An Isle of Man Ghostly Cozy Collection - DEF

by Diana Xarissa

  “I’m starving,” Fenella replied honestly.

  “Table it is,” the man said with a smile.

  The dining room was small and intimate, with only a dozen or so tables spread throughout the space. While they were fairly close together, somehow the room didn’t feel crowded. The man showed them to a table for two near the windows that looked out at the sea. Fenella sat down and immediately felt that her eyes were drawn to the view.

  “It isn’t as good as the view from your flat,” Donald said in an apologetic tone.

  “It’s still stunning,” Fenella said.

  “Good evening,” another voice interrupted. “I’m Joseph and I’ll be your server tonight. Mr. Donaldson, I know you’re familiar with the wine list, but if you’d like to look it over again, I do have it with me.”

  “No, I don’t need to look,” Donald told him. He ordered a bottle of wine that sounded expensive to Fenella. No doubt every bottle of wine was expensive in a restaurant like this. With that taken care of, the man offered them each a menu.

  “This looks as if it was handwritten,” Fenella whispered after the man had gone to get the wine.

  “It was,” Donald replied. “The menu changes daily, based on what the chef is able to acquire and what he feels like preparing. They have a member of staff who writes up the menus each day after the chef has made his decisions.”

  Fenella read through the dozen or so options. Everything sounded incredibly fancy and complicated, not at all like what she was used to eating. “What would you recommend?” she asked Donald after she’d read the menu for the third time.

  “I’ve not had a bad meal here, but I’ve never had any of the items on tonight’s menu, either,” Donald said. “If you prefer simpler food, the second chicken dish is probably a good choice. The steak tempts me, as I have had the pepper sauce that it comes with before and it was very good. If you prefer fish, either of the two options should be delicious.”

  “I think I’ll try that second chicken dish,” Fenella said after she’d read through the choices a fourth time. Donald was right; it did sound fairly simple, in spite of the flowery menu language used to describe it. Her menu was lacking prices, so she had no idea if she’d chosen the least or most expensive item on the list, but she imagined it was probably somewhere in the middle.

  “If I get the steak, will you try a bite?” Donald asked. “I’m only offering so that I may try a bite of yours,” he added when she looked unsure.

  “In that case, yes, of course,” Fenella laughed.

  The waiter was back with their wine, which Donald approved after he’d tasted it. With their orders placed, including a selection of appetizers that Fenella hadn’t been expecting, Donald took a sip of wine and then picked up Fenella’s hand from where she’d rested it on the table.

  “Now that that’s all settled and we’ve nothing to do but wait, you must tell me what happened to the dog you were watching,” he began, staring into her eyes.

  “Oh, Winston is back with his owner,” Fenella said happily. “Harvey turned up safe and sound and he and Winston were delighted to see one another.”

  “Harvey?” Donald echoed. “That was Harvey Garus’s Winston? I should have recognized him, or at least remembered his name.”

  “You know Harvey?”

  “We were business associates for many years,” Donald explained. “I invested heavily in the music industry in my younger days. It was easier to make money back then, before streaming services and indie artists moved into the marketplace.”

  “When did you see Harvey last?”

  “Oh, goodness, it’s probably been a few years,” Donald said thoughtfully. “He’s retired, of course, but I used to see him at charity events and the like. I really couldn’t tell you when I saw him last, though. Why do you ask?”

  “I don’t know,” Fenella shrugged. “He disappeared suddenly and returned just as unexpectedly. I’m a little bit worried about his health. I wondered how he was the last time you saw him, that’s all.”

  “He was absolutely fine then, but, as I say, it’s been years. I should ring him up and take him to lunch one day, though. He’s great company, full of stories about very famous people. I haven’t really thought about him in ages, but now that you’ve mentioned him, I rather miss the man.”

  Fenella smiled. “I’ve only met him briefly, but he seems like a nice person. I’m sure he’d love to hear from you.”

