Under the Brazilian Sun

by Catherine George

  She let out a deep heartfelt sigh. ‘Hallelujah, so am I!’

  ‘Of course you are. Have you told the client?’

  ‘No. He’s away for the day, so I’ll break the glad news when he gets back.’

  ‘Well done. And once you’ve done that, Katherine, there’s no need for you to hang on there any longer,’ he pointed out.

  ‘No. No, there isn’t,’ she agreed quietly, feeling suddenly flat. ‘Actually, James, unless it’s going to cause problems at the gallery, I’d like to stay until my scheduled flight on Sunday. I fancy a day or two in the sun.’

  ‘Fine by me. You finished the job sooner than I expected. Besides, Judith’s finger is firmly on the pulse at the gallery.’ He chuckled. ‘I’m such an impossible patient she’s glad to get away from me, poor darling.’

  ‘Then hurry up and get well! Thanks, James. I’ll let you know when the painting’s on its way.’

  Katherine closed her phone and sat staring at the face in the painting. She was pretty sure it hadn’t turned up during past research, so why did he look so familiar? He was young. No more than twenty, at a guess. She jumped as Lidia rattled a tea tray behind her.

  ‘You stop now, yes?’

  Katherine nodded. ‘I’m dying for some tea.’

  Lidia put the tray on the other table and came to take a look. She shook her head in surprise. ‘Engracado—he look like Senhor Roberto.’

  Katherine’s eyes opened wide in sudden comprehension. ‘Of course! You’re right, Lidia. That’s why he looks so familiar. I should have seen it before—the eyes and those eyebrows. Not the mouth so much, and the hair is straight, but there’s definitely a resemblance. When will Senhor Sousa be home, do you think?’

  ‘Cinco horas, maybe.’ Lidia held up five fingers. ‘Jorge telephone when they leave.’

  ‘In that case I’ll drink this tea, then have a bath. I’ll take the painting upstairs with me.’ Katherine smiled sheepishly. ‘I want it to be a surprise.’

  Lidia laughed. ‘A very nice surprise!’

  Katherine carried the painting upstairs later and laid it on the chest at the foot of the bed, too tired afterwards to risk staying long in the bath. She wrapped her wet hair in a towel so she could stretch out on the bed, and went straight to sleep.

  She shot upright when her phone rang, rolling her eyes as she saw the time. ‘Hi, Andrew,’ she said, resigned.

  ‘Do you know what time it is?’ he said furiously. ‘I’m due at a legal dinner tonight!’

  ‘Then you’d better be on your way. Sorry. I’ve been working so hard I fell asleep after my bath.’

  ‘For God’s sake, how hard can it be, dabbing at a painting all day—?’

  Katherine cut him off mid rant. Andrew had always claimed he found her work fascinating. Not any more, apparently. She got up quickly and, after a moment’s hesitation, zipped herself into the green dress which did such good things for her shape. She brushed her hair into a shining bell and did her face, fastened gold studs in her ears, then switched on her phone again. No point in cutting herself off from the world just because Andrew was being a pain. It rang immediately, but this time her caller was Rachel Frears, her room mate at university and close friend ever since.

  ‘What’s up with Andrew?’ Rachel demanded. ‘He just rang me in a right old tizz. Says you hung up on him. Has he been a naughty boy? He even asked me to apologise for him.’

  ‘That’s new!’ Andrew and Rachel had not taken to each other. ‘He’s annoyed because I took off to Portugal without him, and I’ve been working too hard since to ring him.’

  ‘Does he demand regular phone sex, then?’

  Katherine hooted. ‘He’d be lucky! How’s it going in the world of breaking news, Miss Hotshot?’

  ‘I wish! I’ve just done a riveting features item on the ten hottest dress shapes for autumn. By the way, how come your work takes you to the beach, while mine keeps me here in an office?’

  ‘I’m not at the beach. I’m in the Minho in the north.’

  ‘So who’s this man who’s paying you to have a holiday, then?’

  ‘Hey—I’m working my socks off!’

  ‘Which doesn’t answer my question, Dr Lister.’

  ‘I’ll give details when I get home—’ Katherine broke off at a knock on the door. ‘Got to go—dinnertime. I’ll ring you before I leave.’

