Belle's Secret by Victoria Purman

Author:Victoria Purman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Romance
ISBN: 9781949068375
Publisher: Tule Publishing
Published: 2018-05-08T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

The next morning—Tuesday—Isabella sent Harry a text message. After a sleepless night going over all her options about what to do, she’d come up with just the right one over her first coffee of the morning.

She picked up her phone and swiftly moved her thumbs over the keyboard.

Can we meet?

It sounded like a proposition. She deleted it and tried again.

We need to talk.

Damn. That sounded like she was about to break up with him. Been there, done that. She pondered, ruminating until she found just the right words. Then:

I’m wondering if you’re free to talk. Isabella.

Not too formal, but not too casual. Business-like, perhaps. Isabella put the phone down on her kitchen table and grabbed her coffee with both hands, bringing it to her lips. She looked across her small living area, through the windows and out to the garden. A gum tree’s droopy branches, leaves shimmering silvery grey, swayed in the slight breeze. The forecast had been for another hot day, which wasn’t unusual for an Australian summer in northern Victoria. She had planned another day in her office, the high ceilings giving her a cool space to work, and had already set out her outfit for the day. A plain navy, knee length skirt with a floral, sleeveless top. She liked a pop of colour when she wasn’t conducting ceremonies, knowing that when she was officiating she would stick to her sensible suits, her hair pulled back in a ponytail or a bun if it was really hot. A wedding was the bride’s day to shine and the more a part of the scenery Isabella became, the happier the bride and her mother.

Her phone vibrated. She read the message.

I am. Over dinner tonight. Janu’s. 8 pm. Harry

Isabella felt the flush rise up her cheeks and she blew out a hot breath. Janu’s was the best restaurant in Wirralong. Scratch that, not just the best restaurant in Wirralong but among the best in Australia. It had already won a few Australian Chef Hats awards for being an outstanding restaurant, and foodies and winemakers from all over Australia waited months to get a booking there. It was so good she’d never been able to afford to dine at one of its white linen table-clothed tables.

Oh God. She must have drunk too much damn coffee. That’s why she was suddenly feeling so hot. Was he seriously asking her out to dinner? And how on earth had he managed to get a booking there when he’d been in the country for about two minutes?

She couldn’t say yes to dinner. She wanted to talk to him, not chitchat over one of the best degustation menus the country had to offer.

Sorry. I’m unavailable tonight. Perhaps coffee this afternoon? Isabella

Thirty seconds later.

No can do. H

Lunch?

Nope.

Damn him. He’d waved a pretty impressive lure in front of her. He was playing dirty, which, in the circumstances, she probably deserved. Oh, she would take the bait. After all, she had a lot to make up for. And

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