That Bella could lie so to James who was her whole world caused her to have more qualms about her sister's honesty, and her writing case stayed in the little writing desk where Juana had placed it. She would write to Bella tomorrow. Tonight, she just couldn't.
Her mind was a jumble of thoughts as drowsiness once more had her drifting towards sleep. Who was Doña Eva? She had never heard her mentioned before tonight. Was she another of Severo's girl-friends? He had a look about him that said he wasn't averse to playing the field when the mood was on him. She recalled almost his first wards to her, 'Do I get a kiss of greeting?' He hadn't better start to try his hand with her, that was all—she had a trump card, didn't she? She would threaten to tell his grandfather everything if he thought to enter their 'engagement' as though it was for real.
Suddenly all thought of sleep left her at the remembrance of Maria telling her that up until lunch time today they hadn't been expecting her. Surely she must have got
that wrong? But no, Severo had said just before he had introduced Maria that he would apologise later for putting her in such a flap with his phone call. He must have telephoned while she was packing to go with him.
She sat up, trying to get her thoughts in order. That could only mean that at the least he had been undecided about whether or not to bring her back. Though why come to see her in Montevideo at all? Of course, her telegram. He couldn't very well ignore her 'Can't wait to see you, darling', especially if his grandfather had seen her telegram, could he?
Reggie got down in the bed again, realising she could puzzle at it all night, but Severo was the only one who could give her any answers, and he must still be with the Gomez woman. She thumped her pillow, wishing it was his head. That she was here must mean that Grandfather Cardenosa still needed to have confirmation that an English fiancée existed. About the funeral Maria had spoken of she didn't bother her head; she had enough to keep her busy without delving into that.
She awoke, stretched and saw brilliant sunlight pouring into the room. Then any pleasure to be found on waking to such a morning fast evaporated as her eyes caught shadow where shadow should not have been.
`Good morning, my darling.'
Shaken rigid to hear that mocking voice in the privacy of her room, she was showing her amazement in the form of slightly parted lips when Severo Cardenosa stepped into her line of vision. Then to her astonishment, without another word being spoken, he leant over the bed, his head coming nearer and he sealed her mouth with his.
His hands on her shoulders, bare except for the flimsy straps of her nightdress, scorched her skin, and as her brain had not yet recovered it was instinctive to hold on to the check-sleeved arms on either side of her while the
whirl in her brain sorted itself out.
Whether by that action Severo thought she was reciprocating, she didn't have time to ponder. But his hands moving to her back, his kiss becoming deeper, had her jerking away, pushing at him, her eyes dark blue and flaming with anger.
`How d-dare you! How dare you!' she spluttered, rage uppermost, her lips reserved for Clive.
Coolly, Severo straightened, her fury not affecting him in the slightest. 'I couldn't resist it,' he drawled. 'For ten minutes I've been waiting for you to wake. I have stood watching your loveliness, your beautiful blonde hair spread over your pillow, your lips even in sleep inviting, your ...'
`Get out!' hotly she interrupted his flow. 'And don't ever come in here again!' It doubly annoyed her to find he had been watching her while she slept.
Her anger in no way cooled that instead of showing the least sign of his being in any way perturbed at being ordered out of any of the rooms in his own home, his blue eyes filled with unhidden amusement. It came as no surprise to hear him mock:
`Get out? Is that any way to talk to your novio?'
Fury threatened to take her reason that he was daring to laugh at her. Oh, if only she was fully dressed and not at the disadvantage of having to stay huddled in the bedclothes!
`You may be my—novio—but it's only a temporary arrangement,' she raged, 'and that doesn't give you the right to think you can—can kiss me whenever you feel like it!'
`There's fire in you, my lovely—as I knew there would be,' he tormented, his eyes going appreciatively from her sparking blue eyes to where the bed sheet had slipped to reveal one deliciously satiny-skinned rounded shoulder.
Hastily Reggie drew the sheet up round her throat, almost choking herself in the process, incensed on catching the glint of laughter in his eyes at her attempt at modesty.
`Fire you will know nothing about,' she snapped, never having thought of herself as being fiery-blooded until he had aroused such anger. 'And,' she added, determined to sort this out here and now scantily clad as she was with him fully dressed—his working clothes, she guessed from his leather riding boots and cord trousers, 'and while we're on the subject I'll thank you to keep your kisses for those who want them!' Memory of him dining with the unknown Senora Gomez—on her first night in his home too—had the next words spurting from her: 'Otherwise I shall have no alternative but to—but to ...' A hard look coming about him, all humour vanishing, had her faltering.
`Don't stop there.' His voice was cold, telling her he took threats from no one. 'Just what exactly will you do should another occasion arise when I find the invitation of your lips irresistible?'
If he thought she was going to back down then he had another think coming! She held the trump card, didn't she? Her face as sombre as his, still angry but with some of her heat gone, she looked straight into his unsmiling eyes.
`Should you at any time----' she hesitated; she couldn't very well say 'while your grandfather is alive'; that would hurt him, though why ·she should bother about his feelings was a mystery to her, 'during my stay, ever do such a—a thing again, then I shall feel fully justified in telling your grandfather everything.'
