"Yes, but our guests seem to like exploring the local restaurants. I'm sure there are some nights when they'd rather just stay put, which is why we serve snacks at the bar, but setting up a proper dining facility would be an expensive gamble if there was only the occasional couple wanting to eat there on the odd night."
When Daniel nodded his understanding, Laura breathed a sigh of relief. Their main course arrived, and with it some frustration. This evening seemed to be going all Daniel's way. Although he'd asked plenty about her and the hotel, she'd barely managed to do any fishing of her own. He'd avoided answering her earlier question about what he did for a living, and she could hardly harangue him about it. But why shouldn't he want to talk about what he did if it was above board?
Racking her brains for another way to broach the subject, she suddenly remembered the leaflet she'd shoved into her bag earlier in the evening.
"I thought this might be useful for you," she said as she handed it across to him.
Daniel glanced from the brochure back to her. "Coach tours?"
"Well, of course you won't want to take coach tours when you have your car," Laura said, "but their brochure could be helpful. If you haven't been to this area before, you can see what they fit into a day, the different routes they choose, so you can design your own itinerary." She shrugged. "Just a thought."
Daniel raised an approving eyebrow. "It's a good thought. Thanks." He flicked through the brochure. "Anywhere in particular you want to recommend?"
Laura obliged him, pointing out some of her favourite places and asking him what he most liked when he travelled. She was hypnotised by his eyes—blue and bright and intense as he talked—and fascinated by the movement of his hands as he told her how much he liked northern Portugal already and how it compared to other places he'd been. Finding his enthusiasm catching, she eagerly interjected here and there with snippets of information about the area, and happily forgot her supposed mission.
Chapter Seven
When they'd finished their meal, Daniel refilled Laura's wine glass and watched her as she gazed contentedly out of the window. She'd seemed nervous at the beginning of the evening, but that had gradually disappeared once he'd got her talking about her job, and later about the local area. Then, she'd become animated and enthusiastic, displaying her genuine love for the place.
He admired her obvious loyalty to her friends—in fact, it made him feel a little guilty. He'd had an ulterior motive in insisting she join him for dinner tonight. With the Silvas away, she was his main source of information about the hotel and its surrounding area. It was still inconceivable to him that a hotel's owners would go away in high season, but her explanations and quickness to jump to their defence had already convinced him they left it in good hands.
Laura was both competent—a revelation after their first few encounters—and attractive. A lethal combination. When he'd arrived at reception tonight, it had taken quite an effort not to gape at the way those chestnut waves spread across her shoulders, exactly as he'd imagined they would. Her simple dress confirmed curves in all the right places, and he never ceased to be captivated by her eyes. They were the oddest colour, like jewels . . .
His reverie was interrupted by the noise from a large family at a nearby table. There were several children in the party, all smartly dressed and exuberant, and he and Laura watched as a birthday cake was brought in. But when Daniel turned back to Laura, to his dismay, her eyes glistened with tears.
"Laura, what's wrong?" he asked with genuine concern.
She forced a smile. "Nothing's wrong. I'm fine." But as everyone sang and clapped and cheered the birthday child, her unshed tears made a mockery of her words.
Daniel tried to hold himself in check. He didn't know her well enough to push – and getting to know her wasn't a good idea anyway. His own life was too . . . well, there simply wasn't room for any complications. He'd learned that the hard way with Natalie.
But when one of those tears escaped, all logic went out of the window. Before he could stop himself, he'd reached across to smooth it from her cheek with his thumb.
"No, you're not. Tell me. Maybe I can help."
Laura shook her head, clearly embarrassed. "I'm afraid you can't. I was reminded of something that happened a long time ago, that's all. This is silly of me. I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry. It's not silly to be upset by something just because it happened a long time ago. If I can't do anything to help, at least I can listen."
She hesitated, then finally gave a curt nod. "My last proper birthday party was in a restaurant," she said, her brisk and efficient tone not quite glossing over pain. "I was fourteen and getting too old for parties, so my parents took my brother and me to an Italian place in town. The waiters delivered those sparklers stuck in a dough ball, and my dad clinked his glass against mine. He winked at me. And then he said, 'You're a big girl, now, Laura. Remember that.'" Her voice hitched. "A week later, he left us."
Hiding his surprise at the sudden revelation, Daniel said, "And the party over there reminded you?"
Laura nodded, swiped at another tear, and sat up straight. "I don't usually go blabbing my family secrets to strangers," she said a little crossly. "I only told you so you'd know I had a good reason . . . that I'm not some mad woman who makes a habit of bursting into tears when she's taken out to dinner."
Daniel's lips twitched. "I'm glad to hear it." He cocked his head to one side. "How did your mother take
