"Good for you, my friend. At last you are listening to me. You went into this for the job, not an emotional roller coaster ride."
Kris gave a little chuckle. "Don't worry, I keep telling myself not to be upset by him all the time. Sometimes I just want to scream at him and fight back, then I think of the life I am leading. He isn't there all the time, so it's a small price to pay. Besides, I'm a big girl and can take care of myself. Don't you worry. Now, you must promise to visit. I'll need you to bolster me up -- your approval is vital for my self-confidence in this!"
"I don't have to promise to visit," Lauren laughed. "With the offer of sun and sand and sea, you won't be able to keep me away!" The women laughed. "Oh yes, I will have to oversee your decorating skills on a professional basis, so that will be another excuse."
They shared another laugh and a warm hug.
...x...
Raoul intended to travel with them and to stay a short while so he could show her the area and arrange introductions to the architect and builders that he already planned to use. PJ was overjoyed that they made traveling arrangements for Jump, too.
When a taxi arrived early on Friday morning, it took them to Raoul's office. He had some last minute business to attend to before they sped off with his driver to the airport.
As in the past, Raoul appeared more relaxed when only the three of them were together. However, Kris was on her guard; she couldn't fathom why he acted that way and it unnerved her.
Flying in a private airplane was a special occasion for Kris. While listening to Raoul's accented voice as he talked to the crew, Kris realised that this was old hat to him. He moved in a world poles apart from hers.
He arranged for a company car to be available on their arrival, so there were no delays once the airport formalities were complete. As they stepped into the sunlight, the impact of blue skies and distinctive architecture hit Kris with a shiver of excitement.
Raoul drove carefully on the right hand side of the road. No one spoke. Kris decided to take in the scenery as they drove past an odd-looking donkey cart and cyclist, peasant cottages and luxurious mansions, and fields of dry sandy soil. She watched in awe as they drove past the wonderful chimney pots. Raoul detoured by Vilamoura with its Marina filled with luxury yachts.
Suddenly, she sensed a change in the man beside her. She turned to look at him and saw tenderness in his profile. Even PJ stopped her chatter, and with wisdom beyond her years, said softly, "Daddy, we are nearly there, aren't we? You've gone all quiet. Are you excited, 'cos I am?" He patted the little hand she had placed on his shoulder as she peered over the front seat and gazed ahead.
"Yes, poppet, we are nearly there. It's been a long, long time since I was here and it makes me get butterflies in my tummy, too."
Kris felt a little strange in listening to the sweet exchange, almost like an intruder listening in on a private conversation.
She turned in the seat and faced him fully, her voice low. "If you want to change your mind about things -- the alterations and everything -- I'll understand."
Raoul took his eyes off the road for a moment and gave her a hard steady look, then smiled slightly. "I appreciate that," he said, huskily. "This is something I knew I would eventually do when the time was right, and as far as I am concerned that time is now." His eyes flickered to the road and then back to hers. "I hope you will be happy here."
His tone became cheerful. "Look, PJ, we are nearly there! Over the next hill and you'll see it."
It took seconds to reach the crest and Kris gasped at the sight before her. To the left, a rocky coastline stretched across an azure sea. Creamy lazy waves lapped against the shore of the sandy beach tucked into private coves among villas of varying hues. Ahead of them lay a broad green belt of pine trees that in turn gave way to rolling lawns. To the right were clusters of beautiful mellow-cut stone buildings. Standing luxuriant and with modest appearance, they blended into the lovely countryside, yet so different from the norm of brilliant whitewashed buildings.
As Raoul slowed the car, his face expressionless, he gazed onto the home he had never lived in. The gravel drive gave a satisfying crunch beneath the tires as they drove over it and parked in front of the door. An elderly lady bustled out calling over her shoulder. Seconds later a kindly-looking man came out to welcome them, too.
"Oh, Mr. Raoul, it is wonderful to see you! I can't believe you are really here; it has been ever such a long time. Just look how old Luis and I have become." She laughed happily. "But you, sir, still so handsome and smart, but then..." Her gaze rested on Kris and PJ standing next to him. "With lovely ladies like these, it is not surprising."
"Now, Almeira, no romantic nonsense," Raoul laughed. "This is Mrs. Castell. She is here to see to the alterations, and this..." Raoul proudly putting his hand on PJ's tousled head. "This is my daughter, Penelope Jayne, but we call her PJ." With introductions over, he carried on. "You'll be seeing quite a bit of me while the builders are here. We'll fix up the beach cottage for Mrs. Castell and PJ while all this is going on. It'll be more comfortable than trying to live with all the dust and dirt."
The old lady blushed when Raoul corrected her. "Well, that is nice," she said lamely. "How about a glass of wine before you look the place over? You will see that we have kept it as you had left it, Mr. Raoul."
