The Wedding Proposal

by Sue Moorcroft

  ‘I get you.’ He nodded. ‘It’s not now. There’s no way back.’

  Simon putting her fears into words made Elle feel as if her options were narrowing miserably. ‘Don’t you think so?’

  He shrugged. ‘I’ve talked to Lucas, because he’s not just my nephew, he’s my friend. We used to work together and I care a lot about him. He’d never told me that he suspected you of cheating, you know. I guess his pride got in the way. He explained how you feel he let you down not just by believing you might cheat but by not supporting you with his parents. He didn’t realise how that affected you. He feels real bad.’

  She looked down at her hands. ‘They’re his parents,’ she acknowledged. ‘It’s difficult for him if they showed their love by trying to close ranks against someone they thought was wrong for him.’

  ‘That’s true.’ Simon sounded as if the thought had never struck him before. He clicked his tongue. ‘But he didn’t try hard enough to straighten them out about that. Then there’s the thing about you not being able to trust him with the truth. His bad, again.’

  She sighed.

  Simon sighed, too. ‘He’s still kicking himself about that – although I think you could have tried.’ There was only sympathy and compassion in his eyes. ‘But that’s history. I’m real sorry for my blundering, if well-meant, attempts to get you guys back together. I wouldn’t have done it if I hadn’t genuinely thought that you were eating your hearts out for each other and that past issues could be straightened out. Now that it’s obvious I was wrong, it seems as if all I did was cause you both more pain.’

  ‘Not all,’ she whispered, swallowing an enormous lump in her throat. ‘We had a fantastic couple of weeks—’ She stopped, unable to force out more words.

  They sat in silence. Seadancer rocked rhythmically.

  ‘Lucas says that he sent you texts and tried to call you while you were in England. You froze him out a little, huh?’

  She nodded, lifting her eyes to stare up at the moon, which hung high in the sky, silver and luminous.

  ‘Because he’d let you down?’

  Shrugging, she listened to the cicadas whirring in the darkness to attract a mate. Eventually, she said, ‘I had a lot to deal with: my mother and the police. I needed a bit of head space.’

  ‘He told me about the space thing.’ Simon picked up his wine glass from the deck beside his feet and sipped from it pensively.

  Elle thought about ‘the space thing’, the cabin that Lucas had emptied on board the Shady Lady so that Elle could move in and dictate who, if anyone, came into it. Knowing it was there had given her a tiny glow of relief that she hadn’t completely painted herself into a corner. A silence drew out. Elle allowed herself to think about that space. To picture herself in it, waking up with the skylights bright above her head. In the double bed.

  ‘But, anyway,’ she said, trying to sound casual, ‘you’ll be moving into the Shady Lady, won’t you? She’s your boat.’

  ‘No, I lent her to you and Lucas for the summer, because summer’s a busy time in a vineyard. This is just a flying visit and Loz and Davie have kindly put me up. Don’t give me a thought because soon I’m going to be on my way back to California. I told Lucas the very same.’

  The breeze took her hair and tickled her cheeks with it. She turned to gaze at Simon, at the shadows that fell across his face in the deck lights. ‘You’re playing me, aren’t you?’

  He laughed, eyes crinkling with mischief. ‘That phrase reeks of manipulation and cunning. I’m just a friend who cares about you very much and thinks you might need a little help to meet Lucas halfway.’ Sobering, he reached out and took her hand. ‘I care so much that I’ve abandoned my business and travelled for twenty-three hours at a cost of over two thousand dollars to “play you”. The rest is up to you.’

  Lucas sat up on the flybridge of the Shady Lady. It was dark and the kiosk was closed, the gardens and quayside deserted. The stars were pinpricks in the night sky.

  A noise made him turn his head. Along the quayside came a man and a woman. The woman’s blonde hair blew behind her. The man was tall and a little older. Each of them towed a suitcase, and it was the noise of the hard plastic wheels running over the concrete that had carried on the night air.

  He sat motionless, hardly breathing.

  They turned towards the Shady Lady’s gangplank and disappeared from his view. He listened to their soft voices as they manoeuvred the luggage across the gap. Then, mentally, he followed their progress through the boat.

