“That means dinner won’t be until eight and I’m hungry now.”
“Your American tummy will have to wait. I was told that they might be serving English beef.” She was backing toward the door. “With horseradish sauce and buttered parsnips. But maybe that’s just a rumor.”
“Yeah?”
Kate laughed at his delight. “Don’t be late.”
“Where is Bella’s apartment?” he asked, but Kate was already gone.
For a while he stayed in the barren little room, his mind full of the idea of a holiday with Kate. Sara had booked them separate rooms everywhere but he thought he could overcome that. Days of wine and heather, kilts and bagpipes. Time alone with Kate was something he’d longed for since the day he met her.
Now all he had to do was get through the evening. Tomorrow they’d leave.
Smiling, he went downstairs to the drawing room. He’d look at some fishing magazines and get his mind away from the question of who Nicky loved, why Diana ran off with Sean and how Bertie didn’t love anybody.
“I’ve got my own bad childhood,” he muttered. “I don’t need anyone else’s.”
* * *
Bella’s suite of rooms were sumptuous. Draped in green and pink silk, Marie Antoinette would have envied the place. There were tall windows curtained in silk so heavy Jack wondered how the rods held them. He had to refrain from investigating the understructure.
As for Bella, she looked as regal as the room. She was tall, with iron gray hair and a solid figure. Not fat, not thin, but straight up and down. Her face was handsome, and her clothes... Even Jack recognized the straight-cut jacket as Chanel. He’d put money on it that her tasteful little brooch of colored stones was real.
Looked like the profits of the hotel weren’t all being spent on renovations.
She was, of course, charming. Sara had told them that Bella grew up in the finest English boarding schools, had hobnobbed with the cousins of royalty. Smiling, Bella promised to take Kate shopping, admired Sara’s latest photos and asked Jack about his construction work.
“Sara told me what you did for the Morris women,” she said to Jack. “I thought you were a true hero.”
“He was,” Sara said proudly.
“We wouldn’t have continued if it hadn’t been for Jack,” Kate said.
He could feel himself beginning to blush. “So what’s for dinner?” he blurted, sounding like a workman who’d accidently been let into the palace—which he kind of was.
Bella wasn’t perturbed. “English beef, what else would we serve?”
To save him, Sara began asking questions about the estate.
* * *
Mrs. Aiken did indeed serve a dinner of slabs of rare roast beef, with buttered parsnips and roast potatoes. The food was delicious, but her “serving” showed her displeasure. She loudly dropped bowls and a platter in the middle of the table while glaring nastily at Jack.
After she stormed out of the room, Bella looked at Jack with sympathy. “I’d apologize but that would imply that things will improve. It seems that you remind her of someone she greatly disliked.”
“The groomsman,” Jack said. “I saw his domain today. Nice building. Did anyone ever try to find him after he ran off?”
“I don’t think anyone cared enough to search for either of them,” Bella said. “I believe young Diana was planning to marry Nicky. Her leaving must have been a blow to him.”
“And Mrs. Aiken adored Nicky,” Kate said.
“I believe she did,” Bella said.
“Surely, someone must have seen something between them before that night,” Kate said.
“I have no idea,” Bella said. “I never met any of them.”
“What about the engaged couple?” Sara asked. “A happy woman doesn’t leave without a good reason. When I left Cal, I—”
Both Kate and Jack leaned forward. They very much wanted to know why Sara had so abruptly run away from Jack’s grandfather.
But Sara didn’t complete her sentence. “I wonder if something else happened that night. Maybe Diana saw Nicky with someone. Or they had one of those arguments that puts an end to everything.”
“Like when a man tells a woman that after they get married she has to quit her job and have dinner on the table exactly at six.” They all turned to look at Jack. “I’d never say that.”
He looked at Kate to back him up, but she just smiled, then she turned to the others. “Everyone assumes that the groomsman and Diana ran away together but what if they didn’t? Maybe Diana saw something and said, ‘I’m out of here,’ then...” She looked to Sara to complete the story.
“Then Diana ran to the stables, said she was leaving, and the groomsman said, ‘I’m fed up too. I’ll go with you.’”
“Then they fell in love,” Bella said with a sigh. “Oh, Sara, I do love your books!”
Kate smiled. “It seems that someone would have heard something by now.”
“Maybe they have,” Sara said. “From what I understand, none of the group has seen each other in years. We don’t have any idea what they know.”
“How sad,” Kate said. “They went from being inseparable friends to not speaking to each other.”
“All because of what happened in one night,” Sara said. “Must have been dramatic. I look forward to talking to these people and finding out what really happened.”
“Speaking of friendship,” Jack said, “I’d like to hear more about you two.” He was looking from Sara to Bella.
“It was cosmic,” Sara said. “Meant to be.”
“I’m afraid I intruded.” Bella looked at Sara. “You’re the professional storyteller—you tell it.”
“I only tell a story if I have a contract and a check arriving.”
Bella smiled. “I rudely shoved my way into Sara’s life.”
She shrugged. “The restaurant was so packed she was being turned away.”
“It was in New York, it was late and the rain was pouring.”
“Not a nice, soft, sweet English rain,” Sara said, “but a good ol’ New York blaster. It was turning umbrellas inside out.”
“The maître d’ told me I could wait until someone finished or...”
“Or leave,” Sara said. “Which is what I’m sure he wanted you to do. Couples give bigger tips than single women. But then...” She looked at Bella.