  Donald pulled his mobile phone out of his pocket and tapped on it few times. “I’m just sending myself an email,” he explained. “Otherwise, I’ll forget all about Harvey again.”

  The appetizers were every bit as delicious as Fenella had hoped, and she found herself eagerly awaiting her main course as Donald told her about his latest business deals. When the main course arrived, the conversation lagged slightly.

  “I don’t think I mentioned it, but I had two dogs for short time,” Fenella told Donald after a moment.

  “Two dogs? Where did the second one come from?”

  “She was a tiny little thing that belonged to one of Harvey’s neighbors,” Fenella explained. “Her owner left her with the vet and never came back.”

  “He abandoned her?”

  “I don’t think he meant to abandon her. He, well, something happened to him. The police found his body in a parking area in the north of the island.”

  “You’re talking about Mortimer Morrison,” Donald said with a sigh. “I read about him in the paper.”

  “You knew him?”

  “I did. We were business associates as well, some years ago.”

  “Have you done business with everyone on this island?” Fenella demanded.

  Donald laughed. “It’s a small island, and I’m an active businessman and investor. I probably have some sort of working relationship with most business owners on the island.”

  “Mortimer had his own business?”

  “He was an accountant. He had his own small firm, and back in the days when I was buying up small businesses, I sometimes found myself interested in a company with whom he worked.”

  “What did you think of him?”

  “He was very efficient and I never had any reason to question his business practices, his professionalism, or his ethics,” Donald replied.

  “But you never offered him a job in your company,” Fenella said thoughtfully.

  “How do you know that?”

  “Did you?”

  “Well, no,” Donald admitted. “But how did you know?”

  “There was just something about the way you summarized him. It all sounded good, but it didn’t sound heartfelt.”

  Donald nodded. “I probably should have brought him into my organization, really. He was very good at what he did. He just wasn’t terribly likeable. I prefer to spend my time in the office surrounded by people who are both good at their jobs and good company. He was the first thing, but not the latter.”

  “Any idea what might have happened to him?” Fenella asked.

  “I assumed from the newspaper account that he drove himself to the café in Andreas and then suffered some sort of heart attack or something,” Donald replied with a frown. “The paper didn’t suggest that it was murder. Was it?”

  “It’s being investigated as an unexplained death at the moment,” Fenella said quickly. “But after everything that’s happened to me since I’ve been on the island, I think I’m seeing murder everywhere.”

  Donald took her hand again and gave it a squeeze. “You have had a rough time since you’ve been here,” he said softly. “Maybe I should whisk you away to Paris for a fortnight or something. You could do with a holiday, I think.”

  “I’m fine,” Fenella said, pulling her hand away and taking a swallow of wine. “And little Fiona is staying with Harvey and Winston, at least for tonight.”

  “Fiona? That was Mortimer’s dog? My goodness, I can’t believe he kept her.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “One of my assistants gav
e Mortimer that dog as a sort of joke some years ago,” he explained. “If I remember correctly, the dog was a retirement gift when Mortimer finally hung up his calculator. Kelly, my assistant, thought it would be funny to get him a puppy, as he was such a cold and unfriendly person.”

  “What a terrible idea,” Fenella said sharply.

  “Yes, it was, rather,” Donald agreed. “We were all very upset when we found out what she’d done, but she’d already had Fiona delivered to Mortimer’s flat with a note suggesting that Fiona was a gift from everyone in my office. I, well, let’s just say that Kelly no longer works for me, shall we?”

  “I’m surprised that Mortimer kept the puppy.”

  “I am, too,” Donald said. “I sent someone else over to explain to him that it was all something of a misunderstanding. I do remember that when my man got back to the office he said that Mortimer was going to keep the puppy for a day or two, just until some other arrangements could be made. I didn’t really bother to keep track of the situation from there.”

  “I wonder what happened.”

  “I would guess that Mortimer decided to keep her after all, but I can find out, if you really want to know,” Donald offered.

  “If it isn’t too much bother.”

  “It isn’t any bother,” Donald assured her. “I’ll talk to John in the morning. Unlike Kelly, he still works for me.”

