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Authors: Kathryn Ross
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were extremely interested.
Max was quite funny as well. He told them about amusing incidents and talked about other members of his family and their roles in the upkeep of the estate. Carriewatched as the lines of tension softened on Molly’s grandmother’s face. And Bob seemed to get a new lease of energy as he helped himself for the first time to some of the cake on the china plates in front of him. Even Molly chuckled as Max included her in the conversation, by occasionally bringing a story down to a silly level that she could understand, making her eyes shine with merriment.
By the time the waiters had come to clear all the empty dishes away the atmosphere at the table was light-hearted. Molly had finished her ice cream and had pink raspberry all over her hands and her mouth. Carrie reached to tidy her up with one of the napkins as much as she could and then picked her up off the chair to take her to the cloakroom. ‘Excuse us,’ she said with a smile. ‘I’m just going to wash Molly’s hands before we get ice cream on her dress.’
Carmel watched as the two crossed the busy dining room. Then looked over at Max. ‘I’m so pleased Carrie has met you,’ she said impulsively. ‘From what Tony told me, that first husband of hers was a complete rat. Tony used to worry about her a lot at that time, although he did say she had been happier since coming to live in Spain and that she was dating again. He never said she was seeing someone as settled and family-orientated as you, though…’ Carmel frowned. ‘In fact the last time we spoke on the phone and he mentioned Carrie I got the impression her latest boyfriend was someone she worked with at the office.’
‘Carmel!’ Her husband frowned and shook his head. ‘You probably only got half a story,’ he admonished. ‘All of your conversations with Tony were about Molly.’
‘Yes…yes, of course.’ Carmel started to look a bit red in the face. ‘I just meant to say that it’s wonderful thatyou two have met, and Carrie is a lovely girl—she deserves some happiness after that horrible husband.’
Max digested this information and then tried to soothe Carmel as she flustered on, telling him she had probably misunderstood Tony. ‘You didn’t get it completely wrong,’ he said as Carmel paused to catch her breath. ‘Carrie and I did meet through work. She’s doing an advertising campaign for the vineyard.’
‘Oh, I see.’ Carmel looked immediately relieved. Then smiled at him. ‘She’s very attractive, isn’t she?’
‘Yes, very,’ Max agreed with a grin. He looked up and noticed Carrie returning. He watched the way she moved across the room towards them. He liked the graceful way she walked, the confidence and the gentleness in her manner. He also noticed the way the other men in the room glanced at her with appreciation as she passed, something she seemed totally oblivious of. And he wondered suddenly about the man she had been dating in the office.
‘We were just talking about how you and Max met,’ Carmel said as Carrie reached the table.
‘Really?’ Carrie smiled, but she could feel the muscles aching on her face as she tried to keep the expression in place. She glanced over at Max, willing him to enlighten her as to what story he had been spinning while she’d been away.
‘I was just saying that it was work-related—that you were organising a brilliant advertising campaign for the vineyard,’ he said smoothly.
‘Oh…yes.’ Carrie nodded.
Carmel smiled. ‘I met Bob at work as well. We’ll have been married forty years next December.’
‘Congratulations,’ Max said sincerely.
Carmel nodded. ‘It was love at first sight. As soon aswe met we just knew we were meant for each other. Was it the same for you two?’
Carrie tried to avoid looking over at Max as embarrassment flooded through her. She felt as if all credibility for their business relationship was disappearing fast, and she wished the ground would open up and
Max was quite funny as well. He told them about amusing incidents and talked about other members of his family and their roles in the upkeep of the estate. Carriewatched as the lines of tension softened on Molly’s grandmother’s face. And Bob seemed to get a new lease of energy as he helped himself for the first time to some of the cake on the china plates in front of him. Even Molly chuckled as Max included her in the conversation, by occasionally bringing a story down to a silly level that she could understand, making her eyes shine with merriment.
By the time the waiters had come to clear all the empty dishes away the atmosphere at the table was light-hearted. Molly had finished her ice cream and had pink raspberry all over her hands and her mouth. Carrie reached to tidy her up with one of the napkins as much as she could and then picked her up off the chair to take her to the cloakroom. ‘Excuse us,’ she said with a smile. ‘I’m just going to wash Molly’s hands before we get ice cream on her dress.’
Carmel watched as the two crossed the busy dining room. Then looked over at Max. ‘I’m so pleased Carrie has met you,’ she said impulsively. ‘From what Tony told me, that first husband of hers was a complete rat. Tony used to worry about her a lot at that time, although he did say she had been happier since coming to live in Spain and that she was dating again. He never said she was seeing someone as settled and family-orientated as you, though…’ Carmel frowned. ‘In fact the last time we spoke on the phone and he mentioned Carrie I got the impression her latest boyfriend was someone she worked with at the office.’
‘Carmel!’ Her husband frowned and shook his head. ‘You probably only got half a story,’ he admonished. ‘All of your conversations with Tony were about Molly.’
‘Yes…yes, of course.’ Carmel started to look a bit red in the face. ‘I just meant to say that it’s wonderful thatyou two have met, and Carrie is a lovely girl—she deserves some happiness after that horrible husband.’
Max digested this information and then tried to soothe Carmel as she flustered on, telling him she had probably misunderstood Tony. ‘You didn’t get it completely wrong,’ he said as Carmel paused to catch her breath. ‘Carrie and I did meet through work. She’s doing an advertising campaign for the vineyard.’
‘Oh, I see.’ Carmel looked immediately relieved. Then smiled at him. ‘She’s very attractive, isn’t she?’
‘Yes, very,’ Max agreed with a grin. He looked up and noticed Carrie returning. He watched the way she moved across the room towards them. He liked the graceful way she walked, the confidence and the gentleness in her manner. He also noticed the way the other men in the room glanced at her with appreciation as she passed, something she seemed totally oblivious of. And he wondered suddenly about the man she had been dating in the office.
‘We were just talking about how you and Max met,’ Carmel said as Carrie reached the table.
‘Really?’ Carrie smiled, but she could feel the muscles aching on her face as she tried to keep the expression in place. She glanced over at Max, willing him to enlighten her as to what story he had been spinning while she’d been away.
‘I was just saying that it was work-related—that you were organising a brilliant advertising campaign for the vineyard,’ he said smoothly.
‘Oh…yes.’ Carrie nodded.
Carmel smiled. ‘I met Bob at work as well. We’ll have been married forty years next December.’
‘Congratulations,’ Max said sincerely.
Carmel nodded. ‘It was love at first sight. As soon aswe met we just knew we were meant for each other. Was it the same for you two?’
Carrie tried to avoid looking over at Max as embarrassment flooded through her. She felt as if all credibility for their business relationship was disappearing fast, and she wished the ground would open up and
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