by Donna Vitek
Juliet gestured dismissively. "Ah well, I think I'll survive without winning this one game. Besides, Nurse Lopez is right. You should rest."
Will had no chance to do more than lift his hand in a wave as he was hurriedly whisked away by his stout protectress. With his departure, there was a sudden silence at the wrought iron table. As Juliet scooped all the cards into a neat stack, she sensed Señora Valaquez was watching her and glanced up with a hesitant smile.
"You are fond of your uncle, are you not, señorita?" Alicia Valaquez asked abruptly, though her tone was somewhat less unfriendly than usual. "You seem to have a very warm regard for him."
"I love Uncle Will," Juliet said simply. "He's been very good to me."
"Then why did you leave his house last year?" the señora asked bluntly. "Surely you knew he would be very upset?"
"Now, I realize I shouldn't have left," Juliet admitted, rising to her feet as Señora Valaquez did. "Our problem was really just a misunderstanding which we should have discussed but we didn't. And I went away because I didn't want to upset him by arguing with him."
"And this argument would have been about Pablo, si?" the older woman questioned, her tone hardening. "You did not wish to marry my grandson and your uncle wanted you to?"
"So I thought but he thought I was in love with Pablo and I—well, I just wasn't," Juliet told her gently, not wanting to insult her. "I guess that was just a misunderstanding between Pablo and me."
Señora Valaquez didn't look pleased. "The men of my country have volatile emotions, señorita," she said tersely. "It is not wise for any young woman to trifle with the affections of a passionate man."
"Oh, but I didn't. I…"
"But your excuse is that you are so young, I suppose," Alicia Valaquez interrupted, then conceded begrudgingly, "At least you are fond of your uncle. That is commendable."
As Raul's grandmother turned and glided away, Juliet smiled ruefully. Since that was as close as she would probably ever come to getting a compliment from Señora Valaquez, she supposed she should cherish it, even if it had been given reluctantly. With a sigh, she picked up the deck of cards and walked into the house, wondering how to occupy herself now that her uncle was napping. This morning she had gone for her daily swim and it simply seemed too hot to go for a walk so she decided she didn't have much choice except to go to her room and read. As she wandered along the main hall, gazing down at the lovely muted gold and white tile flooring, she wasn't watching where she was going and suddenly ran directly into Raul as he stepped out of his office. The collision caused her to drop the deck of cards and as they scattered on the floor at their feet, Raul grasped her upper arms to steady her.
"I'm sorry," she murmured rather breathlessly, gazing up at him. Even after being at Casa Valaquez for over two weeks, she still felt quite ill at ease in his presence. And being held close enough to him to feel the heat emanating from his body now made her doubly aware of his vital male magnetism and her own unconquerable susceptibility to it. Easing free of his grasp, she knelt down to begin gathering the scattered cards, chewing her lower lips as he came down on his heels beside her to help. When they had retrieved every card, Raul stood again, drawing her up with him but still he said nothing, though his dark gaze drifted lazily from her small sandaled feet upward to the flaming auburn hair that framed her appealingly small, upturned face.
"Well, uh, I—I was just going to my room," she announced squeakily, disconcerted as usual by his appraisal. "Thanks for helping me pick up the cards and I'm sorry I bumped into you. I guess I wasn't looking where I was going."
As she started to turn away, Raul caught one small hand in his. "Is something wrong, Juliet?" his voice low and melodious. "You look a little forlorn."
"I… No, nothing's wrong."
"You're sure? Your friend Holly isn't worse, is she?"
"Holly? Oh no, she's feeling better now, though she hates being stuck in that hospital bed," Juliet said rather weakly, surprised that he even remembered Holly's name. Then she shrugged. "But I guess she's just feeling restless, like I am. We're both accustomed to being busy."
"Busy?" Raul questioned, raising one dark eyebrow. "How busy can you be while you're riding around in a van?"
Juliet gazed down at his thumb brushing slowly back and forth across the smooth sensitive skin on the back of her hand, wishing she wouldn't be so unnerved by such meaningless caresses. Without looking back up at him, she lifted her slight shoulders in another shrug. "We weren't hoboes, Raul. Actually, we didn't spend all that much time on the road. I made bookings in towns as close together as possible. Holly and Benny spent most of their time rehearsing while I kept up with our income and expenses and got as many bookings in advance as I could."
