In the Name of Love (29 page)

‘It is much better for the planet not to eat meat,’ Darcy said quietly. ‘All that land given over to cows when it could be used for growing vegetables. And did you know that cows are responsible for producing a massive amount of methane, which contributes to global warming?’

Her family ignored the comment.

‘How’s Hugo?’ Eleanor asked Bunny, referring to her fiancé – a successful financier. Naturally he was successful, Darcy’s sisters didn’t date unsuccessful men. Perdita was seeing a successful corporate lawyer.

‘Oh, he’s great, but working flat out as ever.’ She smiled slyly at her little sister. ‘You should ask Darcy about her new boyfriend.’

Fuck! She might have guessed that it was a bad idea telling Bunny about Kris, but when she had emailed asking if Darcy was still seeing Drew – she was working out the seating plan for the wedding – Darcy didn’t
want
to seem like a saddo singleton so she had mentioned Kris.

‘Oh?’ Her mother looked at her. ‘And who is he?’

‘He’s an actor and he’s lovely,’ Darcy said defensively.

‘An actor? Such a precarious profession. Has he been in anything I might have seen?’ Her mother only watched classic dramas on the BBC and
Antiques Roadshow
, though she had managed to watch
Downton Abbey
even though it was on ITV.

Bunny smirked. ‘I doubt it, Mummy. He’s what you call a “rough diamond”.’

Eleanor looked as if she had smelt something extremely distasteful wafting through the restaurant. ‘Oh.’

‘And he’s just come out of prison,’ Bunny said triumphantly.

Darcy glared at her. She hadn’t told Bunny that. She must have Googled Kris.

‘But he’s done the time, paid for his crime,’ her sister added. ‘So no judgment.’

Gerard had been busy talking to Perdita but they both stopped talking at the mention of prison.

‘What’s this?’ he demanded.

‘Darcy’s new boyfriend is an actor, just out of prison,’ Eleanor said faintly, putting on what Darcy called her Dying Swan act. She was good at acting the martyr where Darcy was concerned. It was much easier than wondering if she might possibly have played some part in shaping her daughter’s life. Gerard looked and sounded predictably disgusted. ‘I don’t know why you had to break up with Drew. He fitted right in. But oh no, as usual you
have
to go off and do something you know will upset your mother. What was he in prison for?’

Darcy wished she could leave right there and then. ‘I think it was to do with receiving stolen goods. It was a one-off, a mistake. And I’m not seeing him to upset Mummy, and Drew broke up with me!’ she replied, struggling to keep it together.

Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of the first courses – asparagus tips for Darcy, steak tartare for her parents, escargots for Bunny and foie gras for Perdita. It was almost as if her family were setting out deliberately to upset her with their choice of food. She had once told Perdita that the idea of foie gras – where geese were force-fed corn – made her feel physically sick, and Perdita just laughed and said, ‘But it tastes delish! When you can get something veggie to taste that good, let me know. Until then that’s what I’m having.’

At least by now her sisters seemed to think enough attention had been given over to Darcy and had returned to their favourite subject – themselves and the plans for the wedding. Darcy was largely quiet during the meal, longing for it to be over.

‘Are you free next week to have a fitting for your bridesmaid’s dress?’ Bunny asked her at one point.

‘I’ll have to check the rota.’

Bunny rolled her eyes. ‘Well, let me know ASAP, I have to make the booking.’

Darcy wished that she didn’t have to be a bridesmaid. In fact, she wished she didn’t have to go to the wedding at all.

Before dessert she slipped off to the Ladies. She was tempted to have a sneaky fag, but knowing her luck she would set off the smoke alarm. She checked her messages and saw that there was one from Kris.
Am in the area. Do you want to meet up after your dinner? xxx
It was like seeing the sun come out after an unbelievably dreary day. Instantly Darcy cheered up and called him to suggest he meet her outside the restaurant in half an hour.

Knowing that she had that to look forward to, she let her family’s comments wash over her for the remainder of the meal. She had planned to be the first to leave, but to her surprise, just as everyone was drinking coffee, Kris walked into the restaurant. Darcy was torn between the thrill that seeing him again always gave her and dread of him meeting her family.

He smiled and waved at her and strode over to the table. At least he looked smart in a suit. Well, actually, he looked stunningly handsome, but Darcy knew that his fate had already been sealed by the prison comment.

