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A little bewildered, Roula stood. ‘Excuse me.’
‘You’re going?’ he checked, and she saw that he wore just a smudge of a frown.
‘Not yet.’
Roula was warm, and also a little flustered as she briefly escaped to the bathroom. She did what she had to and then, washing her hands, decided to top up her lipstick.
It was a party after all.
Yet even as she added a slick of coral she was still replaying that moment with Galen and trying to interpret it into a language she knew. Perhaps he didn’t appreciate staff mingling with the guests? Or was he still irritated that she hadn’t been able to get him online...
Her thoughts stopped as the door opened. ‘Mary!’ She turned as the bride came in. ‘You look completely beautiful.’ Roula was actually in awe of the fact that a bride could still look so gorgeous after midnight. The formal dress had been replaced by the slip version which she had worn earlier on the beach, and her blonde hair tumbled. ‘Stunning.’
‘Just happy.’ Mary smiled. ‘I never dreamt we’d be having the actual wedding service in London...’ Her eyes brimmed with tears. ‘Did you know?’
‘There weremanyback-up plans,’ Roula told her. ‘I am so glad it all came together.’
‘I just wasn’t expecting my dad to be there. Yolanda too, and Galen...’ She gave a low, devilish laugh. ‘Mind you, apparently Costa thought he’d lost him at one point...’
‘Lost him?’
‘He was catching up with afriend, apparently.’ Mary gave an exaggerated roll of her eyes. ‘As you do at six a.m. on the morning of a wedding.’
‘I’m not with you...’
‘Galen was with one his catch-up girls.’ Mary laughed again. ‘It would seem that he has a very devoted fan base in every port!’
Roula’s laugh came a little too late. She was so out of step with everything. She’d been thinking Galen was single, or even celibate, perhaps, when actually... Gosh! She replayed their conversation and realised it would seem that when it came to relationships, Galen cherry-picked the parts he wanted...
And they were the very parts Roula most certainly didn’t!
‘How are you doing?’ Mary asked.
Roula dragged her mind back to more familiar terrain. ‘Oh, it’s been busy, but...’
‘How are you holding up?’
Costa had no doubt asked Mary to corner her like this, to find out how she was faring. Roula had immediately known the reason for the rapid wedding—and, no, it wasn’t as half the island was suggesting. Costa just wanted the woman he loved by his side and out of danger.
And, as Roula had recently found out, her older brother Nemo might be very dangerous indeed...
‘Have you heard anything?’ Mary asked anxiously.
‘No.’ Roula shook her head and then reminded Mary of what they’d been told. ‘The police said not to discuss it.’
‘Even so...’
‘Mary.’ Roula was practical. ‘This is your wedding! Focus on enjoying it!’ She refused to let anything spoil Mary’s day. ‘Get out there and have fun. Guest Service Manager’s orders.’
‘You’re off duty,’ Mary pointed out.
‘ThenIwant to have some fun,’ Roula lied, because in truth she just wanted to head for home.
Nobody knew Roula.
They returned to the table. Roula’s smile was back in place, and she even took her jacket off and placed it over the chair, to denote that she was reluctantly—not that she showed it—staying.
She refilled her glass, but with water this time, and took a grateful refreshing drink. Galen was still there and, given Mary’s recent revelation about him, she was embarrassed at her earlier reply.
