Page 39 of Finding Love in Micklewick Bay

‘It’s fab to meet you too. Hope you’re prepared for a night with us lot. It’s not for the faint-hearted.’ She grinned at him as she unfastened her coat. ‘Especially when we start grilling you.’

‘Oh, right.’ Alex shot Stella a vaguely concerned look.

‘Take no notice, we’re a very tame bunch,’ said Maggie.

‘Don’t say I didn’t warn you,’ said Stella.

‘Yeah, I’m just joshing.’ Jasmine slid onto the bench beside Maggie. ‘Shuffle up, missus.’

Lark and her friend Nate arrived five minutes later, quickly followed by Jean Davenport and her son, local author and poet Jack Playforth.

Before they knew it, the bar was heaving, the music battling with the hum of chatter. As she was chatting to her friends, Stella noticed her mum and Rhys squeezing their way in the direction of the bar. Her mum looked over and waved, Rhys following suit. Stella mustered up her best smile, waving back as her stomach started rolling. She looked on as her mother spoke to Pim who was taking their order, checking to see if there was anything in her facial expression that revealed she knew his identity, but it was too difficult to tell from where she was sitting. Stella could count on one hand the times her mum had mentioned she’d been to The Cellar so doubted she’d know Pim and Bill particularly well.

She watched as they made their way over to the table where Florrie’s parents were sitting with Jasmine’s, the friends falling effortlessly into conversation. From the greeting, it struck Stella that the two other couples were familiar with Rhys, they’d clearly met him before. The thought that her mum was pretty good at keeping secrets crept into her mind, triggering a squeeze of annoyance in her stomach.Stay calm, Stella. Tonight’s not the night for getting angry with your mum.Inhaling a deep breath, she fixed a smile to her face and turned back to her friends, launching into telling them about how she’d met another one of the residents at Fitzgilbert’s Landing.

‘Right, ladies and gentlemen, can I have your attention, please.’

Everyone turned to see Bill standing in front of the bar, microphone in hand, looking as neatly groomed as ever. ‘As you’re all aware, the reason we’re here tonight is to help raise funds so Chris and Hannah Readman can send their little girl Fleur for some pioneering, life-changing treatment over in theStates. We’ve got some amazing lots – thank you to all who’ve donated so generously – so please, dig deep. And, without further ado, let’s get started.’

A rousing cheer and round of applause followed, punctuated by the odd “whoop”.

They were halfway through the auction, with bidding heating up on the latest lot before taking a break when the door opened, setting the bell above jangling. ‘I’ll give twenty pounds more,’ said a voice with a melodic accent. Stella’s head shot round to see a tall, broad-shouldered man with floppy blond hair amble across the room. He wore an air of confidence and a self-assured smile. Her brows drew together as something made her instinctively turn to her mum.

She watched as her mother’s expression morphed from happiness to utter horror. Alice clasped her hand to her mouth, shaking her head in disbelief. Moments later, she muttered something to Rhys, grabbed her coat and bag, and fled the bar, her face ashen. Rhys, looking bewildered, followed close behind as Florrie and Jasmine’s parents watched, wearing expressions of confusion.

‘What the heck was all that about?’ asked Florrie, who’d witnessed it too. ‘Do you think your mum’s okay? Sorry, daft question, she’s clearly not, but do you have any idea why she looked so upset?’

Stella couldn’t answer, her brain struggling to compute what Florrie was saying to her. She glanced back at the tall, blond man who appeared oblivious to the reaction his arrival had generated in her mother. He reached the bar and struck up a conversation with Pim whose usually friendly expression had been replaced by an uncharacteristically stern look.

‘Everything okay, Stella?’ she heard Alex say, the same question repeated by Florrie.

‘I just need to… Sorry, can I just squeeze out?’ Stella asked, her heart thumping as her friends looked on. She was too preoccupied by what she’d just witnessed to formulate a coherent reply right now.

She weaved her way around the tables on autopilot, nausea churning in her stomach. Finally, Stella found herself standing by the tall stranger. She glanced at Pim, the serious look in his eyes suddenly fading as realisation dawned.

‘Oh, shit!’ he said, pushing his fingers into his thick, blond hair. ‘I don’t know how I didn’t realise…’

‘Didn’t realise what?’ asked the stranger, turning to follow Pim’s gaze.

‘Stella… Oh, jeez… Seeing you like this, side-by-side, it’s so obvious.’ Pim swallowed hard. ‘Stella, this is Johan de Groote. Johan, this is Stella, Stella Hutton.’

The stranger’s smile faltered, his eyes roving her face. ‘Did you say Hutton?’

‘Yes, my mother’s Alice Hutton. I believe you knew her once,’ she said, a challenging glint in her eyes.

TWENTY-THREE

‘Alice Hutton? Hmm. Yes, I believe I did,’ Johan de Groote said.

He spoke far more calmly than Stella was expecting. She noted his lilting Dutch accent was stronger than Pim’s. As for the lazy smile he was wearing, she found it infuriating. That, combined with the way he was resting so casually against the bar, lent him an arrogant air.

‘So, tell me, how is dear Alice these days?’

Dear Alice? He’s got a nerve!Stella felt her blood beginning to bubble as her anger levels inched up. ‘My mother’s doing very well, actually. In fact, you’ve just missed her.’ She pinned him with her hardest stare. The pale-blue eyes looking back at her were unwavering, but she held firm.

He gave a small laugh. ‘Yes, I’d heard she was doing very well for herself. As, from what I can gather, are you, Stella.’

That threw her momentarily off balance. She wasn’t expecting him to know anything about her. Blinking quickly, she regrouped. ‘And how would you know that?’

---