Later, as Kris and Raoul stood with their backs to the sea looking at the house with curtain-less windows, she shivered at the enormity of the task that lay ahead. Talking to Lauren had seemed easy, but she realised that there was more at stake -- she wanted to do justice to the job. And to do that, she would have live up to the expectations of Raoul's dead wife.
"Penny for them," he said, softly.
Flustered she started to speak, but was spared any explanations as PJ called excitedly from the cottage that was to be their new home for some time to come.
"You had better go and see what all the fuss is about. I'll go and speak to the old couple again and then we'll move on to the hotel." He spoke tonelessly and then moved away.
PJ dashed up and grabbed her by the hand, tugging her around to the far side of the small building. A gleaming red bicycle leaned against the wall with a big rosette of red ribbon tied to the handlebars. Kris' eyes immediately noticed the vehicle behind the bicycle. There sat a sleek silver-grey, low-slung Mercedes Sports with the top down. Walking over, she looked inside the luxurious car. On the seat were a rosette of red ribbons, the car keys and a card nestled in the middle.
"Are they ours?" PJ almost whispered with awe.
"I'll tell you in a minute." Gingerly, Kris took the card: These days everyone needs wheels. Hope these suit you both.
Raoul
"Yes, darling, the bike is yours. It's from your daddy."
"Then the car is yours," PJ said with simple logic.
"Well, we'll have to see. Come along now, let's find your Daddy. There's something I have to talk to him about. You can ride around tomorrow."
"Oh, please, let me show Daddy how I can ride already. Let me go and find him. I promise I won't keep him waiting."
At the sight of the eager little face, Kris laughed and helped the child take the rosette arrangement off, then together they wheeled the cycle safely away from the gleaming car.
She felt tongue-tied and hesitated to speak as she faced Raoul who stood beside the car they had arrived in. "PJ wants to show you how she can ride her bike."
The little girl was shouting "Look at me, Daddy, look at me!" The cycle was a little big for her and she wobbled off down the road with Jump running enthusiastically beside her.
"There's something I want to say to you before she gets back. I can't drive around in a car that lush," she muttered flatly.
"Good heavens, why not?"
"It's far too expensive for one thing. The other is I have to drive on the right hand side of the road, and if anything happened to it I'd feel dreadful."
"I told you before, I didn't want PJ driving around in an old jalopy."
> "Yes, but there are other good cars. You didn't have to purchase the most pricey and sporty one. What if I damage it? I'm not used to driving here."
"Do you mind if I spend my money as I see fit? It is my pleasure to have you both driving around in a car like actually runs, especially here with this weather. Leave it at that, okay? Besides -- and I'm not questioning your driving -- but if anything should happen, it is well-insured, so stop worrying."
He took her arm and squeezed it as though to emphasize his words. His eyes bored into hers. "Did you hear me? It is my pleasure. I'm sure you'll manage the right hand side of the road; it's not very busy here. Now, I'll have nothing more said about it."
PJ and Jump turned at the end of the drive and came back to a sudden stop beside them. Abruptly, he let go of Kris and got into the car. "Jump in everyone, we must get going."
They drove in silence to the hotel, the adults lost in their own thoughts.
...x...
Raoul had taken a suite comprising of two bedrooms separated by a lounge. Kris was a little taken aback by the arrangements, but he must have read her thoughts.
Sarcastically, he said, "You and PJ will have the bigger room, of course." Her cheeks reddened at the inference and she covered up by telling PJ to go and unpack her suitcase.
As the child went off happily, she sensed Raoul's proximity and heard him say, "Come off your high horse for a while and stop sparring with me. You wanted a truce, didn't you?" He paused and stared at her. "Let me get you a drink. What will it be?"
Sipping her choice of Campari and soda, she felt her tension slip away as they sat on the balcony and watched the golden glow of the fading afternoon sun light up the countryside. A carefree holiday feeling seemed to creep in -- just as Raoul's friends had said.
After supper, while lying in bed, PJ hugged her dad and then Kris. "It's so nice having two people to kiss me goodnight. Poor Jump, he'll be lonely tonight, but Luis said he would look after him for me. He's 'er nice man." Her voice slurred as she slipped into a deep sleep after the thrills of the day.
Kris bade Raoul goodnight shortly afterward, claiming she was too tired after all the excitement.
He was surprisingly pleasant about it. "Actually, I won't be long either, but I have a few phone calls to make. You can never get away from business when it's your own. I know it's a bit early to ask this, but what do you think of the place? Will you be able to come up with something?"
Stifling a yawn, Kris said, "Raoul, would you mind if we talked about this in the morning? I really am tired."
"Of course. Anyway, it's silly of me to ask when you haven't even had time to go over the place by yourself." His eyes followed her as she made her way across the room and his voice was soft as he whispered, "Goodnight, Kris...sleep well."
