Chapter 9
Kate woke the next morning with a bad case of drunkard’s remorse, cringing as flashbacks of last night’s drunken antics flooded back: her ridiculous striptease by the pool; her woeful thrashing of Owen’s guitar; worst of all, Will bursting in to catch her and Owen snogging.
Except that wasn’t the worst part. She groaned aloud at the memory of almost passing out in Will’s arms. She remembered how tired he had looked, anxiously quizzing her about what she had taken – no doubt wondering if he’d have to round off his birthday by carting her off to hospital to have her stomach pumped.
Dammit, why couldn’t she have been one of those people who just blacked out and remembered nothing the next day?
Eyeing her half-packed suitcase, the idea of a flit had never seemed more appealing. Still, it was too late now, she told herself. She couldn’t cower here for ever. She would just have to get up and brazen it out.
In the kitchen she found Maria humming softly to herself as she prepared lunch. Kate had forgotten about Maria and felt a fresh stab of guilt as she remembered the state they’d left the place in last night.
‘Kate!’ Maria turned, smiling at her sympathetically. ‘You okay?’ She frowned. ‘Will say you no feel so good.’
‘Oh no, I’m fine, thanks.’ Kate blushed, feeling even worse as she looked around the gleaming kitchen. Poor Maria, it must have taken her hours to clear the place up. ‘I’m sorry, I slept it out. Let me do that.’
‘No, no, ees fine,’ Maria waved her away. ‘Will say you have day off. I cook. I make you breakfast – what you like?’ She smiled kindly.
‘Oh, just some toast.’ She didn’t want to be a bother, but she wished she could have the kitchen to herself to fry up the entire contents of the fridge – if there was any food left after last night.
Despite her protestations, Maria insisted that Kate sit down while she made her coffee and toast. As she watched the older woman bustle around, it occurred to her that maybe she had been replaced.
Perhaps Will was waiting for her to surface so that he could give her her marching orders.
She was eating her breakfast and wondering disconsolately if she should go upstairs and finish packing when the door swung open and he came in.
‘Oh, Kate, you’re up.’ His eyes were wary. ‘Feeling okay?’
‘Yes, thanks.’ She smiled at him shakily. She wished everyone wouldn’t be so solicitous towards her – it made her feel even guiltier. After all, it had been completely self-inflicted.
‘Good. Come and see my birthday present from the guys.’
Grateful for the diversion, Kate followed him out to the front of the house. Sitting in the drive was a gleaming red Ferrari with a big silver bow on the bonnet.
‘Wow!’ Kate wasn’t really a car person, but there was no denying the beauty of this thing, all sleek, elegant curves and gleaming body-work. With its suggestion of barely constrained power, it was sex on wheels. ‘It’s beautiful!’
‘Isn’t it?’ Will put an arm around her shoulders and gazed at it adoringly. He loved cars. ‘It’s just been delivered.’
‘It’s amazing,’ Kate said, awed. Privately, she decided it was a good thing Will hadn’t turned up for dinner last night – the car made her offering of dinner and a birthday cake seem rather pathetic.
Pulling the bow off the bonnet, he said, ‘Come for a spin with me. I can’t wait to try it out.’
‘But what about lunch? I’ve already slept through breakfast – if I still work here, that is,’ she added tentatively. She couldn’t bear the suspense any longer – she had to know where she stood, for better or worse.
‘What do you mean?’ Will looked perplexed. ‘Of course you still work here.’
‘Well, I seem to remember quitting last night,’ she said to her shoes. ‘I didn’t mean it.’
‘Good… Kate, I’m sorry about last night,’ he said awkwardly.
‘I was going to say the same thing.’
‘You? What do you have to be sorry about?’
‘Well,’ she mumbled, ‘like you said, I came here to work, not to—’ She broke off, seeing his eyes widen with horror as he thought she was going to repeat what he had said to her last night. ‘Not, you know… to have fun,’ she finished lamely.
‘God, Kate, I didn’t mean anything I said last night either. I don’t know what got into me. I want you to have today off. Maria’s already agreed to take over. Come on – I’ll buy you a big lunch. If you’re up to lunch, that is?’
‘Oh God, yes,’ Kate breathed, almost tearful with relief. ‘The bigger the better.’
‘Good. We’ll see if we can find somewhere that does pasta by the bucket.’ He opened the passenger door for her.
