by Emily Forbes
‘Not officially.’ He changed the subject, bringing them back to the reason he was there. ‘Did you know the cutoff for applications is next week? Have you got samples of your work to send in?’
Bella nodded. ‘The practical aspect of things I’m prepared for, it’s just the written application that terrifies me. Words aren’t my thing.’
Charlie grinned. It felt good to be doing something like this. He enjoyed finding solutions to problems and that was something he loved about medicine too. ‘That’s why I’m here. Can you log onto the college website?’
Bella opened her laptop and ran her finger over the mouse pad, bringing the computer back to life. She’d forgotten she’d been watching a DVD earlier and before she could minimise the screen the movie reappeared and Charlie immediately recognised it. Normally she’d be embarrassed if someone discovered her watching the romantic comedies she adored but she’d decided that after the episode with the red negligee she wouldn’t waste time being embarrassed. Besides, he already knew her deepest, darkest secrets and if he could accept her alcoholic mother, surely he’d accept her penchant for light cinema.
‘Good movie,’ he said as he sat down.
Bella felt absurdly pleased that he hadn’t criticised her taste in movies. She smiled. ‘You’ve seen it?’
‘Pretty Woman? Of course. Hasn’t everyone?’ he said. ‘If I remember correctly, it’s a modern version of the classic fairy-tale. The rich, handsome hero arrives in his chauffeured limousine, climbs the fire escape to the heroine’s tower with a rose between his teeth and rescues her from her tortured life. That sounds suspiciously like Snow White, or maybe Sleeping Beauty, don’t you think?’
‘Careful. You’re having a go at one of my favourite movies,’ Bella retorted as she closed the program and logged onto the internet. ‘I like to think there’s more to it than that. Vivienne wants someone who can see past her outer shell, someone who can see the woman underneath.’ Bella knew she identified with the character of Vivienne, probably more than was good for her. ‘Edward needs someone to make him see the joy in the little things, to make him see that there’s more to life than making money. They need each other. That’s what I love. There’s nothing wrong with a happy ending, is there?’
‘No, not at all. I’m only teasing. I meant it when I said it was good, I just didn’t know people still watched it.’
‘Go ahead, make fun of my taste in movies, but I’m not the only one who loves it.’
He laughed at the expression on her face and the sound of his laugh and the way his brown eyes crinkled at the corners made her forget all about being cross. She could sit there all day and watch him laughing. He looked so comfortable, completely at ease, happy and relaxed. She couldn’t remember feeling like that for a long time. Perhaps if she could spend more time in his company some of his joie de vivre would rub off on her.
‘Has that website loaded yet?’ he asked once he’d finished laughing at her expense.
She turned her attention back to her laptop, pleased to have something to focus on, something to distract herself from those fanciful thoughts.
‘Why are you doing this for me?’ she asked as she waited for the website to load. Once she was in she followed the links to the page she needed. She knew how to navigate her way around the site; she visited it regularly. She’d just never been brave enough to take the next step of applying online.
‘You’ll thank me when you’ve recovered from your op and you’ve got all those years stretching ahead of you.’ He was still grinning at her and she forced herself to concentrate on what he was saying. She knew she was too easily mesmerised by his smile, by his perfect pink lips. ‘You’ll need something to do. Even Vivienne in Pretty Woman has a job. Not that I’m recommending you follow in her footsteps, I think fashion design is a better fit for you.’
There he went again, making jokes at her expense. ‘I never realised you were such a comedian,’ she said.
‘I’m doing this because I want to help. You asked me to keep an eye on Evie and she asked me to do the same for you,’ he admitted. ‘This is a way I can be useful at the same time.’
That made sense. Charlie was here because Evie had asked him to come.
Bella wanted to be upset that he hadn’t come for her sake but if this was the only way of getting him to visit, she wasn’t going to complain. She was used to people doing things for Evie, just like she was used to Lexi always getting her own way. It was just how things worked around her sisters.
