At Dante's Service

‘So this is the Rebekah Evans I have heard so much about.’

‘Have you?’ she said blankly.

‘Certainly. I believe you prepared the wedding lunch for Earl Lansford’s daughter?’

‘Yes.’ Rebekah remembered cooking the four-course lunch for three hundred guests at the Earl’s manor house in Hampstead when she had worked for the catering company. It had been manic in the kitchen but, to her relief, everything had gone to plan and she had been proud of the menu she had created.

‘Dante!’

At the sound of his name Dante looked round and waved to someone across the room. ‘I’ll leave you and Gaspard to chat,’ he murmured to Rebekah. ‘Please excuse me.’

She watched him walk over to a statuesque blonde and stifled a sigh, before resuming her conversation with Gaspard Clavier.

‘I was a guest at the wedding,’ Gaspard told her. ‘The food was a triumph. Every dish was divine. You can really cook, ma chérie, and that is not something I say lightly. You understand flavours, and your passion for food is evident in the dishes you create.’

Rebekah’s cheeks flooded with colour at the Frenchman’s fulsome praise. Earning Gaspard Clavier’s approval was the highest accolade she could have dreamed of.

‘Thank you,’ she said shyly.

‘You have heard, perhaps, of my restaurant, La Petite Maison, in Knightsbridge?’

‘Oh, yes, I visited it once when I first began my training and I was inspired by your food, Monsieur Clavier. It confirmed for me that I definitely wanted a career as a chef.’

‘After tasting your wonderful food at Olivia Lansford’s wedding, I decided that I would like you to work for me.’

For a few seconds Rebekah was speechless. ‘Cook at your restaurant, you mean?’

‘Oui. Not at La Petite Maison, but at my new restaurant that I hope to open soon in St Lucia.’

Once again Rebekah was lost for words. ‘St Lucia is in the Caribbean,’ she said slowly, and then blushed when she realised she had spoken out loud.

Gaspard looked amused. ‘It is indeed. My restaurant is on the beach. Imagine miles of white sand, turquoise sea and palm trees. How would you like to work in paradise, Rebekah?’

‘I don’t know … I mean, it sounds wonderful.’ She pressed her hands to her hot face. ‘It’s just a shock. And I already have a job here in England.’

The Frenchman shrugged as he pulled a business card from his pocket. ‘The new restaurant will not be ready to open for a few months, so you do not need to make an immediate decision. Think about it and, if you are interested, phone me and we will discuss it further.’

‘Yes … yes, I will.’

‘Bon.’ Gaspard smiled. ‘And now perhaps I can persuade you to dance with me?’

Later, Dante fought his way through the crowd on his way to the bar, wondering where Rebekah had disappeared to. He had glimpsed her periodically during the evening, dancing with Gaspard Clavier and then with a couple of other men. Now, as he scanned the ballroom, he caught sight of her partnering a handsome young actor from one of the popular TV soaps. The guy was a notorious womaniser and, from the way he was laughing and flirting with Rebekah, it seemed that he had decided to make her his next conquest.

But perhaps Rebekah had decided to seduce the pretty-boy actor? Dante’s mouth tightened. He had been concerned at the beginning of the party that she might feel shy when she did not know any of the other guests. But he need not have worried. It was not only her appearance that was transformed tonight. His quiet, reserved chef had turned into a confident and self-assured woman who was attracting the attention of every red-blooded male in the room.

He must have been mad to have brought her out in that dress, he thought grimly, as he changed course and headed towards the dance floor. He should have followed his first instinct and taken her to bed.

Rebekah was having the time of her life. Gaspard Clavier’s praise of her cooking skills had given her self-confidence a huge boost, and she was seriously considering his job offer. If she moved to the Caribbean, surely she would forget about Dante.

Although he had not been impressed with her dress, she had discovered that plenty of other men were and she’d had no shortage of dance partners. Mind you, her current partner was like an octopus, she thought, as she firmly moved the hand that was sliding up to her breasts back to her waist.