Zoë started towards him, but she was too late.
Putting an envelope on the table by the door, he walked out.
The castle was like a deserted shell. There was no life, no sound, nothing. Zoë’s footsteps echoed on the stone-flagged floors as she completed her final check. Even the towering walls seemed to have grown cold and unfriendly. She was glad when she finally closed the heavy oak door behind her; an empty castle was a lonely place.
The removal van had taken the last of her things away, and the few bits and pieces she had found now could be loaded into the car. There was nothing for her to stay for. But before she left Cazulas for good there was one more stop she had to make.
Maria ushered her into the cottage. ‘It’s very good of you to see me,’ Zoë said.
‘Rico told me you were leaving.’
‘Now I’m here, I don’t know where to begin…’
‘At the beginning?’ Maria suggested gently. ‘But first you must sit down. You look worn out.’
‘No, no, I’m fine.’ Rico’s face flashed into her mind, and then the contents of the envelope he had left behind. She bit her lip. ‘Truthfully, Maria, I’m not fine.’
‘I can see that. Come and sit here with me at the fireside. You take this chair across from mine.’
The overhead fan was whirring. It was almost midday. The shutters were closed and it was hot in the small room. But the fireside was a symbol to Zoë—a symbol of Maria’s happy, well-ordered life.
And as she talked things through with Maria it was as if Zoë saw everything clearly for the first time. She saw how she was pushing Rico away each time he got close, grabbing at excuses to justify her actions. She understood the bewilderment she had felt at discovering that having the most wonderful sex with him hadn’t been enough to exorcise her demons, after all. She had to stop holding back before that could happen, but she was still terrified of risking herself in a relationship again—so terrified she hadn’t even paused to consider how Rico might feel.
And now she was ashamed. She was particularly ashamed in front of Maria, who had given so much of herself so generously—to Rico, to his father, and to the village of Cazulas. If Maria hadn’t prompted her so gently, encouraged her so warmly, Zoë knew she would never have had the confidence to pour her heart out as she did.
When she had finished, she gave Maria the envelope Rico had left at the castle.
Maria hesitated, holding it in her hands.
‘Please read what’s inside,’ Zoë prompted.
Maria read the papers, and then put them carefully back into the envelope.
‘My son must love you very much. Did you doubt him?’
‘Before I met Rico I couldn’t see beyond what had happened to me in the past.’
‘And after you met him?’
Zoë turned away, unable to meet Maria’s candid stare.
‘Since he inherited his father’s title Rico has been prey to fortune hunters and the press. You have a mutual enemy in the paparazzi, Zoë.’
‘Yes, I can see that now.’
‘Rico was furious when he returned from his travels to discover that his land agent had leased Castillo Cazulas to a television company. But then he fell in love with you—’
‘And made me a gift of the castle.’
‘Don’t look so surprised. He wanted you to have a Spanish headquarters; the castle is perfect. It is far too big for a family home. Imagine what a film set it will make. Rico must have been on the point of asking you to marry him.’
‘Marry him? No, you’re wrong about that, Maria.’
‘Why else would he have done this? The castle was your wedding present.’
‘He would never marry me.’ Zoë tried to reason it out. She wanted nothing more than to accept that what Maria had said was true, made sense—but her mind just wouldn’t accept it. Deep down she still believed she wasn’t good enough. ‘I could never—’ She stopped, remembering Maria’s history.
‘Be his mistress?’ Maria finished for her. ‘As I was to his father? No, don’t look so embarrassed, Zoë. You haven’t offended me. I made my choice, and now you must make yours. But I can assure you Rico isn’t looking for a mistress. He saw how unhappy it made his father. Yes.’ She put her hand up when Zoë started to interrupt. ‘Rico’s father always wanted to marry me. He insisted my fears about our differing backgrounds were unfounded. He was ahead of his time; I was not. I know Rico loves you, Zoë. He wants you with him. He must have known how you would feel about such a life-change. He wanted you to keep your independence, your company—even your own accommodation, if that was what would make you happy.’
‘A castle?’ Zoë said wryly.
Maria sighed. ‘Rico never does things by halves—and, after what you have told me today about your past, I think he wanted to protect you from uncertainty, do everything he could to reassure you. I think he loves you very much.’ Maria’s soft brown eyes bathed Zoë’s face in compassion. ‘And now you think it is too late. That is why you have come to me. You think you need my help.’
