Vincente lazily, getting to his feet.
Dominique looked at him with tortured eyes. Then she looked back at John whose fists were clenched angrily.
'Dominique is my fiancee,' said John, controlling himself with obvious difficulty. 'Whatever you say you can't alter that!'
Vincente straightened, squaring his shoulders. 'Oh, no?' He looked at Dominique. 'And what have you to say to that, carissima?'
Dominique shook her head, and as John would have stepped forward she put herself between him and Vincente, unconsciously aware that it was the biggest step she had ever taken.
John was taken aback. 'Dominique!' he muttered incredulously. 'Oh, Dominique, no!' He stared at Vincente Santos. 'Dominique, he's only playing with you as he's played with dozens of women! Don't let him make a fool of you! For God's sake, come away with me now! I'll forgive you anything. Just don't ruin your life!'
Dominique shook her head. 'I - I can't, John.'
'Dominique, you're infatuated with him, that's all. All right, all right, I realize you're infatuated with him, but believe me you're making a terrible mistake!'
Dominique bent her head. 'Please go, John.'
John hesitated, looked as though he was about to thrust her aside and attack Vincente Santos again, and then with hunched shoulders he turned and went out of the room.
After he had gone, Dominique moved as far away from Vincente as the room would allow.
'Well?' he said. 'You have burned your boats, haven't you?' His tone was rather sardonic, and she looked at him bitterly.
'Yes. What will you do now? Forget you ever made that proposal?' Her breasts heaved swiftly under the silk robe.
Vincente studied her for a moment longer, then smoothed his hair with both hands. 'No,' he said definitely. 'No, I will not forget that.' He put his hand into his inside pocket and drew out a folded paper. 'Do you see this? It is a licence, a marriage licence. We will be married tomorrow by Father Pesquez, at the church of St. Michel.'
Dominique was confused. 'But - but - you couldn't be certain—' she began unsteadily.
'Oh, I was certain,' replied Vincente, straightening his tie and walking to the door. 'I suggest you get some sleep. This room is yours - for tonight. Tomorrow - well, tomorrow there will be different arrangements.'
'But—' she began.
'No buts, please. Now I must go and wish our guests farewell. Until tomorrow ...' He gave her a brief nod and left the room.
CHAPTER SIX
D OMINIQUE slept badly, but as she had not expected to sleep at all, she supposed she should feel grateful. After so many bewildering experiences her mind could not be expected to relax, and when unconsciousness did overwhelm her, dreams came to torment and confuse her.
Once, in that deep blackness before dawn, she was awakened by a strange, unnerving scream that penetrated her consciousness and brought her up in the huge bed, terrified. She couldn't imagine what it might be, and in this alien, savage place she felt alone, completely alone, for the first time in her life. Even the death of her father had not affected her this way.
Eventually, of course, she had to lie down again, and when another scream shattered the silence she realized with relief that it was not a human sound, but the cry of a mountain lion, something she had not as yet encountered.
But- sleep was not so easy to achieve again at this unearthly hour, and Dominique got up at last and lit a cigarette. Pushing open the balcony doors, she looked out, the air cool and refreshing against her hot limbs. A faint rosy glow was gilding the horizon, and soon dawn would break over the valley, filling their world with light. Dominique leaned on the balcony rail and sighed. Was she really here, or was this just another nightmare? Was she really to marry Vincente Santos? Had the scene with John actually happened? She shook her head. It was unbelievable, incredible!
And what did she really feel about it? Did she really have any choice? She only knew that since meeting
Dominique looked at him with tortured eyes. Then she looked back at John whose fists were clenched angrily.
'Dominique is my fiancee,' said John, controlling himself with obvious difficulty. 'Whatever you say you can't alter that!'
Vincente straightened, squaring his shoulders. 'Oh, no?' He looked at Dominique. 'And what have you to say to that, carissima?'
Dominique shook her head, and as John would have stepped forward she put herself between him and Vincente, unconsciously aware that it was the biggest step she had ever taken.
John was taken aback. 'Dominique!' he muttered incredulously. 'Oh, Dominique, no!' He stared at Vincente Santos. 'Dominique, he's only playing with you as he's played with dozens of women! Don't let him make a fool of you! For God's sake, come away with me now! I'll forgive you anything. Just don't ruin your life!'
Dominique shook her head. 'I - I can't, John.'
'Dominique, you're infatuated with him, that's all. All right, all right, I realize you're infatuated with him, but believe me you're making a terrible mistake!'
Dominique bent her head. 'Please go, John.'
John hesitated, looked as though he was about to thrust her aside and attack Vincente Santos again, and then with hunched shoulders he turned and went out of the room.
After he had gone, Dominique moved as far away from Vincente as the room would allow.
'Well?' he said. 'You have burned your boats, haven't you?' His tone was rather sardonic, and she looked at him bitterly.
'Yes. What will you do now? Forget you ever made that proposal?' Her breasts heaved swiftly under the silk robe.
Vincente studied her for a moment longer, then smoothed his hair with both hands. 'No,' he said definitely. 'No, I will not forget that.' He put his hand into his inside pocket and drew out a folded paper. 'Do you see this? It is a licence, a marriage licence. We will be married tomorrow by Father Pesquez, at the church of St. Michel.'
Dominique was confused. 'But - but - you couldn't be certain—' she began unsteadily.
'Oh, I was certain,' replied Vincente, straightening his tie and walking to the door. 'I suggest you get some sleep. This room is yours - for tonight. Tomorrow - well, tomorrow there will be different arrangements.'
'But—' she began.
'No buts, please. Now I must go and wish our guests farewell. Until tomorrow ...' He gave her a brief nod and left the room.
CHAPTER SIX
D OMINIQUE slept badly, but as she had not expected to sleep at all, she supposed she should feel grateful. After so many bewildering experiences her mind could not be expected to relax, and when unconsciousness did overwhelm her, dreams came to torment and confuse her.
Once, in that deep blackness before dawn, she was awakened by a strange, unnerving scream that penetrated her consciousness and brought her up in the huge bed, terrified. She couldn't imagine what it might be, and in this alien, savage place she felt alone, completely alone, for the first time in her life. Even the death of her father had not affected her this way.
Eventually, of course, she had to lie down again, and when another scream shattered the silence she realized with relief that it was not a human sound, but the cry of a mountain lion, something she had not as yet encountered.
But- sleep was not so easy to achieve again at this unearthly hour, and Dominique got up at last and lit a cigarette. Pushing open the balcony doors, she looked out, the air cool and refreshing against her hot limbs. A faint rosy glow was gilding the horizon, and soon dawn would break over the valley, filling their world with light. Dominique leaned on the balcony rail and sighed. Was she really here, or was this just another nightmare? Was she really to marry Vincente Santos? Had the scene with John actually happened? She shook her head. It was unbelievable, incredible!
And what did she really feel about it? Did she really have any choice? She only knew that since meeting
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