Undertaking Love Page 0,41

to mention them to Marla, and then where would she be? She’d just have to tough it out, because, well, love was just like that sometimes.

Outside the window, the owner of a small open-top sports car revved his engine as he made a meal of parking. She recognised the driver and huffed again. Great. Another man hanging onto Marla’s irresistible coat tails. Melanie had originally been thrilled the feckless guy from the newspaper had arrived on the scene. Surely he would stamp on any buds of friendship between Marla and Gabe? She was doing everything she could at this end to subtly nurture the ‘us and them’ mentality between the funeral parlour and the chapel, but Rupert had so far proved himself too much of a fop to be much use as an accomplice.

She watched him unfurl his gangly limbs out of the car with a sour taste in her mouth. The man oozed wealth and self-satisfaction in his Ray-Bans and white Ralph Lauren jeans.

A zing of irritation flashed through her as he reached down into the back of the car and emerged with a bunch of flowers. Marla bloody Jacobs should just be done with it and erect a sign outside the chapel telling lovesick gift-givers to form an orderly queue. And then the brilliant idea struck her.

Quick as a flash, she hopped around the desk and flung the front door open just as Rupert rounded the bonnet of his car.

‘Excuse me!’

She called out, and added a loud cough for extra security. She didn’t want to risk him not hearing her now that she’d spotted her big chance.

Oh good, he was turning around. Melanie felt the heat flood her cheeks.

‘Could I, err, have a word please?’

Rupert slid his glasses down his nose and glanced over his shoulder as if he expected her to be talking to someone behind him. Finding no one, he shrugged and sauntered back across the road.

Melanie faltered. Close up he really was a rather attractive man, in a clean cut and useless sort of way.

‘I have something … a parcel. It’s to be delivered to the chapel.’

‘Have you mistaken me for the postman?’

His smug smile did nothing to lessen the pompousness of his joke, but Melanie decided to play along with a nervous laugh.

‘Hang on there a sec please …’ She ducked back inside the funeral parlour, and emerged again a few seconds later, dumping the big box awkwardly into Rupert’s arms.

He stared at it with a furrowed brow. He’d obviously been expecting something redirected from the regular mail, not a brightly covered gift box. He looked at Melanie blankly.

‘It’s fireworks. From Gabe.’

His jaw tightened, giving away his annoyance.

‘Fireworks? What the hell for?’

‘It’s July fourth. Americans have fireworks. Independence Day, and all that.’

A look of pure hatred turned Rupert’s handsome face momentarily ugly. Melanie took the limp flowers dangling from his fingertips and laid them on top of the gift box as an idea formed in her head.

‘The card has fallen off. It’s on my desk. I could get it, if you think … ‘

Melanie held her breath as she waited for him to connect the dots, and breathed out as the light of understanding clicked on.

‘Should I get it, do you think?’ She tipped her head to the side and regarded Rupert with round, innocent eyes.

‘No, no need for that. I’ll see that Marla gets them.’

Melanie nodded and rewarded Rupert with a small smile for taking the bait.

‘’Kay then. Thanks.’

She watched him swagger away towards the chapel, struggling to get his sunnies back in place before he opened the door.

Melanie brushed her clammy hands down her skirt as she went back inside. Rupert had just gone up a notch in her estimation. Perhaps now he would be the ally she’d hoped he would be. She slumped into her chair, exhausted. All this duplicity was turning out to be hard work, but also strangely enjoyable. Hell, she might even let herself eat the Mars bar later she’d been saving up for a special occasion for the last three months.

‘Rupert, that is so thoughtful!’ Marla flung her arms around Rupert’s neck and hugged him tight. His gift touched her deeply. She hadn’t expected him to even realise the significance of the date, let alone go out of his way to find fireworks in the middle of summer.

‘Will you help me with them tonight?’

She pulled the lid off the box as she spoke and laughed with delight at the sight of the multi-coloured rockets.

‘We’ll have to do