‘Hiya,’ he said, ducking down and kissing her. Darcy was aware of her family’s eyes boring into them so she linked arms with him and said, ‘This is my mother, Eleanor, and my father, Gerard, and my sisters Bunny and Perdita.’

Kris politely shook hands with everyone, while Darcy’s parents looked at him as if he was a piece of low life about to steal their Cartier watches, and barely cracked a smile.

‘I hope you don’t mind me coming in but it was
pouring
with rain outside and I didn’t have an umbrella.’

Darcy waited for her father to suggest that Kris should draw up a chair and join them, as he would have done if one of her sister’s boyfriends arrived. But no such suggestion was forthcoming, so she found one herself and ordered coffee for him.

‘Have you all had a good dinner?’ he asked politely.

‘Very pleasant,’ Eleanor managed to reply. ‘Darcy tells us you’re an actor.’ She said ‘actor’ as if it was the equivalent of ‘gigolo’.

‘I am. I’ve just been doing a read-through for a new drama that I’m going to be filming. It’ll be coming out early next year.’

‘What part are you playing?’ Bunny asked. Both Darcy’s sisters had been blatantly checking him out. Darcy felt some satisfaction from knowing that he was massively better-looking than Bunny’s fiancé, Hugo, who had a receding hair-line and didn’t have the bone structure to look good bald. Perdita’s boyfriend Simon, who was a keen rugby player, had a crooked nose and a bull neck.

‘I’m the rookie detective who’s trying to break away from his family who are all involved in crime.’

Bunny smirked. ‘A case of art not imitating life then.’

Kris stared evenly at her, and she was the first to look away. ‘That’s all behind me now.’ He turned to Darcy. ‘Actually I’ll skip the coffee, I’ve got an early start.’ He stood up. ‘It was good to meet you all.’

He received a series of half-hearted goodbyes in response. Darcy got up as well.

‘Aren’t you going to have your coffee?’ her father asked.

‘No, I’m going to leave with Kris. Thanks for dinner.’ She kissed her father and mother and waved at her sisters. She wanted to get as far away as possible from them. She would get it in the neck tomorrow from her mother, but for now she just wanted to be with Kris. She held his hand as they walked out of the restaurant.

Outside it was still raining and there wasn’t a taxi to be seen. Darcy didn’t want to hang about near the restaurant in case her family came out. She suggested they get a bus.

‘Your parents are dead posh, aren’t they?’ Kris commented. ‘I thought I might have to pull my forelock … not that I’ve got one to pull.’ He brushed his hand over his shaved head.

‘Posh, cold and completely dysfunctional,’ she agreed.

‘I’m sure they’re lovely when you get to know them.’

Darcy didn’t bother to correct him. ‘And I’m sorry that my sister came out with that comment. I didn’t tell her, by the way, but she’s the kind of person who always wants to know everything about everyone.’

He shrugged. ‘I guess they would have found out eventually.’ He put his arm round her and kissed her. ‘So long as you’re okay about it, that’s all that matters to me.’

Darcy kissed him back. ‘I’m more than okay about it and I don’t care what anyone else thinks. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.’ And she meant it. She felt as if there was complete honesty between
her
and Kris, something she had never known with anyone else before.

‘D’you want to come back to mine? Charlie’s in Spain, so we’ll have the place to ourselves.’

Darcy tried not to let on how pleased she was that Charlie wouldn’t be around. She knew how close Kris was to his twin.

Chapter 20

CHARLIE STRETCHED OUT
on the bed, blissfully happy to be with Felipe again after three long weeks apart. Their reunion had been as passionate and intense as ever and now she was in the mood for talking.

She turned and looked at him. His eyes were closed. ‘Thanks for getting the new bed.’ Paloma’s fancy silver rococo model had been replaced with a solid oak sleigh bed, which was much more to Charlie’s liking.

‘You’re welcome,’ he murmured, but didn’t open his eyes.

‘Kris seems to be getting serious with Darcy. He sees her all the time.’

‘Lucky thing. I mean, I wish I saw you all the time.’ Now Felipe opened his eyes, but he still seemed exhausted. He yawned as if proving the point. ‘I’m sorry, Charlie, I’m going to have to go to sleep.’

‘Sure, I understand,’ she replied, and in the time it took her to fetch a glass of water from the kitchen, Felipe had fallen into a deep sleep. She snuggled up next to
him
and put her arms around him. They had the whole weekend together; it didn’t matter if he slept now.

