Page 48 of The Village Inn of Secret Dream

He felt an easing of the pain that he had carried with him for so long and knew that sharing the secret with Belle had been the right thing to do.

He was shocked at how bereft he felt when she suddenly withdrew her hand from his.

‘Well, I think I’ve bored you long enough,’ he said, trying to lighten the atmosphere.

She looked up and smiled at him. ‘I’ll send you my psychiatrist’s bill in the morning,’ she told him.

He was grateful for her humour. It had all got far too serious, as far as he was concerned.

But still, he suddenly found himself wanting to know more about her.

‘I know you love it here but don’t you find it stifling sometimes?’ he blurted out.

A frown creased her forehead. ‘In what way?’ she asked.

‘You didn’t choose to come here,’ he said. ‘Don’t you want to spread your wings?’

She was quiet for a moment before she took a deep breath. ‘Actually, no. I don’t. You see, you had two loving parents when you were growing up and a great big brother.’

‘He was a pain and you know it,’ said Pete grinning.

But Belle shook her head. ‘You were, and still are, so lucky,’ she told him. ‘You must remember what I told you about my parents. How bad it was each and every day.’

He nodded thoughtfully. ‘But your aunt and uncle…’ said Pete. ‘I mean, their constant arguments. Surely they’re just as bad?’

‘No. Because they were happy to have me here with them,’ she told him. ‘They couldn’t have children, you see. I mean, yes, they blow hot and cold with each other, but never with me. That was the difference.’

She glanced at him and he was startled by the pain that lay deep in her brown eyes. He had a sudden urge to take her in his arms and kiss the pain away forever.

Perhaps the red wine had been stronger than he had initially realised.

It must have been, because he found himself blurting out, ‘I always felt horrible about how I left things between us.’ He hesitated before adding, ‘After the funeral, I mean.’

It had been one kiss. One moment of tenderness from one friend to another.

And yet, some nights over the past three years, he had dreamt about that kiss. Had he imagined it? No. Had he imagined the chemistry that had sizzled between them? He didn’t think so.

And sometimes, he wondered what it would be like to kiss Belle again. Properly. Not in the aftermath of an emotional day. But just because he wanted to see what it was like. And whether she felt the same way.

Belle looked at him. He thought he could see her blushing in the firelight, but it was hard to tell. Probably not when she followed up with a casual shrug of her shoulders.

‘It’s in the past,’ she told him. ‘Don’t worry about it. It was an upsetting day for you and I understood and just wanted to comfort you, that’s all. It really wasn’t that big a deal.’

Suddenly he wanted to persuade her that it had been very much a big deal actually.

But he didn’t want to confuse matters, so he too shrugged his shoulders and said, ‘Okay. Well done on deflating my ego.’

She grinned. ‘You’re welcome,’ she told him. ‘Always happy to help.’

He ran a hand through his hair, feeling more confused than ever. ‘I probably deserved it. Knowing me and what I’m like, I mean.’

‘Yeah, you did,’ she replied, still smiling.

This was crazy, he thought to himself, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. He was almost awkward around Belle and he had never felt like this before. It was as if returning to Cranbridge had thrown up a whole load of emotions into the air and he wasn’t sure how they were all going to land.

He wanted his family to respect what he was doing. He wanted to prove the villagers right with his ideas. He wanted the restaurant to be a success. And, most of all, he wanted Belle to think so too. He wanted to impress her. For her to agree with everything that he had done. And for her to enjoy the change too.

‘Did you ever find what you were looking for in Singapore?’ she suddenly asked.