It was a lovely temperature outside, and Laura hoped the walk might dispel her nerves a little. She risked a sideways glance at Daniel. He was wearing charcoal chinos and shirt, a casual jacket flung over one shoulder, the dark colours emphasising his height and lean frame, and she considered how perfectly at ease he seemed in any situation. She wished she could feel the same right now. Teaching unruly teenagers wasn't half as nerve-wracking as this.
Laura wanted to break the silence between them but didn't know where to start. She could try a little casual prying, but she didn't want to risk ruining the evening just to appease Maria's paranoia. In the end, she settled for, "Did your suit dry out alright?"
Daniel's mouth twitched at the corners. "Yes, thanks. A slight whiff of chlorine, but not a deadly insect in sight."
Since he seemed to be in a good mood, Laura decided to risk being a little braver. She could hardly admit to what she'd been trying to do on the computer earlier, but that didn't mean she couldn't do a little harmless fishing.
"I was surprised to see you in a suit at all," she said, careful to keep her tone casual. "It's not the usual choice for a holiday."
"I never said I was on holiday," he replied, quickly adding, "Tell me more about what you're doing here. You said you've been coming out here for years?"
Laura was happy to fill him in—it was hardly a state secret.
"Why do the owners go away in August?" he asked her when she'd finished. "Surely that's one of the hotel's busiest times?"
Wondering if his question was asked with some sort of professional interest, and thinking she might be getting somewhere at last, Laura answered honestly.
"For a start, Paulo refuses to be in England at any other time of year. They tried it once and all he did was complain bitterly about the cold and rain!"
Daniel chuckled. "And?"
"It's nicer for them to visit when school is out for the holidays—that way, Rachel gets to spend some proper time with her nieces and nephews." Anxious to defend them, she added, "Paulo's mother is more than capable of running the place for a while. I'm only here because the guests like to know there's someone English-speaking on site."
He nodded, seemingly satisfied with her answer. "So how is it that you can spare the time?"
"I'm a teacher, so as long as I finish off all last year's stuff before I come out here and then cram a stack of prep in when I go back, I can usually spare about three weeks."
Daniel stopped dead in his tracks. "You don't look like any teacher I had when I was at school. I'm surprised the boys get any work done at all!" When she blushed, he asked her, "What do you teach?"
"French and Spanish."
"So how is it that you speak Portuguese?"
"I took it as a minor subject at university. It's improved a lot since I started coming out here, though."
Daniel raised an eyebrow. "You must have quite a talent for languages."
Surprised by his obvious admiration, Laura decided to take a compliment from him while she could get it. "Thank you."
The restaurant was filled with locals, the menu written entirely in Portuguese, and she felt childishly pleased to be able to show off a little as she translated for him and gave the waiter their order. Yet he understood some of it himself from the smattering of languages he obviously possessed—another hint he was widely travelled.
"So, what do you do for a living?" she asked him as innocently as she could, helping herself to olives from the dish between them.
"I travel." His tone was cautious and he seemed grateful to be interrupted by the waiter bringing their wine, which he duly tasted and complimented before it was served. By the time the waiter had left, he was deftly back to her teaching career.
"It must be pretty hard these days," he said with more than a hint of empathy. "It's my idea of a nightmare, keeping all those teenage brats entertained and under control. I don't know how you do it."
Laura laughed. "You are supposed to teach them something as well, you know. There are always those who don't want to learn, but it's great when you find those who do."
Their lobster soup arrived. Successfully distracted by a subject she felt strongly about, Laura continued to chat about her work and Daniel seemed happy to listen, laughing at her anecdotes and sympathising with her problems.
"Tell me more about the hotel," he said while they waited for the next course. "How long has your friend Paulo been running it?"
"His parents and uncle started it about twenty years ago," Laura answered openly. Whatever Daniel did or didn't do for a living, she saw no harm in filling him in. "It was originally a wine estate but it was completely run-down. They built it up slowly but surely. The uncle retired about seven years ago, but then Paulo's father died a couple of years later, so Paulo had to take it on even though he was still quite young."
Her voice held genuine admiration. "He's done a terrific job. He added the pool, then had some of the outbuildings converted so they can host large functions like weddings and anniversaries. Each time he does something new, he waits to see if it's worked and the place is making enough money before moving on to the next thing. I sometimes think it must be such a big responsibility for him, running the hotel and providing for his mother and sister. He and Rachel work unbelievably hard. That's why I don't mind coming out to help. They deserve a break. Besides, I love it here. It's not exactly a hardship!"
To make her point, she gestured through the large window beside their table to where the lights from the restaurant shone across the river.
"Has