She had thought his face had looked hard before, but it looked positively ruthless as she finished issuing her ultimatum. His jaw tightened as if he was checking some
strong emotion. She saw his hands clench momentarily as though he was getting a grip on his feelings. His eyes went past her and for a moment she had the feeling he had forgotten she was there. Then suddenly he had himself under control and was moving towards the bed. And just when she was beginning to have doubts about that self-control, her heart starting to flutter that no one would hear her screaming if he began to attack her, he sat down on the edge of the bed, giving her one stern look, noting her alarm and not above referring to it.
`My purpose in coming to your room was not with the intention of ravishing the delightful body that sheet does little to conceal,' he told her coldly. 'As for your threat,' he shrugged as though it was insignificant, 'you have doubtless forgotten an ace beats a king.'
Her eyes widened that he should so far read into her mind as to know she had been thinking in terms of trumping any move he made. 'An ace?' she choked, some premonition telling her she wasn't as bright as she thought she had been.
`Have you forgotten the bargain I made with your sister?' Her face whitened, her eyes wide and afraid suddenly. 'Make no mistake, little one, should you at any time attempt to thwart my plans, then Bella Usher and her husband will hear from me.'
`You can't—you wouldn't!' The words flew from her in panic, all the confirmation she needed there in his look.
`Enough of this threat and counter-threat,' he said disdainfully, as if now he had without too much effort chopped her down to size, the matter was now beneath him. He then dipped into the pocket of his shirt and passed to her the most exquisite diamond, solitaire engagement ring. 'I purchased this yesterday while you were packing,' he informed her, causing her to remember that he had also telephoned Maria, so he had been quite
busy while she had got her things together, but there was no time then to bring up the matter of the phone call and all the thoughts that had triggered off, because Severo was telling her to put it on.
`You want me to wear it when I meet your grandfather?' she questioned, knowing the answer but needing time to get over the peculiar feeling of shyness that came over her, preventing her from putting on this wildly expensive item while he was there.
`You will wear it all the time,' he commanded, and, impatient with her dithering taking the ring from her, he pushed it on her engagement finger.
She was unused to wearing a ring on that finger, but the odd sensation it gave was blunted by the look of satisfaction on his face.
`Now,' he said, his face thoughtful, 'we come to the purpose of my visit.'
`It wasn't to—to give me this?' she "enquired, holding up her left hand. He had already said it wasn't with the purpose of ravishing her either, she recalled, and she was at a loss to know what other reason he had. Her eyes showed her question as she looked at him.
`I must apologise for not coming to Montevideo to get you sooner,' he began. 'Penniless as you were; you must have had an anxious time.'
Colour flooded her cheeks at his turn of phrase, for all it was next door to the truth. 'There was some good cause why you couldn't come before?' she queried, instinct sharp in her suddenly, telling her there was a very good cause.
But when, not allowing an atom of emotion to show itself, Severo told her of that reason, she very nearly collapsed with the shock of it.
`A very good cause,' he confirmed. 'The day on which you arrived in Uruguay was the day on which my grandfather died.'
For several seconds she just looked at him with nothing happening in her brain at all, then, 'Died?' she whispered, then as remembrance of how much she had loved her own grandparents, how sad she had been when they had died, how much he must have loved his own grandfather, 'Oh, Severo,' she said softly, 'I'm so sorry.' Then as her brain roared into life, working apart from the emotion of that sad moment, bewilderment took the sharpness off her words. 'But—but if your grandfather is dead, then—then what on earth am I doing here?'
For long moments he looked back without speaking. He knew already from her initial reaction to his news that he had her sympathy, but his face was still expressionless as he at last said:
`As you can imagine, my grandmother is very distraught.'
`Grandmother?' Her startled exclamation said it all. She had assumed his grandmother to be dead—and yet ... She recalled the mixed-up conversation she had had with Maria last night, and as everything fell into place she realised it wasn't so very mixed up after all. 'I didn't realise your grandmother was still alive,' she tacked on quietly. 'Maria mentioned a Doña Eva—is she your grandmother?'
He nodded. 'Like you, she is English.' He paused briefly before going on, 'You, Reggie, will be a great source of comfort to her. As I said, she is distraught. She and Grandfather had been together for sixty years.' Reggie's heart went out to her. 'But,' he paused again as though it pained him to have to talk on the subject but was having to do so because there were things she had to know, 'but in her distress there is something that keeps her from giving in.'
A heavy weight she didn't want to have to carry was descending on Reggie, and she just knew she wasn't going
to like the answer before she asked:
`And that something is?'
`The comfort she is gaining from the knowledge that her beloved Roberto died happy.'
`Because of this—our engagement?'
`They were everything to each other,' he said bleakly. `What she wanted, he wanted for her. What he wanted, she wanted too.' He stood up as though needing action to control his own unhappiness in losing the man who had brought him up, and went to stare out of the window.
