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Midnight had struck. The coach had turned back into a pumpkin – or into a London taxi, at least, and Libby hadn’t even left a crystal slipper for the prince…
To save Lucaj any embarrassment, she had taken the coward’s way out and left him a note. In the note, she thanked him for the most memorable night of her life. She had thought of toning it down at bit, but then decided, why? Why not write exactly what she thought for once? They’d never meet again. What did she have to lose?
And now she was on her way to the airport to meet Lucinda, who had sent a text to say she was arriving into Heathrow from the closest airport to Monte Carlo, which was Nice. Libby knew for a fact that Lucinda would arrive with parcels and carrier bags and packages, along with enough excess luggage to break the Bank of England, and it would just be so much easier if she were there, waiting for Lucinda at the barrier. There was nothing like a big smile and a familiar face to brush away the tiredness of travel.
Lucinda threw her arms round Libby’s neck as if they’d been parted for years. ‘I knew I could depend on you –’
Libby smiled as Lucinda rattled on. She doubted her cousin stopped to draw breath all the way back to the Chatsfield.
‘It’s fine if I share your room, isn’t it?’ Lucinda asked as the doorman held the door into the lobby for them. ‘We don’t have to make a fuss. I can bunk down on the sofa bed in the sitting room.’
Libby opened her mouth to say she hoped her guest would have left by now, but then thought better of it. And she needn’t have worried. By the time three porters wheeled three trolley loads of Lucinda’s belongings into the suite, there was no sign that Lucaj had ever been there.
‘You haven’t felt lost in this barn of a place all on your own, have you?’ Lucinda demanded, turning full circle to look around.
‘Er, no…’ But that was exactly how she felt now. And it wasn’t just the room that felt empty; her heart did too.
Be grateful, Libby told herself firmly. She’d enjoyed an aston
ishing encounter with an incredible man, and if coming back here only twisted the knife in her heart at losing him, she just had to pick herself up and get on with it.
‘Are you all right, Lib?’
‘Yes. Of course I am.’ Tears stung her eyes when Lucinda put her arms around her shoulders to give her a reassuring hug, and instinctively she reached for the four-leaf clover she always wore around her neck, only to find it had gone.
‘Oh, Libby,’ Lucinda exclaimed, understanding the enormity of what had happened. ‘Not the four leaf clover your mother gave you? It has to be here somewhere. Let’s search for it.’
‘It could be anywhere, Luce. I could have lost it at the airport.’
‘Well, we can start here, can’t we?’ Lucinda was already down on her hands and knees, scouring the floor. ‘You ring down to the front desk and they’ll tell you if housekeeping’s found it.’
‘It’s probably been vacuumed up by now.’
‘Ring down anyway,’ Lucinda insisted. ‘We can’t leave any stone unturned.’
Sadly, no one had seen Libby’s chain, and though Libby and Lucinda searched every inch of the suite, and the concierge even rang the taxi firm for them, there wasn’t a trace of it to be found.
‘Lib, I’m so sorry,’ Lucinda said when both girls had finally exhausted every possibility and were slumped together on the sofa.
‘It’s not your fault,’ Libby pointed out, putting on a brave face. ‘The chain was worn thin and I should have got it checked –’ She stopped abruptly as someone knocked at the door.
‘Maybe it’s good news,’ Lucinda exclaimed, leaping up. ‘Maybe they’ve found your chain.’
Libby nodded encouragement, but somehow she doubted it. In a hotel the size of the Chatsfield, finding her chain would be like searching for a needle in a haystack. It would be nothing short of a miracle if someone had found it.
‘Oh –’ After this one brief exclamation, Lucinda fell silent.
Curious, Libby turned around to see Lucinda standing dumbstruck in front of the open door. She had never known Lucinda stuck for words before.
‘Lucaj!’ Libby sprang up.
Walking straight past her beautiful cousin as if Lucinda didn’t exist, Lucaj made directly for her and swept her into his arms. ‘Don’t you ever do that to me again,’ he growled, his breath hot against her hair. ‘I nearly went mad when I read your note. You can’t just walk out like that. I was so worried about you. I couldn’t think where you were – and then suddenly it came to me. Your cousin was arriving at the airport, and knowing you, I was sure you’d be there to help her when she arrived –’
‘You went to the airport?’ Libby interrupted.
‘Of course.’
Incredible. Remembering her manners, she turned to look at Lucinda who, having closed the door, was creeping on tip-toes across the room to give them some space.
