A Twist in the Tale (2011) Read Free Page B

me?”
    “Sorry,
Julie, I was miles away.”
    “You
don’t say? You were grinning like the Cheshire cat, come on spill?”
    “I
was just thinking about Rob and our mystery weekend, that’s all.”
    We
settled the bill and went our separate ways. That afternoon Julie’s words played
havoc with my mind, so much so that when knocking-off time came at five
o’clock, I’d convinced myself she was right and that Rob was about to ask me to
marry him.
    “You
all right, Sue?” Rob asked more than once in the car on the long journey up to
Scotland.
    “I’m
fine, sweetheart.” I assured him numerous times before going back to
daydreaming what it’d be like to finally be Mrs Rob Mason.
    As
the castle came into view my imagination went wild. I envisioned Rob charging
towards me on the back of a horse, a jousting knight about to ask for his fair
maidens hand in marriage.      
    “It’s
beautiful,” I whispered.
    “I
knew you’d like it. Come on, girl, grab your bag, we should just be in time for
dinner.
    “I’d
like to freshen up first, maybe take a shower?” I said hopefully.
    “No
time, it’s almost ten now. Come on, get your skates on, Sue,” he said over his
shoulder as he watched me struggle with my bag.
    We
registered at reception and rushed up the stone spiral staircase to our room.
We dumped our bags and bolted back down to the dining-room just as one of the
waitresses struck the gong for last orders.
    When
he showed us to our table, the ma î tre’d looked far from happy that our
attire didn’t sit well with our sumptuous surroundings.
    “Isn’t
this amazing?” I asked in awe at the gold and red velour themed room.
    “Yeah
great, now hurry up and decide what you’re having,” Rob snapped, his eyes
scanning the menu in front of him.
    Feeling
hurt, I picked out the chicken in white wine sauce served on a bed of rice, he
chose the macho steak with all the trimmings.
    We
ate in silence. No ring appeared.
    We
went back to our room and took to our huge canopied bed still not talking. No
ring appeared.
    “Wake
up, Sue, it’s seven o’clock,” Rob whispered in my ear the next morning.
    I
pulled the pillow over my head and begged him to let me sleep on.
    The
sound of the shower running kept me awake though. What the hell is he
playing at? I was sitting up reading a good thriller I’d started on my
kindle when he breezed into the room.
    Seeing
he was in a good mood, I pulled back the covers on his side and patted the bed.
“Fancy a cuddle?” I asked giving him a seductive look that matched my voice.
    “Haven’t
got time. Come on, girl, get a wriggle on, we’ve got an appointment at
nine-thirty.”
    “What?
Who with?”
    “It’s
a surprise.”
    I
shot out of bed and dived into the shower. An appointment, I wonder who
that’s with? Oh my God, Gretna Green is about half an hour from here. Maybe
we’re going to meet an exclusive jeweller. Or perhaps we had a meeting with the
wedding planner at the castle. I’d love to get married here.
    My
heart pounded as I dressed in my smartest suit I’d had the foresight to bring
with me.
    Rob
looked passable in a clean pair of jeans and his leather jacket. He really
didn’t have a clue about fashion. I guess I could forgive him just this once.
    “Where
are we going?” I asked excitedly, he was pulling me across the beautifully
manicured lawn. I wonder if the castle has its own quaint chapel.
    “Here
it is. What do you think? I knew it would be big but this is phenomenal!” Rob
said beaming from ear to ear.
    I
couldn’t help being taken aback as all my dreams drifted away on the summer
breeze.
    Before
me stood not the quaint little chapel I’d expected, but several large marques
and hundreds of vintage MG sports cars.
    “Come
on, Sue, we’ve got to find the Bob Moore paint specialist stand.”
    “What?
What the hell for?” I shouted in disbelief.
    “That’s
my surprise! I want you to pick the colour for the MG. They have several
shades of red