Up Close and Personal Read Online Free PDF

thought I might as well get it out of the way.’
    ‘So they know you’ve got married again?’
    Juliet nodded. ‘I called Eleanor from Aspen a couple of days after the wedding to break the news. It seemed the right thing to do.’
    ‘How did she react?’
    ‘She wasn’t exactly thrilled, put it that way,’ Juliet said with a sigh. ‘No doubt she thinks I’m desecrating Gus’s memory by getting married again so soon, but it’s my life, not hers.’ She reached out and rested a hand on each woman’s arm. ‘It would be great to have you two there on Saturday for moral support – and Connor too, of course. The Ingrams are terrible snobs … I have a feeling they’re not going to approve of Dante.’
    ‘We wouldn’t miss it for the world,’ said Yasmin, leaning to one side as the waiter deposited a trio of cappuccinos on the table.
    ‘And if the in-laws give Dante a hard time, we’ll spring to his defence,’ said Nicole, reaching for the sugar bowl. ‘How’s he settling in to life at Ashwicke? It must be very different to Aspen.’
    ‘I think he finds it all a bit overwhelming, to be honest,’ Juliet replied. ‘And I don’t blame him; I felt the same way when Gus brought me back to Ashwicke for the first time.’
    ‘I’m sure he’ll soon settle in,’ said Nicole. ‘And it sounds as if he’s going to be a great help running the hotel. How are things going on that front? Did the staff cope okay while you were away?’
    Juliet shrugged. ‘So-so. Nathan seems to have kept everybody on a tight rein, but our occupancy rates are still low. We’ve only got a couple of guests staying at the moment – two piddling guests, can you believe it?’ She raised her coffee cup to her lips. ‘I’m going to make that business succeed if it’s the last thing I do. I’ve decided to try targeting the American market. Loxwood’s full of tourists in summer and Dante reckons they’d really appreciate Ashwicke’solde worlde charm. I’ve already written to a couple of the big American guides in a bid to get us listed.’
    ‘That sounds like a great idea,’ Yasmin said. ‘I can speak to the Post ’s travel editor if you like. He’s planning a “historic hideaways” special in a couple of months’ time. I’m sure I can persuade him to include Ashwicke.’
    Juliet smiled gratefully. ‘That sounds wonderful. Right now we need all the publicity we can get, because if things get much worse I might have to start thinking about selling some of the furniture.’
    Nicole gasped. ‘I didn’t think things were that bad.’
    ‘The place is haemorrhaging money,’ Juliet said glumly. ‘The heating bill alone would pay off a Third World debt.’ She shifted awkwardly in her seat. ‘If only Gus hadn’t been quite so reckless with his investments, I wouldn’t be in this position now.’
    ‘He left you a bit of money, though, didn’t he?’ Yasmin asked.
    ‘Yes, but it’s all gone now. Most of his wealth was tied up in the house and even that’s turned out to be a bit of a white elephant.’ She noticed Yasmin looking at her watch. ‘You don’t have to get off already, do you?’
    ‘’Fraid so,’ Yasmin said. ‘Jumped-up soap stars generally don’t like to be kept waiting.’
    ‘In that case I’ll get the bill.’ Juliet turned and gestured to Pascal, who was skulking behind the coffee machine. The Frenchman winked in acknowledgement.
    Juliet turned back to her friends. ‘I think I’ve pulled,’ she whispered. ‘That waiter just winked at me.’
    ‘He better not have,’ Yasmin said, reaching for her handbag. ‘He’scoming round to my house on Thursday to improve his linguistic skills.’ She ran her tongue slowly round her lips. ‘I’ve heard that Frenchmen are very good with their tongues.’
    Juliet burst out laughing. ‘I see nothing much has changed since I’ve been away. I take it you’re still single, then.’
    ‘You’re seeing that journalist down in London, aren’t you?’