‘But I don’t mind, I can think of worse things to be than the Lockheart sisters’ unofficial guardian,’ Charlie added, and he sounded so sincere that, once again, Bella found her irritation disappearing immediately. She couldn’t have stayed annoyed with him even if she’d wanted to.
He lifted the laptop off the table and set it on the edge of the bed. ‘Now, you need to tell me all the reasons why you’re desperate to do this course, what your goals are and why you should be considered as an applicant. Then I’ll make you sound so fantastic they won’t be able to refuse you entry.’
And, over the course of the next hour, that’s exactly what he did. By the end of it Bella didn’t recognise herself as the girl who’d barely graduated from high school and struggled to read. Instead she sounded accomplished and talented and Charlie had made it sound as though the college would be lucky to have her. ‘Okay, that box is ticked,’ he said as he saved the file. ‘Once you get home you’ll need to choose which examples of your work you want to submit and get everything into the college by the end of next week. What else do we need to organise?’
‘I think you’ve done more than enough,’ Bella said gratefully. ‘I really appreciate your help but I’m okay. I’ll be home tomorrow and then I just have to wait and hope that things don’t deteriorate too much more before I get new lungs.’
‘What about your wishlist?’
‘That was just me being silly. It’s not important.’ She tried to stifle a yawn, knowing that Charlie would leave if he thought she was tired, but she was unsuccessful.
‘Okay,’ he said, ‘we’ll save that discussion for another day.’ He stood and gathered up the remnants of their chocolate feast. ‘Get some rest. I’ll see you again soon.’
Bella didn’t know when. She wanted to remind him she’d be going home tomorrow but she didn’t want it to sound as though she was begging him to come and see her before she left. Why was it so hard to know what the right thing to say or do was? She’d made good progress over the past couple of days, she could actually talk to Charlie without blushing furiously or stammering, but she still continued to second-guess herself. Why couldn’t she be more confident? Why couldn’t she be more exuberant? Why couldn’t she be more like her sisters?
CHAPTER FIVE
IT WAS late afternoon and Bella had not long woken up from an afternoon nap when she heard the intercom at the front gate buzzing. She wandered into the kitchen, wondering where Rosa was. The succession of nannies the girls had grown up with had long ago been replaced by a succession of housekeepers, but the kitchen was empty, Rosa was nowhere to be seen. The buzzing continued. Bella crossed the room to the intercom. Rosa had left a note on the bench, letting Bella know she’d popped out to the shops, and on the intercom screen Bella could see a courier waiting at the bottom of the driveway. She pressed the button to open the gates and met him at the front door.
‘I have a registered letter for Miss Lockheart.’
‘Alexis Lockheart?’ Bella asked, assuming it was for Lexi, who, as far as she knew, was out of the house. ‘Does she have to sign for it?’
The courier checked his records. ‘Miss Arabella Lockheart, it says, but anyone can sign.’
Registered mail for her? Bella frowned and signed the digital receipt, wondering what it could possibly be. The courier handed her a small envelope. It was thick, glossy cream; it could only be an invitation. The only things Bella ever got invited to were Lockheart Foundation events and she’d never received a for
mal invitation for those. Her hands were shaking as she closed the front door and slit open the envelope and pulled out the contents.
Dr Charles Maxwell
Requests the pleasure of the company of
Miss Arabella Lockheart
On Saturday 17 November
For dinner and dancing
On board the MV Endeavour 2000
Please be ready to depart at 6 p.m.
Dress: After Five
RSVP: None required. Dr Maxwell will not accept any excuses!
The invitation was for her.
Bella sank onto a chair in the front hallway and read it again just to make sure. Charlie was inviting her out. Her.
She couldn’t possibly go. Could she? A list of excuses ran through her head. She could think of plenty.
She read the invitation a third time. Then re-read the RSVP. Charlie would not accept any excuses. What was she going to do?