  When the waiter brought the dessert menu, Fenella was determined not to be tempted. That lasted right up until she began to read the choices.

  “I’m quite full, but it all still sounds good,” she complained to Donald.

  “What sounds the best?” he asked.

  “The chocolate cake with the hot, melting center,” she said eventually. “Or maybe the chocolate mousse pie.”

  “Not the bittersweet chocolate tart?” Donald asked.

  “I hadn’t read down that far yet,” Fenella sighed. “Now that you mention it, yeah, that too.”

  Donald laughed and then ordered all three desserts from their waiter.

  “I can’t eat three desserts,” Fenella whispered as the man walked away.

  “But you can try all three and then you’ll know next time which is best,” he told her.

  “What if they’re all good?”

  “Then we’ll order three again next time,” the man laughed. “But the pudding menu changes daily as well. There’s no guarantee that they’ll have them all again next time.”

  “In that case, I’m happy you ordered them all,” Fenella told him. “Even if it is terribly extravagant.”

  “It’s a little indulgent, but I wouldn’t call it extravagant,” he replied. “Flying you to Paris for chocolate mousse would be extravagant, and I’m happy to do that if the idea appeals to you.”

  Fenella quickly shook her head. “I’m not ready for that sort of relationship,” she told the man. “And if that’s not okay with you, we should probably stop seeing one another.”

  Donald took her hand again. “You aren’t getting rid of me that easily,” he teased her. “I can be incredibly patient when I need to be. I always enjoy spending time with you, you know.”

  “I enjoy spending time with you as well,” Fenella replied, wincing internally as the words came out of her mouth. No doubt Mona would have had some sort of witty and sophisticated reply instead.

  “They’re all delicious,” Fenella said a few minutes later, after she’d taken a bite of each of the three desserts. “I can’t possibly choose a favorite.”

  “The bittersweet tart is my choice,” Donald told her after he’d tried them as well.

  “You finish it, then,” Fenella told him. “I’ll do my best on the other two.”

  Donald insisted that she have a second bite of each before he finished off the tart while she worked her way through the rest.

  “I can’t believe I ate that much,” she said when all of the plates were empty. “And I’ve no dogs to drag me out for multiple walks tomorrow to make up for it. I shall have start walking Katie, I think.”

  “I don’t see little Katie going along with that,” Donald laughed.

  “No, she’s quite happy at home in our apartment.”

  “If you do want a dog, I have a friend who imports various breeds.”

  “Oh, no. If I do ever decide to get a dog, I’ll get one from a shelter,” Fenella said.

  “Was there anything else tonight, Mr. Donaldson?” the waiter asked as he cleared the dessert dishes.

  “Would you like coffee?” Donald asked Fenella.

  “After all that food, I’m incredibly sleepy,” Fenella replied. “The last thing I want is coffee to wake me up.”

  “Put it on my account,” Donald told the waiter as he got to his feet. “And if Ms. Woods ever comes in on her own or with a friend, make sure to put that on my account as well.”

  Fenella opened her mouth to protest, but Donald held out a hand and pulled her to her feet. “Time to take you home, I think,” he whispered to her.

  Feeling as if her heart might just have skipped a beat, she let the handsome man lead her out of the restaurant and back into the street.

  “It’s a nice night for a walk,” she said as they made their way along the sidewalk.

  “It is. Shall we?”

  Fenella nodded and the pair crossed the road to the wide promenade. They weren’t the only people with the same idea, and Fenella couldn’t help but notice that she and Donald were somewhat older than most of the couples who were strolling hand in hand and enjoying the beautiful evening. She was thinking of suggesting that they turn back when she saw a familiar face.

  “Winston,” she called, dropping Donald’s hand and hurrying toward the dog. Harvey had a tight hold on Winston’s leash with one hand and he was holding Fiona’s leash with the other.

  “Well, hello,” he laughed when Fenella called out another greeting. “I don’t suppose you could take Fiona off my hands for a few minutes so I can give Winston a bit of a run?”