  After five minutes he heard footfall over the plank once again and the man came into view, making his way back towards Seadancer, alone.

  Slowly, Lucas closed his eyes in relief.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Elle lived in her own space for three days.

  While Lucas was on board, she remained in her cabin. Lucas didn’t acknowledge her presence. She heard him in the guest cabin shower, in the galley and the saloon, and up on the flybridge. But he didn’t knock on her door. He didn’t text her, or telephone. She heard him leave each day and return each evening.

  Between times, she attended the Nicholas Centre, Carmelo almost shouting with joy to see her back, Oscar smiling in a self-satisfied way and informing her that he was ‘seeing a lot of Polly’, with a lecherous wink.

  Elle hoped that Polly knew what she was getting into.

  On board Seadancer, Loz was visibly agog to hear news and Simon and Davie had to send her quelling looks.

  Early in the morning of the second day, Simon came to kiss her goodbye, his bag packed.

  She had to blink back the tears. ‘I feel as if I’ve hardly seen you.’

  He hugged her, hard. ‘We’ll have time in the future. Whatever happens, I want you to come over for some serious vacation time.’

  She received an e-mail from Charlie telling her that it had been fun being whizzed past the queues at the airport in a wheelchair and now he’d been fitted with a boot instead of a cast. And thank you, Elle. I wasn’t with it during the rescue but I know that you kept your head and helped my spectacular brother save my sorry arse.

  Kayleigh added a rider that Charlie was being more of a pain than usual and looked like an idiot wearing the boot, from which Elle surmised they were now both over the shock.

  To her surprise and bemusement she received texts from Fiona and Geoffrey, also back in the UK, each formally thanking her for helping Charlie. Fiona added and thanks also for your unexpected but very welcome observance of the Sisterly Solidarity Act, which made Elle realise that even Fiona could have a sense of humour.

  Finally, on the afternoon of the third day, a text arrived from Simon. Back home. Up to my knees in grapes.

  Serenity settled over Elle.

  It was back to just her and Lucas and Malta. There was something very right about that.

  The next day was the hottest Elle could remember since she had arrived on the island. She swam in the morning, glad to cool her blood in the waves at Font Ghadir. She changed into her dry clothes under her towel and then ate her lunch on the rocks. When the sun had dried her hair she tucked her swim things into a bag and headed for Nicholas Centre.

  There she found that the computer room had reached new levels of stifling. She shoved her hat and sunglasses in her swimming bag and dumped it in a corner, closed the louvred shutters and opened the windows. But any air that made its way through the louvres had been too soaked in sunshine to offer relief. Elle felt as if she were being slowly baked.

  Only a couple of kids showed up to use the computers, clicking around desultorily. Elle didn’t blame them when they left. Not even Carmelo had turned up.

  Thinking longingly of the air conditioning aboard the Shady Lady, she checked her watch. Only three o’clock. She was down to supervise the computer room until four.

  She wrot
e an e-mail to Simon and read a couple of articles on the history of Malta while she waited for the time to pass, too oppressed by the heat even to bother to find some IT-based housekeeping to do.

  Finally, her watch dragged its way to four o’clock and she grabbed her handbag and went down to Joseph’s office to give him the computer room keys. ‘I’m going. There’s no one upstairs but I’ve left the machines on.’

  Joseph lifted his eyes from his laptop. ‘Too hot, today.’

  ‘I’m going to stop at the shop and buy the biggest ice lolly they have to make the walk back to the marina bearable.’

  Joseph licked his lips. ‘If it wouldn’t leave Oscar on his own here until Axel arrives, I’d do the same.’

  Elle took pity on him. ‘The shop’s only a couple of minutes away. I’ll fetch you one.’

  Joseph’s eyes lit up and he took twenty euros from his pocket. ‘My treat. Buy one for Oscar, too.’

  The sun made Elle squint as she crossed the courtyard and she realised that her hat and glasses must still be upstairs with her swim things. She’d try to remember them when she returned.

  As she stepped out into the street, she met a small whirlwind travelling in the other direction.

  ‘Carmelo!’ She laughed. ‘You nearly knocked me over.’

