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‘Wait and see!’ As we make our way through the grounds, it dawns on me where he’s taking me.
‘Ed, are we going to your room?’
He obviously senses my uncertainty because he stops, lets go of my hand, and turns to face me.
‘It’s nothing pervy, I promise. It’s just that you seemed so keen on the picnic, so I started wondering what I could do that was similar. The hotel does offer dinner on the beach, but they have quite a few tables set up and it didn’t feel very exclusive, so I’ve asked them to lay on something special on my balcony instead. The view might not be breathtaking, but it’s pretty good.’
‘Oh, Ed. What a lovely idea. Is that what you were doing at reception yesterday when you said you’d forgotten something?’
He has the decency to blush slightly. ‘It might be.’
‘But what about Mum and Dad? They might be worried if we don’t turn up for dinner with them.’
‘I spoke to them at breakfast this morning and told them that I’d planned a surprise for you. Your mother was absolutely delighted.’
‘Oh God, I bet she was. She’s probably searching the internet for wedding hats as we speak!’
Ed’s face falls slightly. ‘I didn’t think of that. Sorry. Would you rather we abandon this plan and go and join them? I don’t want to give your mother the wrong impression.’
I take a moment to think about it. Although I’m slightly uncomfortable about going to his room, I’m pretty sure he’s not an axe murderer and he’s obviously gone to a lot of trouble to organise this dinner for me. I’m also more than a little curious to see what the honeymoon suite looks like, as I’ve never been in one before.
I take his hand again. ‘I think it’s a lovely plan, Ed. Thank you. Show me the way.’
16
The honeymoon suite is enormous! When Ed opens the door and stands aside for me to go in, I find myself in a large sitting room. There are two very comfortable-looking sofas, a fully stocked bar with a refrigerator underneath, an upmarket stereo system and a huge flat-screen TV. The fans on the ceiling are turning silently and lazily, creating the slightest movement of the air-conditioned air. Off to the left is a door that I imagine must lead into the bedroom.
‘Wow! This is a bit of an upgrade from my room. Is it OK if I look around?’ I ask Ed.
‘Be my guest. What can I get you to drink? I’ve got rum and Coke if you fancy it?’
‘That sounds perfect. Thank you.’
I open the door and walk into the bedroom. It’s dominated by the biggest four-poster bed I think I’ve ever clapped eyes on. It’s modern and similar in style to the one in my room, but must be nearly twice the size.
‘I thought the idea of a honeymoon was that you were close together,’ I call to Ed in the next room. ‘This bed is so big you’re practically in different time zones!’
‘I know. It’s ridiculous, isn’t it?’ he calls back. ‘I’ve done some tests, and I reckon you could lie one person on each side, they could both spread their arms and legs as wide as they possibly could, and they still wouldn’t be touching each other.’
I look around at the rest of the room. It’s very tidy – Ed is obviously not a ‘floordrobe’ man. There’s a slight hint of his aftershave in the air and I spot the bottle on the dressing table. I pick it up and read the label. It’s Penhaligon’s. Not a brand I’ve heard of. I spray a little bit just in front of my nose and sniff it. It really is very nice.
I walk back out into the living area and Ed hands me my drink. ‘The bathroom is through there,’ he says, pointing at another door. ‘If you thought the bed was ridiculous, you really ought to check that out.’
He’s right. It’s another huge room, pretty much covered from floor to ceiling with marble. On one wall there’s a walk-in shower with not only a rainfall showerhead, but those little jets that squirt you from lots of other angles too. Opposite the shower there is an enormous mirror, with his and hers basins underneath.
In the centre of the room there are two large baths, arranged head-to-toe. Between them is a shelf with candles.
‘Check this out!’ calls Ed from the other room. Suddenly soft music fills the bathroom, I look around but can’t spot the speakers.
He sticks his head around the door. ‘The lights are dimmable, so you can light the candles, put some music on, fill a bath or two and have a drink. They’ve thought of everything. I have to say it’s a bit of a step up from the bathroom in my flat, and I’ve got serious shower envy. You haven’t seen the best bit yet, though.’
He takes my hand again and leads me out onto the balcony. He’s right. The view is great. It looks straight out over the bay to the sea beyond. I can see various boats out there, their lights twinkling in the falling darkness. Above them hangs the moon, casting its light onto the ocean and making it glitter. On the beach below I can see the tables that Ed mentioned before. A few of them are already occupied and waiters are moving around serving food and drinks. Each table is in its own little bubble of light, created by the candles in the middle. The air is thick with the sound of cicadas, and I lean on the railing, letting the warm breeze wash over me as I sip my drink and listen. I’m aware of Ed standing next to me, but he doesn’t speak.
‘This is lovely,’ I murmur after a while.
‘It’s not too shabby, is it?’ Ed replies. ‘They’ll bring our first course at seven thirty. I hope you don’t mind, but I kind of had to choose what we wanted when I booked it, so I hope I’ve ordered things you like.’
I turn around and see that a table has been set up with two chairs, flowers and candles in glass holders. Next to the table are two ice buckets. One contains a bottle of champagne and the other a bottle of white wine. I spot a bottle of red on the table as well.
