Chapter 52
52
Every person in the restaurant was looking in the same direction, and what had previously been a warm and inviting atmosphere was suddenly hushed and nervous. Only one voice could be heard.
‘Did you hear what I said? I said, are you an idiot?’
The man was one of the few people not part of a couple, but with a small group of other men. They all appeared to be a similar age: early forties perhaps. His accent was from London, and though Holly couldn’t be sure, there was something about the way his words ran into one another that made her think he’d been drinking. The person he was speaking to was the waitress who had served them. The same waitress Giles had got annoyed with because she was continually talking. But she wasn’t now. Right now, she was standing where she was, shoulders back, as she fought, but failed, to stop her bottom lip from trembling.
‘I—’
‘Idiot? Did you hear what I said?’ The rest of his table chuckled, as if he had said the funniest thing in the world, while the rest of the restaurant remained deadly silent.
The waitress cleared her throat again, but no words came out.
Holly was too stunned to move. It was horrid enough seeing something like this anywhere, but in such a beautiful location full of people trying to enjoy some special time together, the man’s behaviour was absolutely disgusting.
‘That poor girl,’ Holly whispered. ‘Whatever has happened, she doesn’t deserve to be spoken to like that.’
‘No,’ Giles muttered. ‘She doesn’t.’
‘You know, this is ridiculous,’ the man continued. ‘A place like this should have far better staff. You know how much money we pay? You know that our meal probably costs more than you earn in a month?’
He really was vile. The worst kind of human, and every word he spoke made Holly sick to her stomach. She could only imagine how the waitress felt.
‘Get the kitchen to sort it. Or we’ll get you sacked. That’s a promise.’
Holly looked back across the table towards Giles, ready to ask if she should do something, but he was already pushing the chair back and standing.
‘Giles?’ Holly said, but he didn’t respond. He was too busy marching across the restaurant towards the man.