"I see," he said flatly, giving no indication of whether or not this new information impressed him. But there was an almost wry note in his voice with his next question. "Why did Benny and Holly rehearse? A great deal of rock music sounds very impromptu."
"Benny and Holly aren't into rock music," Juliet said rather wearily, then gave him the same explanation she had given her uncle. She glanced up at him almost belligerently when she had finished.
He only smiled. "Sort of modern-day troubadours, eh? Are they good?"
"They're very good," she said loyally and truthfully. "Benny has a rich baritone voice and Holly's a superb soprano. You wouldn't believe how they can harmonize."
"I'd like to hear them some time," Raul said, the creases in his lean cheeks deepening when he noted her expression of surprise. But then his smile faded and he lifted her hand, idly playing with the tips of her fingers. "Now why don't you tell me why you're feeling so restless here. When you're not with Will, you could swim or go riding, or even take the Esprit and drive in to Granada."
"Oh, I know, but all those things are such leisurely ways to spend every day. I guess I just don't feel very useful except when I'm keeping Uncle Will company." She paused as an idea formulated in her mind and before she could lose her nerve, she blurted it out. "But you're busy, Raul. Maybe I could help you. With all those galleries, you must have a lot of paperwork. You wouldn't have any filing or typing I could do, would you?"
Raul's eyes narrowed enigmatically as he shook his head. "Señorita Domecq handles all that for me. Remember?"
Unhappily, Juliet did. Señorita Domecq was his middle-aged secretary who always dressed in gray, never talked and moved wraithlike, sort of like a ghost through the house, but Raul had once mentioned that she was a supremely efficient employee. Giving him a disappointed smile, she nodded. "Well, I suppose I'll just have to think of some other way to occupy myself, won't I?"
For a long moment, he didn't answer but his dark gaze held hers and finally he squeezed her hand slightly then released it. "If you're really serious about helping me, there is something you could do. Do you have any plans for tonight?" When she shook her head, he inclined his. "Good. Then you will go to a party with me."
"A party?" Juliet exclaimed softly, absolutely flabbergasted he would consider taking her out for a social evening. She stared at him, her disbelief unhidden. "I don't understand how I'd be helping you with your work by going to a party."
"Because I'm only going for business reasons," Raul explained. "A local patron of the arts is honoring a young painter who's making quite an impression on most of the European critics. I'd like to talk to him about placing his work in our galleries."
"Oh. I see. But why would you want to take me? Why not Jimena Ruiz? I'm sure she'd be of more help to you than I would. And besides—I'm really not much of a partying person."
"All the better. You'll be perfect then because I'm getting weary of these parties and tonight I only want to talk to Luis Diego, then leave. If I ask Jimena to go with me, I'll never get away. She never tires of going to parties."
"So you want to take me because I won't object to leaving early?" Juliet ascertained, aware of the slight sense of disappointment nagging at her. "Why don't you just go alone then?"
"No," Raul replied curtly, his expression darkening. "I don't want to go alone to this party, especially, and since you did volunteer to help me with my work, I'm taking you. Be ready at nine, please. We'll arrive late and leave early to make up for it. Agreed?"
"Well, I…"
"Agreed," he pronounced, the look in his eyes brooking no argument as he strode back to his office without another word.
After watching him close the door, Juliet lifted her shoulders in a slight shrug and did the only thing she could do under the circumstances. She went up to her room to decide what would be appropriate to wear that evening.
Seeing Raul, so darkly attractive in a cream-colored casual suit and tobacco brown shirt open at the collar, Juliet was glad she had chosen to wear something simple. Actually, she had to admit to herself that she had chosen the forest green floor-length jersey mainly because it was the same color as Raul's eyes but the choice had been appropriate anyway. With a scooped neckline and cap sleeves, the dress was neither too plain nor too fancy and it accented her softly curvaceous body enough to make her feel decidedly feminine while at the same time demure. And as she walked down the curving marble staircase, to join Raul in the vast hall, he too seemed quite aware of her femininity. Bold green eyes swept over her as he held out his hand when she reached the next to last step.
