Innocent abroard

by Jessica Steele

  Without trying, she thought, already losing her way, he had successfully blocked what she had been going to say—and he must have a fairly good idea what was in her mind. Not only that, but he had aroused her sensitivities by reminding her, without actually saying so, that his grandmother too had been through a difficult few weeks, with her husband's health taking a turn for the worse and his subsequent death.

  `It must have been a difficult time for all of you,' she said quietly, biting her lip in vexation that from the satisfied look of him he had read that her emotions were at that moment tied up with his grandmother.

  It seemed, she thought crossly, that this man was something of an expert when it came to reading people—or was it that her soft heart was so wretchedly visible? She made up her mind there and then to go against her nature. If the only way to deal with this man was to appear hard-hearted, then no one at the Estancia de Cardenosa was going to know she was as soft as butter when her emotions were played upon.

  `Tell me, Reggie—I know so little about you—do you ride?'

  `You mean horses?'

  Really, he was a past master at confusing her! When were they going to get round to the subject that must surely be as much in the forefront of his mind as hers?

  Maria arrived to clear the first course and serve the

  second while Severo agreed that he had meant could she ride a horse.

  `I've been on one a time or two,' she answered; no point in pretending she was brilliant—she wasn't.

  `I thought, weather permitting, you might like to come with me to see something of the countryside tomorrow morning.'

  The idea appealed, she couldn't say it didn't. If the countryside was anything like what she had seen this morning then she knew she was in for a treat.

  `I'd like that,' she said, and found, to her annoyance, that she was smiling into brilliantly blue eyes. Really, the man could charm the heart of a wheelbarrow, she thought, feeling cross again, and determined as Maria went out that she had delayed long enough.

  `Your meal is to your liking? I can instruct Maria to prepare only English meals for you if you prefer.'

  `My meal is fine, fine,' said Reggie quickly, barely noticing what she was eating, so anxious was she becoming. 'Look, Severo, we have to talk. To talk about—about us—about this wedding thing.'

  Deliberately, she thought, he took his time in replying, delaying his answer by pouring them both a glass of wine. He raised his glass to her before sampling from it, then, returning his glass to the table, he suddenly looked directly into her troubled eyes, taking in the vulnerability of her mouth, his eyes lingering on her lips.

  `Very well,' he said at last, 'we shall discuss—us.' And not waiting to hear what she had to say on the subject, he continued, 'You were—surprised—were you not, to learn this morning that your sister had—forgotten—to give you that very important piece of information.'

  Shocked was a nearer description of how she had felt, but, 'Yes,' she agreed quietly.

  `Did you really think, Reggie, that for ten thousand

  pounds all she had to do was to come to my home, pretend to be engaged to me and just enjoy an extended holiday?'

  Her eyes fell to her plate. She hadn't thought about the money side of it too much at all, she could see that now. But again he was going on before she could answer, a tightness coming to his voice that she didn't care for as he asked:

  `Did your sister pass the money over to you as well as the role you are to play?'

  Anger rose quickly at the implication that it was his money she was after by coming here. 'No, no, she didn't,' she answered hotly. 'Had Bella not already spent your wretched money it would have been returned to you and there would have been no need for me to come at all.'

  `Contract null and void,' he commented. 'A pity for you that your sister had such expensive tastes.'

  `The money wasn't frittered away,' she was quick to defend Bella. Too quick she saw a moment later when she had added heatedly, 'Your money went as the deposit on the house she and James are buying.'

  `Ah,' he said, so softly, damn his eyes, she just knew she had given him further ammunition to use at a later date. Oh lord, how easily he could make her lose her temper, make her say all manner of things without thinking.

  `Anyway, all that is beside the point, isn't it? My purpose in coming here was to settle Bella's debt to you by playing the part of your fiancée. That I will do. You'll have no cause to complain there, I'll

  `Was it your only purpose?'

  Quietly spoken, the words reached her. And her anger threatened to erupt again if he thought she was here after bigger pickings.

  `What exactly do you mean by only?' Her own tone was quiet; she was not sure the dining room wouldn't look a

  wreck if he said just one word indicating that she too was after his money. She'd have to throw something at him, she just knew it.

  `Did you not tell me this morning,' he jibed, 'that you love another?' His jibing tone fell away, and as she looked at him, startled that for some hours now she had so far forgotten Clive's existence as not to have thought of him at all, he went on, 'If you love this man as you claim you do, why then are you here in Uruguay and not with him?'

  `That's no concern of yours!'

  `I think it is. If I am to make you my bride in three weeks, I insist on knowing everything about this man you think you are in love with.'

  `I don't think,' she snapped, 'I know I'm in love with Clive.'

  The hard glint she had seen in his eyes was there again as she repeated she was in love with another man. But this time she wasn't allowing him to have the next word.

  `And you and I are not going to be married in three weeks' time or ever,' she raced on furiously, 'and you damn well know we're not!' One eyebrow ascended as though to tell her he knew no such thing, and afraid he might yet again beat her to it, she rushed on, `Doña Eva told me this afternoon that you'd told your grandfather you would only marry when you fell in love—so since you have little liking for me, let alone love, that's that, isn't it?'

