by Hilary Wilde
`Juan, he's going to kill me and then get you blamed for it.'
He looked sceptical as she had expected. `That's a likely story. Who's he? Could it be Alfonso?'
`Yes .. . he said he was going to kill the English girl and that you would be blamed for the murder and . . .'
`Look,' Juan shook her gently, 'calm down. That is a lot of nonsense.'
`I knew you'd say that, but it isn't. Fiona heard him saying it . . . to one of the family who was worried about the future of the island . . .'
`I suppose Alfonso told you I killed his brother?' She felt the blood flood her face, making, she knew, her nose as well as her cheeks bright red.
`You believed it, of course. He has a way of making girls trust him.'
`I did not believe him!' Penny jerked herself free and folded her arms round her body tightly—a childhood habit she had always used when a difficult task was ahead. 'Juan, I didn't believe for one moment that you were a murderer.
`How kind of you,' he said sarcastically. 'I was not a murderer, but I killed his brother?'
`I . . . I thought you might have done so, but I knew it was by accident if you had. You were only ten years old at the time.'
`You are so kind,' he said with even more sarcasm. She blushed.
`I knew you wouldn't hurt anyone . . .' she
began, and stopped. He did hurt people— though not physically. Look how he had hurt Magdalena!
`Would you like to know the truth?' Juan asked, and when Penny began to speak, he lifted his hand to stop her. 'Hear my story first. Maybe you won't believe it. You saw the house we lived in . . . you saw the uneven rough-stoned plateau the house was on—you saw the terrible drop down on to the rocks?'
She nodded.
`Well, I had always wanted a white horse. It was my tenth birthday and the horse was a present. The stables were behind the house and no horse was allowed in the front because of the bad ground and the terrible drop.' He stood very still, his eyes half closed as he spoke. 'I can remember that horse. It was so beautiful. Alfonso came to see it, too, and brought his little brother with him. Alfonso wanted to ride my horse . . .' Juan paused for a moment. 'In a way, it was my fault. I said no— it was my horse and I was going to have the first ride. Also I said my father had told me not to ride the horse until he was there . . .' He paused, and Penny spoke.
And Alfonso was jealous and shouted that you wouldn't have the first ride after all, then he dumped the little boy on the horse's back and hit the horse's rump. The horse was frightened and galloped round to the front. You ran after it screaming for help, but the
`It seems that when you inherited the lease from your cousin, you were very good to the staff. Many of them had not had their wages paid and you paid generously. This groom—I forget his name . .
` Saturnino.'
`Yes, that was it.' Penny smiled. 'Well, as I said just now, he went to Doria Justina and told her the truth. She didn't know what to do. She loves her son, but it hurts her to think of you being accused wrongly and getting a bad name. She cried as she told me. She's afraid of what he may do next. Juan, so am I. He'll destroy you if he can. He hates you so. I'm not making it up. You must believe me, Juan. He's dangerous. Really he is!' Her voice rose almost hysterically for a moment.
`Why—' Juan asked, his voice steady, 'are you so concerned for my welfare?'
`Why?' Suddenly she was crying. She turned away, hiding her eyes with her hands. 'Because . . . because . .
Suddenly he was close to her, holding her with one hand while with the other he gently lowered her hands so that he could see her eyes.
`Because . . . ?' he said gently. 'Is it what I hope it is? Because you love me?'
`You know?' She was so startled, she could not think of hiding the truth.
`I didn't know,' he said, his voice tender. 'I could only hope.'
Both his arms were round her now as he held her close, kissing her cheek.
`You . . . you hoped?' Penny almost whispered. `Right from the beginning, I hoped. You were so lovely, so sweet, and yet . . .'
`I thought you were cruel, callous and . . .'
`A murderer?' he asked in a whisper, his mouth suddenly hard against hers.
She closed her eyes. His arms tightened and suddenly her arms were round his neck, then her hand was stroking his thick dark hair.
`I love you,' Juan said. Will you marry me?'