  “Of course I can,” Fenella said. She glanced at Donald, who had caught up to her. “I mean, we can, if you don’t mind?” she asked the man.

  “I don’t mind,” he replied, although his tone left Fenella wondering if he meant it.

  “Donald? But what are you doing down here?” Harvey asked.

  “I took Fenella to dinner,” Donald explained. “We were just enjoying the evening when she saw Winston and ran away from me.” His tone was light, but it made Fenella uncomfortable.

  “I’m really sorry,” she began.

  “Don’t be,” Harvey told her. “No one can resist Winston. He’s a magnet for beautiful women.”

  “You don’t mind spending a few minutes with Fiona, do you?” Fenella asked.

  “No, of course not,” Donald replied.

  He still didn’t sound totally sincere, but Fenella decided she was better off not pushing the issue. Instead she took Fiona’s leash from Harvey. “Come on, then,” she told the little dog. “We’ll just have a little stroll while Harvey gets Winston some proper exercise.”

  Fenella wasn’t sure that Harvey could manage the big dog, but the pair set off together at a faster pace than Fenella had expected from the man. He had Winston on a longer leash than Fenella had used, and Winston took advantage of every inch of it, running ahead of his owner and then dashing back to him repeatedly.

  “So this is Fiona,” Donald remarked as they continued their walk along the promenade with the small dog.

  “Yes, she was Mortimer’s dog, but now she’s staying with Harvey. I’m not sure what will happen to her in the end.”

  “You don’t want her?”

  Fenella hesitated for a moment before she replied. “No, I really don’t,” she said. “Katie is enough work and enough responsibility. It was fun watching her and Winston for a few days, and if Harvey can’t keep her, I’ll have her back until a permanent home can be found, but I don’t want to keep her for good.”

  They walked until Fiona began to look tired and
then found an empty bench to settle on.

  “It feels different seeing the sea, when you can hear it as well,” Fenella remarked.

  “Do the windows in your flat open?”

  “I’ve never tried,” Fenella admitted. “It hasn’t really been warm enough to have windows open and there aren’t any screens to keep out bugs, either.”

  “I believe screens are an American thing.”

  “Really? Even if the windows did open, there wouldn’t be any screens on them?”

  Donald shook his head. “You can get them, but they’re costly. They aren’t typical, anyway.”

  “I don’t have to worry about whether my windows open or not then. I can’t imagine opening them if doing so would let bugs in.”

  Donald entertained her with stories about his travels until Harvey rejoined them. Both he and Winston were slightly out of breath.

  “That must have been some walk,” Fenella remarked.

  “I’m out of practice,” Harvey said. “I’ll get back to it soon enough.”

  “So wherever you were when you were missing, you weren’t getting any exercise,” Fenella said.

  “I suppose not,” Harvey replied. He waved a hand. “Thank you for looking after Fiona for me. I’d better get the pair of them home now. Shelly walked them both earlier, as well, so they should both sleep well tonight.”

  “It was good to see you again,” Donald said. “We should do lunch one day next week.”

  “Ring me,” Harvey suggested. “I’m nearly always available.”

  “I’ll ring you on Monday,” Donald promised. “My secretary has a better idea of my availability than I do.”

  “I remember those days,” Harvey said with a grin. “Now my time is my own as long as Winston doesn’t complain.”

  He headed off down the promenade with the two dogs while Fenella and Donald turned back toward Fenella’s apartment.

  “Thank you for an amazing dinner,” Fenella said at her door.

  “Aren’t you going to invite me in for coffee?” Donald asked.

  “Do you really want coffee?” Fenella shot back.

  Donald laughed. “No, not really,” he said. “And I promised not to rush you, didn’t I? I suppose I shall have to settle for a goodnight kiss.” He pulled her into his arms, and for several minutes Fenella forget about everything except the man who was holding her and the powerful chemistry between them. When Donald finally released her, she was slightly breathless.