  She felt quite triumphant at having got all that out without interruption. But with that way he had of coolly deflating her, her feeling of triumph was shortlived.

  `It would appear neither of us is entering this marriage with love in our hearts for each other,' he told her sardonically. 'But marriage it will be, make no mistake about that, Regina Barrington!' Then, with a coldness

  descending with a swiftness she found bewildering, he returned to the subject of Clive. 'Your lover obviously has no plans to marry you himself, otherwise you wouldn't be here now. What went wrong—couldn't he bring himself to make that final commitment?'

  `Final commitment?' She was playing for time, trying to get her thoughts together, because Severo was adept at scattering her wits.

  `He must have loved you too,' he went on, though why he should think it must be automatic for Clive to love her in return, she didn't know. 'Wouldn't he marry you, Reggie, or ' a shrewd look coming to him, 'couldn't he?'

  She didn't know why she was hanging back, he'd go on at her until he found out anyway. But her stubbornness wasn't going to let her tell him anything.

  'Ah,' he said when she didn't answer. Did he feed you the old line—he was married but his wife wouldn't divorce him?'

  `She wouldn't.' The words left her hotly, had her gasping as soon as they were out that in her defence of Clive she had confirmed what he wanted to know.

  There was no satisfaction in his look as his glance flicked over her. She knew she had gone pink, but it was more, she realised, from the fact that she had told him she loved a married man than from anything else. Had she really considered living with Clive? She saw now that her inner self would have been most unhappy with that state of affairs.

  `You met her?'

  Clearly he didn't think Clive was married. 'Yes, I met her,' she said woodenly, the scene only too vivid in her mind. 'She came to see me the day Clive once again asked her to divorce him.'
/>
  `So he was serious about you? What does he think of

  your leaving London to come here?' His voice sharpened. `I take it he does know?'

  `No, he doesn't.'

  Her anger had disappeared a few minutes ago; now she only felt dull and lifeless. She had swung round from not wanting to tell him anything to seeing no reason why she shouldn't tell him everything. Perhaps when he knew she had been afraid had she seen Clive again, that, even married as he was and with two young children, she might have still ended up living with him, Severo Cardenosa might well think then that she was not a suitable person to be his bride, mistress of the Estancia de Cardenosa.

  `Clive had to go abroad for his firm. Before he went he asked me to consider going to live with him. I didn't know up until then that he was married,' pride had her confessing that in spite of herself. 'The next night his wife came to see me. They have two young children I didn't know about either. That same night your telephone call came through. I didn't understand your call, of course, but when I told Bella about it she was—upset ...' What an understatement that was! 'Bella knew how I felt about Clive, knew that even knowing he was married had children, feeling as I did about him then even the beliefs of my upbringing would go for nothing if I saw him again...' She stopped there, but Severo qualified:

  `You were afraid you would go against the teachings of your grandparents and go and live with him as his wife.'

  `Yes.'

  `Whose idea was it that you should come to Uruguay?'

  Suspecting she might be falling into a trap, though

  unable to see one, she hesitated, then told him truthfully: 'Bella's.'

  `She really was panicky, wasn't she?' was all he said, then, tersely, 'You were lovers, you and this—Clive?' and in case she didn't understand the question, though she

  understood it all right and was furious at his nerve, 'You were bed partners?'

  `That's none of your business,' she snapped. The cheek of the man!

  `So you were.'

  Let him think what he liked, she fumed stubbornly. Why should she deny it? It seemed to her then that it would give her the edge if he did believe it. Perhaps now that he knew the sort of female she was he would drop this ridiculous idea of them getting married.

  Conversation ceased when Maria came again into the room, enquiring of Reggie if she had enjoyed her main course. Reggie looked down at her plate and was amazed to see she had cleared it without the vaguest memory of having tasted anything.

  `It was delicious, Maria,' she told her in Spanish.

  Her sweet placed before her, the door once more closed behind Maria, she wanted to get back to the subject of the marriage.

  `So you see, Severo, aside from any other consideration, I'm really not at all the sort of girl any Cardenosa would like to take for a wife.'

  `Why do you say that?'

  Reggie dropped her spoon and stared at him in amazement. 'Surely what I've just told you makes you see I'm not a fit person to bear the Cardenosa name?' It hurt her pride to say that last bit, but it was the truth as she saw it.

  Her answer, was an amused laugh, the first sound of humour she had heard since coming into this room, though she couldn't see anything very funny in what she had said.

  `My dear Reggie,' he said smoothly, his laughter dying but his face still showing amusement, 'you aren't the first girl to fall in love with a married man. On your own admission you neither knew he was married or that he

  had children.' His amused look faded as he said gruffly, `Nor, in this day and age, are you the first girl to lose her virginity without the benefit of a marriage ceremony. And as for your doubts as to whether or not you would have set up house with this man,' he shrugged, 'we shall never know, shall we?'

  `Never know ... You mean you still intend that we shall—be married?' Reggie was struggling and ready to grasp at anything to get her out of this mess. 'What about—about the money? Aren't you afraid that once married to you I won't try and take you for every penny you've got? I would have a hold on you then, wouldn't I?'