`I love you,' Penny whispered in turn. 'I can't believe it, Juan. It's like a dream come true. I never thought . . . never even hoped . . . I can't believe it.'
His arms tightened round her, his mouth found hers. She wondered if it was all a dream and if she could wake up and find herself in bed and realize it hadn't happened...
But his body was warm and so were his lips—and he held her so tightly she could hardly breathe. Not that she minded, indeed she just wished it could go on like that for ever.
At last he let go of her, but he held her two hands tightly as he smiled at her. 'I hope your father will approve of me.'
`I know he will—he must,' Penny laughed. Never, never in all her nineteen years had she known it would be like this. 'You really love me, Juan?' she said, still finding it hard to
believe it all. 'What about Anita—she seemed so sure you were going to marry her. So did Julieta.'
He laughed. 'A man likes to do the chasing. In the end, I had to tell them. Both bore me. Maybe Julieta will fancy Valentin. I've an idea he's interested. As for Anita—she flew off to England early this morning.'
`She's gone?'
`For good.' He pulled Penny close and traced her nose, her ears, her pointed little chin, and her lips with his fingers. 'Do I love you?' he said slowly. 'What do you really think?' The way he kissed her was evidence enough and she lay happily in his arms.
`Why did Anita go to England?' she asked at last.
Juan grinned. 'In search of a husband.' He chuck-led. 'There's one chasing her. He's got to start from square one as they never got on.'
`Who?'
`Alfonso.'
`Alfonso!' Penny had forgotten him. Now she stiffened in Juan's arms and, looking rather puzzled, he let her go. She looked at him. 'You're sure he went? I mean, it could be a trick. He means to kill me, Juan, and get you blamed for it. As I told you, Fiona heard him talking to one of the family . . .' She spoke desperately, for somehow he must realize the danger he was in.
Juan scooped her up in his arms again and
kissed her. 'My little rescuer,' he said tenderly. `You can stop worrying. I saw him off in the plane myself. Last night, Clemente Casado and I talked to Alfonso. He's got a very bad record. We made it plain that he must either pay back what he embezzled or never set foot on Vallora again. He said he had no money . . .' Juan looked amused. 'He'll find it, but the island will never get it.'
`His poor mother—and Magdalena! She was so sure he would marry her.'
`Wishful thinking. I doubt if he ever intended to marry her. Besides, now she has nothing to offer him. Before it was the island.'
`Nothing?'
`The conference of the family has reached a settlement. Clemente Casado came here to judge the values of potential economics of Vallora. The firm he is consultant for wish to take over the lease. We have decided to part with it on certain conditions, such as that those who live here will not be evicted, but merely continue to pay the same rent as they do now, or a good judged price to be paid if the land their house is on is needed. It means that Pedro's wish has been carried out. The three
children will have a good inheritance.'
`But poor Magdalena! She loves Alfonso so much. What will she do?'
Juan sat down, still holding Penny tightly. He leant forward and kissed her gently. 'My little do-gooder! Don't worry so much about
others. Magdalena and the children are going to England. Clemente Casado is travelling with them next week. She'll stay with him and he hopes that one day she may get over her long infatuation for Alfonso, and marry him.'
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`The children love him already.' Penny leant against Juan's chest. 'Everything seems to be working out. Except poor Mike.'
`Yes, poor Mike. I'm afraid we can't do anything about him, Penny, but I can get him a good job in some exciting place—we'll make a plan. The children . . .'
`The children!' Penny began, and stopped. `I'll miss them,' she said, 'I hadn't thought of that.'
Juan laughed, pretending to bite her ear and finishing by kissing her. 'Don't worry, my darling. We'll have our own children.'
Penny laughed, her arms going round his neck, their cheeks touching.
`I hadn't thought of that. I'd like two.'
`I don't mind how many so long as they're ours,' Juan said, and kissed her again.
`Oh, Juan, however many we have, I'm sure they'll be a certain joy.'
`I'm sure,' he said, and kissed her again.
