He winced. ‘It’s not a posh sort of place, Melody. It is somewhere special though that I think you’ll like.’
She kissed him. ‘Zachary Torel,’ she said, laughing when he winced at her use of his full name. ‘You could have planned to pitch a tent up at Les Landes and I would be happy.’
‘Damn,’ he said, frowning. ‘If I’d known I could get away with that I wouldn’t have booked the place we’re going to.’
‘Very funny.’ She pushed him lightly on his shoulder. ‘When do we leave then?’
‘In a couple of hours.’
It took a while before Melody realised someone was calling for her and Zac, interrupting their stroll around the garden. Zac groaned.
‘Is that your mum’s voice?’ Melody asked, intrigued to understand the urgency she could hear in Lindy’s voice. Excitement too, she realised.
‘We’re going to have to see what this is all about.’ He gave Melody’s hand a squeeze as they made their way across the lawn together. ‘I’m sorry, sweetheart. I don’t know how she does it but my mum always manages to find a way to interrupt our time together somehow.’
‘It’s fine,’ she said. He had called her sweetheart, Melody mused dreamily. Even Lindy interrupting them couldn’t dampen Melody’s mood to hear him say that to her.
They entered the house and found his parents, sister, Brodie and her grandmother congregated in the living room. ‘What are you all doing here?’ Zac asked.
Patsy immediately hurried over to Melody’s side. ‘I’m sorry about this but there’s been some exciting news.’
‘Mum, what’s this all about?’ Zac asked. ‘Is everything all right?’
‘Sorry, son,’ Gareth said, slapping Zac on his back. ‘Your mother insisted this couldn’t wait.’
‘Of course it couldn’t, Gareth, we have a plane to catch first thing in the morning.’
Zac went to stand next to Melody again, took her hand and mouthed sorry. ‘Since when are you going away so soon?’
Gareth gave them a weary look. ‘Since she booked a last-minute cruise this morning.’
‘Yes,’ Lindy said, glaring at her husband as if it was his fault. ‘Only I didn’t know then that my daughter would be getting engaged and now we can’t cancel without losing our money.’
Had she heard right?
Lindy turned her attention to Melody. ‘We had to pay the entire cost of the trip, you see.’
‘Sorry,’ Zac said. ‘Did you say Lettie’s engaged?’
Lindy held her hands up in exasperation. ‘Yes.’
Melody struggled not to laugh at the altering expressions on Zac’s face. Wanting to divert attention from his confusion with his mother, Melody sought out Lettie, seeing her and Brodie over by the dining table, setting up two bottles of champagne and several glasses.
‘Congratulations, you two,’ Melody said, delighted for them. She ran to hug first Lettie, then Brodie. ‘This is amazing news.’ She looked down for Lettie’s left hand in case she was already wearing an engagement ring, and there it was. Melody gasped. ‘Oh, Lettie, what a stunning ring.’
Lettie lifted her hand, the widest smile on her face. ‘Brodie chose it, too. My fiancé has wonderful taste.’
‘Fiancé,’ Brodie said to himself as if trying out the word. He beamed at Lettie, the look on his face one of such happiness that it took all Melody’s efforts not to cry. ‘I’m just relieved she said yes.’
Lettie nudged him. ‘But what if I hadn’t liked the ring?’ she teased.
‘I’d have changed it but taken you with me to choose the replacement, of course.’
‘Right,’ Lindy said, handing one bottle to Zac and the other to Gareth. ‘I think we should open these and toast the happy couple.’ She gave Zac a sideways smile before patting him lightly on his cheek. ‘This is so exciting, don’t you think?’
‘It is, Mum.’ He smiled at Melody, clearly happier now, then looked across the room at his sister and Brodie. ‘Congratulations to the pair of you. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this happy, Letts.’
‘That’s because I’ve never been this happy.’ She clutched Brodie’s arm and beamed up at him.