  Katherine left Pascoa at the foot of the stairs and made for the veranda unescorted. The click of her heels on the polished stone floor brought Roberto into the hall to meet her, a look in his eyes which sent her pulse into overdrive.

  ‘Good evening, Katherine. You look very beautiful.’ So beautiful it was hard to remember that this goddess was the intellectual historian he’d found so daunting at their first meeting.

  ‘Thank you,’ she said, outwardly composed.

  ‘How was your day?’

  ‘Very busy.’ She eyed him closely in the soft lighting on the veranda, but he looked no more tired than usual. ‘How did you get on with your doctor?’

  ‘He was pleased with my progress,’ he said with satisfaction, and filled two wine glasses. ‘And the fisioterapia was not such torture today.’ He touched his glass to hers and smiled. ‘Perhaps because your company this evening is my reward.’

  Not sure how to answer that, Katherine sat in the chair he pulled out for her. ‘I’m glad you had a good day. I did too.’

  Roberto sat beside her, his eyes bright with anticipation. ‘You have made progress?’

  She nodded and jumped to her feet. ‘I should have brought the painting down with me—I’ll just run up and get it.’

  Roberto got up more slowly. ‘Please do not run, Katherine. Jorge is not here, and if you fall I cannot pick you up.’

  And this, Katherine could tell, bothered him enormously. ‘I’ll just walk quickly,’ she promised and hurried out into the hall.

  Roberto followed and crossed to the foot of the stairs, watching as Katherine mounted them as though she had wings on her heels, the clinging fabric of her dress outlining her shape so exactly his mouth watered. His lips tightened. If she had finished work on the painting she would soon leave. He must find some way to persuade her to stay longer. He smiled as he saw her reappear, moving slowly now, as though she carried the Holy Grail. She descended the stairs with care, her eyes glowing over the canvas.

  ‘Here he is. Shall we take him into the sala under the lights right away? Otherwise Lidia will be serving dinner.’

  ‘Sim senhora!’ Roberto limped rapidly across the hall to turn on the overhead lights in the sala. Katherine unveiled the canvas and put it on the desk, Roberto’s indrawn breath as they leaned over it all the reward she needed.

  ‘I’ve cleaned him up as much as I could,’ she explained. ‘Our top restorer will remove the stubborn bits with her scalpel. Then she’ll make the necessary repairs and top the whole thing off by replicating—as near as possible—the original glaze finish. There’s no signature, which was quite common, but James shares my opinion. Even from just the photograph I sent him he thinks there’s no doubt about the artist.’

  ‘Dare I guess?’ he said huskily, his eyes glued to the canvas.

  ‘Please do.’

  Roberto took in a deep breath and turned to face her. ‘Thomas Gainsborough?’

  Katherine’s radiant smile was all the answer he needed. He let out a shout of triumph and caught her in his arms and kissed her. His arms fell away at once and he stood back, a wry smile on his lips.

  ‘I beg your pardon, Katherine.’

  ‘No problem,’ she assured him breathlessly. ‘I could have kissed someone myself when James confirmed it.’

  For a moment she thought Roberto would kiss her again, but he turned away to look at the picture.

  ‘Lidia thinks he looks like you,’ Katherine told him.

  ‘E verdade?’ He eyed the portrait in surprise. ‘You agree with her?’

  ‘I do now. At first I just thought he looked familiar, and couldn’
t think why. I was sure I’d never turned him up during my research, so it was only when Lidia commented on it that I saw the resemblance.’

  Roberto smiled crookedly. ‘He is much prettier than me.’ He looked closely at the painted face. ‘But he is familiar, com certeza. The first time I saw him I felt this, even disguised with such dark paint.’ He shook his head. ‘Come. We must return; Lidia will not be pleased if dinner is spoiled.’

  Katherine hardly knew what she ate in her excitement, which Roberto shared, all vestiges of his normal melancholy gone as they discussed the painting.

  ‘Will you keep it?’ asked Katherine at one stage.

  He shook his head. ‘Now the provenance is confirmed I cannot hang it here because of security. Instead, I shall give our young man away as a very special Christmas present.’

  ‘So your maiden will have to languish alone in the sala.’

  ‘No, Katherine, she will be part of the same present. I will hang some other painting in the sala.’

