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“Well, shall we go in?” he said, offering her his arm. She hesitated for a moment before taking it. It was clearly the type of thing you did in a place like this.

Feeling more than just a light fluttering of nerves, they walked together up the stairs, past a bar with a view out over the water.

“Wow, this is stunning,” she said.

“I know, gorgeous, isn’t it? Now, my friend Magdalen got us the table, but she had to squeeze us in, so it’ll just be the two of us, out here by the piano. You don’t mind that, do you?”

“No, of course not.”

“Oh look, speak of the devil. There she is.” Dropping her arm, Kent walked over to an elegant woman dressed in black trousers and a matching top. The way she was adorned, she was theepitome of elegance; several diamond necklaces glinted around her neck, along with a tennis bracelet that hung effortlessly on her wrist.

“Thank you so much,” Kent said, as he greeted Magdalen almost identically to the way he had greeted Gemma, with two lingering kisses on the cheek.

“Don’t be silly. You know I would do anything for you.”

As they grinned at each other broadly, Gemma felt an unexpected jarring of jealousy. Immediately, she admonished herself forthe sensation. She just didn’t want to be left on her own. That was it. It wasn’t unusual. It was annoyance, that was all. But before it could settle, Kent was speaking again.

“Gemma, this is Magdalen. She and I go a long way back. She’s the one who got us a table.”

“Thank you so much. The space is absolutely beautiful,” Gemma said.

“You’re most welcome. Tell me, what can I get you guys to drink? Are you going to do the tasting menu for the evening, or do you want a bottle of something else?”

“Oh, I’m driving,” Gemma said. “So, just soft drinks for me.”

“Me too,” Kent added.

Magdalen pouted. “Don’t be silly. You need to try the wines with the dishes. Otherwise, you only get half the experience. You know that, Kent.”

The way she spoke made it sound like they’d really be missing out if at least one of them didn’t try the full menu, and as Kent was the food expert, Gemma reasoned it should be him.

“You do the wine tasting, and I can drive you home afterwards,” she suggested, trying to forget how much she’d hated the drive there and how much worse it would probably be with a passenger.

“No, that’s not fair at all,” Kent replied.

“You know, the yacht club has rooms here?” Magdalen interrupted. “I’m sure I can clear that. Then you can both get the full experience.”

Kent looked at Gemma, clearly leaving the decision to her. She’d driven so she could escape early if needed, but now that she was there, she couldn’t help but think how nice it would be to sip on a cold glass of something.

“I don’t mind, as long as you’re sure about the rooms?” she said to Magdalen.

“Oh, absolutely, yes! So the full wine-tasting menu, then?”

Gemma thought about the question for a moment, looking at Kent.

“Actually,” she said, “I’m not a great fan of reds. You don’t mind, do you?”

“Of course not. I want you to have an evening you’ll enjoy. That won’t be a problem, will it Magdalen?”

“Of course not. I shall see to it and the room now. And how about I get you both a glass of bubbly to start?” she suggested. “On the house, of course.”

CHAPTER 50

Rather than two glasses, a bottle of bubbly appeared at the table only a minute or two later.

“Typical Magdalen,” Kent said as he filled their glasses. “Honestly, she’s the most generous person I’ve ever known. She doesn’t have a bad bone in her body.”

“This is very lovely of her,” Gemma said before she took a sip of the drink. A question burned on her tongue. One she wasn’t sure if she should ask. After all, it wasn’t any of her business. Yet before she could talk herself out of it, the words were tumbling from her lips. “So, you and Magdalen, are you… Did you and her?” She didn’t even manage a full sentence, though it was clear Kent understood what she was trying to say.