As their gazes locked, Zoë realised she had never needed anyone’s help as much as she needed Maria’s. ‘I don’t know what I can do to put things right,’ she admitted huskily, ‘or if it’s possible to put things right.’
‘You are strong enough to know what is right. You just can’t see it yet. You don’t need me or your television company to cling to. You’re a survivor, like me, Zoë. You know what you have to do.’
Zoë found Rico walking barefoot at the water’s edge in front of the beach house. His jeans were rolled up and a soft breeze was lifting his blue-black hair as he faced the wind with his hands shoved deep inside his pockets.
She didn’t have to see his face to know how much he was hurting—how much she had hurt him. There could be no more hiding inside the stockade. No more hiding, full stop. Reaching out, putting her heart on the same line as his, was exactly what she wanted to do.
‘Zoë?’ Rico whirled round with surprise. ‘I thought you would have left for the airport by now.’
‘Rico.’ Zoë’s heart lurched when she saw the weariness in his eyes. ‘Can we talk?’
‘Why not?’ Opening his arms, he gestured around. ‘There are only seabirds to hear us.’
Digging into the back pocket of her jeans, she pulled out the envelope. ‘You didn’t expect me to walk away after you left this at the castle?’
He didn’t answer. He just folded his arms and stared at her.
‘I’ve come to give it back to you.’
‘That’s a pity.’ He looked at the envelope and turned it over in his hands. ‘I grew up believing it was my destiny to own Castillo Cazulas. But when I brought it back into the family again I discovered it was just a large, empty building.’
‘That’s exactly what I thought when I locked it up just now.’
‘When you were there the whole place was transformed.’ Holding her gaze, Rico shook his head and smiled a smile that didn’t quite make it to his eyes. ‘Your programme, your team—you brought it back to life, Zoë. It was exactly what the old place needed.’
‘Chaos?’
This time they both smiled.
Straightening the envelope he had tightly clenched in his fist, Rico held it out. ‘When Castillo Cazulas was first built a whole community thrived there, not just one family. I want the castle to live again through you. Take it, Zoë. Castillo Cazulas is nothing without you. I’ll probably sell it.’
‘You can’t give me a castle,’ Zoë said incredulously. ‘Rico, that’s ridiculous.’
‘That’s what I keep telling myself.’ He shrugged as he thrust the envelope into her hands.
Zoë shook her head. The only sound was the wind, and the sea pounding on the shore at their feet. ‘I couldn’t be in Cazulas, knowing I might see you, bump into you.’
‘I don’t want Castillo Cazulas for the very same reason,’ Rico admitted. ‘I could never see the castle now without thinking of you.’
&nbs
p; ‘I’m sorry—this was a mistake. I should never have come.’
Turning, Zoë began walking quickly back across the sand towards the road, where she had left the car.
‘Zoë—’
Rico’s voice wavered on the wind, and then sank beneath the noise of the surf. Was this what she really wanted? Zoë wondered, her steps faltering. A lifetime of wondering, What if? A lifetime of running away from the past? A life without Rico in it? Hadn’t the time come to stop running—to face up to life—to face him?
They both turned at the same moment.
Zoë didn’t know who took the first step. She only knew that she was running with the wind at her back, and then Rico tasted of salt and sunshine, and when his arms closed around her she knew it was the only reassurance she would ever need.
The lease for Castillo Cazulas lay forgotten on the sand, and then the breeze picked it up and carried it away out to sea.
‘You can’t leave Cazulas, Zoë,’ Rico said, pulling away from her at last. ‘We need you here. I need you. The village needs you. You’re good for all of us. We love you. I love you. Please tell me you’ll stay.’
‘How can you ask me that when I’ve been so selfish—when I’ve hurt you so badly?’
‘You haven’t been selfish,’ Rico assured her. Bringing her hands to his lips, he kissed them passionately. ‘You were knocked down to the ground, Zoë. It takes time to grow straight again, to grow tall. But I’ll wait for you for ever, if that’s what it takes.’
Zoë was touched, dazed—even shamed by Rico’s declaration. He saw so much where she had been blind. But her eyes were wide open now. This proud, passionate man was every bit as vulnerable when it came to love as she was.
