Page 82 of The Little Island Flower Stall
From now on, she’d concentrate on people who wouldn’t let her down, and one of those was waiting for her at Villa Rosa.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
When Bella went down for breakfast the following morning, Celestine was already at the kitchen table. She looked up from a newspaper spread in front of her.
‘Haven’t you slept?’
Bella dropped into a chair. ‘It wasn’t the most restful night I’ve ever had.’
‘Fretting?’
‘Trying to work out why I’m such a magnet for arseholes.’
Celestine’s tongue clicked against the roof of her mouth. ‘It’s not you; it’s them.’
‘That doesn’t help me feel better, I’m afraid. Is your friend Kelvin married? He seems nice. Nice and reliable.’
Celestine gave her a look of sympathy. ‘I’m afraid he is. He’s also about twenty years too old for you.’
‘It’s no problem for Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones, is it?’
‘Who?’
‘Never mind.’ Bella put a hand to the teapot.
‘I’ve only just filled it,’ Celestine said.
Bella went to get a cup. ‘What time did you get up?’
‘About an hour ago.’
‘Don’t you ever stay in bed?’
‘When you’ve got up early almost every day of your life, it’s hard to stop doing it.’
‘I wouldn’t need much encouragement to stop doing it.’ Bella poured some tea from the pot.
‘According to the paper, there’s an international food market on in St Helier at the weekend. Cooking demonstrations and such. I’m not sure if it’s your sort of thing, but it might be a welcome distraction from…’
‘My messed-up life?’ Bella sipped at her tea. ‘Actually, that sounds nice. Chilled. I could do with a bit of that. Do you want to go?’
Celestine put down her own cup. ‘I’ve got such a lot to do here, and?—’
‘Those things will wait, won’t they? Come on! We’ve never had a proper day out like this before, just you and me. Not that I can recall. Please? I’d love to have some company.’
Celestine paused. ‘I suppose I haven’t been to St Helier for ages,’ she said slowly. Then she smiled at Bella. ‘You’ve persuaded me. But what about getting my scooter on the bus? It will be difficult?—’
‘I’m sure there’s a taxi service with a car that can fit us in. Come to think of it…I might still have a business card for the driver who brought me here from the airport. His car looked big enough to get your scooter in. He was lovely too, very friendly.’ Bella drank down her tea and got up from the table to drop some bread in the toaster. ‘So that’s a date then.’
‘What are you going to do about your man?’ Celestine asked after a pause.
‘Nothing. He’s notmyman.’
‘Have you thought more about telling him what you know about Klaus?’
‘I feel I ought to, but I don’t want to talk to him. I suppose I could message, but, quite honestly, I don’t much feel like doing that either. He certainly doesn’t deserve it.’
‘It’s not like you to be so vindictive.’
