"Of course. Besides, I probably ought to eat up at the house. I'm not sure Maria will let me get away with disappearing during the day and the evening."
Daniel nodded and left, leaving Laura slightly puzzled. He could be so unexpected sometimes. The efficient, charming businessman she'd seen today—that was expected. But he'd been quiet at lunch, leaving her to do most of the chatting to the hotel manager, and then he'd been so grateful that she'd taken him to see the espigueiros. He'd already confessed he was a little jaded with travelling. Perhaps he was simply happy to be with someone who might show him something a little different and take the pressure off having to be sociable with everyone he met.
Laura didn't mind. She'd enjoyed her day and she'd enjoyed his company. Since their friendship pact yesterday, she'd done her utmost to see him as just that. Her body hadn't always been in agreement, but at least she felt more relaxed around him now she wasn't constantly expecting him to make a move or worrying how she might respond if he did.
Another day of the same tomorrow was fine by her.
****
Dinner with Maria and Teresa wasn't quite as smooth-running, however. Cheered by the news that Mr. Hurst had been discharged from hospital and was recuperating well in his room, Laura waltzed up to the house in an easy frame of mind—too easy. Maria was in bloodhound mode, and her daughter was an excellent apprentice.
"Teresa saw you leaving with Mr. Stone this morning," Maria said as they ate. "Did you go anywhere nice?"
Caught in the headlights with no pre-planned strategy in mind, Laura played for time by taking a large bite of her steak smothered in red wine sauce. She still felt it best not to tell Maria about Daniel's business in Portugal, even though she now knew he was interested in sending his clients here. Since Maria didn't deal with the finances, she thought Paulo would want to see if it was viable before getting the family's hopes up that all their problems were solved. He wouldn't thank her for interfering.
A half-truth would have to do. "Yes, we had lunch in Ponte de Lima, then we drove to Soajo to see the espigueiros."
"I thought you said you weren't going out with him again," Teresa piped up.
Laura gave her a long-suffering glare. "I'm not sure that's quite what I said. And I'm not going out with him. We went out for the day. There's a subtle difference." Which was lost on Teresa, judging by the dreamy expression on her face.
"Did you have a nice time?" Maria probed.
"Very nice." Might as well confess now and get it over with. "We may go up to Caminha tomorrow."
Maria's eyes opened wide in surprise. "Two days in a row?"
"Is there a Portuguese law against that?" Laura asked, a little acidly.
"Now, Laura, no need to be like that." Maria patted her hand. "It's lovely to see you getting out and about with a nice young man instead of being stuck here with us all holiday."
Laura opened her mouth to refute the direction Maria's thoughts were taking, then closed it again. It wasn't worth the energy. The woman was a hopeless romantic.
Maria began to clear away the plates. With her back to Laura, she said casually, "Teresa said Mr. Stone was in a suit. She's seen him dressed up a few times. That's a little odd, isn't it? For someone on holiday?"
Caught in her own lie, Laura's heart sank. Maria would be hurt if she found out she'd withheld information for so long. She would know eventually, of course, but only if it all worked out, in which case Laura would soon be forgiven.
"I believe he's here on business," she said cautiously. "He had a meeting on the way to Ponte de Lima."
"Oh? What sort of . . ."
"By the way, I spoke to Rachel on the phone a few days ago," Laura interrupted in desperation. "She didn't sound at all well."
Maria's eyes lit up. "Did she tell you?"
When Laura nodded, Maria gave a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness for that! We couldn't say anything until she told you herself. I can't tell you how happy we all are . . ."
Successfully distracted, Maria chattered on, allowing Laura to sigh with relief and enjoy her coffee.
****
On the drive north the next day, Daniel was amused by Laura's childlike anticipation.
"What's so special about Caminha?" he asked.
Laura shrugged. "I don't know. I have a soft spot for it, I suppose. I love most of the places around here, but I think I like Caminha best. There's a beautiful square for drinking coffee and watching the world go by, then there's the beach . . ." She glanced at the clock on the dashboard. "Having said that, I don't suppose we'll have much time for watching the world go by today, will we?"
Daniel's mouth twitched at the small pout on her face and the resigned tone in her voice. It tugged at his heart a little.
He winked. "We'll make time." Slightly bewildered by his sudden desire to please her, he put his foot down to get her to her precious coffee that bit sooner.
When they'd parked, she led him into the main square, settled herself happily at a café like a mother bird in its nest, and competently ordered.
"How long have we got?" she asked.
"Longer than we would have if I hadn't broken the speed limit," he answered wryly. "Relax. We have half an hour. Enjoy."
She seemed to take him quite literally. Her shoulders dropped, she half closed her eyes against the sun, and watched people bustling about the square as though it was the best movie in the world.
Daniel tried to follow suit. He could see why she liked it here. A square with cafés, trees, a large stone fountain, whitewashed
