gathered around a cream convertible and a pink buggy. ‘Looks like you’ve got a welcoming committee. That’s Suze’s buggy and the coupé belongs to Finisterre. I guess young Ramirez must be expected back today, too.’
Ally turned to look at him. ‘Finisterre?’ she said, looking puzzled.
‘Yeah, Finisterre.’ Mike grinned as he brought the small aircraft to a halt. ‘That’s the name Rodrigo Ramirez gave his estate—oh, it must be over a hundred years ago now. Rodrigo, by all accounts, was a bit of a villain. Didn’t mind turning his hand to anything so long as it made money.’
Ally’s eyebrows lifted. ‘Smuggling, you mean?’
‘Among other things,’ said Mike wryly. ‘Here comes Suze. Let me get the door open.’
Taking off his headphones, he stood and climbed over the console into the rear of the plane. Releasing her safety belt, Ally did likewise, fanning herself with the empty cola can when a draught of hot air from the opening door engulfed her.
‘Ally!’ Suzanne was waiting impatiently at the bottom of the steps that Mike had lowered. ‘Oh, Ally, hurry up and get down here. I want to give you a hug.’
Ally felt the unaccustomed prick of tears as her friend enfolded her in her arms. At least Suzanne hadn’t changed, she thought gratefully. She was just as warm and exuberant as she remembered, if a little unfamiliar in her sleeveless vest and cotton shorts. And so brown, mused Ally enviously, drawing back to look at her. Even her dark hair had been striped in shades of gold and copper so that she looked both casual and sophisticated.
‘It’s so good to see you again,’ Suzanne added, before Ally could say anything. ‘It must be six years since I was last in England.’
‘Seven,’ said Ally, smiling though her tears. ‘Oh, Suzanne, I’ve missed you.’
‘Me, too,’ said Suzanne, turning to the young woman who had come to join them. ‘Julia, you remember my friend Ally, don’t you?’
‘Oh, sure.’
Julia smiled a welcome, but she was shading her eyes and watching the horizon as her mother spoke, and Suzanne pulled a face.
‘Don’t mind her,’ she said. ‘Her boyfriend’s due back from England today, too. I did tell you Julia was planning on getting married, didn’t I?’
‘Well—’
Ally started to explain that Mike Mclean had mentioned something about it, but Suzanne didn’t wait for an answer, ‘You didn’t meet him, did you? I told him to look out for you at the airport, but I suppose it was unrealistic to expect him to pick you out of the crowd.’
‘I—’ Ally shook her head. ‘No, I—I don’t think so.’ But had she? A feeling of apprehension swept over her. ‘What—what’s his name?’
‘There it is!’
Julia’s sudden cry caused everyone to look skyward and Suzanne gave her daughter’s shoulder a comforting squeeze. ‘I knew he wouldn’t be long,’ she said. And then, to Ally, ‘Julia and Carlos—that’s the Ramirezes’ younger son—have been here for over half an hour waiting for the plane. He’s been away for ten days, so, as you can imagine, Julia’s pretty eager to have him back again.’
‘Yes?’ Ally swallowed, noticing that Julia gave her mother an impatient look. ‘You didn’t tell me what his name was—’
‘I’ll give you a hand with the luggage, shall I?’ Mike, who had unloaded Ally’s bags as she and Suzanne were greeting one another, now intervened. ‘You want them in the buggy, right, Suze?’
‘Oh, there’s no need for you to do that,’ protested Ally, and Suzanne echoed her sentiments.
Summoning one of the porters who had been standing beside the convertible talking to an olive-skinned young man who Ally presumed was Julia’s future brother-in-law, she added, ‘Thanks, Mike. I really do appreciate this.’
‘And me,’ put in Ally quickly. ‘It was a lovely flight.’
‘Well, I’m sure you’ll have the chance to thank him again,’ remarked Suzanne smugly. ‘Mike’s going to come and have supper with us one evening while you’re here, aren’t you, darling?’
‘It’ll be my pleasure,’ said Mike, and, intercepting the glance he exchanged with her friend, Ally couldn’t help remembering what he’d said about Suzanne’s propensity for matchmaking. Ally hoped she wasn’t going to have to hurt anyone’s feelings in the days ahead.
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