  About a minute passed with him giving her a narrow-eyed, stern scrutiny, the seconds taking so long to tick away that with each one she was growing more and more convinced she had won. Women in Uruguay were fully emancipated, it therefore followed that half of everything that was his would be hers. She allowed herself a half smile, certain now that she had scuttled all his plans for their taking a trip up the aisle. Severo would not risk any money-grubbing schemer taking half of what he had worked hard for.

  His eyes went to her mouth, observed the small smile lurking there, and then as she watched, an answering smile tugged at his mouth, and his eyes were positively alight when he at last answered, his voice pure silk.

  `Sometimes in this life, little Reggie, one has to take a gamble. Had you known more about my countrymen, querida, you would know that above most things, the Uruguayan loves a gamble.'

  `You mean ...' Her voice was husky, she didn't want to believe what her brain was telling her.

  `I mean, sweet Regina, that I shall take the risk. I intend to marry you on the twenty-fourth of this month.

  So now I think you had better start getting used to the idea.'

  He had spoken quietly, but what he had said triggered off a violent reaction. Pushing her chair back, she was on her feet, her eyes flashing, only wishing the table wasn't between them so she could wipe that oh, so confident look off his face.

  `I shall not marry you,' she said, striving for calm. 'I didn't come here to do so, and—and I have no intention of doing so. I'm sorry to have to hurt your grandmother—you know already that I like her. But you'll just have to think up some other story to tell her. You ..

  `You really are the most bossy of females,' Severo interrupted, seeming unaware of the short rein she had on her fury. That, or enjoying the way her eyes sparked almost navy in her fury.

  `Me bossy?' Reggie yelled. 'Why, you .' She grabbed at a frail strand of control, and said defiantly, with no intention of going back on it, 'I'm telling you now, Severo Cardenosa, that I am not marrying you, that my decision is final, and that there is absolutely nothing you can do about it.'

  `A pity.' His face showed all the regret in the world—but his eyes showed none.

  `Pity?' she echoed, feeling an ominous thread of threat just from looking into those blue, unregretful eyes.

  He sighed, then smiled pleasantly. 'Perhaps I had better leave it a day or two before I write to James Usher—you did say that was the name of Bella's husband, didn't you?' And while Reggie could only pale and look at him aghast, he added thoughtfully, ‘I am sure any letter sent care of your sister will be forwarded from her old address, just as I am sure James Usher would love to know who paid the deposit on his house.'

  `You swine!' tore from her throat, and not trusting her-

  self not to empty apricot flan and ice cream all over his head, she stormed from the room, wondering half hysterically in her fury if there would ever come a time when she sat down to a meal with him and remained to finish up the last course.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  STILL fuming against Severo Cardenosa when she awoke, surprised to find she had slept so well after storming from the dining room, Reggie saw the sun was bright, drying up rain that had fallen last night.

  Well, if he thought she was going riding with him he had another think coming! Cutting off her nose it might be, for being a country-lover she had a yen to see more of the surrounding countryside. But honour bound as she was to play his fiancee to the full, she could quite well achieve that without the need to put up with him outside the house as well as in.

  A tap on her door heralded Juana's arrival with a tray of tea. Shyly the girl approached, handing her a note from off the tray.

  `Gracias, Juana,' Reggie smiled, quickly scanning the note to discover that her not so beloved fiancé would be riding in half an hour if she would care to accompany him.

  Purely for Juana's benefit, who if her swooning expression
was anything to go by assumed Severo had sent a love note, she allowed a smile to hover. Bending to her handbag beside the bed, she took out her pen, musing that she should notch up a mark, since he hadn't come to

  deliver his message personally, that it must have got through to him that his presence in her bedroom was not required. She turned the note over, intending to write something rude on the back.

  It was Juana, still with that look on her face, almost sighing with the romance of it all, that had her checking her impulse. Not that her reply would get into wrong hands—and who else was likely to read English except Doña Eva—but ... No, she was here to play his fiancée, she would give him no cause to complain he wasn't getting value for his money.

  A satirical whim took her and she penned, 'Darling, you overwhelm me—I still haven't recovered from last night.' Nor would she in a hurry!

  She was in no hurry to leave her room either, and it was forty-five minutes later, when, sure Severo had gone out, she breakfasted, then wondered what she should do. Returning to her room, she wrote a long and cheerful letter to Bella. Suspecting that James might share Bella's mail at this early stage in their marriage, she was careful not to give any hint of how things truly were, saying she had taken a trip into the interior and liked it so much she was staying there for some weeks. She had no need to hold back when it came to describing the scene she had seen by the stream yesterday, and sealed the envelope knowing Bella would breathe a sigh of relief that apparently her younger sister was experiencing no problems.

  She went in search of someone to tell her where to post her letter, still trying to come to terms with the hurt she felt at Bella's deception. That she could let her come all this way, knowing she had deliberately lied in saying Severo had agreed to her coming when he had known absolutely nothing about it, was staggering, but that Bella could so conveniently 'forget' to tell her she had agreed to marry him she found more than hard to take.