The mood was the same the next day as they rushed around establishing the contacts she would use for the alterations. Raoul's name instantly aroused interest. Although everyone was most discreet, you could see that they itched to know what was between the handsome couple.
The cottage was ship-shape after a couple of days and Raoul announced that he, too, would be leaving. He planned to meet Isabella and Philippe on their yacht in the Mediterranean. She felt a twinge of resentment against Isabella, yet her reasoning told her not to be ridiculous. It was only a matter of time before Raoul married the woman, and then who knew what would happen. Maybe a golden handshake? Or stay on for PJ? That would satisfy Raoul's concern for his daughter and her well being, and suit La Bella Isabella admirably -- it would keep her life unencumbered by the nuisance of a child.
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* * *
Chapter Fifteen
Taking a break from all the rushing around, Kris and PJ busied themselves around the rock pools. When they heard a cheery voice call out, they looked up.
"Well, I never! Is it...it can't be... Kris?"
There in front of her stood a man several years older than herself with three children scampering around him. With a cry of pleasure, she ran up to him and flung her arms around his neck. He picked her up and swung her around delightedly.
"Carl, never mind me. What are you doing here? Oh, this is fantastic! Tell me everything! Oh, gosh, I can't believe it." She looked enquiringly in the direction of the children. "Yours? So much has happened since I saw you last. I hope you aren't leaving too soon, there is so much to catch up on." Laughing up at him delightedly, she put her arm around his waist.
"Steady on, first things first...she's not yours, is she?" He glanced over at the children who were studying something between the rocks. "Let's start from the beginning."
They chatted away as they strolled along the beach. PJ had already struck an accord with the two little girls and their brother as they all splashed and frolicked ahead of them. What a fantastic coincidence that fate should bring Kris and her half-brother to the same place at the same time. Certainly, Lauren would be delighted with the news. She had known Carl before he'd gone to Kenya, some ten years before, to pursue a life on a sisal plantation.
As is the case with most men, he wrote less often than she did. As time passed, and they grew busy with their own lives, they stopped writing except for birthdays and Christmas holidays -- even that had petered out after a while. Years had passed before she'd heard from him again. She had been particularly close to Carl during her adolescence, and despite the lost years, there was affection and warmth that no time or distance could ever erase.
Raoul arrived unannounced and searched to find Kris and PJ. But as he scanned the beach, his eyes narrowed and his mouth hardened when he found Kris in animated conversation with a man he'd never seen before. God, she wastes no time at all! he thought. Moodily, he returned to the house.
His face was like stone when Kris and PJ returned. His icy reserve served to bring Kris back to earth. She sighed. Why was the barrier back? PJ, on the other hand, with the naiveté of youth, rushed up to him to tell him about her new friends. Kris knew he was not listening, his cold hard stare meeting her wide clear eyes over the top of PJ's head. The chill that seemed to radiate from his eyes prompted her to say as little as possible, despite her excitement. Her private life and past were of no importance to him anyway; people talked about these things with friends, not their employers. Particularly one like Raoul.
Because of Raoul's attitude and his questioning look, Kris felt no quilt in telling him a half-truth. "Carl Halder is renting a villa near here. His three children got on well with PJ, as she has just told you," she said, pointedly. "I'm glad there will be company for her, especially when I get busy with the house. They are staying for some time, which will be nice."
"I don't doubt it," he said sarcastically.
Damn him for being a moody devil, she thought, turning away with a shrug.
"PJ, come along. Your father seems far too busy for us at the moment." She strode off to the cottage, noticing that his eyes followed her all of the way. PJ, happily unaware of the atmosphere, went off to ride her new cycle.
Half an hour later, Kris heard his car drive off, and moments later Almeira appeared.
"Mr. Raoul told me to tell you something important has come up and he had to go."
"Didn't Daddy say goodbye to you, Kris? Was he angry with you? He told me goodbye, but he didn't say when he was coming back."
"No, darling, like I said before, he seemed to have a lot on his mind. I'm sure he didn't mean to be rude. Surely he'll let us know when he is coming back."
Her eyes smarted with tears. She knew she had rubbed him up the wrong way. The two of them seemed to have a knack of complicating simple things. She was peeved that he hadn't trusted her when he'd seen her with Carl. However, if he didn't want her in his personal life, he had no right to interfere with hers. In a perverse way she'd wanted to rub salt into the wound by not telling him the one thing that would have made all the difference in the world.
The phone's harsh ring interrupted her thoughts, but she brightened at the sound of Carl's
cheery voice. "Listen, Kris, I've been invited to an event on Saturday at the Carters, do you know them? No, of course, you don't. You haven't been here long enough to meet anyone, how stupid of me. Anyhow, I don't have a partner, although they asked me to bring one, so...will you come with me and wow the neighbours?" He laughed. "Seriously, you'll like them, and you'll at least get to know more people. Unfortunately, it's to be a formal affair, so you'll have to pretty yourself up accordingly."
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