Page 18 of His Wedding Day Revenge

She breathed slow and deep, trying to gather her scattered senses, then Mattie yelled and, reminded of her priorities, she felt a sharp stab of guilt and flew up the stairs.

Jane almost forgot the printout of her itinerary for the next three weeks and turned back to the cottage to grab it off the table, pushing it into her carry-on bag.

She knew the departure and arrival times, but the details had not included the airline she was travelling on. When she had emailed a request the person she was corresponding with had told her she would be met at the airport with tickets and further details.

She had decided that, rather than book a transfer, it would be more economical to hire a car, which would be waiting for her when she arrived at the rather obscure Italian airport. Her satnav had given her a route that appeared to avoid any major built-up areas and suggested it would take her two hours to get there.

‘You’ve got everything this time?’ Grace teased as she got in the car. Mattie was already ensconced in the back seat next to Grace’s teenage daughter, who was great with him.

‘Definitely sorry about that, but you wouldn’t believe what a nightmare it is packing for a baby.’

Grace laughed and nodded to the rear-seat passenger. ‘Oh, I would, and it doesn’t get any better, I promise you. This one always wants to take her entire wardrobe,’ she joked, ignoring the indignant ‘Mum’ from the back seat.

‘Nervous?’ Grace asked as they drove along.

Realising she was chewing her fingernails, a horrible habit she had kicked ages ago, Jane gave a self-conscious grimace and hastily withdrew them, glancing at her neat, clear-polished nails before putting them firmly in her lap.

‘I’ve never been to Italy before.’ It seemed strange to think that she had once been planning on spending the rest of her life there. She hadn’t even considered how difficult that would be or suggested that she accompany Draco on one of his overnight trips home. Her level of acceptance now seemed bizarre to her. ‘And I’ve never been here.’ Jane looked around curiously. It felt different from any airport she had been to. There was no parking issue, for starters, and they pulled right into a space outside a small terminal building. ‘I’ve never heard of it before.’

‘I’ve never been here either, but a friend did their flying course from here and obviously I’ve never been in a private jet.’

‘Private jet!’

Grace looked amused by her horrified expression. ‘Didn’t you realise? Want to get your pilot’s licence or need a stop-off point from your end-of-the-garden helicopter pad, this is your go-to airport. It avoids the congestion over London.’

‘But I’m not booked on a private jet.’ Her initial confidence wavered as she saw a suited figure approaching the car, flanked by two women who looked corporately slick.

Grace unfastened her seat belt.

‘Looks like you have bagged the company jet, lucky you!’ her friend said, nodding to the logo on the side of the jet on the runway.

Jane followed the direction of her friend’s stare while in the back the youngster bounced excitedly and pleaded, ‘Send us loads of photos for me to post.’

‘Oh, God, no!’

From the back seat the teen piped up, ‘How is this bad?’ before a glare from her mum reduced her to silence.

Sensing her friend’s horror, Grace said cheerily, ‘I think you’ll find you are. It’ll be a fantastic opportunity to meet some of the others on the course ahead of time, scope out the talent,’ she suggested with a mock leer.

‘Mum...?’ This time the reproach came with a giggle.

Jane rolled her eyes, but asked herself if it would be so bad to discover someone nice and normal, not to mention safe, to have some fun with. An image inserted itself in her head of someone who was neither nice nor normal, and as for safe!

‘I have no time for men. I have Mattie.’ Jane almost choked at the way her prim response sounded, but it was true, and a lot better than admitting Draco was a hard, no, impossible act to follow. Because he made you so happy, mocked the ironic voice in her head.

‘Being a mum is not like taking the veil, Jane.’

‘Oh, God, gross, Mum!’ the teen in the back seat responded, covering her hands with her ears.

‘I know things didn’t work out for you last time.’

Jane sighed. She really regretted that extra glass of wine at book club, but at least her confidences had stopped at, ‘I was engaged once—it didn’t work out.’

It was a bit disorienting to have the reception party not only help unload her luggage but coo over Mattie and stay with her as she moved smoothly through Customs.

Wow, she thought as they settled in their seats in the empty cabin, this was travelling, but not as she knew it! She glanced through the window, wondering when the other passengers were going to board. Was she early?

It wasn’t until they were in the air that the penny dropped: there were no other passengers!

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