"Preciosa," he murmured, holding her gaze as she blushed slightly at the word that needed no translation. Then he led her out through the courtyard into the star-studded night. A black Mercedes gleamed in the light of a full cream-colored moon. After he had opened the passenger door for her, then came around to slide his long legs beneath the steering column, Juliet surrendered to aroused curiosity. "Isn't this your grandmother's car? Where is yours?"
"In the garage for a tune-up." Raul smiled mischievously. "Abuela begrudingly consented to let me borrow hers tonight, a rare honor, I assure you. She doesn't like for anyone else to drive it."
"I noticed her driving away the other day and was a little surprised that she doesn't have a chauffeur."
"She enjoys driving too much to let anyone do it for her." Raul laughed softly. "She is something of a… What is it they say in America? A speed devil?"
"Almost. A speed demon," Juliet supplied the correct terminology, then shook her head musingly. "It's hard for me to imagine your grandmother tearing along the road in her car, though. She's so—so sedate."
"Oh, but she's not quite as stiff-laced as she sometimes seems."
"Obviously not," Juliet said wryly. "And I guess I did get a glimpse of her warmer side this afternoon. She actually played cards with Uncle Will and me. And he teased her quite a bit, almost flirted, and I think she really enjoyed it."
Raul nodded. "I'm not surprised. Abuela can be quite the coqueta." Looking away from the straight ribbon of road that stretched out before them, he eyed Juliet speculatively. "If she was willing to play cards with you, she must not disapprove of you as much as you thought she did."
"I wouldn't go so far as to say that," Juliet murmured, then hastily changed the subject. "I've been meaning to ask you: what's your full name? I mean, Spaniards always have a long string of them but I've never known what all yours are. Do you mind telling me?"
"Why should I mind?" Raul answered, turning his attention back to the road with a rather bored shrug. "If you're really interested, my name is Raul Esteban Rodrigo Valaquez Madrigal, Madrigal being my mother's maiden name which is always added at the end, an old custom of respect."
"Well, that's some name, quite a mouthful," Juliet said teasingly, then added, "I just wondered if I should start calling you Don Raul. The servants do."
Raul glanced at her again, his eyes narrowing. Then a slight, suggestive smile curved his lips. "I think we can dispense with such formalities, don't you, Juliet, considering some of the moments we've shared?" When she tensed and swiftly looked away to stare out her window, he laughed softly, almost triumphantly. "Now, since you didn't succeed in changing the subject, why don't you answer my question? Are you finding my grandmother less disapproving of you than you thought she would be?"
"Not really," Juliet murmured honestly, twisting her hands together in her lap. "She did express some surprise that I'm fond of Uncle Will; she even went so far as to say my affection for him is commendable. But, she still obviously thinks I played fast and loose with Pablo." Biting back a sigh, when no response from Raul was forthcoming, she had to assume that he agreed with his grandmother. For a moment she was tempted to try to defend herself again, but finally, she decided she would be wasting her time. Raul had made up his mind about her and nothing she could say would change it. Subsiding against the armrest on her door, she stared morosely out at the blocks of modern apartments that heralded the suburbs of Granada.
A minute or so later, Raul swung the Mercedes off the road into a circular drive before a gleaming high-rise building. As he lifted himself out of the car, a boy with a friendly beaming smile loped over to take the keys and stand patiently by the open door while a doorman, resplendent in an ivory and black uniform, helped Juliet out on the passenger side.
Inside the building, as Juliet and Raul crossed the luxuriously appointed, gold-carpeted lobby toward a bank of elevators, she looked around curiously then lifted her eyebrows as he guided her to the open elevator set a little apart from the rest. As Raul pushed one of the control buttons, the doors glided closed noiselessly then they were whisked upward to the opulent entrance foyer of the penthouse. A white-jacketed manservant, apparently there to intercept possible gatecrashers, bowed stiffly and murmured a welcome as they stepped off the elevator. Then he moved swiftly to open double doors behind which could be heard the muffled chink of innumerable glasses and the buzz of many voices talking at once.
