Damn, he’d caught her looking.
‘No, still single. Unlike you, I see.’ He inclined his head in the direction of her hand just as Sylvia rounded the final bend in the steep staircase. ‘So you’ve found someone who wants to marry you then. Well done.’
Sylvia said brightly, ‘Ooh, do you two know each other then?’ She turned from Didi to Shay. ‘Actually, she found three someones who wanted to marry her! Not bad going, eh? Didi, did you manage to sort out the gentleman in the Midsummer Suite?’
‘I did.’
Shay chimed in helpfully, ‘It was an electric toothbrush.’
‘Oh, right! Excellent! Well I just popped up to see if you were free to have a chat with the Carter-Laceys; they want to talk to you about booking the hotel for their daughter’s twenty-first. They’re waiting in the orangery.’
Didi, whose palms were damp, was glad of an excuse to escape. ‘Of course, I’ll see them now.’ Work took precedence over catching up with long-lost ex-boyfriends, and she needed a break in order to get used to the idea that Shay was back in Elliscombe. Meeting those oh-so-familiar silver-blue eyes, she said, ‘Might bump into you later.’
‘Might do.’ He nodded in agreement. ‘Maybe.’
‘Well now, this is interesting.’ Sylvia gave her a gentle nudge as they descended the narrow staircase. ‘He’s a bit of all right, isn’t he? What a body . . . and how about that smile!’
Sylvia was sixty. She was also fascinated by people and incorrigibly nosy. Didi thought back for a moment. ‘He wasn’t smiling.’
‘Maybe not for you,’ said Sylvia as they reached the ground floor. ‘But he definitely smiled at me.’
Fifty minutes later, Didi was checking table bookings in the restaurant when some sixth sense made her look up from the computer screen just as Shay passed the open doorway and made his way across reception.
Maybe it wasn’t a sixth sense; in all likelihood she’d subliminally recognised the sound of his footsteps on the stairs. She waited for him to turn his head and notice her, but it didn’t happen. Instead he reached the main entrance and left the hotel without looking back.
Without pausing to think, she hurried across the hallway and pushed open the ancient wooden front door, discreetly poking her head around it so she could see which direction he’d taken. There he was, having turned right, heading towards the market square and—
Thirty yards away, he suddenly halted and looked over his shoulder, causing Didi to leap back in alarm before he could catch her spying on him.
‘Oof,’ yelped Marcus, their newest and most nervous waiter, and crash went the silver tea tray he’d been about to carry upstairs. Scrabbling on the floor to collect up the silver teapot, the toast slices and the broken crockery, he said in a tremulous voice, ‘Oh no, oh God, I’m so sorry.’
Shay Mason had been back in her life for less than an hour and already he was causing trouble.
Poor flaming-cheeked Marcus. ‘Not your fault,’ Didi said. ‘Don’t worry, I’ll help you clear it up.’
‘OK, you’re not going to believe this, but guess who I’ve just seen getting out of a blue Audi outside my office?’
Didi could hear the excitement in Layla’s voice over the phone; she was practically bursting with the thrill of being able to pass on such a riveting piece of gossip.
‘I don’t know. Is it someone really good-looking?’
‘Yes,’ Layla cried. ‘Yes!’
‘Fit body?’
‘So fit.’
‘Small scar on left cheekbone?’
‘I wasn’t close enough to see a scar.’
‘Was he wearing a white polo shirt and faded jeans?’
‘Oh I hate you.’ Layla let out a groan of realisation. ‘You already know.’
‘I bumped into him this morning. He’s staying in the Midnight Suite.’
‘Are you kidding? And you didn’t even think to tell me?’
‘I was going to, as soon as I had a second. We’ve been crazy busy and I’ve been rushed off my feet.’
‘And was he . . . you know, OK with you?’
‘Pretty much.’ Apart from one or two iffy moments.
‘So what’s he doing back here now? Where’s he been living and what’s he been up to all these years?’
‘I don’t know, I didn’t ask. It was so weird seeing him again.’
‘Good weird or bad weird?’
‘No idea. Weird weird,’ said Didi.
‘I might see him tonight then, if he’s around. D’you think he will be?’
‘You keep asking me questions I can’t answer.’
‘Sorry! But it’s exciting, isn’t it? After all this time he’s turned up again out of the blue and . . . Oh bum, my clients are here, I’m going to have to go.’
‘No worries,’ said Didi. ‘I’ll see you and Rosa at eight.’
‘He’s still looking good, though, don’t you think?’
‘Who? Oh, you mean Shay.’ Didi grinned. ‘Is he? I didn’t notice.’
‘Of course you didn’t. Why would you?’ said Layla.
At three o’clock, Didi was in her office when she glimpsed the blue Audi pulling into the hotel car park. She watched as Shay reversed into a narrow space, getting it right first time, before emerging from the driver’s seat. Yes, of course he was still looking good. Better than good. And he could park brilliantly too. Some people just had too many talents.
A minute later there was a light knock at the door and she rose to answer it, first tipping her head forward then back again to add extra bounce to her choppy dark bob.
Well, it looked better that way.
‘Hi, the receptionist told me I’d find you in here. What are you doing this evening? Are you on duty?’
‘No . . .’
‘Good. How about dinner?’
‘I can’t.’
‘Why not? Jealous fiancé?’
‘My fiancé isn’t jealous. And he works in London during the week.’ Didi paused, then said, ‘It’s Rosa’s birthday. We’re having a little party for her this evening in the orangery.’
‘Rosa. How is she?’
‘Doing OK, considering. I don’t know if you know Joe died?’
‘I heard. Three years ago, wasn’t it? She must have been devastated.’
Didi nodded. ‘Layla too. It was awful. How did you hear about it? Has someone been keeping you up to date with what’s been happening in Elliscombe?’
‘No. There’s this thing called the internet . . . It’s easy enough to find out what goes on.’
‘You aren’t on social media.’
‘Aren’t I?’ There it was again, the faint smile signalling his one-upmanship, because now he knew she’d been searching for information about him.
‘Well, Layla spotted you earlier in the high street,’ Didi said. ‘If you’re around the hotel this evening, I’m sure they’d love to see you.’
But he was already shaking his head. ‘Thanks, but I’ll leave it for now. Will your father be there?’
‘Yes.’ Would that be an issue?