Sweet Revenge

by Anne Mather

'Well, can you?' Toni stared at him.

  'Of fidurse. If the castelo does not appeal to you, we can live in Lisbon—'

  'Raoul, don't, don't!' She put her hands over her ears.

  He looked horrified. 'Is marriage to me so repugnant?' he groaned. 'Does this scar repulse you? Even though you attempt to deny it?'

  She could not believe her ears. 'Marriage!' she breathed. 'You're talking about - marriage!'

  'What else?' His expression cleared. 'My God, Toni, I really believe you thought I meant something else!'

  'I did - I did.' Toni felt the tears rolling down her cheeks.

  'You are mad! Quite mad!' he muttered shakily, and pulled her close to him. 'But I deserve it. Forgive me, forgive me!'

  She wound her arms round his neck, clinging to him helplessly, until he said a trifle thickly: 'Toni, I am only a man, and I want you very badly. Don't make it impossible for me to let you go!'

  Toni flushed, but it was a warm tender flush of colour that lit her face to even greater beauty. 'Oh, Raoul,' she said, 'I adore you, and I'll marry you, whenever you say.'

  'Soon, it must be soon,' he murmured caressingly. 'I need a holiday, and we will take it together, hmm?'

  'Oh, yes, yes. But how did you find me?' She wanted to know every detail now. She almost laughed when she remembered how nervously she had awaited his revenge, but such sweet revenge.

  He lay back in his seat. 'When Francesca found the note she telephoned me at once. Unfortunately I was not in the office, and it was not until the following day that I heard you had gone. Had she been able to find me that day I should have been able to intercept you at the airport. As it was, I merely had confirmation from the flight office that you had left the night before. I took an immediate flight to London, obtaining your address from the de Calles. That was when I challenged Miguel again about his association with you. We were alone, and he actually boasted a little of his conquest.' He uttered a savage expletive. 'He did not boast for long. I could not keep my hands off him.'

  Toni pressed closer to him. 'Go on!'

  'In London your landlady told me you had acted very strangely because she had let her daughter have your room. After that, I was sunk. So it became a marathon of walking from agency to agency, trying to find you. Paul had no idea where you were, and it was not until today that I found the agency which had supplied the Masons as your employers. I drove straight to the apartment, as you will have guessed. Mrs. Mason was very polite and understanding, although I do not really think she believed that I was a count. I must have seemed very angry and distraught, as indeed I was!' He sighed. 'Even now, I cannot believe the waiting is all over. Don't ever do that to me again, Toni. I do not think I could stand it again!'

  Toni reached up to kiss his cheek. 'And Francesca, what will she say?'

  He half-smiled. 'Francesca can be in no doubt as to the extent of my feelings for you,' he said, caressing her cheek with his tanned fingers. 'I was like a man possessed when I visited Estrada a week ago to find out whether they had had any word of you.'

  'Will she mind?' Toni was persistent.

  'I do not think so. She has been a lonely child. It will be as well when she has brothers and sisters to care for!'

  Toni's smile dimpled her cheeks. 'It sounds wonderful,' she murmured.

  'It will be,' he promised her, as he started the car, and Toni was glad to leave everything to him.

  Table of Contents

  SWEET REVENGE

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE