Chapter 55
Ahead of them, at the end of the sweeping gravel drive, the Manor House Hotel loomed out of the mist like a mirage in a desert. Only this was the reverse of a desert mirage. Water they had plenty of on such a damp, grey and increasingly chilly evening. But the sight of warm lights glowing welcomingly in windows, combined with the prospect of lounging in front of a crackling log fire sipping brandy and digesting a fabulous meal was too great to resist.
'What do you think?' Tala kept the engine ticking over. As if she was likely to say no.
'Yes yes yes,' Bev breathed. Warmth, heat, food, drink, all those unimaginable luxuries, in the most gorgeous of surroundings. A horrid thought suddenly struck her. 'Oh no . . .'
'What?'
'Look at the state of us.' She pulled despairingly at her hair and gazed at Tala's crumpled rugby shirt and jeans. 'They're never going to let us in, not in a million years.'
Tala thought for a second; this clearly hadn't occurred to him either. A few moments later he switched off the ignition, leaned across the car and took Bev's face carefully between his hands.
Her muddy face, now free of foundation and blusher and powder and God-knows-what-else. Those bright eyes, minus all the layers of shadow and gunky mascara. That soft, oh-so-kissable mouth. And the hair the colour of ripe corn, no longer sculpted into one of those don't-touch-me chignon things but falling loosely around her shoulders.
God, he loved hair that just fell like that.
'You look beautiful. You are beautiful,' said Tala. 'I knew you would be.'
This was so ridiculous Bev didn't even try to argue. The man was clearly deranged.
'We're still not going to be allowed into the restaurant,' she said sadly.
'Maybe not.' Tala swung open the driver's door. 'But they'll let us have a room.'
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'Better now? He said forty minutes later when Bev emerged from the bathroom wrapped in one of the hotel's white velour dressing gowns.
'Heaven.' Pink, scented and still gently steaming, Bev collapsed on to the sofa and took the glass of wine he held out. Gosh, it was amazing how much more you appreciated a hot bath when you'd actually done something to earn it.
'My turn now.' Tala dropped the menu into her lap. 'Choose what you want to eat, then ring down and let them know. By the time I'm back out, dinner will be here. Oh – and order another bottle of wine.'
He was lovely. Muddy, but lovely, Bev now realised. How could she have ever thought he was a pig?
By nine thirty, dinner had been cleared away and it was time to start making a move.
'Two hours to get home,' Bev groaned. 'Work tomorrow. I bet I'll ache like anything. Honestly, nobody's going to believe it when I tell them what I did today.'
'You were a star.' Tala gave her arm a squeeze.
Uh oh, more physical contact. Bev felt her heart break in to a gallop.
'I still can't believe I actually enjoyed it. You don't mind, then, that I killed you?'
'I forgive you.' Tala was miling, surveying her as if something was on his mind.
'What?' said Bev. Thump, thump, thumpety thump.
'Nothing.' He flapped his hand, embarrassed. 'If I told you, it would only sound stupid.'
'We've talked nonstop for the last three hours. Don't clam up on me now!' Bev twisted round, pulling her legs up under her and covering them with her dressing gown.
'Er . . .' Tala gestured discreetly in the direction of her cleavage.
'Oh, sorry.' Realising she was now somewhat agape further up, Bev tugged the lapels together. 'Anyway, carry on. You were saying?'
'Well . . . just that sometimes you meet someone and you know that they're the kind of person you could . . . you know . . .'
'No, I don't know,' breather Bev, beside herself with frustration. 'Could what? Could what?'
Tala closed his eyes, feeling himself start to chicken out. God, he'd waited years for this moment and now he was about to los ehis bottle. How bloody typical was that?
'What I mean is, sometimes you meet someone and you can just picture how they'll be in twenty years' time.' This was semi-bottling out. Veering away from what he'd meant to say, without changing the subject altogether. Oh well, that was allowed, wasn't it? Better than starting to talk about the weather.
'And?' Bev gazed at him eagerly, her lips slightly parted. 'Can you picture me?'
Tala smiled. 'Oh yes. Bowling along in your Range Rover with a carful of Labradors and strapping, noisy, rugby-playing sons.'
Without warning, Bev burst into tears. How could he possibly have known that? It was her fantasy, four sons had always been her fantasy and she'd never told a living soul.
'How many?' The tears stopped as suddenly as they had appeared.
'Three boys. And a baby daughter,' said Tala, his smile broadening as he pictured them. 'They'll spoil her rotten, of course.'
'I don't believe in any of that psychic stuff,' Bev said warily.
'It isn't psychic. It's what I've always wanted. Only men aren't meant to daydream about that kind of thing. Getting married and having kids isn't a very macho thing to want.' Tala pulled a face. 'All we're supposed to dream about is going out, getting wrecked and ripping the knickers off as many different birds as possible.' He paused. 'Preferably with our teeth.'
I'm not wearing any knickers, thought Bev, so you couldn't rip mine off me.
Then she smiled a bit unsteadily, because this was possibly one of the happiest moments of her entire life.
'So what are you saying?'
He gave her a long look.
'You know perfectly well what I'm saying.'
Oh! Goodbye, dusty old shelf! Hello, lifetime of bliss!
'It's still early days,' Bev felt obliged to remind him. Only one day, in fact. As if she cared a jot.
'I know that. I'm just letting you know how I feel about you.' Tala suggested. 'If by any chance you think you might feel the same, please, feel free to let me know. If, on the other hand, you still find me utterly loathsome, well, you can tell me that too.'
Slowly, Bev kissed him.
'I don't find you utterly loathsome.'
'Well, good,' said Tala. 'Phew,' he mimed relief, 'that's a start.'
Bev glanced about her at the opulent oak-panelled bedroom with its beamed ceiling, antique fireplace and velvet-canopied four-poster.
'Did you say you'd booked this room for the whole night?'
'Had to. They don't rent them out by the hour,' he explained. 'It's not that kind of hotel.'
'Seems a shame not to get our money's worth then.' Bev kissed him again, snuggling closer and allowing her hand to slip between the lapels of his dressing-gown. Shivering with pleasure as the silky red hairs tangled beneath her fingers, she murmured, 'I'm really glad you've got a hairy chest.'
Tala replied gravely, 'I'm glad you've got a smooth one.'