  Some present! Katherine hotly envied the lucky recipient, and looked up with a smile as Jorge came to clear away.

  ‘Would the senhora like dessert?’ he enquired.

  Since the senhora had barely noticed the excellent fish she’d eaten, Katherine nodded, smiling. ‘Yes, please.’

  ‘You have not eaten dessert before,’ observed Roberto when Jorge had gone.

  ‘Tonight I’m in the mood to celebrate,’ she told him, eyes sparkling.

  Roberto looked at her in silence for a moment, his euphoria dimmed.

  ‘What’s the matter?’ Katherine demanded. ‘Are you in pain?’

  He shook his head. ‘I realise that now your work is done you will leave.’

  There was a pause while Jorge appeared with a custard tart for Katherine, and then left them to a silence so intense it was tangible.

  ‘Actually,’ said Katherine, when she could bear it no longer, ‘I’m not going home just yet. It was always my intention to go on to Viana do Castelo for a couple of days once my mission here was accomplished.’

  Roberto’s eyebrows rose. ‘You are staying at a hotel there?’

  ‘I’m not booked anywhere. I had no idea how long I’d be here at the Quinta. But if there was time afterwards I planned to ask for transport to Viana do Castelo and chance finding somewhere for the rest of my stay.’

  ‘When is your flight?’ he demanded.

  ‘Sunday.’

  He gave her the rare illuminating smile that lit up his entire face. ‘Do you have a reason for staying in Viana?’

  She shook her head. ‘Only that it’s not far from here, and from the guidebook it seemed like a pleasant place to recover. I’ve concentrated so hard on the painting I fancy a couple of days doing nothing but swim and sunbathe before getting back to the gallery.’

  ‘But you could do those things here!’ He leaned forward. ‘Katherine, stay here at the Quinta until you fly home.’

  She gazed at him in silence, her pulse racing.

  ‘All I ask is your company, I swear.’ He waited, but when she said nothing he slumped back in his chair. ‘Forget I asked. Jorge shall drive you to Viana whenever you wish.’

  She cleared her throat. ‘Couldn’t you drive me there tomorrow?’

  His eyes narrowed. ‘Why?’

  ‘To ship the painting to James.’

  ‘Unnecessary. A courier will collect it.’

  ‘Pity.’ Katherine smiled at him. ‘I thought we might have lunch somewhere afterwards.’

  Roberto’s eyes narrowed. ‘Is that a condition for your stay here?’

  ‘No. Of course not.’ She looked at him very directly. ‘I thought it might do you good to get out for a while.’

  ‘I do get out—to the hospital.’ His smile was grim. ‘I have faced danger many times in the past, but now I look like a monster I am not brave enough to eat in public, Katherine.’

  ‘You look nothing like a monster,’ she said flatly. ‘But I understand how you feel.’

  His eyes locked with hers. ‘Then stay, Katherine.’

  She looked at him in silence for a while and at last nodded, smiling wryly. ‘Yes, I will. Though I’m not sure I should. Life will seem very humdrum back at home afterwards.’

  ‘But you have a lover there.’

  ‘Once and for all, Andrew is not my lover.’ Her eyes flashed. ‘And after the fuss he’s made about my coming here, I’m not sure I even think of him as a friend any more.’

  ‘Yet he wants you to live with him, no?’

  ‘Because he thinks it’s a sure way to get me to sleep with him,’ she said; and regretted the words the moment they were out.

  Roberto smiled broadly. ‘Almost I pity this man. Because you will not do as he wishes, will you, Katherine?’

  ‘No.’ As she looked into Roberto’s gleaming, heavily lashed eyes it was clear that the relationship Andrew wanted was never going to happen.

  ‘He cannot be the first man eager to be your lover,’ Roberto said, taking some cheese with sudden appetite.

  ‘True. But there’ve been relatively few relationships in my life.’

  Roberto eyed her questioningly. ‘Why, Katherine?’

  It was not a habit of hers to discuss her personal life, but he seemed genuinely interested in her so why not? Once she left Portugal she would never see him again. ‘I need to like and respect a man before I get physically close to him. So when I was a student I was considered weird because I was selective, rather than a serial bed hopper.’

  His eyes lit with laughter. ‘The men you selected were greatly envied, no?’