Reaching up, she traced his cheek with her hand. ‘I love you with all my heart, Rico. You’ve shown me what love should be, and I’ll never leave you.’ And she never would, Zoë realised; with or without his ring.
‘I’m not asking you to give up anything, as long as you promise to leave some space in your life for me.’
‘You’ve got it,’ Zoë assured him. ‘But it’s a rather big space, if that’s all right with you?’
‘That’s just perfect.’ He dragged her close. ‘Now, who shall we have to cater for the wedding?’
‘The wedding?’ Zoë stared incredulously into Rico’s face as he heaved a mock sigh.
‘I suppose you should have the night off on your wedding day.’
‘Rico, what are you saying?’
‘I’m saying the caterers will have quite a lot to live up to—’
‘Rico!’
‘Did I forget something?’
‘You know you did!’
‘Will you marry me, Zoë?’ he said, growing suddenly serious. And when she just stared at him he knelt down in the wet sand and reached for her hand.
‘You’ll ruin your jeans—’
‘Then say yes quickly, or I’ll have to take them off.’
‘Then it will take me a very long time indeed to accept your proposal.’ Kneeling in front of him, Zoë put her hands in his. ‘Yes, I’ll marry you, Rico. And I’ll love and honour and cherish you for ever—’
‘There’s just one condition for the wedding,’ he cut in, drawing her close.
‘Oh?’ Zoë murmured against his mouth. ‘What’s that?’
‘No cameras, mi amor.’
EPILOGUE
CAZULAS had never seen a wedding like it, the village tio assured Zoë excitedly. And they both agreed that it must be true when the King of Spain and his beautiful Queen attended the marriage ceremony—along with all of Zoë’s friends and what seemed like half of Spain.
The dapple-grey horses that drew her wedding carriage had bells and ribbons bound through their glossy manes, and everything she wore for the wedding had been bought in Paris, where she had enjoyed a ‘pre-marriage honeymoon’, as Rico had insisted on referring to their trip.
Events had moved swiftly after that late afternoon together on the beach. It was the way they had both wanted it.
Breakfast in Madrid, lunch in Paris: Zoë discovered such things were commonplace in the life of El Señor Alarico Cortes de Aragon and his wife-to-be. To put the seal on their new life together, Rico never mentioned the little notebook Zoë took everywhere with her to jot down ideas for her new television series.
‘Everyone in Cazulas can see that El Señor Alarico Cortes of Aragon has met his match,’ the tio exclaimed, reclaiming Zoë’s attention. ‘Rico is very much in love.’ He tapped the side of his nose in the familiar gesture.
‘And I get to take the photographs,’ Maria exclaimed, snapping away furiously.
‘Are you really happy, Zoë?’ Rico asked her later, when they danced together.
‘Yes, I’m utterly, completely and totally happy. And as for this—’ She gazed around at the glittering throng of friends and family Rico had assembled to celebrate their wedding day. ‘This is duende for me—how about you?’
Rico drew her a little closer. ‘Every moment I’m with you, Zoë, is a whole lot better than that.’
ISBN 978-1-55254-457-0
MEDITERRANEAN MEN BUNDLE
First North American Publication 2006.
Copyright © 2005 by Melanie Milburne, Diana Hamilton and Susan Stephens.
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All about the author…
Susan Stephens
SUSAN STEPHENS was a professional singer before meeting her husband on the tiny Mediterranean island of Malta. In true Presents style they met on Monday, became engaged on Friday and were married three months later. Almost thirty years and three children later they are still in love. (Susan does not advise her children to return home one day with a similar story, as she may not take the news with the same fortitude as her own mother!)
Susan had written several non-fiction books when fate took a hand. At a charity costume ball there was an after-dinner auction. One of the lots, “Spend a Day with an Author,” had been donated by Harlequin Presents® author Penny Jordan. Susan’s husband bought this lot and Penny was to become not just a great friend, but a wonderful mentor who encouraged Susan to write romance.
Susan loves her family, her pets, her friends and her writing. She enjoys entertaining, travel and going to the theater. She reads, cooks and plays the piano to relax, and can occasionally be found throwing herself off mountains on a pair of skis or galloping through the countryside.
Visit Susan’s Web site at www.susanstephens.net—she loves to hear from her readers all around the world!
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