Felipe was still tired the following morning, but it was more than physical exhaustion; he also seemed unusually subdued. They were having breakfast outside at a café in the old town. It was a beautiful morning and the May sunshine was a perfect temperature. ‘Is everything okay?’ Charlie asked him, realising that she had been chatting away about work and her brother while Felipe had barely said a word.

‘Fine,’ he replied. ‘It’s just been full on and …’ He hesitated. Charlie had the feeling that he must have been about to say something about riding but had stopped himself.

‘What?’

He shook his head. Reaching into his shirt pocket, he pulled out a packet of cigarettes. Charlie looked at him in surprise as he lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply.

‘I didn’t know you smoked.’

He shrugged. ‘I do sometimes. I’ll give up again soon.’

‘God, I hope so!’ she said with feeling. ‘It’s a disgusting habit.’

Felipe abruptly stood up. ‘Fine, I’ll go and sit somewhere else, if it offends you that much.’

She had never heard him snap like this before. She reached out her hand to stop him. ‘Stay, don’t be silly.’

He sat back down, and ran a hand through his hair. ‘I’m sorry, Charlie. I’m just exhausted. Running on empty.’

‘Really? Are you sure there isn’t something else bothering you?’ He seemed so on edge.

‘Just tired.’

‘Maybe I shouldn’t have come this weekend.’

‘Of course you should have! This has been the one thing I’ve been looking forward to.’ He ground out the cigarette in the ashtray. ‘There, I’ll try not to smoke when you’re here and I promise I’ll quit again soon. You’re right, it is a disgusting habit.’ He smiled at her, but Charlie could sense the tension within him. Was it just down to the pressure of training and competing? She wasn’t sure if she believed him.

After breakfast Felipe said he had something to collect. They strolled through the picturesque narrow streets and ended up at an expensive-looking jeweller’s – the kind of establishment where you had to ring a bell to be admitted, and a uniformed security guard stood by the door. Charlie imagined that Felipe was picking up a peace offering for his mother – she knew that things had remained strained between them.

‘Which one do you prefer?’ he asked as the jeweller showed off two pendant necklaces, both beautiful. One was a diamond-studded love heart pendant, the other an aquamarine.

‘I think the love heart.’ Surely a diamond necklace would melt even Vittoria’s ice-cold heart?

‘Good. I thought so.’

Charlie idly looked round the display cases as Felipe paid. The jewellery here was so expensive that none of it carried a price tag. She smiled as he walked over to her. ‘I’m sure your mother will love it,’ she commented.

He frowned. ‘What are you talking about? It’s for you.’

‘Oh, no! I mean, oh, wow! You didn’t have to buy me anything!’

‘I wanted to. I chose it last week but I wanted to be certain you liked it. Will you wear it now? I missed you so much and you had the press to deal with on your own.’

Felipe had found out about the story in the paper. Charlie had deliberately underplayed how much it had upset her, but he had obviously realised.

‘Thank you,’ she replied. ‘It’s the most beautiful present I’ve ever been given.’

‘Better than anything TFB ever gave you?’ he teased.

‘He bought me a Chanel bag. I sold it on Ebay when we split up. Someone got a bargain.’

She looked in the mirror as Felipe fastened the necklace around her neck and was struck again by how drained he looked. Something wasn’t right. Even though he had just given her this stunning present, she felt there was a distance between them that hadn’t been there before, as if he were keeping something from her.

They headed back to the apartment, stopping off to buy champagne as they were going to Luis and Mariana’s house for lunch. Charlie insisted on paying for the champagne and Felipe stayed outside the store to take a call. She stared up at the rows of bottles, wondering which one to choose.

‘The Perrier-Jouet is Felipe’s favourite,’ a familiar
voice
said. It was Paloma. Instantly Charlie felt self-conscious in her skinny jeans and tee-shirt as Paloma stood there looking as if she had stepped off the red carpet in a bright yellow fitted dress and a pair of sky-high gold sandals – did the woman ever dress down? Charlie felt a stab of insecurity that Paloma still knew more about Felipe’s tastes than she did.

‘How are you, Charlie?’ As ever Paloma had impeccable manners. Even if she loathed the sight of her, she kissed Charlie on the cheek and acted as if she was genuinely pleased to see her.