patience.’
He came very close, glaring into her face, his hand coming up to emphasise the point so ferociously that Estrella shrank back fearfully.
‘You do something to sort your life out and fast or you’ll find yourself out on the streets where you belong.’
‘Papá…’
‘No. No arguments,’ Alfredo spat at her. ‘I’m telling you—either you make a decent marriage or you’re out ofhere with just the clothes you have on your back. You’ll take nothing else with you—and you can sink or swim, it won’t matter to me.’
She could have no doubt at all that he meant it, Estrella reflected. For weeks now, Alfredo’s temper had been growing more and more uncertain, his moods darker and more dangerous. She’d been terribly afraid of what he might do next. Now she knew.
Suddenly Ramón’s offer of a job didn’t seem quite so unappealing. But if she took him up on that offer, she would have to crawl back to him, beg him to let her have the favour she had so foolishly tossed back in his face.
More than the offer, she told herself. Recalling the way she had slapped him, she knew that she’d killed her chances then and there, without a hope of rescue or reconciliation. The offer of a job wouldn’t be available any more. Ramón was far more likely to join with her father in slamming the door shut in her face and not caring a damn about what happened to her after that.
Deciding that for now discretion was the better part of valour, she went along with her father’s orders, on the surface at least. She prepared for the dinner ahead of her, dressing in the rich blue silk dress as he had instructed, fixing her make-up, even piling her hair up high on the top of her head with a couple of ornate combs. All the time her stomach was heaving nauseously, fear twisting in every nerve as she faced the prospect, not of the proposal her father thought he had bought and paid for, but of the inevitable confrontation with Alfredo afterwards.
The mood he was in, it was going to be appalling.
It was worse than she had anticipated. Esteban Ramirez, the suitor who had been selected for her this time, was a man who was old enough to be her father. He was also heavily overweight, with lank, greasy hair and an unpleasantbody odour problem. But that didn’t stop him from eyeing her up and down like a prize beast at an auction. He also took every opportunity to brush up close to her or to touch her, patting or pawing her with his hot, moist hands every time she was near to him.
‘You are a lovely young thing,’ he said, practically drooling as he took her in to dinner. ‘Lovely. I’m sure we’re going to get on so well together.’
The meal was an ordeal by food. Estrella was incapable of eating anything, merely pushing things round on her plate, finally lifting something to her mouth, but knowing that, as just the smell of the chicken was enough to make her gag, she would never be able to swallow it. Hastily she lowered her fork again and reached for the glass of wine.
But even that conspired against her. By some malign coincidence, the drink that her father had selected was the same rich, ruby wine that Ramón had served her the week before in his apartment. Just one sip of it brought back such a rush of memories that her throat closed up instantly and she had to force herself to swallow in order not to choke painfully.
‘Is something the matter?’ her father demanded sharply, noting her uncomfortable expression.
‘No,’ Estrella managed to gasp. ‘Nothing—I—I’m fine!’
But fine was the exact opposite of the way she was feeling. The taste of the wine had revived all the burning, erotic dreams that had haunted the little sleep she had had over the past week, throwing up images of Ramón’s long, lean body, the dark silk of his hair. She could feel again his touch, his kisses, taste his mouth on hers as she tried to moisten her parched lips.
She could hear his deep, husky voice in her thoughts.
‘You
He came very close, glaring into her face, his hand coming up to emphasise the point so ferociously that Estrella shrank back fearfully.
‘You do something to sort your life out and fast or you’ll find yourself out on the streets where you belong.’
‘Papá…’
‘No. No arguments,’ Alfredo spat at her. ‘I’m telling you—either you make a decent marriage or you’re out ofhere with just the clothes you have on your back. You’ll take nothing else with you—and you can sink or swim, it won’t matter to me.’
She could have no doubt at all that he meant it, Estrella reflected. For weeks now, Alfredo’s temper had been growing more and more uncertain, his moods darker and more dangerous. She’d been terribly afraid of what he might do next. Now she knew.
Suddenly Ramón’s offer of a job didn’t seem quite so unappealing. But if she took him up on that offer, she would have to crawl back to him, beg him to let her have the favour she had so foolishly tossed back in his face.
More than the offer, she told herself. Recalling the way she had slapped him, she knew that she’d killed her chances then and there, without a hope of rescue or reconciliation. The offer of a job wouldn’t be available any more. Ramón was far more likely to join with her father in slamming the door shut in her face and not caring a damn about what happened to her after that.
Deciding that for now discretion was the better part of valour, she went along with her father’s orders, on the surface at least. She prepared for the dinner ahead of her, dressing in the rich blue silk dress as he had instructed, fixing her make-up, even piling her hair up high on the top of her head with a couple of ornate combs. All the time her stomach was heaving nauseously, fear twisting in every nerve as she faced the prospect, not of the proposal her father thought he had bought and paid for, but of the inevitable confrontation with Alfredo afterwards.
The mood he was in, it was going to be appalling.
It was worse than she had anticipated. Esteban Ramirez, the suitor who had been selected for her this time, was a man who was old enough to be her father. He was also heavily overweight, with lank, greasy hair and an unpleasantbody odour problem. But that didn’t stop him from eyeing her up and down like a prize beast at an auction. He also took every opportunity to brush up close to her or to touch her, patting or pawing her with his hot, moist hands every time she was near to him.
‘You are a lovely young thing,’ he said, practically drooling as he took her in to dinner. ‘Lovely. I’m sure we’re going to get on so well together.’
The meal was an ordeal by food. Estrella was incapable of eating anything, merely pushing things round on her plate, finally lifting something to her mouth, but knowing that, as just the smell of the chicken was enough to make her gag, she would never be able to swallow it. Hastily she lowered her fork again and reached for the glass of wine.
But even that conspired against her. By some malign coincidence, the drink that her father had selected was the same rich, ruby wine that Ramón had served her the week before in his apartment. Just one sip of it brought back such a rush of memories that her throat closed up instantly and she had to force herself to swallow in order not to choke painfully.
‘Is something the matter?’ her father demanded sharply, noting her uncomfortable expression.
‘No,’ Estrella managed to gasp. ‘Nothing—I—I’m fine!’
But fine was the exact opposite of the way she was feeling. The taste of the wine had revived all the burning, erotic dreams that had haunted the little sleep she had had over the past week, throwing up images of Ramón’s long, lean body, the dark silk of his hair. She could feel again his touch, his kisses, taste his mouth on hers as she tried to moisten her parched lips.
She could hear his deep, husky voice in her thoughts.
‘You
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