At a few minutes after six on Saturday evening Bella eased herself into the soft, puffy comfort of the leather seats and tried to think of something clever or witty to say. Quick, think of something, anything, before Charlie gets into the car. Before he realises I’m a dud date.
But Charlie was already getting into the limousine. His subtle, spicy scent combined with the smell of leather and wood polish and made it impossible for her to think.
She was ridiculously nervous. Her heart was racing in her chest and her palms were clammy. She had thought about trying to get out of the date, not because she didn’t want to go but because she didn’t want to be disappointed. She knew her expectations of the evening would far surpass anything Charlie could have imagined. But when Lexi had arrived home the other day to find her still sitting by the front door, clutching the invitation in her hand, she had quickly put her ‘event coordinator’ hat on and organised Bella. Lexi wouldn’t hear of her passing up this invitation and Bella had let herself be carried away by Lexi’s excitement. To be honest, she’d been glad to let Lexi make the decision for her but now here she was, in a limousine, with Charlie, and no matter how many times she tried to tell herself that this wasn’t a real date, that Charlie was just being nice, it didn’t work. She still held out the hope that this would be the date she’d always dreamed of.
It was almost a fantasy come to life except for the fact that Charlie hadn’t greeted her with a kiss. That should have reminded her this wasn’t a real date. At least, not in a romantic sense. That should have settled her nerves but as she looked across to where Charlie sat in his dark navy suit, looking more handsome than she’d ever thought possible, her nervousness kicked up a notch. The cut of his suit was perfect, the back was double-vented, which accommodated Charlie’s muscular frame and gave him room to move, and his plain white shirt had French cuffs which he’d fastened with silver cufflinks. She knew most people wouldn’t notice little details like that but fashion had been her obsession for as long as she could remember. As she looked at Charlie sitting alongside her, she wondered whether she was becoming just a little bit more obsessed with him than was healthy. He was truly gorgeous.
‘Can I pour you a glass of champagne?’ His question broke into her thoughts.
She wasn’t accustomed to drinking, after seeing its effect on her mother she tended to avoid it, but surely a taste of champagne couldn’t hurt? Perhaps it would take the edge off her nervousness. She needed to relax if she was going to fully enjoy the evening.
‘Are you still taking antibiotics?’ Charlie asked when she didn’t reply immediately. ‘Would you rather something soft to drink?’
Bella hadn’t even considered the medication she was taking. Perhaps it wasn’t a good idea? But she felt like celebrating, tonight was a big deal for her. ‘Would a small glass be all right, do you think?’
‘I think so. I promise to keep a close eye on you and administer first aid if necessary,’ he replied with a grin as he rotated the champagne bottle and removed the cork with a satisfying ‘pop’.
Bella watched as he poured champagne into flutes. He handed her one before gently clinking their glasses together in a toast.
‘Here’s to a fun evening. And to you. You look beautiful.’
Had he just told her she was beautiful? She couldn’t believe her ears. ‘I do?’ She swallowed hard, trying to dislodge the lump in her throat so she could speak clearly. If she sipped her champagne now, she knew she’d choke on it.
Charlie nodded. ‘It’s a big improvement on flannel pyjamas.’ He laughed.
Bella’s cheeks reddened. Once again he’d managed to make her blush. Being embarrassed seemed to be becoming a permanent state around Charlie. ‘It’s bad manners to laugh at your own jokes,’ she managed to mutter.
‘My apologies,’ he said, looking anything but apologetic. ‘But what happened to the green dress?’
She sipped her champagne and felt the tiny bubbles fizz in the back of her throat. For the life of her Bella couldn’t remember what she was wearing. She looked down at her dress and saw silver sequins and white chiffon. Not a trace of green in sight. That’s right, she’d borrowed a dress of Lexi’s. ‘The green dress?’
‘The one in your sketch book.’
‘That was just a design, I didn’t have time to make it!’ She’d only just had enough time to take Lexi’s dress in at the seams and it was still a little big in the bust, but Lexi had fixed that with a padded bra. It was a beautiful dress, a bodice of silver sequins that would shimmer in the lights and a skirt of white chiffon that was made for dancing, but it definitely wasn’t green. ‘I need a bit more notice if you expect me to whip something up,’ she added as the champagne loosened her tongue.
