The House of Adriano by Nerina Hilliard

did anyone she worked for, but it would also let him see that she did not intend to make a doormat of herself. Even employees had rights these days.
    “Then you accept?”
    She nodded. “Yes - and thank you for offering me the position.”
    One dark brow quirked up a little dryly again. “You have not asked what the remuneration would be,” and then he named a sum that made her gasp.
    “That’s far too much!”
    “You will leave that matter to me.” His voice was quite definite and she had another glimpse of the iron hand under the proverbial velvet glove he wore when he felt like it. “Another thing - we will get quite clear this question of being in my employ. It will not be stated as such. You will come to Marindos as an unofficial relative of Peter and, as such, part of my own family. You will be made an allowance, such as I would make to a blood relative, and you will mix with my friends.”
    So that was why he had named such a large sum. He expected her to dress to mingle with the same social circle that he moved in. She could not help feeling that it was a most odd arrangement, though, and said as much aloud, adding:
    “Wouldn’t it be far better to keep it on the usual basis?”
    “That also you will leave to me.” His voice was quite definite . “Those are the terms on which I w ould wish you to accompany Peter.”
    And if you don’t agree, you won’t see him again, her imagination added.
    “Very well. I accept on those terms.”

 
    CHAPTER V
    Aileen could not restrain a little thrill of excitement as she stepped down from the air-liner. There was the sound of Spanish voices all around her and, even though it was not really very much hotter than the temperatures she had been used to in Sydney during the summer, there seemed to be a different tang in the air.
    There did not seem to be any trouble with customs and any luggage they had brought with them was left at the airport to be sent on later. It seemed only a few minutes before they were installed in a luxurious cream-coloured, chauffeur-driven car and being whisked away from the airport.
    She could not help a surreptitious glance at the man who sat on the other side of Peter. She was entering his world now, and perhaps when she saw the background he came from she might be able to understand him a little better - not that she would ever really like him, she told herself quickly, as if she might have needed reminding on that point, then she turned her attention to the window again.
    They were approaching Madrid now, and she knew straight away that she was going to like this city, even if she did not like one of its citizens. As they travelled further in she found her admiration growing. The main thoroughfares were wide, straight and clean, quite beautiful. On either side were magnificent examples of architecture. In other parts of Spain, she had read, they seemed to have a positive mania for huddling a town into the area that would normally be occupied only by a village in other countries. In Madrid, however, they seemed to have been able to overcome that phobia, because the city spread over as much space as it needed.
    The house itself, Marindos, was another surprise. It was large, but somehow not quite so large as she had expected. Her reading-up had given her the impression that the family houses of the old aristocratic families were gigantic, almost like palaces. It was only later that she learned that this was the Adriano town house. She had yet to see the Castillo Marindos itself.
    They entered through an immense nail-studded door, into a lobby which led in turn into a patio that was planted with shrubs and flowers. They did not enter the patio, but instead took another door off the lobby and, from that one quick glimpse she had, Aileen guessed that the house was built around that central patio, open to the sky. Later she learned that her guess had been right, but that there were also gardens that could be reached from the southern aspect of