There was silence in the room which she just couldn't intrude upon by breaking into the sadness of his thoughts. But that didn't stop her mind from ticking over. It should simply be a case of no grandfather, no engagement, she thought. But she was certain Severo hadn't brought her here just for the purpose of telling her his grandfather had passed away. He could have done that in Montevideo! Why, not many minutes ago he had given her this beautiful engagement ring. She looked down at her hand, seeing yet not seeing the solitaire, every, sense telling her exactly why she was wearing his ring. And then she just had to break into his private grief, had to voice the certainty that was growing within her.
`You still want me to pretend to be engaged to you don't you? This time for your grandmother's sake.'
His expression when he turned had changed very little. `At the moment the only solace Abuela has in her grief is that because my novia would soon be here, her dear one departed with joy in his heart.'
Reggie knew then she just couldn't add to the old lady's mental suffering, though she wished almost desperately that she had a harder heart. She kicked against the knowledge that had it been her own grandmother she, like Severo, would have done anything rather than cause her a moment's pain.
But she mustn't allow sentiment, her soft heart, to cloud the vision of her thinking. Her stay in Uruguay had been said to be not very long because of Grandfather Cardenosa's weakened state of health. Doña Eva might be a robust lady, the sort who had never had a day's illness in her life.
Unconsciously she sighed. Her personal wish to get back to England with all speed was at odds with this, constant it seemed to her, desire to know how soon all Severo's elderly relatives were likely to pop off.
'Er—how long is this—er—new arrangement likely to be for?' she asked, hating the embarrassment of having to ask such a question, especially at a time like this.
`My grandmother is eighty. You will see for yourself how frail she looks,' he said, not by a flicker of an eyelash showing any emotion that she had all but agreed. The love my grandparents had for each other was, I think, of the same quality your own grandparents shared.'
`And my grandmother couldn't endure to live without Grandfather,' Reggie put in, her eyes moist, remembering as she said the words she had already told him, 'she died six months after him.'
She blinked to clear the signs of emotion from her eyes, knowing there was very little more to be said. It was less than useless calling herself all kinds of a fool. It wasn't in her to upset the old lady at such a time—to add to her grief by disengaging herself from Severo. It just wasn't in her.
`When am I to meet her?' she asked, carefully keeping all sign of emotion out of her voice.
But if she lacked any sign of emotion, then for the first time in an age emotion came to Severo's face. It took the shape of a half smile that caused her to hope those weren't traces of triumph she saw there.
`As you can see,' he said, referring to the way he was dressed, 'I have one or two matters to attend to. I have told Ana, Abuela's maid, that we will visit at eleven. You will be ready?'
`Your grandmother lives here?' Reggie wasn't quite sure why she asked, because she hadn't questioned that his grandfather lived with him:
Tor the moment. If she recovers her strength then it is possible she will want to return to her own home, not far away—we shall have to wait and see.'
Reggie spent the time in waiting for Severo to take her to meet his grandmother in showering, dressing in one of her better dresses, a coffee-coloured linen, having a solitary breakfast and wondering what she had got herself into now. One thing was for sure, with the old lady being English, she had better watch out that she didn't make a slip anywhere. She wouldn't be able to put any impulsive verbal attack on Severo—who had the greatest knack of rattling her to sudden fury quicker than anyone she had ever met—down to a faulty translation. English was Doña Eva's native tongue too.
She had time while she was waiting to realise that Maria's, 'Don Severo telling me you are not coming at all,' must in part at least be put down to an error in translation. He had already told Doña Eva that fog had delayed her, and she could see the reason for him doing so so n the circumstances. What with the household being 'upset with the death of his grandfather, it would be easier to let her think she had been delayed by fog than have her arrive on a day that must have been a great
strain for the old lady.
The last minutes before Severo came for her seemed to drag by at a snail's pace. Purposely, needing time to compose herself, she had avoided leaving the house, but as she gazed from her bedroom window out at green, green
lawns and borders where every conceivable flower appeared to be growing, she knew she would far rather be out there in the peace and tranquillity of the scene than about to face what she was about to face.
A sound of her door being opened behind her alerted her to the fact Severo had come for her. She turned, knowing she mustn't allow herself to get annoyed that he seemed to not have heard of such a small courtesy as knocking on a door before entering. She needed all her composure for the coming interview.
As coolly as she could she looked at him, noting again his height, the insolent way he wore his good looks. She observed that he had changed into a lightweight pale grey suit, and sought with her eyes for her handbag. No need to take it with her, of course, she wasn't leaving the house, but she felt the need for something to hang on to.
Severo didn't say whether he thought she looked presentable in her coffee-coloured linen, for all she saw his eyes had missed nothing in his inspection. In fact he had very little to say at all except one word.
`Venga.' It was the Spanish for 'Come'.
CHAPTER FIVE
SHE saw at once from where Severo had inherited his brilliantly blue eyes. The sitting room of the suite of rooms Doña Eva occupied was cool and shaded, but even with the light less powerful here she saw that not only had the years barely _faded those blue eyes, but that those eyes were moist as Severo made the introduction.
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