  Carmelo, panting, wiped sweat from his forehead. ‘You are leaving,’ he said, accusingly. ‘I did shopping for Nonnu and so I am late.’

  ‘The computers are still on.’ But Elle could read disappointment in Carmelo’s expression. He never hid the fact that he liked the computer room to have Elle in it. With a little squeeze of her heart, she took a liberty with Joseph’s twenty euros. ‘Joseph’s just sent me out to buy ice lollies. Would you like one?’

  Carmelo’s eyes brightened but he said, ‘I do not have money today.’

  ‘It’s Joseph’s treat just for people who are at Nicholas Centre this afternoon,’ Elle assured him. ‘I have to buy one for Oscar, too.’

  ‘And for Lucas?’ suggested Carmelo.

  ‘Lucas isn’t at the centre. By the time I see him again, the ice lolly will have melted.’ She let her mind wander over the prospect of seeing Lucas again. Her heart rate increased at the thought. Nothing was settled between them, nothing was certain, but two people on one smallish boat couldn’t ignore each other forever. And she was achingly aware that the next move was down to her.

  It wasn’t long before they were walking back across the courtyard, Carmelo sucking energetically on the tip of a big lemon ice lolly, pausing only to slurp up escaping drips from the sides. It was pleasant to step back into the comparative cool of the big hall and into Joseph’s office.

  ‘Thank you.’ Joseph beamed as he stripped off the jolly yellow paper from the lolly.

  Elle gave him back his change. ‘I’ll take Oscar’s to the games room.’

  Joseph turned back to his desk. ‘He ran up to the computer room a couple of minutes ago, I think.’

  ‘OK, I’ll take it up. I’ve left a bag up there, anyway. He’ll have to come away from the machines if he wants to eat it, though.’ Elle opened her own lolly as she turned for the staircase, enjoying the refreshing lemon zing as she slowly made her way up. Carmelo matched her steps, absorbed in not allowing any ice melt to escape. They crossed the landing together.

  Oscar was alone in the computer room, engrossed in what was on the screen.

  ‘Joseph’s bought you a lolly,’ Elle announced from the doorway.

  Oscar leaped to his feet, face redder than Elle had ever seen it. ‘I didn’t hear— Thank you, you are most kind.’ He hurried to intercept her.

  She stepped back. ‘You’ll need to eat it somewhere else.’ She pointed to the No food or drink sign on the door.

  Oscar halted, hand half extended to take the ice lolly from her. ‘Of course, I—’ He hesitated; then, with a sudden jerky movement, reached back to the machine he’d been using and pressed the button to switch off the monitor.

  Elle tried not to show any surprise. But her heart picked up pace.

  ‘Thank you,’ he said again, as he took the now dripping ice and hovered on the landing to eat it.

  Moving a step towards the stairs Elle said, experimentally, ‘It might be best if we eat these in the courtyard so we don’t drip all over.’

  Oscar remained where he was. ‘No need. I’ll eat it very quickly.’

  Carmelo was concentrating on his lolly so Elle shrugged and leaned against a wall. She asked after Polly, and made desultory conversation about the dive centre. When she straightened and shifted her position she noticed that, without actually blocking her way, Oscar kept himself more or less between her and the computer room.

  Once all that remained of her lolly was the stick, she took out a tissue to wipe her hands, and turned away. ‘Well, I’m finished for today.’ Then she swung back and dodged past Oscar, not giving him a chance to react. ‘I’ll just get my bag. Wait on the landing, please, Carmelo.’

  She was conscious of Oscar’s eyes on her as she made for the far corner where her bag still stood. Then, with another sudden change of direction she swooped on the computer monitor where Oscar had been sitting. Her finger found the on button.

  ‘What are you doing?’ Oscar made a sudden lunge to switch it off again, eyes wide in panic.

  But it was too late. It took only a second for the monitor to blossom back to life. The image on the screen told Elle everything she needed to know.

  Oscar froze.

  Shakily, Elle lifted her voice. ‘Carmelo, stay out there, won’t you? I’m nearly ready. Don’t come into this room with your hands all sticky or Joseph will tell me off.’ Then in a quite different voice she hissed at Oscar, ‘What is wrong with you? Children use these machines. A child could have come in here at any time.’

