The grey-haired waitress and another helper emerged from the kitchen carrying bowls filled with something vivid green. Henrietta announced it was white bean and baby spinach soup with onion, garlic, broccoli, cumin and a pinch of chilli.
There were also several little dishes on the table filled with seeds, to add to the soup if desired.
It was iced water to drink, or guests could make themselves herbal tea. Apparently, there was a wide variety of sachets to choose from on a table just beyond the kitchen, along with cups and an urn of boiling water.
‘The work starts here,’ Tash whispered wryly to Cleo, as she dipped her spoon in the super-healthy-looking liquid and raised it tentatively to her lips.
Cleo giggled. ‘I’m a bit scared!’
She raised her own spoon to her mouth and took a very small sip. To her great relief, the soup was, in fact, delicious: rich, hot, creamy-tasting and a little bit spicy. The volume of chatter rose as everyone tucked in, while the light started to disappear around them and darkness descended.
Before the second course, the staff lit giant candles in hurricane lamps and placed them on the table. Fairy lights festooned round the terrace area lit up in a blaze of twinkling colours, too, making the place appear quite magical.
In between conversations with those to her left and right, Cleo glanced over at Maya a few times, sitting very upright and focused on slowly eating her food.
She couldn’t help noticing that in among the happy, excited chatter, Maya barely raised her gaze from her plate and said nothing at all.
3
After the main course – fresh sea bass fillet with vegetable spaghettini and spicy tomato and red pepper salsa – dinner came to a rather abrupt end.
Pudding was off the menu and although the fish was very tasty, the portions did seem quite small.
Cleo wasn’t exactly hungry, but certainly didn’t feel full and there was no more tropical fizz or sparkling lemonade to fill her up, either. It was strictly water or herbal tea from here on in.
‘What do we do now?’ Tash whispered to Cleo, as the guests started to rise from their seats. ‘I guess we go to bed?’
Cleo checked the time. It was still only 9.30p.m. She was tired, for sure, but didn’t want to go to sleep too early for fear of waking up at silly o’clock in the morning.
‘Shall we grab a herbal tea and go and sit by the pool for a bit?’ she suggested.
Tash nodded. ‘Good idea.’
‘Don’t forget to pick up your copy of the schedule,’ Henrietta called, waving some sheets of paper in the air before placing them in a pile at the end of the table. ‘Yoga starts at eight in the garden. Breakfast’s at nine.’
Some of the other guests joined Tash and Cleo by the urn of boiling water just outside the kitchen. There were so many delicious-sounding flavours of tea, Cleo couldn’t decide which one to choose, but eventually opted for fresh mint with honey.
As she and Tash strolled through the trellised archway, holding their mugs of tea and breathing in the heady scent of white roses, she found herself marvelling that she was here at all.
After all, it was only this morning she’d been at the airport, waiting for her flight and wondering if she’d made a huge mistake booking the holiday in the first place. In truth, all she really wanted was to curl up under a blanket on the sofa and go to sleep.
Danny had sweetly travelled from Bristol the day before to say goodbye. At least, that’s why he’d said he’d come. Cleo suspected in reality, he was more interested in meeting up with a girl from London he’d been dating on and off since Christmas. But she wasn’t complaining. She was always so happy to see him.
They’d had supper together and she’d caught up on his news, then they’d both gone to bed in good time because of their early starts. Unfortunately, though, Cleo hadn’t slept much and she’d been wide awake when her alarm went off at 5a.m.
Danny had come with her to the airport and she’d had to fight back tears when they’d said goodbye.
‘You’re only away for a week, Mum,’ he’d said, with a mixture of exasperation and concern. ‘I’ll see you when you’re back.’
‘I know,’ Cleo had replied. ‘I’m just being silly.’
She wouldn’t tell him how lost and lacking in purpose she’d felt since the divorce. She despised self-pity and had been trying so hard to pick herself up and put on a brave face, but it wasn’t easy.
Beyond the trellised arch was a wide lawn, surrounded by tall trees which looked strange and brooding in the moonlight. The noisy, high-pitched clicking of cicadas filled the stillness, and the dry grass tickled Cleo’s sandalled feet.
‘That must be the plunge pool over there,’ Tash commented, pointing to a walled area to the right. In front, still a little way off, they could see water shining like a mirror in the rectangular swimming pool and beyond that, an elegant white stone balustrade which marked the end of the property.
Both women were keen to see the view from there. Placing their mugs on the ground at their feet, they rested their elbows on the balustrade’s flat surface and gazed up at the stars, bright against the velvety black sky.