"I guess art patrons do have to be wealthy," Juliet remarked innocently, then wondered if she had said the wrong thing as Raul's strong jaw and his hand cupping her elbow tightened simultaneously as he replied, "Our hostess, Janine Elcano, is a very wealthy widow and it is of course very chic to become a patron of the arts."
Juliet detected what she imagined was a slight hint of sarcasm in his tone but she couldn't be sure and didn't dare question him as they proceeded into a vast room filled with small groups and milling people. A squeal of delight accompanied their entrance and in half a second Raul was being embraced by a tall svelte woman in her thirties with natural platinum blond hair and expertly made up baby blue eyes. She was chic in a slinky black silk dress supported by narrow rhinestoned straps. Long crimson-tipped fingers spread across Raul's shoulders as she leaned back after kissing him to smile beckoningly.
"Darling, you're late," she cooed, pursing her crimson glossed lips into a little pout that detracted not at all from her natural beauty yet nonetheless made her look rather silly. "I was beginning to think you weren't going to come. I know you don't care for these parties of mine, but I did promise you we could be alone after the masses had departed. I'm so glad you decided to come."
Something almost perverse made Juliet cough softly and as the woman, obviously Janine Elcano, turned her baby blues in her direction, she smiled then glanced at Raul.
"Janine, this is Señorita Juliet McKay," he said with something like relief as he extricated himself from the woman's clinging hands. "Juliet, our hostess, Señora Janine Elcano."
"Señorita," the older woman said stiffly without even a forced smile. "Welcome to my home."
Though the welcome was blatantly insincere, Juliet pretended not to notice and only smiled. The hostess, however, was not to be outdone. Glancing across the crowded room with a slight frown, she at last gained the attention of a young man and when she beckoned imperiously, he trotted over to her.
"Rex, darling, would you entertain this young lady while I talk to Raul a moment," she asked, her voice nearly dripping with saccharine sweetness as she looked at Juliet. "Rex is my cousin, visiting from the States so the two of you should have a great deal in common." Then with a considerably more enth
usiastic smile for Raul, she attached her hands around his arm as if he were a lifeline and started to move away.
"Excuse me, Juliet, but Janine knows I wish to speak to Luis Diego," he said softly. And as he walked away with his possessive hostess, he added, "Don't you, Janine?"
After seeing Janine gaze up at him with another pout, Juliet turned to smile at Rex. He smiled back then looked her over and obviously after finding her attractive enough, took her hand between both of his and began stroking it too familiarly. "How'd you get hooked up with Raul Valaquez?" he asked nosily. "You're a little young for him, aren't you?"
"How long have you been in Spain?" Juliet evaded his question, squelching the desire to snatch her hand away. Instead, she merely slipped it slowly from his grasp. There was something about Rex she didn't find at all appealing. Though he was handsome enough, tall with dark brown hair and his cousin's baby blue eyes, there was little sign of intelligence in his features. And he looked at her with one of those half-sneering smiles that seemed to say she should be falling at his feet in adoration. Deciding she could do without his dubious attention, she commenced a chatter that was certain to send him on his way. "Don't you just love Spain?" she enthused. "I do. There's such a timelessness about it, don't you think? And I'm just fascinated by the Moorish influence on the country's history. Aren't you?"
"Uh, well, I guess so," Rex muttered, shuffling his feet uncomfortably as he looked around. Then he snapped his fingers and stepped away from her. "You won't mind if I leave you for a minute, will you?" he asked hopefully. "I just spied a friend of mine I haven't seen for a while. Be right back."
Smiling to herself as he scurried away, Juliet looked around the room. A thick white carpet cushioned her feet and there was a preponderance of chrome and glass tables and white upholstered furniture, with color accents provided by canvases on the walls that were splashed with bold reds, greens and blues. She glanced around and after seeing Raul talking to a young man with a clipped black moustache, she headed down the steps into the sunken conversation pit. Sections of a white velvet sofa surrounded a glass and chrome table. The three men and two women who were sitting there were engaged in conversation and didn't even glance in her direction as she sat down. Despite Janine's haute couture black silk dress, Juliet didn't feel she had come too casual. Other guests had taken much less care with their appearances than she had. Some of the men were in jeans and flowing shirts and a few of the women wore baggy trousers and flowing shirts they might well have borrowed from the men.