  Oscar breathed hard, eyes wide with alarm. ‘Don’t be stupid.’ But his voice cracked. ‘I was sitting so that I could see the door and nobody could see my screen. There’s nobody here. I save the images to the cloud. It’s safe. I am an adult.’

  ‘You’re an idiot,’ she corrected, softly. ‘And what makes you think you’d see anybody arrive when you didn’t see me and Carmelo until I spoke to you? You were too caught up in your “private moment”.’ She gritted her teeth. ‘It is never safe to view porn where children could be.’

  A long pause. Carmelo came to the doorway. ‘My hands aren’t very sticky.’

  ‘They might be,’ said Elle, quickly. ‘It would be best if you’d go into the boys’ toilets and wash your hands, please. I just need to talk to Oscar.’

  Carmelo heaved a sigh but turned and trailed across the landing.

  Elle reached for the button and turned the monitor off once more. ‘I’ll have to inform Joseph.’

  ‘No!’ Oscar snarled, stepping close, towering over Elle. ‘You are so prudish! I am an adult and this is nothing.’

  Elle stood her ground, although the hated sensation of being crowded made her breathing flutter. ‘It’s not nothing,’ she hissed, ‘and if you don’t back off I’ll talk to him about harassment, too.’

  With a snort of derision, Oscar crowded closer. ‘I think you won’t—’

  Elle sucked air into her lungs and expelled it on her loudest bellow. ‘JO-SEPH! Joseph, I need help!’

  Oscar leaped back as if stung. ‘Stupid English—’

  ‘Elle?’ called Joseph anxiously, his hurrying footsteps crossing the hall and starting up the stairs.

  As Oscar lunged for the computer tower Elle got in his way, thwarting his attempts to cut the power. ‘Don’t turn that off: I need Joseph to see it,’ she yelled, determined that Oscar would face the music.

  Then Joseph was in the doorway. ‘What’s going on? What do you need me to see?’

  Oscar froze. Then stepped slowly back.

 
Elle’s heart was pounding as if she’d run a thousand miles. ‘It was Oscar, viewing the adult material.’ Her hand shook as she switched the monitor back on.

  Joseph stepped forward to look at the screen and sucked in his breath. Slowly, his accusing eyes turned on the tall man. ‘What have you got to say, Oscar?’

  Then Carmelo was at the door to the room, eyes wide. ‘Elle, you shout—’

  Elle forced a laugh as she flicked the computer monitor off again. ‘It’s OK. I was being silly about a bee I thought was going to sting me. Did I worry you? I’m sorry.’ She slipped behind Joseph and went to Carmelo, regretful that she’d caused the apprehensive expression in his eyes but intent on getting him away from the scene as soon as possible. ‘I’ve got to have a meeting with Joseph, now, so we have to close the centre for the rest of the day. It’s way too hot to have the computers on, anyway,’ she fabricated, fanning herself. ‘We’ll all be back as usual tomorrow. Perhaps if you’re going to come in we can look at Formula 1 cars together and you can explain the race rules to me.’

  Carmelo looked disappointed. ‘OK.’

  ‘Sorry we have to shut early, Carmelo,’ Joseph added.

  Elle gave the little boy a cheery wave, though she felt terrible at brushing him off. With a sigh, Carmelo disappeared slowly down the stairs and Elle turned back to Joseph and Oscar. The last few minutes seemed to have passed in a blur. After the adrenaline rush of catching Oscar red-handed, Elle felt almost light-headed with a mixture of apprehension and exultation.

  Joseph’s face was set in grim lines. ‘I need to hear from you both about what happened here today.’

  ‘I am an adult,’ Oscar repeated with miserable defiance.

  ‘Barely,’ Elle snapped.

  Lucas didn’t get home until six. The marina had become glassily calm in the still, hot day and Elle sat on the cockpit seat and watched him walk towards her through the gardens. Saw the exact moment his gaze locked on her.

  His hair swung around his face; he looked hot, in both senses of the word. Her heart rate accelerated as he picked up his stride. Ignoring the plank, he jumped onto the bathing platform and halted in front of her.