The Guest List by Melissa Hill Page B

clues. She wondered if he had perhaps seen someone he knew but didn’t want to meet, and that was what had set off the nervous behaviour.
    ‘Really Cara, I’m fine, I’m just . . . I’m just hungry. I didn’t get lunch today. Speaking of which, did you end up cancelling with Kim earlier? You mentioned this morning that you might.’
    Her thoughts temporarily distracted, she shook her head. ‘Actually, I did see her. I completely forgot that I was planning to cancel and she showed up at the office so we ended up going out anyway.’ She smiled. ‘I’m glad – it turns out she had some news.’
    ‘Really? Tell me all.’
    ‘Clancy baby number three is on the way. I’m the first in the family to know.’
    Shane smiled and he looked like himself again. ‘Well that’s fantastic,’ he said happily. ‘I bet is Ben is over the moon.’
    Cara nodded her head. ‘They both are. I feel really chuffed that she told me first though. She really is like a sister to me.’
    A waitress appeared to take their drinks. ‘What can I get you?’
    Shane picked up the wine list and pointed to his selection. ‘Let’s have a bottle of the Veuve Clicquot.’
    She smiled. ‘Good choice. I’ll be right back.’
    Cara looked at him, somewhat shocked at the champagne order but at the same time relieved. He couldn’t be planning to break up with her if he was ordering champagne. Unless he was so desperate to be rid of her, he wanted to celebrate when it was over . . . ‘What’s with the champagne?’ she asked suspiciously.
    ‘Ah why not? We’re a long time dead after all.’
    Cara didn’t understand. A second ago, Shane had looked like he couldn’t wait to get out of here, now it seemed he was settling in for the night.
    The waitress returned with an ice bucket, flutes and the bottle of champagne. She opened it and poured both Cara and Shane a glass. When she was finished, she looked at Shane. ‘Would you like to order food now?’
    Cara started to speak up but Shane shook his head. ‘Let’s have a glass of this first, and give us a few more moments.’
    ‘Not a problem,’ the waitress said, taking her leave.
    So much for being hungry . . .
Now Cara was thoroughly confused. ‘So, seriously, what’s the special occasion?’ she inquired, holding up her glass of champagne and glancing at the bottle.
    Across the table, Shane cleared his throat. He hadn’t yet picked up his glass and he looked to be holding on to – no, clutching – the edge of the table. He pressed his lips together and seemed to be considering his next words.
    Finally, he spoke. ‘It’s just, I . . .’ Suddenly his words were cut off by a sharp cry from the other side of the restaurant, and their attention was immediately directed to where the sound came from. Across the room, a woman was crying what appeared to be happy tears as her dining companion, down on one knee at the side of the table, seemed to be sliding a diamond ring onto her left hand.
    ‘Aww,’ Cara said, smiling. She started to clap with the rest of the diners as the woman stood up and encircled her fiancé in her arms, covering his face with kisses. ‘That’s so sweet.’ She turned her attention back to Shane. His pallor had changed to an even more ghostly shade, and the confident, calm smile that had graced his face earlier was gone. In truth, he looked like someone who was about to be sick at any moment.
    Oh God
, Cara thought, panicking.
He really is afraid of marriage.
    ‘Shane, are you all right?’ she asked, all her fears from before suddenly returning. Regardless of what he’d said earlier about having no issues with marriage, no man should react that badly to someone else’s engagement.
    ‘Sorry, I just lost my train of thought there.’ He shook his head as if hoping to shake off the memory of what had just taken place across the dining room.
    ‘Talk about a cliché, huh?’ Cara joked, indicating the couple and hoping to once again lighten the mood.
    But Shane now