not have spoken so openly to you and put this burden upon us both. But now it is done. We owe something of ourselves to each other. Can you say you don’t love me, Charlotte?” he whispered.
She tossed her head defiantly, determined to say the words. “I don’t…” she began, but the rest trailed off into nothingness as scalding tears brimmed in her eyes. “No, I can’t, Mateo.”
“Then it is as I thought. But we will press each other no more on that subject. Now I want you to listen to me, Charlotte.” His hand was still fondling her, draining the defiance from her soul. “I have wronged you tonight. I want you, yes. But I should never have tried to take advantage of the situation.”
“Take advantage? But I thought…” She couldn’t finish. How could she tell him that she believed he had brought her to the woods to make love to her… that she wanted him to?
“Sometimes I go a little crazy. The others call it moon madness. Perhaps we can blame my behavior on that. At any rate, I promise you it will not happen again. I have no right. I had a special reason for wanting to see you alone tonight.”
Charlotte’s hopes caught flame once more. Of course! she thought. Gypsy men lived by high standards. That was why Queen Zolande was so angry with Petronovich for kidnapping her. Now Mateo was furious with himself for trying to seduce her before they were married. Her obstinate mind refused to acknowledge that Mateo still referred to her as “Petronovich’s woman.” She didn’t choose to remember that undesirable detail.
“As I told the phuri dai, I want you, Charlotte.”
She clung to him, weak with relief and happiness.
“I want you to be my partner.”
She stared up at him, not comprehending. “Of course we’ll be partners, Mateo. In everything!”
“The horses…”
“Yes, the horses! I’ll feed them, groom them for you, exercise them, whatever you ask me to do.”
“Oh, little one,” he said, laughing, “you are not to be a water boy, a groom! I’d never expect such menial tasks of you. You’ll have a much more exalted position. Since Phaedra joined Petronovich’s act some weeks ago, I have been working alone. But I need a woman.”
Charlotte stared up at Mateo. He was serious! Everything that had happened now became clear as crystal to her. Tamara had said Mateo had big plans for her. He had asked the old queen for her approval of something that was important to the familia. He had called her “Petronovich’s woman,” even after admitting his own love for her. But he had brought her into the woods not to make love to her but to ask her to be a part of his act!
“You need a partner to work in the ring with you, Mateo?”
“Not just any partner— you !”
Her whole body was shaking uncontrollably. She had run the gamut of emotions since arriving in this place. And tonight had left her exhausted. She took a long time answering, thinking her situation through, coolly, logically. If she left the Gypsy camp, where would she go? Certainly not back to the Planters Hotel. She had no money, no friends or family. She was totally alone and destitute.
“Well, sunaki ball I would want to begin rehearsing tomorrow.”
“Why not?” she replied, throwing up her hands in resignation.
Mateo caught her in his arms again and hugged her. “Then we are a team!”
Charlotte shook her head, thinking to herself, We certainly are!
But the very thought left a bitter taste in her mouth. Never before had she loved a man. And tonight she might willingly have given her all to Mateo. Yet what good did it do for him to say he loved her if he still considered her the property of another?
Yes, she loved Mateo. Yes, she wanted Mateo. And because of that love she had almost made a terrible mistake just now. She had led with her heart instead of using her head. But as Mateo had said, it would never happen again. Charlotte Buckland would make sure of that!
“What time and where tomorrow, Mateo?”
She tossed her head defiantly, determined to say the words. “I don’t…” she began, but the rest trailed off into nothingness as scalding tears brimmed in her eyes. “No, I can’t, Mateo.”
“Then it is as I thought. But we will press each other no more on that subject. Now I want you to listen to me, Charlotte.” His hand was still fondling her, draining the defiance from her soul. “I have wronged you tonight. I want you, yes. But I should never have tried to take advantage of the situation.”
“Take advantage? But I thought…” She couldn’t finish. How could she tell him that she believed he had brought her to the woods to make love to her… that she wanted him to?
“Sometimes I go a little crazy. The others call it moon madness. Perhaps we can blame my behavior on that. At any rate, I promise you it will not happen again. I have no right. I had a special reason for wanting to see you alone tonight.”
Charlotte’s hopes caught flame once more. Of course! she thought. Gypsy men lived by high standards. That was why Queen Zolande was so angry with Petronovich for kidnapping her. Now Mateo was furious with himself for trying to seduce her before they were married. Her obstinate mind refused to acknowledge that Mateo still referred to her as “Petronovich’s woman.” She didn’t choose to remember that undesirable detail.
“As I told the phuri dai, I want you, Charlotte.”
She clung to him, weak with relief and happiness.
“I want you to be my partner.”
She stared up at him, not comprehending. “Of course we’ll be partners, Mateo. In everything!”
“The horses…”
“Yes, the horses! I’ll feed them, groom them for you, exercise them, whatever you ask me to do.”
“Oh, little one,” he said, laughing, “you are not to be a water boy, a groom! I’d never expect such menial tasks of you. You’ll have a much more exalted position. Since Phaedra joined Petronovich’s act some weeks ago, I have been working alone. But I need a woman.”
Charlotte stared up at Mateo. He was serious! Everything that had happened now became clear as crystal to her. Tamara had said Mateo had big plans for her. He had asked the old queen for her approval of something that was important to the familia. He had called her “Petronovich’s woman,” even after admitting his own love for her. But he had brought her into the woods not to make love to her but to ask her to be a part of his act!
“You need a partner to work in the ring with you, Mateo?”
“Not just any partner— you !”
Her whole body was shaking uncontrollably. She had run the gamut of emotions since arriving in this place. And tonight had left her exhausted. She took a long time answering, thinking her situation through, coolly, logically. If she left the Gypsy camp, where would she go? Certainly not back to the Planters Hotel. She had no money, no friends or family. She was totally alone and destitute.
“Well, sunaki ball I would want to begin rehearsing tomorrow.”
“Why not?” she replied, throwing up her hands in resignation.
Mateo caught her in his arms again and hugged her. “Then we are a team!”
Charlotte shook her head, thinking to herself, We certainly are!
But the very thought left a bitter taste in her mouth. Never before had she loved a man. And tonight she might willingly have given her all to Mateo. Yet what good did it do for him to say he loved her if he still considered her the property of another?
Yes, she loved Mateo. Yes, she wanted Mateo. And because of that love she had almost made a terrible mistake just now. She had led with her heart instead of using her head. But as Mateo had said, it would never happen again. Charlotte Buckland would make sure of that!
“What time and where tomorrow, Mateo?”
Similar Books
