they amused themselves. She wondered whether Greta had learned her lesson yet, and whether it had been a painful one for her. Yet perhaps she simply regarded it as part of the price she had paid for Ewan. Because she wanted him, and always had.
Nicola had seen the hungry way in which the rather blank blue eyes had fastened on him from the first. She had even laughed about it with Ewan, secure in the knowledge that it was herself he wanted to be alone with, to hold in his arms. The possibility that that was all he might want had never entered her head, although it should have done, because she had recognised from the first that he was ambitious, and had even applauded it.
Well, at least Teresita was going to spared that kind of misery, Nicola thought. She had Cliff, and they loved each other, and although nothing was certain in this uncertain world, they had the chance to be happy together. Teresita wouldn't have to spend her life dutifully bearing children and being moved from one expensive prison to another.
She shivered convulsively, pressing her clenched fist against her mouth.
Was this the fate she had brought upon herself when she had unthinkingly embarked on her masquerade?
She reached for her hairbrush and pushing back the stool went towards the window. She unfastened the shutter and stepped out on to a balcony running, she saw, the whole length of the first floor. The heat of the sun was like a blow, and she closed her eyes against its fierceness, moving her shoulders in sensuous pleasure as she pulled the brush through her hair, lifting the soft strands to dry them.
She heard a sound below her and looking down saw that Ramon was standing in the courtyard beneath, his expression a mixture of admiration and embarrassment.
'I did not mean to disturb you,' he said. 'I was on my way to the stables.' He gestured towards a gated archway in the corner of the courtyard.
'You're not disturbing me at all,' she said lightly. 'I've been washing my hair.'
'As I can see. It's very beautiful.' He smiled at her, and Nicola found herself warming to him. He had an attraction all his own, she thought. He was shorter than Luis, and swarthier, and his features were less aquiline, but he possessed an open friendly charm, and Nicola knew that a journey of several days in a car with him would have been pleasant without posing any problems at all.
As if reading her thoughts, he said ruefully 'Luis has the luck of the devil himself.'
She felt herself flushing. 'Then you know—everything?'
He spread his hands, shrugging. 'Luis telephoned me from the first stop he made. He wished me to check on Teresita on his behalf. He could hardly do so without telling me what had happened, although ...' He stopped suddenly.
'Although you never expected that he would bring me here,' Nicola supplied drily.
It was his turn to flush. 'Well—perhaps not. But I am delighted, I assure you. It is time he was married. He has been lonely, I think.'
Nicola lifted her eyebrows. 'That's not the word I would have chosen.'
'Señorita Tarrant!' He looked more flustered than ever. 'He is only a man after all, not a saint. And besides
'Besides, I shouldn't know such things,' she finished for him, making herself smile. 'And please call me Nicola.'
He smiled too, delighted and plainly relieved at the shift in the conversation. 'I shall be pleased to do so. I hope we can be friends.'
'I hope so too.' She looked around. 'This courtyard is charming.'
There was a well in the centre, with a stone seat around it, and above it a parched-looking tree providing shade. Nicola wondered whether the well held water, but looking at the brazen sky she was inclined to think it was purely decorative.
'I am glad you like it,' said Ramon. 'It is cool here in the evenings, which makes it a pleasant place to sit. And when there are parties, the servants hang lanterns in the tree, and around the gallery.'
'Are there many such parties?'
'Not for some time, but all that will
Nicola had seen the hungry way in which the rather blank blue eyes had fastened on him from the first. She had even laughed about it with Ewan, secure in the knowledge that it was herself he wanted to be alone with, to hold in his arms. The possibility that that was all he might want had never entered her head, although it should have done, because she had recognised from the first that he was ambitious, and had even applauded it.
Well, at least Teresita was going to spared that kind of misery, Nicola thought. She had Cliff, and they loved each other, and although nothing was certain in this uncertain world, they had the chance to be happy together. Teresita wouldn't have to spend her life dutifully bearing children and being moved from one expensive prison to another.
She shivered convulsively, pressing her clenched fist against her mouth.
Was this the fate she had brought upon herself when she had unthinkingly embarked on her masquerade?
She reached for her hairbrush and pushing back the stool went towards the window. She unfastened the shutter and stepped out on to a balcony running, she saw, the whole length of the first floor. The heat of the sun was like a blow, and she closed her eyes against its fierceness, moving her shoulders in sensuous pleasure as she pulled the brush through her hair, lifting the soft strands to dry them.
She heard a sound below her and looking down saw that Ramon was standing in the courtyard beneath, his expression a mixture of admiration and embarrassment.
'I did not mean to disturb you,' he said. 'I was on my way to the stables.' He gestured towards a gated archway in the corner of the courtyard.
'You're not disturbing me at all,' she said lightly. 'I've been washing my hair.'
'As I can see. It's very beautiful.' He smiled at her, and Nicola found herself warming to him. He had an attraction all his own, she thought. He was shorter than Luis, and swarthier, and his features were less aquiline, but he possessed an open friendly charm, and Nicola knew that a journey of several days in a car with him would have been pleasant without posing any problems at all.
As if reading her thoughts, he said ruefully 'Luis has the luck of the devil himself.'
She felt herself flushing. 'Then you know—everything?'
He spread his hands, shrugging. 'Luis telephoned me from the first stop he made. He wished me to check on Teresita on his behalf. He could hardly do so without telling me what had happened, although ...' He stopped suddenly.
'Although you never expected that he would bring me here,' Nicola supplied drily.
It was his turn to flush. 'Well—perhaps not. But I am delighted, I assure you. It is time he was married. He has been lonely, I think.'
Nicola lifted her eyebrows. 'That's not the word I would have chosen.'
'Señorita Tarrant!' He looked more flustered than ever. 'He is only a man after all, not a saint. And besides
'Besides, I shouldn't know such things,' she finished for him, making herself smile. 'And please call me Nicola.'
He smiled too, delighted and plainly relieved at the shift in the conversation. 'I shall be pleased to do so. I hope we can be friends.'
'I hope so too.' She looked around. 'This courtyard is charming.'
There was a well in the centre, with a stone seat around it, and above it a parched-looking tree providing shade. Nicola wondered whether the well held water, but looking at the brazen sky she was inclined to think it was purely decorative.
'I am glad you like it,' said Ramon. 'It is cool here in the evenings, which makes it a pleasant place to sit. And when there are parties, the servants hang lanterns in the tree, and around the gallery.'
'Are there many such parties?'
'Not for some time, but all that will
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