ll tan his hide. Ah, here we are, choccie Hobnobs.’ She threw the packet to Millie, who caught it. ‘Don’t suppose you know where she is, then? Ri, I mean.’
‘No idea whatsoever. Only have her mobile number.’
‘And I don’t suppose you’ve given it to Alex, have you?’
Millie caught Tessa’s eye and grinned. ‘No, I don’t suppose I have.’