Maria shrugged. "It brings in the money, that's the main thing, but you know how much I enjoy making things special." She directed a piercing look at Laura. "Besides, I have to keep in practice. I still harbour the hope I might get the chance to organise your wedding one of these days!" She winked at Teresa as Laura spluttered on her tea.
"I wouldn't hold your breath if I were you, Maria. I have no intention of getting married in the near future, thank you. I don't need to invite trouble."
"Marriage isn't always trouble, Laura, not if you find the right man," Maria scolded her, not unkindly. "I had many happy years with my husband, God rest his soul. And there's Paulo and Rachel."
"I know, but I'm perfectly happy as I am, thank you."
"Well, it's a terrible waste if you ask me," Maria grumbled. "You're young, pretty, intelligent . . . any man in his right mind would snap you up!"
"Not if I can help it," Laura muttered. "Anyway, Mr. Right hasn't come along yet, and I have no intention of deliberately going out to look for him."
"What about Mr. Stone?" Teresa piped up.
Laura glared at her. "What about him?"
"I thought you were dating him." Teresa's eyes were full of mischief.
"Not at all!" Laura quickly denied. "We went out a couple of times, that's all. I wouldn't class one dinner and a boat trip as dating." She would dearly love to come clean about her relationship with Daniel, but that would mean telling them about his interest in the hotel, so she bit her tongue.
"Well, I don't know how you can resist him," Teresa sighed wistfully.
"Looks aren't all that matter, you know," Laura chided her. "You have to able to get on with someone as well." Which doesn't always apply as far as Daniel and I are concerned.
But she could see she was beating her head against a brick wall. The girl was only seventeen, her head full of romance and roses—or something equally innocent, Laura hoped!
"Has he kissed you yet?"
Laura blushed to the roots of her hair as Maria made a mock swipe at her daughter. "That's enough, young lady! Back to work!"
"I think I'd better go and get ready." Laura rose quickly from the table, anxious to end the conversation, but as she was leaving, Teresa caught her arm.
"Aren't you going to go out with him again?" she asked, full of youthful curiosity.
"I have no idea," Laura answered truthfully, trying hard to keep her face expressionless. "I haven't even seen him for the last couple of days, let alone made any romantic arrangements." And she shot off before she could be interrogated any further.
Back in her room, she plucked her best dress from the wardrobe and tugged it on. The tight-fitting bodice led to a narrow waist, where a full skirt flared out from her hips; the cream and black of the soft fabric complemented her dark hair and newly tanned skin. Pushing on a pair of high-heeled sandals that she already knew she would regret by the end of the evening, she swept her hair up in a softer version of her usual style, a chignon with wisps of hair curling to frame her face, and carefully applied more makeup than usual. She would be helping Maria greet the guests and direct them to the function room, then making sure everything ran smoothly for the rest of the day, and as such she needed to be smart and presentable.
When she'd finished, she studied herself in the full-length mirror. She knew she looked good, but somehow the image staring back at her didn't please her as it usually would. It was all Teresa's fault for mentioning Daniel. With the preparations for the wedding, Laura had done her best to put him to the back of her mind—not always with complete success.
Heading up to the reception building where she had a few last-minute things to do before the guests arrived, her steps slowed as she glanced up to see Daniel coming down the path with long, lazy strides. It was as though thinking about him had conjured him out of thin air. She'd almost forgotten that cat-like grace of his, and she caught her breath. The last time they'd spoken had not been particularly amicable. She returned his wave with trepidation.
"You look spectacular!" he said as he reached her, and she couldn't help but be pleased by the compliment. His eyes swept appreciatively over her, making her nerves tingle as though it was his touch and not just his gaze that roamed.
"Is something going on around here?" His arm swept in the general direction of the lawns, where everything was so fetchingly laid out.
"A wedding reception," she answered, unable to hide an element of distaste in her voice.
"I take it you don't approve?" Flecks of amusement made his eyes dance, causing her stomach to tighten in a knot.
She shrugged dismissively. "Each to their own, I suppose. It's not up to me to approve or otherwise. I just help out." Daniel's presence was making her feel too fidgety to stand still, so she walked on up the path.
He fell in line bedside her. "Do they hold many weddings here?"
"Yes, quite a few during the course of the year, but summer is the most popular, of course."
"Isn't that an intrusion for your hotel guests?" he asked as he followed her into reception.
Turning, Laura noted the concern on his face. Anxious to reassure him, she quickly shook her head. "No, we've never had any complaints. The function room is well way from the guest rooms, and if people are out during the day, they're not affected. Actually, a lot of guests compliment us on how delightful it all is. Sometimes in the evenings the music drifts down through the gardens, but it rarely goes on too late and nobody seems to mind. I guess everybody loves a
