Remembering his colleagues in the next room, he turned to leave, but paused at the door to remind her to bring cream and milk when she served refreshments, and also decaf coffee for Margaret. ‘A plate of biscuits on the side for those who don’t like cake would be nice,’ he added. ‘Oh, and maybe a cheese sandwich to bridge the gap between meals. What are you serving later, by the way?’
There was a long moment of silence, and then she said, ‘There must be some mistake. The muffins aren’t for you. I can manage a packet of biscuits—’
‘I’m sorry?’
‘And I won’t be serving meals, either, as I’ll be busy later.’
‘Busy? But you’re the housekeeper.’
‘I used to be the housekeeper,’ she said. ‘As you made clear, my job here is done. It ended when your aunt died. Only the bequest in Doña Anna’s will allows me to stay on—that and my tiny pot of savings. As I promised your aunt, I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be holding one of my regular meetings with the islanders today, so I can update them with where we are with applications and so forth. The cakes are for them. I’m sorry if you thought otherwise. If you’d asked, I’d have been happy to bake a double batch, but you didn’t let me into your plans. That’s why we need to work together.’ She added, tongue in cheek, ‘Perhaps we could cut them in half?’
‘I take it that making coffee won’t be beyond you?’ he asked coolly.
‘I’ll leave everything you’ll need ready on a tray, but I do have some chores I must do while the cakes are baking. Oh, and I’ll need the dining room by four o’clock.’ Seeing his expression, she added, ‘Now you’re back, we have to cooperate on certain things. I’m sure you don’t want the islanders upset any more than I do, thinking everything’s going to change overnight. They miss your aunt too. We owe it to them to keep things as smooth as possible. Cake will help,’ she finished with a smile.
She might be young, and owning anything might be new to her, but she was learning fast. She was also sending him a message. This was not the young girl the lawyer had described to him, or the uncertain girl he had first met on the beach. This was a woman who was slowly becoming aware of the power she had been given, and who wasn’t afraid to use it. He would have to rethink his plans where Rosie Clifton was concerned.
* * *
She had no complaints where Don Xavier was concerned. At least, not today. He and his team behaved perfectly, vacating the dining room at three-thirty prompt. They were to continue their discussions during a walking tour of the island, apparently. One of his team had even offered to stay behind to help Rosie in the kitchen.
‘It won’t take me long, honestly,’ she told the kindly older woman called Margaret, who was a bit like a city version of Doña Anna, that was, a bit more put together, but with the same shrewd, wise air. ‘I know you have to get away.’
Margaret wouldn’t take no for an answer and picked up a clean linen cloth to dry the dishes. ‘Don Xavier is an impatient man. I take it you’ve noticed?’
‘I have,’ Rosie confirmed as they shared a smile.
There was something in Margaret’s eyes that said she was very fond of Xavier, and that any criticism she made was made with the warmth of a friend who knew him well. ‘There’ll be some changes here,’ she said, glancing keenly at Rosie. ‘You are prepared for that?’
‘If I agree with them, yes.’
‘You wouldn’t want to see this place falling down, I imagine?’ Margaret looked at her.
‘Of course not, but I wouldn’t like to see it bulldozed, either.’
They cleared the kitchen together in silence for a while, then, folding her cloth, Margaret said, ‘I know things seem black now, but remember you’re still grieving. Both of you are. It should be possible to bend a little in time.’
‘Really?’ Rosie raised an amused brow. ‘You see Xavier bending?’
‘Give him a chance.’ Margaret’s soft tone held Rosie’s attention. ‘More importantly,’ she said, ‘give yourself a chance, Rosie.’
The rest of the afternoon was taken up with Rosie’s meeting with the islanders, so she didn’t have the time to think much about what Margaret had said. Her meetings were happy events, casual, but purposeful. Everyone brought something to eat in the break, and there was quite a feast laid out on the dining-room table. Don Xavier’s team had left on the launch, so she thought it the ideal opportunity to ask him to join them. The islanders remembered him well, and she thought they’d be pleased to see him.
She was surprised by just how pleased. And this wasn’t the aloof and arrogant man who had emerged from the surf like an invader come to claim his territory, but the man she had played with on the beach, a warm and engaging man amongst his friends. She doubted there’d be much time left for more formal discussion while so many reunions were under way, but that was okay. This was all she could have asked for.
Everything was going swimmingly until one of the elders of the village asked outright about changes that might be coming to the island.
‘You have nothing to worry about,’ Xavier told him before Rosie had chance to speak. ‘My project will bring more jobs. Nothing will change for you. It will only get better.’
‘That’s not very specific,’ Rosie tried to point out, but everyone was too busy smiling at Xavier and patting him on the back, telling him they knew he’d come back, and that he would never let them down.
He turned to look at her eventually, but it was the briefest glance. ‘And you will have the reassurance of knowing that Señorita Clifton is here amongst you. You already know she has your best interests at heart.’
So everything was decided without a single word from her. But at least he’d accepted her staying on, Rosie reasoned, so she’d hold back on confronting him right away. ‘You still haven’t told us about your plans,’ she reminded him. ‘Wouldn’t this be a good time to share?’
‘When the architect’s scheme is finished, everyone here will be the first to see it,’ he assured the room with a charming smile and an expansive gesture.
That went down well, but Rosie wasn’t reassured. ‘By that time whatever you decide to build on the island will be a fait accompli,’ she pointed out.