Page 61 of An Island in the Sun

Was this the build-up to the inevitable? The flirtation had continued, even if it was a little more restrained than it had been during those first couple of days. Since then, they’d slowly got to know each other, peeling back the layers of their past, the experiences and relationships that had shaped them both, making the anticipation of the inevitable all the more electric.

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Beautiful and captivating were the words that sprang to mind as Tabitha admired the half Portuguese, half Japanese bride in a lace wedding dress, the bodice sculpted before flowing into a white skirt. Her smile was infectious and she glowed with happiness. It wasn’t hard to see why a teenage Raff had fallen head over heels in love with Mai.

The groom was as handsome as his bride was beautiful, his English and Spanish heritage woven into the day, along with Mai’s Japanese and Portuguese roots.

As they stood on the sun-drenched hotel terrace overlooking the ocean, a glass ofponchaflavoured with passion fruit clasped in their hands, Raff hooked his arm in Tabitha’s. It was a perfect start to the tropical-themed wedding and Tabitha soaked up the moment. Beyond the beach below, dotted with umbrellas, sun loungers and people, the ocean stretched endlessly, while in the other direction were the terracotta rooftops of Funchal and its mountainous backdrop, a hazy green in the glorious afternoon sunshine, the tallest peaks obscured by drifting white clouds.

Tabitha and Raff had arrived at the hotel an hour earlier, parked the car and had been shown to their room.Theirroom. Tabitha had put her bag next to the bed on the side she normally slept on while Raff had made a point of putting his on the sofa. She hadn’t said anything.

Then, on the hotel’s terrace, where the wedding party had met for drinks, Raff had introduced Tabitha as his friend to the bride and groom, Mai and Edward, and to Mai’s parents, before they mingled with the other guests.

A warmth filled her heart as much as the sun warmed her bare shoulders. Her sleeveless blue and white patterned playsuit was perfect for the location and occasion. As they stood chatting to people, with Raff’s arm casually around her waist, it took all her resolve to focus on the conversation rather than the feel of him through the thin material as he caressed her hip with his thumb. Whether intentional or not, it felt good.

Mai and Edward’s wedding ceremony took place in the hotel’s grounds, a beautiful private spot away from the terrace that overlooked the vibrant and colourful beach. White chairs lined the lawn, leading to an archway of dark green leaves entwined with white flowers. The bride and groom stood alongside the best man, who wore a bright orange strelitzia buttonhole, and the bridesmaids in sunny yellow dresses clutching small white and dark green bouquets. Tall palms cast shade around the edges of the lawn, while the deep green of Monstera plants, with their large, tattered heart-shaped leaves, were the perfect backdrop.

Raff’s arm was warm against Tabitha’s as they sat together and watched his first love marrying her true love. Tabitha squeezed his hand as Mai said her vows; she hoped this would be closure for him.

The sit-down meal was in a large and airy room in the hotel, with its own bar and doors opening out on to the beachside terrace. The tropical theme continued in the white tables and chairs which were decorated with Monstera leaves as placemats, and saffron-yellow and zingy-orange flowers. There was shrimp cocktail to start with, followed by roasted grouper with chorizo on a bed of asparagus risotto, finished off with a cooling tropical fruit sorbet served with passion fruit liqueur.

Marriage wasn’t anything Tabitha had ever considered, but she had to admit, bar Elspeth and Gethin’s wedding, this one on Madeira was pretty special.

The evening reception kicked off with dancing, followed a little later by sushi canapés which Tabitha happily tucked in to while Raff chatted with Mai’s family. She got talking to the groom’s best friend and his wife, who lived in Cornwall.

Darkness had descended by the time Mai came over, hooked her arm in Tabitha’s and stole her away.

‘I just wanted to say how happy Raff looks,’ Mai said as she led her out onto the terrace. ‘You both do. I’m so pleased he’s found someone.’

‘Oh, we’re not actually together.’

A slight frown creased Mai’s flawless skin. ‘Really? You look so comfortable with each other.’

‘I guess we are, as friends.’ They stopped beneath a floodlit palm tree glowing a deep zesty orange. ‘It’s a bit of a strange situation how and why we’ve ended up here together, but we do get on well.’

‘I can see that.’

Tabitha’s heart beat faster, knowing that the attraction between her and Raff was obvious to other people, certainly to someone who knew him well.

‘It’s been a beautiful wedding,’ Tabitha said, wanting to deflect the attention away from herself.

‘Thank you.’ Mai smiled. ‘We were a little worried that the mix of cultures would be a bit of a mess, but I don’t think it’s been too shabby.’ Her English was flawless, her accent only slight and not one Tabitha would have been able to place had she not known her heritage. Raff had said she spoke Portuguese, Japanese, Spanish and English perfectly. Tabitha had picked up French, Spanish and German as a child travelling from place to place, but not with the fluency Mai had.

‘It’s been a wonderful day. I’ve pretty much spent my whole life travelling, so I appreciate the mix of cultures. I think you’ve blended them successfully.’ Tabitha sipped her wine. ‘Raff said you two met when you were working together?’

‘Ah, it feels like a lifetime ago.’ She looked wistful for a moment, then laughed. ‘I presume he’s told you the story about me turning him down?’

‘He had mentioned it, yes.’ Tabitha grinned.

‘Honestly, I thought of him like a younger brother. He was sixteen when we first met and by the time he plucked up the courage to kiss me, the last thing I was looking for was a relationship. I’d had my heart broken and the idea of being involved with someone I loved as a friend did not sit comfortably. He had confidence, I’ll give him that. I hated letting him down, but at that time in my life and the age we were, it just felt wrong.’

‘I’ve experienced a friendship not feeling right as a romance, so I totally get that.’

‘The thing is, if it had been a few years later, and perhaps if he’d simply asked me out rather than kissing me with no warning, I might have said yes.’ Mai touched Tabitha’s arm. ‘But I think it worked out for the best. For all his demons, for all the stuff he’s working through, he’s a catch.’ Mai raised a sculpted eyebrow. ‘I eventually found my soulmate.’ She glanced towards her new husband chatting to Raff and a couple of other guests on the threshold of the hotel. ‘But it took a long time; I hope it doesn’t take so long for Raff.’ She gave Tabitha a look which she assumed was trying to convey that she meant her.

‘You still live on Madeira?’ Tabitha asked, eager again to change the subject.

‘My parents do, but Ed and I live in Lisbon now, although my heart belongs to the island.’

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