Ecstatic that she seemed to have been forgiven, Kate jumped in. Will got into the driver’s seat and spent a few minutes familiarising himself with the controls. Then he gunned the engine and they roared off down the drive.
* * *
Will was thrilled with his new car and was enjoying driving it so much that Kate began to wonder if they would ever stop for lunch.
Her spirits lifted every time they came to another town, only to sink again as they roared straight through and out the other side.
He was like a kid with a new toy, enthusing about the car’s acceleration, handling and hi-tech gadgets, apparently oblivious to Kate’s wistful backward glances as they whizzed past quaint roadside inns and zoomed past pavement cafés basking in the sunshine.
‘It’s an amazing present.’ She was glad to see him so happy. ‘Did you have a nice birthday?’
‘Not especially.’ Will smiled at her ruefully. ‘I think you all enjoyed it more than I did. I’m sorry I missed my party.’
Last night, in her intoxicated state, it hadn’t occurred to her that Will should have been shagging Tina in some plush hotel in Florence instead of coming back to the villa in the small hours to bawl her out. It made her rather glad of the bollocking. ‘I thought you were going to stay in Florence.’
‘I changed my mind. I wanted to get—’ Will stopped. ‘I wanted to get back,’ he finished.
Kate smiled to herself. She knew she shouldn’t be pleased that Will hadn’t enjoyed his birthday, but she couldn’t help it.
She was so glad he hadn’t stayed with Tina in Florence.
He couldn’t be crazy about her – they hadn’t seen each other in ages, and he’d had no reason to be back at the villa today.
‘Oh, I love this song,’ she said suddenly, cranking up the volume to drown the spectacular rumbling of her stomach. She was sorely tempted to ask Will if brakes were included among the Ferrari’s amazing features.
Eventually they stopped at a restaurant in an old mill on the outskirts of a tiny hilltop town.
A handful of tables stood in a pretty, shaded courtyard, presided over by an Italian mama whose ample girth augured well for the food.
The menu promised exactly the sort of hearty, rustic fare that Kate needed to quell her hangover.
‘Hungry?’ Will asked, as they perused the menu.
‘Starving!’ Kate’s stomach backed her up with a long, low growl.
‘God, sorry.’ Will laughed. ‘We should have stopped earlier. Well, now we’re here, let’s have all the courses. We’ve got plenty of time.’
Taking him at his word, Kate ordered bruschetta, followed by pasta, then lamb with potatoes and spinach.
Unable to face wine, she decided to stick to mineral water, to the obvious disapproval of the matronly proprietor, who did a lot of tutting and chuntering when they both eschewed the wine list, seeming to take it as a personal affront as well as a slur on Italian wine.
In an attempt to appease her, Kate tried to mime a hangover, at which point Will stepped in.
He said something to the woman in rapid Italian, which had a magical effect.
A beatific smile spread across her face and she nodded as she cast a knowing glance at Kate.
‘What did you say to her?’ she asked Will once the woman was out of earshot.
‘I told her you’re pregnant.’ Will looked very pleased with himself.
‘What?’ Kate gasped, laughing. ‘Why on earth did you tell her that?’
‘It explains why you’re not drinking any wine. And it gives you the perfect excuse to eat for two.’
‘Are you the father?’ Kate asked.
‘Of course.’
‘Well, I don’t think she approves of you not marrying me. I caught her checking out my ring finger.’
‘She’ll probably frogmarch us to the nearest church and make me do the decent thing.’ Will laughed.
I wouldn’t mind, Kate thought longingly. ‘Anyway, what’s your story? Why aren’t you drinking wine? Are you a recovering alcoholic?’
‘Ah, I couldn’t drink wine in front of you when you can’t have any – wouldn’t be fair.’
‘That’s very nice of you.’
‘I thought so. So did she, actually.’
When the proprietor came back with their antipasti, she chatted some more to Will.
‘What did she say?’ Kate asked Will, when she had bustled off again.
‘She asked whether I was hoping for a boy or a girl.’
‘And what did you say?’
‘I said I don’t mind as long as it’s healthy,’ Will said, reciting the stock reply as if by rote.
‘Good answer,’ Kate said, grudgingly. ‘Standard, but good.’
‘Ah, but I also said I’d secretly like a little girl who’d look exactly like her beautiful mother.’
‘Very good answer.’ Kate grinned.
‘I can’t help it – I’m just crazy about you,’ Will said.
God, I wish you weren’t joking, Kate thought.