Before Daniel could further explore why she had so abruptly ended the evening, she grabbed at the nearest straw she could find. "Actually, I have some information about something I thought you might enjoy." Hoping it might be a neutral subject to get them back on a client-host footing, she told him about Carlos' new enterprise. "You might not be interested, but I thought I'd let you know," she finished lamely.
Daniel nodded, fixing her with those dangerous blue eyes of his. "I am interested."
Choosing for her own sanity to ignore any ambiguity in his words, Laura sighed inwardly with relief that she'd managed to divert him from any discussion of last night, but her relief was short-lived as he added, "How about going with me to try it out?"
"Going with you?" She shifted uncomfortably, wary of the determined gleam in his eyes that she was already beginning to recognise.
"Yes. You're free in the daytime, aren't you? Could you get in touch with this Carlos, maybe try and book something for tomorrow or the day after?"
"I . . . I suppose so." Trust her to open her big mouth! If she'd known he'd ask her to join him, she never would have mentioned it—but now she had and he'd invited her to come; it would be churlish to refuse. Failing to hide her lack of enthusiasm, she said, "I'll find out if there are any places and let you know later this afternoon, if you like."
"Thanks." He took a step towards her. "Look, Laura, about last night . . ."
The telephone ringing in reception broke him off, and Laura had never been so grateful in her life. Shrugging apologetically, she unlocked the door and rushed inside to snatch up the receiver.
Chapter Eight
The phone call was a wrong number, but it served its purpose—Daniel had gone, leaving Laura annoyed with herself for not standing up to him. Again. Surely her duty as a host didn't involve accepting every unwanted invitation that came her way? But then it occurred to her that if Daniel was just an ordinary guest, her obligation didn't stretch to doing something she didn't want to do. If, however, there was more to it than that . . .
Quickly turning to the computer, she booted it back up and typed Daniel's name into the search engine. Scrolling down unlikely suggestions—bass guitarist, basketball player, chemistry boffin—she finally found what she was looking for: Daniel Stone, Stone Brothers Independent Travel. And there he was, staring out at her from a corporate-style photograph.
She read how Daniel and his brother Ben started their company five years ago to fill a gap in the holiday market, catering to the needs of those who didn't like package deals but didn't have the time, inclination, or confidence to make complicated travel arrangements themselves. The company provided a full service, from recommending the best destination for the individual traveller's needs, right through to booking every last detail. Stone Brothers specialised in off-the-beaten-track holidays in France and Spain, and from next year, Portugal would also be on offer.
She stared at the screen, chewing her lip. So Daniel wasn't a travel reporter, but he did own a travel company, and that company was thinking of expanding into Portugal. At last, some things were beginning to make sense: his requests for all that information and wearing a suit, presumably for a meeting.
Laura frowned. She now knew more about him, but in some ways she was no wiser. Was Daniel using the Quinta Maria as a base to explore the region so he could recommend the area to his clients? Or was he staying here so he could recommend the hotel itself? If he was here with a view to making some sort of deal with the hotel, there wasn't much point in coming when the owners weren't there . . .
She recalled his reaction the night he'd arrived, when she'd told him Paulo and Rachel were away. At the time, she'd taken his sharp response as dismay that she was standing in for them, but now it could just as easily be interpreted as a blow to his business plans. As for his brother Ben—was this the same Ben who made a good team with Natalie and couldn't manage without her? Now that was an uncomfortable love triangle!
Fuzzy-headed from staring at the screen too long, Laura headed back to the cool of her room for an early siesta. Dozing off almost immediately, she awoke in the early afternoon feeling groggy. An invigorating swim would hopefully bring her round, but first she needed to see if Teresa was back from her trip yet. Feeling out of sorts after her unexpected nap and grumpy about the task ahead of her, she grabbed an apple to make up for skipping lunch and headed up to the house, where she found the girl helping her mother in the kitchen.
"How did the trip go today?" Laura asked.
"Great!" Teresa rummaged in her pocket for the money Carlos had paid her and waved it triumphantly in the air.
Laura raised an eyebrow. "I'm glad you enjoyed it." Doing her best to sound casual, she asked, "Could you find out if there are any places on the boat sometime in the next couple of days?"
"For you? Or a guest?"
She hesitated. "For me and a guest."
Grinning, Teresa scampered off to the phone. "Carlos has two places tomorrow. Is that too soon?" she called a minute later from the hallway.
Laura wished there was an easy way out, but she couldn't see one. If there was a chance Daniel was here with a view to recommending the hotel to his clients, she owed it to Paulo to keep him sweet. "That should be fine," she said, hoping it wouldn't clash with any
