Page 41 of Hot Greek Summer

‘Oh,’ Frankie faltered, and Stella simmered. ‘Well, there’s fresh juice.’ Frankie set a glass down. ‘And I don’t know if you’re hungry, but I baked these just this morning, and the jam is fresh greengage from our garden.’

She lifted out the basket of pastries and laid the small pot of jam beside them with butter and a silver knife.

Angelo looked at them once, and then put them back on Frankie’s tray. ‘Just coffee is fine.’

‘I can make you something different if you’d prefer? Bacon, or some eggs perhaps?’

He closed his eyes and pinched the brow of his nose. ‘Please. Just coffee.’

Stella hated the downcast look on her friend’s face as she gathered the things back onto the tray and took everything back inside except the coffee.

‘I’ll leave you to your paper,’ she said, stepping away to follow Frankie. She made it as far as the door before her annoyance got the better of her, carrying her back to his table.

Clearing her throat when he didn’t look up, she said, ‘The bed may not be world-class standard, Mr Vitalis, but that breakfast would have been. Frankie has been diligently testing out recipes and she’s a fabulous cook. You could have been kinder.’

He slid his glasses far enough down his nose to look over them.

‘I’ve stayed in many fine hotels, and no one has ever questioned my breakfast choice before.’

‘This isn’t a fine hotel. It’s a bed and breakfast on a sleepy backwater island, and so far this morning you’ve insulted our beds and rejected our breakfast. Corporate mattresses and ice-cold air-con might be in short supply here, but common courtesy certainly isn’t.’

‘You’re doing a fine job of proving yourself wrong with your rudeness.’

‘Really? I don’t think so,’ she said, thoroughly annoyed. ‘Enjoy the view with your coffee, Mr Vitalis. It’s one thing you certainly can’t criticise us on.’

‘Man, he’s something else!’

Stella stomped into the kitchen, all guns blazing. ‘I’ve a good mind to call Corinna and tell her to come and get him. I don’t give a stuff if he’s a paying customer, I’d rather have an empty B&B than have him stalking around like a sodding thundercloud. Spike his coffee in the morning, Frank.’

‘I think you’ll find that’s illegal,’ Winnie said, tearing apart one of the cinnamon pastries Frankie had made that morning. ‘Bloody hell, Frank, this is amazing. He doesn’t know what he’s missing.’

‘He seems over-stressed to me,’ Frankie said, storing the rest of the pastries away. ‘I wonder if he’d like some chamomile tea or something?’

Stella stared at her. ‘Being stressed isn’t an excuse to be rude,’ she said. ‘And he was rude.’

‘Don’t let him wind you up, Stell,’ Frankie said. ‘He might chill out yet. How can you spend time on an island as peaceful as this without relaxing?’

‘I don’t get why he wanted to come here at all,’ Winnie said. ‘It seems like an inconvenience to him.’

‘Can I suggest you ladies keep your voices down if you’re going to be indiscreet about your paying guests?’

They all turned guiltily to see Angelo standing in the doorway with his empty coffee cup and cafetière in his hand.

‘I brought this inside to save you the trip.’

‘Thank you.’ A flush crept up Frankie’s neck. ‘I’m sorry if you thought we were talking about you just now.’

‘You were.’

She looked at the floor like a scolded child. ‘I’m sorry.’

‘I’m not,’ Stella said. ‘I’m afraid the kitchen is private, as is whatever is said in it, Mr Vitalis. There’s a bell at reception. In future please ring it if you need anything and someone will always come to help.’

He pushed his good hand through his black hair and looked as if he wanted to give Stella the sharp end of his tongue, but she held his gaze head on and he seemed to decide better of it and stalked out.

‘Well,’ Stella said, when the other two looked at her. ‘He needs to learn some manners.’

Her mouth dropped open, because someone, presumably Angelo, had rung the bell. In fact he must have held his hand pressed down on it, because it was more like an ongoing fire alarm than a polite ding.

---