‘I’ll remember that next time.’ Charlie smiled at her and Bella’s heart did a funny flip and collided with her stomach.
She had no idea whether it was the effect of his smile or the champagne or his words that caused her insides to take up gymnastics. Next time? She didn’t even understand what was happening this time.
‘Where are we going tonight?’ she asked, barely managing to get another sentence out.
‘We will be cruising Sydney Harbour in style,’ he replied. ‘Dinner and dancing under the stars. I’m sorry it’s not a picnic on the beach but I wasn’t sure if that was wise given you’ve just come out of hospital. I thought we could save that for another time.’
There he went again, talking about the next time almost as though he really did have plans to see her again. She couldn’t let it go again. ‘Why would there be another time?’
‘Bella! I’m gravely offended,’ he joked, clutching a hand to his chest. ‘Most girls wait till the end of the date before deciding they don’t want to see me again.’
Bella laughed at his expression and she could feel herself relax. She knew it was his intention to put her at ease. ‘Sorry, that’s not what I meant. I’m just not sure why you’re taking me out tonight, let alone why you might want to do it again.’
‘I promised to help you with your wishlist and this cruise had all the things I know you love. Music, dancing, a starry sky and plenty of food.’
It’s a pity she suffered from seasickness but she didn’t tell Charlie that. She didn’t want to hurt his feelings. He was being so sweet. ‘You’re right, it does sound perfect,’ she replied.
She’d had the perfect excuse to get out of the evening, she did get terribly seasick, but he’d said on the invitation he wouldn’t accept excuses and she wasn’t about to give up what might be her only chance to have a night like this.
‘Have you been on this cruise before?’ she asked, hoping his answer would be no. She wanted the experience to be a first for both of them. But he was already nodding. It had been a silly question. She knew his reputation. He’d probably done this trip a dozen times, each with a different girl. She felt deflated but his next words cheered her up.
‘Once before. The ortho department’s Christmas party was on board last year.’
That wasn’t so bad, that would have been a totally differen
t experience to tonight. He wouldn’t have been dining at a table for two that night, she assumed. Although with Charlie she suspected anything was possible.
The limousine came to a stop and through the glass partition Bella saw the driver get out of his seat. Charlie let himself out and came around the vehicle and waited for her as the driver held her door open. She climbed out as elegantly as she could in her unfamiliar high heels, and when her legs felt a little unsteady she blamed her strappy, silver stilettos and not the champagne.
The driver had delivered them straight to the gangplank of the MV Endeavour and Bella looked up at it amazed. It was sleek and white and ultra-modern. She wasn’t sure what she’d been expecting but this was very slick. And enormous. It towered above them—she could count three decks rising above the water, and dozens of passengers were making their way on board.
Charlie took her hand as they joined the queue. His hand was warm and strong and secure and she was grateful not only for the emotional support but for the physical support as well. She could just see herself stumbling up the gangplank and making a spectacle of herself.
They made their way to the second deck where a waiter led them to a table beside the window on the starboard side. The dining room stretched the width of the yacht and the windows wrapped right around it. They would get glorious views of the harbour through sunset and into the evening, Bella realised as she sat down while the waiter held her chair for her.
Even seated she still felt a little light-headed and it wasn’t until her entrée had been served and she had some food in her stomach that she was able to think clearly. At least, she blamed her hunger for her poor concentration, although it had as much to do with Charlie sitting opposite her. She couldn’t quite get used to the sight and she was finding it hard to tear her eyes away from him long enough to look down at her plate or to enjoy the view of the harbour that was passing before them. She had no idea what they spoke about as she ate her prawn dumplings but she knew most of the conversation revolved around her. When their main courses arrived she tried to distract Charlie from the multitude of tablets she needed to take by asking him about himself.
