you,’ she turned on Megan, ‘you needn’t think that I agreed to having you here. What did Carlos offer you in return for spying on me?’
‘N-nothing,’ Megan stammered.
‘That is enough ! ’ Carlos said sharply. ‘Whatever you may think, Margot, I will not have you insulting a guest under my roof.’
‘ Your roof? Can’t you think of anything else?’
Carlos put a gen tl e hand on her shoulder. ‘Cheer up, darling,’ he said ligh tl y. ‘You’ll have to get used to it in the end.’
‘Never! It’s so unfair!’
Carlos’ mouth twisted into a wry smile. ‘Life is unfair, my dear, but don’t take it out on Megan. Our quarrels are nothing to do with her!’
Margot hid her face in her stepson’s broad shoulder.
‘I miss him so much ! ’ she whispered.
‘ We all do,’ Carlos soothed her.
Megan would have slipped out of the room, but when she went towards the door, Carlos shook his head at her. ‘Don’t go, Megan. I wish to speak to you.’ Senora Vallori pushed herself away from Carlos. There was a glint of tears in her eyes, but she was also smiling. ‘I don’t suppose you will need me,’ she said with all her usual calm. ‘I think I’ll go to my room for a while.’
She hurried out of the room, slamming the door shut after her. Megan jumped at the sound, wondering at her own nervousness. She threaded her fingers together, not looking at Carlos at all. It had not been her fault that Senora Vallori had broken down in her presence, but she wished that she hadn’t because she was still a stranger to the whole family.
‘ Why don’t you let her go to England and see what it’s like for herself?’ she asked when she could stand the silence no longer.
‘Tha t is hardly your business.’
She peeped at him through her eyelashes. ‘ I don’t like being called your spy,’ she said.
‘Why not? You know it isn’t true.’
Megan wiped her hands on the sides of her skirt, looking very young and vulnerable. ‘Why did you bring me here?’ she asked abruptly.
He smiled. ‘Do I have to have an ulterior reason?’
‘ No, but your stepmother doesn’t want me here. She doesn’t need a companion, whatever you and Pilar say. I don’t think she particularly likes me, or—or anyone young.’
‘And you are very young?’
She thought he was teasing her. ‘Not very young,’ she denied with dignity, ‘but too young for your stepmother to confide in.’
Carlos looked amused. ‘I don’t suppose Margot has ever confided in anyone of her own sex ,’ he commented. ‘ Do you want to go back to England and the perils of your life in London? Is that it, amada ?’
Megan licked her lips. She was shocked to discover that it was the last thing she wanted. On the contrary, the idea of going away and never seeing Carlos again gave her a sinking feeling that alarmed her. Carlos! Carlos, who regarded her as a child to be protected from herself and the seamier side of life for no other reason than that she was about the same age as his half - sisters and had appealed to his sense of responsibility.
‘I—I don’t want to go away.’
He raised an eyebrow, considering this confession.
‘ Good,’ he said. ‘It would be a mistake to let Margot frighten you away.’ He put a finger under her chin and lifted her head to see her face the better. ‘ Don’t worry if you don’t immediately please my stepmother. It isn’t she who is employing you.’
‘No,’ Megan agreed, sighing. ‘But I don’t seem to have any real job here. I—I must have something to do ! Carlos, you do see that, don’t you?’
His finger moved up her cheek, tracing the line of her jaw. ‘Isn’t transforming the house enough for you?’
She shook her head, taking the opportunity to back away from him because she liked the touch of his hands against her face too much for her own comfort. ‘There isn’t anything for me to do, is there?’ she said.
‘ It ’ s an opportunity for you to have the freedom to
‘N-nothing,’ Megan stammered.
‘That is enough ! ’ Carlos said sharply. ‘Whatever you may think, Margot, I will not have you insulting a guest under my roof.’
‘ Your roof? Can’t you think of anything else?’
Carlos put a gen tl e hand on her shoulder. ‘Cheer up, darling,’ he said ligh tl y. ‘You’ll have to get used to it in the end.’
‘Never! It’s so unfair!’
Carlos’ mouth twisted into a wry smile. ‘Life is unfair, my dear, but don’t take it out on Megan. Our quarrels are nothing to do with her!’
Margot hid her face in her stepson’s broad shoulder.
‘I miss him so much ! ’ she whispered.
‘ We all do,’ Carlos soothed her.
Megan would have slipped out of the room, but when she went towards the door, Carlos shook his head at her. ‘Don’t go, Megan. I wish to speak to you.’ Senora Vallori pushed herself away from Carlos. There was a glint of tears in her eyes, but she was also smiling. ‘I don’t suppose you will need me,’ she said with all her usual calm. ‘I think I’ll go to my room for a while.’
She hurried out of the room, slamming the door shut after her. Megan jumped at the sound, wondering at her own nervousness. She threaded her fingers together, not looking at Carlos at all. It had not been her fault that Senora Vallori had broken down in her presence, but she wished that she hadn’t because she was still a stranger to the whole family.
‘ Why don’t you let her go to England and see what it’s like for herself?’ she asked when she could stand the silence no longer.
‘Tha t is hardly your business.’
She peeped at him through her eyelashes. ‘ I don’t like being called your spy,’ she said.
‘Why not? You know it isn’t true.’
Megan wiped her hands on the sides of her skirt, looking very young and vulnerable. ‘Why did you bring me here?’ she asked abruptly.
He smiled. ‘Do I have to have an ulterior reason?’
‘ No, but your stepmother doesn’t want me here. She doesn’t need a companion, whatever you and Pilar say. I don’t think she particularly likes me, or—or anyone young.’
‘And you are very young?’
She thought he was teasing her. ‘Not very young,’ she denied with dignity, ‘but too young for your stepmother to confide in.’
Carlos looked amused. ‘I don’t suppose Margot has ever confided in anyone of her own sex ,’ he commented. ‘ Do you want to go back to England and the perils of your life in London? Is that it, amada ?’
Megan licked her lips. She was shocked to discover that it was the last thing she wanted. On the contrary, the idea of going away and never seeing Carlos again gave her a sinking feeling that alarmed her. Carlos! Carlos, who regarded her as a child to be protected from herself and the seamier side of life for no other reason than that she was about the same age as his half - sisters and had appealed to his sense of responsibility.
‘I—I don’t want to go away.’
He raised an eyebrow, considering this confession.
‘ Good,’ he said. ‘It would be a mistake to let Margot frighten you away.’ He put a finger under her chin and lifted her head to see her face the better. ‘ Don’t worry if you don’t immediately please my stepmother. It isn’t she who is employing you.’
‘No,’ Megan agreed, sighing. ‘But I don’t seem to have any real job here. I—I must have something to do ! Carlos, you do see that, don’t you?’
His finger moved up her cheek, tracing the line of her jaw. ‘Isn’t transforming the house enough for you?’
She shook her head, taking the opportunity to back away from him because she liked the touch of his hands against her face too much for her own comfort. ‘There isn’t anything for me to do, is there?’ she said.
‘ It ’ s an opportunity for you to have the freedom to
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