as yet knew nothing of her son's revelations, and she treated Toni so kindly that the girl felt painfully ashamed of the deception she was practising.
Paul did not return, nor did Francesca. She was not surprised that Francesca stayed away - after all, the girl had made it plain that she disliked Toni intensely, and did not trust her either. But Paul was different, and Toni pondered his absence with some misgivings. Possibly Paul was taking every opportunity of depriving his grandmother of some of her wealth, and time spent with his co-called fiancee was merely wasted.
Yet Toni felt afraid that Paul might be attempting to ignore what she had told him, and carry on with the deception in the face of his uncle's contempt. Maybe he thought his uncle would not tell his grandmother in case such news upset her; maybe he was banking on that. Toni was nauseated by the whole affair. She just wanted to get away, and every time her door opened she expected the Conde to appear and wreak some frightful wrath upon her.
Four days after her accident, when she was sitting by her window in the late afternoon dressed only in a dark blue quilted housecoat, her silvery hair loose about her shoulders, the Conde arrived.
Toni knew who it was almost before the door opened. She heard the firm footsteps, and felt the familiar feeling of nervousness that descended upon her now at his appearance. This time he knocked at her door before entering, but she had barely time to bid him enter before he did so.
She glanced round. Today, dressed in a biscuit- coloured lounge suit, his thick hair combed smoothly, he looked every inch the Portuguese aristocrat that he was, and Toni trembled a little as he came to stand in front of her.
'Well, senhorita,' he said, surveying her with those intensely dark eyes, 'you look much better.'
Toni swallowed. 'Oh - yes, senhor, I am - much better!'
'Good - good, I am glad.'
Toni looked up at him squarely. 'Are you?'
He smiled faintly and mockingly. 'Oh, yes, senhorita. Be assured of it.'
Toni bent her head, unwillingly aware that his nearness caused the strangest sensations inside her. Whether her illness had weakened her or not she was not sure, yet she felt hot all over, and could not meet his penetrating gaze.
He moved to the window, and leaned back against it, arms folded, studying her. She looked up uncomfortably, and then said with some defiance:
'Don't look at me like that!'
'You don't like me to look at you, senhorita?'
'No. Not like that!'
'Like what?'
Toni's cheeks burned. 'You know what I mean, senhor. Please, say what you have to say, and go.'
'But I am enjoying looking at you, senhorita. After all, your discomfort is merely a confirmation to me of your own guilt. Poor Senhorita Morley, you did not think to be found out - and so soon in our relationship!'
Toni clenched her fists. 'You are insolent, senhor!' She shivered. 'You wouldn't speak to me like this if your mother were here - if Paul were here!'
'No,' he inclined his head in agreement. 'But they are not here, and I am free to say what I like to a woman -such as you!'
Toni got shakily to her feet. 'What do you mean? A woman such as me?'
'My opinion of your sex has. not been a favourable one for many years now, senhorita , and your charade with my nephew has not endeared them to me. No, senhorita, there are few women who are worthy of a man's trust.' His scar stood out starkly, and Toni wondered again how it had appeared there.
She swayed now. 'Senhor, your opinion of me is not important!'
'You are wrong, senhorita. It is very important - in some ways. The morals of a woman are always important !'
'My God!' Toni shook her head. 'What am I supposed to have done? Pretended to be Paul's fiancee, that's all. Is that a crime? I haven't seduced him or anything.'
He caught her angrily by the shoulders, shaking her violently. 'I will tell you, senhorita, what you have done. You attempted to seduce the husband of a good friend of mine - Miguel
Paul did not return, nor did Francesca. She was not surprised that Francesca stayed away - after all, the girl had made it plain that she disliked Toni intensely, and did not trust her either. But Paul was different, and Toni pondered his absence with some misgivings. Possibly Paul was taking every opportunity of depriving his grandmother of some of her wealth, and time spent with his co-called fiancee was merely wasted.
Yet Toni felt afraid that Paul might be attempting to ignore what she had told him, and carry on with the deception in the face of his uncle's contempt. Maybe he thought his uncle would not tell his grandmother in case such news upset her; maybe he was banking on that. Toni was nauseated by the whole affair. She just wanted to get away, and every time her door opened she expected the Conde to appear and wreak some frightful wrath upon her.
Four days after her accident, when she was sitting by her window in the late afternoon dressed only in a dark blue quilted housecoat, her silvery hair loose about her shoulders, the Conde arrived.
Toni knew who it was almost before the door opened. She heard the firm footsteps, and felt the familiar feeling of nervousness that descended upon her now at his appearance. This time he knocked at her door before entering, but she had barely time to bid him enter before he did so.
She glanced round. Today, dressed in a biscuit- coloured lounge suit, his thick hair combed smoothly, he looked every inch the Portuguese aristocrat that he was, and Toni trembled a little as he came to stand in front of her.
'Well, senhorita,' he said, surveying her with those intensely dark eyes, 'you look much better.'
Toni swallowed. 'Oh - yes, senhor, I am - much better!'
'Good - good, I am glad.'
Toni looked up at him squarely. 'Are you?'
He smiled faintly and mockingly. 'Oh, yes, senhorita. Be assured of it.'
Toni bent her head, unwillingly aware that his nearness caused the strangest sensations inside her. Whether her illness had weakened her or not she was not sure, yet she felt hot all over, and could not meet his penetrating gaze.
He moved to the window, and leaned back against it, arms folded, studying her. She looked up uncomfortably, and then said with some defiance:
'Don't look at me like that!'
'You don't like me to look at you, senhorita?'
'No. Not like that!'
'Like what?'
Toni's cheeks burned. 'You know what I mean, senhor. Please, say what you have to say, and go.'
'But I am enjoying looking at you, senhorita. After all, your discomfort is merely a confirmation to me of your own guilt. Poor Senhorita Morley, you did not think to be found out - and so soon in our relationship!'
Toni clenched her fists. 'You are insolent, senhor!' She shivered. 'You wouldn't speak to me like this if your mother were here - if Paul were here!'
'No,' he inclined his head in agreement. 'But they are not here, and I am free to say what I like to a woman -such as you!'
Toni got shakily to her feet. 'What do you mean? A woman such as me?'
'My opinion of your sex has. not been a favourable one for many years now, senhorita , and your charade with my nephew has not endeared them to me. No, senhorita, there are few women who are worthy of a man's trust.' His scar stood out starkly, and Toni wondered again how it had appeared there.
She swayed now. 'Senhor, your opinion of me is not important!'
'You are wrong, senhorita. It is very important - in some ways. The morals of a woman are always important !'
'My God!' Toni shook her head. 'What am I supposed to have done? Pretended to be Paul's fiancee, that's all. Is that a crime? I haven't seduced him or anything.'
He caught her angrily by the shoulders, shaking her violently. 'I will tell you, senhorita, what you have done. You attempted to seduce the husband of a good friend of mine - Miguel
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