The Spaniard's Love-Child by Kim Lawrence Page A

literally crackled with sexual tension.
    â€˜I feel I already know you; the children speak of you all the time.’
    Nell heard the older woman’s words as if they came from a great distance away. She made an enormous effort anddragged her attention back to her. She gave a vague, disorientated smile and cleared her throat.
    â€˜I really didn’t have any idea they meant to run away,’ she promised the older woman earnestly.
    â€˜Why, we never imagined you did, my dear. Did we, Raul?’
    â€˜No, I suppose you would have to be a particularly paranoid and suspicious person to think that,’ Nell cut in sweetly.
    â€˜And you were a friend to my dear Javier when he needed a friend.’ Her liquid dark eyes filled. ‘For that we shall always be in your debt.’
    Nell, who had assumed that the entire Carreras family would share Raul’s view of her relationship with Javier, made some self-deprecating, embarrassed gesture. Her thoughts were in a whirl.
    â€˜Won’t we, Raul?’
    Nell held her breath.
    â€˜Eternally.’
    Nell released her breath. His mother seemed oblivious to the ironic quality in his response that made her own cheeks burn angrily.
    And Raul’s mother? Nell was finding it extremely hard to reconcile this svelte youthful figure, who oozed vitality and exuded the sort of effortless style that so many women tried fruitlessly all their lives to achieve, with her mental image of a bedridden little old lady with failing eyesight!
    Her outraged gaze swivelled again towards the man who had provided her with this erroneous image. He smiled languidly back at her, not a trace of embarrassment or discomfort in his manner. The man, she decided in disgust, wouldn’t recognise a scruple if he fell over it! Were there no depths to which he would not sink, no web of lies he would not spin in order to get his own way?
    Pretty pointless too, considering she was obviously going to find out that his mother was hardly the candidate for a nursing home.
    â€˜Raul said that you would come.’ Aria smiled at her son, revealing lines around her beautiful almond-shaped eyes. ‘You have no idea at all how relieved this makes me.’
    It dawned on a dismayed Nell that Raul’s mother believed that she had come to stay. Had that been Raul’s intention? Of course it had. Well, if he was relying on her being too embarrassed to correct this false impression—one he had obviously cynically cultivated—he was going to be disappointed.
    She was so furious with him she didn’t trust herself to look at him. Is anger the only reason you’re scared to look at him? the cynical voice in her head enquired drily.
    â€˜Actually I just came for supper.’
    â€˜Of course you did.’ The older woman patted her arm and drew her towards the table. ‘Do have a seat—you look tired.’
    â€˜I think there’s been some misunderstanding,’ Nell began uncomfortably as she took a chair at the long refectory table. ‘I’ve not come , that is, I’ve not come to stay.’
    â€˜You haven’t?’ The mature and beautiful brunette turned a look of questioning appeal in her son’s direction.
    â€˜We are still negotiating terms.’ Nell was frustrated to hear him make it sound like a done deal. ‘But I have no doubt that the outcome will be one that is beneficial to us all.’
    Not if I have anything to say about it, Nell thought as she listened to his deliberately ambiguous words.
    â€˜You must not let him bully you. My son always thinks he knows what is best for other people.’
    â€˜You mean he thinks he’s always right?’ Nell nodded and sent Raul a spitefully sweet smile. ‘Yes, I’d noticedthat, actually it’s hard to miss, but don’t worry, I won’t,’ Nell promised.
    The older woman looked at her with amusement. ‘I believe you,’ she decided, sounding pleased by