Читать книгу Christmas Weddings - Georgia Hill - Страница 8

‘So you stayed at Dora’s villa? What was that like?’

‘Oh, Tes, it was amazing. In the hills just outside Siena, swimming pool and everything. The most wonderful views across the olive orchards. I had the use of a tiny Fiat and there was a family-run trattoria nearby that did the most gorgeous food. I’ve come back with a notebook stuffed full of recipes. You’ll have to try the lemon polenta cake, it’s heaven on a plate.’

‘Can’t wait. No equally heavenly men?’

‘Well, there was Savio. He took me out and about a few times.’ Millie got out her phone and flicked through some pictures. ‘Here he is.’

Tessa’s eyes widened. ‘Well, he’s a spunk on a stick, isn’t he?’

Millie took the phone back. ‘Not bad,’ she said airily. ‘Very charming and quite wealthy too.’ She caught Tessa’s look and giggled. ‘Purely platonic, Tes, at least on my part.’

‘Whatevs, bab. And you left all that and came back to Berecombe?’ Tessa pulled a disbelieving face.

Millie hugged Trevor. ‘Well, I had one or two things to come back for.’

‘Fair enough. So why did you go onto Thailand?’

‘Eleri got in touch with me.’

‘Elle-Lairi,’ said Tessa, pronouncing it with difficulty. ‘Who’s she, when she’s at home?’

‘Maybe you don’t know her? Old Davey’s granddaughter? She hasn’t been to see him since she was a kid. She’s changed a lot since then. She’d heard from Davey that I was doing a bit of travelling and said she was on this fantastic island in Thailand. Koh Phangan. Would I like to go over and join her?’ Millie put Trevor down as he was wriggling and obviously wanted a drink. She watched as he slurped noisily from his bowl. ‘I’ve always wanted to go to Thailand.’ She made a face. ‘To be honest, Savio was getting a bit keen so I needed an escape. It was cooling down, too, so I thought I might as well head for some sun.’

‘Yeah well,’ Tessa put in drily. ‘That’s the problem with gorgeous Italian millionaires. You just have to get away from them.’

‘He wasn’t a millionaire, Tes.’ She reconsidered. ‘Actually, he might have been, he did have a Maserati.’

‘Oh well, in that case, you did the right thing, bab. Run. Run away as fast as you can.’ Trevor put a nose on Tessa’s knee, soaking her jeans with his wet whiskers. She pulled a face at him. ‘Your Millie needs her head examined, Trev, my boy. So what did you do in Thailand once you’d got away from this Maserati-driving monster of an Italian hunk?’

‘Had a good time. Sunbathed, swam in the sea, helped out in the bar that Ri, that’s what Eleri likes to be called, was working in. I played with the baby monkey that the bar owners had as a pet, went to some pretty wild beach parties. It was cool.’

Tessa stared at her friend. ‘It’s done you good too. You’ve changed, Mil. The suntan suits you.’

‘I’ve got some incredible Thai recipes.’

‘Not changed that much, then.’

Millie laughed and finished her tea. ‘Maybe not. And I don’t think I’ll try out the chicken-feet stew on Arthur and Biddy.’

‘Has it got something out of your system?’ Tessa asked curiously.

‘Ah Tes, that I’m not too sure about.’ Millie traced a finger over the pattern on her mug. ‘Now I’ve seen what the world outside Berecombe can offer,’ she added. ‘I’d quite like to see some more.’

‘What’s the plan now, then?’

Millie broke off another bit of biscuit and crunched thoughtfully. ‘I suppose the first call has to be to Jed,’ she answered eventually.

‘And what you going to say to him, kiddo?’

‘Ah. That’s the problem, Tes. I have absolutely no idea.’