  ‘There weren’t that many! I was just as happy with friends of my own sex, one of whom, Rachel Frears, is now engaged to Alastair, my tenant.’ She sighed. ‘They will naturally want to move somewhere else together, so I’ll soon be looking for someone to replace him.’

  ‘This is necessary for you, financially?’

  Katherine nodded matter-of-factly. ‘I love my job, but the salary isn’t huge, and to keep my house I need the rent from the flats.’ She ate some of the tart, eyeing him curiously. ‘Did you enjoy life as a student?’

  ‘I did not go to college.’ He waited. ‘You do not ask me why?’

  She shook her head. ‘I feel privileged to know the truth about your accident, Roberto, but you don’t have to tell me anything else.’

  ‘At last you say my name!’ He leaned nearer to touch her hand. ‘You must surely wonder how I live here, in luxury, yet do nothing that entitles me to such a life.’

  She sat very still as his fleeting touch sent her pulse haywire. ‘I assumed that your parents are wealthy enough to make that possible.’

  ‘This is true,’ he agreed. ‘But until the accident I worked hard on the Estancia. Then I came here to a friend’s wedding and met Elena, who almost killed me.’ He smiled mirthlessly. ‘Fate is a cruel mistress, naoe? For the time being I am no help to anyone. But I am striving to get fit as quickly as my body will allow and soon,’ he added fiercely, ‘I shall go back to Brazil and relieve my father of the work involved in running Estancia Grande. It is my heritage,’ he added simply.

  It was later, after Jorge had bidden them goodnight, before Katherine asked the question she’d wanted to ask the moment Roberto brought the subject up.

  ‘The danger you faced in the past—was it anything to do with the work you did on the Estancia?’

  ‘No, it was not.’ He smiled sardonically. ‘But I worried my mother greatly.’ He paused, eyeing her closely. ‘Are you tired, Katherine?’

  ‘Not in the least. I had a nap earlier on, so sleep won’t come easily tonight.’

  ‘Then will you walk with me in the moonlight?’

  ‘I’d love to,’ she said eagerly, and got up, holding out her hand to him.

  Roberto took it in his as he got to his feet. As they passed the pillar at the top of the veranda steps he flicked a switch, and lamps lit up throughout the gardens.

  ‘How lovely,’ she said, delighted. ‘If yo
u’ll consent to take my arm, Senhor Sousa, you won’t need your stick.’

  ‘It will be my great pleasure,’ he assured her as they set out on the beautifully kept paths. ‘I come here alone at night when I cannot sleep. But it must surely annoy you to walk so slowly?’

  She chuckled. ‘I admit that it did when I wanted to get back to work, but tonight it’s good just to stroll in the night air. I’m in no rush to get to bed.’

  While Roberto, with Katherine’s fragrance surrounding him, suddenly burned to pick her up and rush her to his bed. With no hope of achieving this, he schooled his clamouring libido and concentrated on the feel of her arm linked in his and the pleasure of the moment instead. It was some time since he had been in such close proximity with a woman. Not that the women he’d known in the past, other than his mother and his young wife, had ever walked further than from his car into some expensive restaurant.

  ‘Why did you chuckle?’ asked Katherine, looking up at the profile outlined by the moonlight.

  ‘It is not polite to talk of women I’ve known in the past, but it occurred to me that none of them would have agreed to a walk in the dark—or even in daylight.’

  ‘Were there very many?’

  ‘Enough.’ He shrugged. ‘I had money to spend. And until the accident I was not bad to look at.’

  A bit of an understatement, thought Katherine, resisting the urge to move closer. ‘Were they all actresses like the lady who crashed your car?’

  ‘There were also models.’

  No surprise there. ‘But how did you meet them? You said your Estancia was a long way from the nearest town.’

  ‘I was many years working away from home before I returned to work on the Estancia.’

  ‘You’re very mysterious about what you did in those years away,’ remarked Katherine.

  ‘It was nothing criminal,’ Roberto assured her, and smiled as she exclaimed in delight as they reached the pool.

  ‘How lovely it looks in the moonlight!’ She made for a wrought iron bench at the far end. ‘Shall we sit for a moment to admire it?’

  ‘You are tactful and think I need to rest, no?’ he said as they sat down.