he was still deep in dialogue with Ambrosio.
‘Yes, really.’ Estelle didn’t seem one bit chastened by Carrie’s flat tone. ‘As for taking over the family vineyard, I don’t think Max will want to stay around there for too long; he’s used to his freedom now. And—’
‘Actually you are very wrong about that,’ Carrie cut across her firmly. This conversation had gone quite far enough. And if she were to play her part as Max’s ‘fiancée’ she needed to put a halt to Estelle’s ramblings.
‘What do you mean?’ Estelle looked at her blankly.
‘I mean that Max and I are more than just getting on well together. And I think he is more than ready to settle down at the vineyard.’
‘You mean Max is serious…about you?’ There was disbelief, even a hint of scorn in the question as the woman’s eyes raked over her with brazen contempt.
The unguarded moment of animosity made Carrie realise she had been right to be wary of this woman. Luckily she was saved from having to say anything further because Ambrosio interrupted them. ‘I’m having to rush back to my kitchen, Carrie; it was nice meeting you.’
‘And you.’ Carrie got to her feet, glad to be getting away from Estelle. How did such a nice man get such an unpleasant wife? she wondered.
‘Everything okay?’ Max asked her as they stepped outside the restaurant.
‘Yes. It was a lovely meal, thank you.’ She was quiet as they walked back through the busy streets.
Snippets of Estelle’s words played through her mind. ‘He’s a bit of a heartbreaker…be careful. He enjoys the thrill of the chase these days. So I’d play it cool if I were you.’
A busker was playing a romantic ballad outside one of the shops and she noticed that Max threw some coins in his hat as they passed.
‘Who is Natasha?’ she asked Max abruptly as they reached his car.
Their eyes met over the roof of the vehicle. ‘I take it Estelle has been giving full vent to her theories about my love life?’ he said dryly.
Carrie nodded. ‘I had to dive in and tell her that we were serious about each other. I had no choice—she was saying that she didn’t think you would ever settle down at the vineyard. And if the story of our engagement is to be believed I had to say something.’
Max nodded. ‘You did the right thing.’
‘Maybe…but after the shock faded from her expression I don’t think she believed me.’
‘Sounds about right.’ Max’s voice was grim. ‘Don’t worry about Estelle; she’s difficult at the best of times.’
‘I’m not worried,’ Carrie said with a shrug. And she wasn’t worried—she was annoyed. Annoyed because he still hadn’t told her who Natasha was. When they had agreed on this charade he had insisted on knowing her background and if any of her boyfriends were likely to appear on the scene. Surely he should grant her the same consideration.
They got into the car. ‘So, how about coffee at my apartment?’ Max asked her lightly.
‘No. I need to get back, Max.’ There was no prevarication in her tone. Maybe earlier she had been tempted at the thought of being alone with him for a bit longer, butshe had been firmly pulled back to her senses. They needed to be businesslike about this arrangement otherwise it could blow up in their faces.
He didn’t try to persuade her, just nodded and started the engine.
So who was Natasha? Carrie wondered again as Max pulled out into the traffic. Was she the woman that Max had once spoken about so wistfully? The girl he had been engaged to?
She remembered the dramatic way Estelle had whispered across the table at her. ‘He’s never really got over Natasha.’ Before adding casually, ‘She’s back in town.’
Maybe Estelle was right. Because if Max was over her surely he would have had no difficulty opening up and talking about her now, letting Carrie know the exact situation between them. If the woman was back in town , as Estelle had told her so dramatically, did that mean Max
‘Yes, really.’ Estelle didn’t seem one bit chastened by Carrie’s flat tone. ‘As for taking over the family vineyard, I don’t think Max will want to stay around there for too long; he’s used to his freedom now. And—’
‘Actually you are very wrong about that,’ Carrie cut across her firmly. This conversation had gone quite far enough. And if she were to play her part as Max’s ‘fiancée’ she needed to put a halt to Estelle’s ramblings.
‘What do you mean?’ Estelle looked at her blankly.
‘I mean that Max and I are more than just getting on well together. And I think he is more than ready to settle down at the vineyard.’
‘You mean Max is serious…about you?’ There was disbelief, even a hint of scorn in the question as the woman’s eyes raked over her with brazen contempt.
The unguarded moment of animosity made Carrie realise she had been right to be wary of this woman. Luckily she was saved from having to say anything further because Ambrosio interrupted them. ‘I’m having to rush back to my kitchen, Carrie; it was nice meeting you.’
‘And you.’ Carrie got to her feet, glad to be getting away from Estelle. How did such a nice man get such an unpleasant wife? she wondered.
‘Everything okay?’ Max asked her as they stepped outside the restaurant.
‘Yes. It was a lovely meal, thank you.’ She was quiet as they walked back through the busy streets.
Snippets of Estelle’s words played through her mind. ‘He’s a bit of a heartbreaker…be careful. He enjoys the thrill of the chase these days. So I’d play it cool if I were you.’
A busker was playing a romantic ballad outside one of the shops and she noticed that Max threw some coins in his hat as they passed.
‘Who is Natasha?’ she asked Max abruptly as they reached his car.
Their eyes met over the roof of the vehicle. ‘I take it Estelle has been giving full vent to her theories about my love life?’ he said dryly.
Carrie nodded. ‘I had to dive in and tell her that we were serious about each other. I had no choice—she was saying that she didn’t think you would ever settle down at the vineyard. And if the story of our engagement is to be believed I had to say something.’
Max nodded. ‘You did the right thing.’
‘Maybe…but after the shock faded from her expression I don’t think she believed me.’
‘Sounds about right.’ Max’s voice was grim. ‘Don’t worry about Estelle; she’s difficult at the best of times.’
‘I’m not worried,’ Carrie said with a shrug. And she wasn’t worried—she was annoyed. Annoyed because he still hadn’t told her who Natasha was. When they had agreed on this charade he had insisted on knowing her background and if any of her boyfriends were likely to appear on the scene. Surely he should grant her the same consideration.
They got into the car. ‘So, how about coffee at my apartment?’ Max asked her lightly.
‘No. I need to get back, Max.’ There was no prevarication in her tone. Maybe earlier she had been tempted at the thought of being alone with him for a bit longer, butshe had been firmly pulled back to her senses. They needed to be businesslike about this arrangement otherwise it could blow up in their faces.
He didn’t try to persuade her, just nodded and started the engine.
So who was Natasha? Carrie wondered again as Max pulled out into the traffic. Was she the woman that Max had once spoken about so wistfully? The girl he had been engaged to?
She remembered the dramatic way Estelle had whispered across the table at her. ‘He’s never really got over Natasha.’ Before adding casually, ‘She’s back in town.’
Maybe Estelle was right. Because if Max was over her surely he would have had no difficulty opening up and talking about her now, letting Carrie know the exact situation between them. If the woman was back in town , as Estelle had told her so dramatically, did that mean Max
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