His Brother's Son

by Jennifer Taylor

  Her heart gave a painful lurch as she recalled how good it had felt when he’d held her in his arms. His body had felt so strong as he’d cradled her against him. She’d had an overwhelming urge to lean on him and keep on leaning. The past year had been so hard and it would be wonderful to be able to share this burden…

  But dangerous.

  What would Felipe do if he found out the truth about Josh? Antonio had signed a document appointing her as the child’s legal guardian, and had got Tara to sign it, too, but would it hold up in a court of law?

  That had been her fear all along, that her claim on Josh might be overruled. Antonio’s solicitor had warned them that there was always a chance of that happening, that nothing—not even a legal document—was guaranteed in this kind of a situation.

  That was why she’d panicked when Tara had threatened her, yet the thought that, unwittingly, she might have put herself and Josh in even more danger filled her with dread. No matter how wonderful it had felt to have him comfort her, she had to remember that Felipe was her enemy.

  ‘I don’t usually go to pieces like that,’ she said stiffly. She didn’t want to think of him as her enemy, although she wasn’t sure why. She felt a ripple of alarm scurry through her when she saw his eyes suddenly narrow.

  ‘I don’t imagine that you usually find yourself in a position like this, Miss Williams, so, please, don’t apologise. Unfortunately, we cannot always predict how we will react.’

  She wasn’t sure what he had meant by that, and frowned. Was Felipe admitting that he had reacted strangely by taking her in his arms and trying to comfort her perhaps?

  Now she thought about it, it was a strange thing for him to have done. Maybe she had difficulty thinking of him as her enemy, but surely he didn’t have any problems with the idea? And yet he had held her with such tenderness, such gentleness that it hadn’t felt as though he hated her.

  The thought bothered her probably more than it should have done. She tried to put it out of her head as she started walking again, trying to quell the noisy beating of her heart when he immediately followed her. It was obvious that he didn’t intend to let her out of his sight, so she decided that it would be best if she accepted that. There was no point trying to fight the inevitable when she might need her strength for more important battles.

  The traffic congestion eased after a little while. This part of London was in a state of limbo, she always thought, not quite fashionable but not totally run-down. However, from the look of disdain on Felipe’s handsome face as he studied the long row of Victorian terraced houses, it could have been a slum.

  He frowned when she stopped outside one of the houses and rang the bell. ‘This is where my brother’s son spends his days? Surely you could have found somewhere more suitable, a nursery where he would be properly cared for?’

  ‘Josh is very happy here,’ she said shortly, stung by the criticism. ‘Doreen—that’s the childminder—is marvellous with all the children; she loves them as if they were her own. Anyway, I can’t afford a nursery place for him. It costs a fortune in London to put a child into a private nursery.’

  She realised her mistake the moment she saw his mouth thin into that tight line she was starting to recognise only too well. She was already preparing herself for the next onslaught before he spoke, but nothing could stem the quiver that ran through her when she heard the biting contempt in his voice.

  ‘But my brother left you a considerable sum, didn’t he? You were named in his will as the sole beneficiary of his estate. Sí?’

  ‘Yes.’ She rang the bell a second time, praying that Doreen would answer it soon. She didn’t know how she could explain what had happened to the money Antonio had left without giving everything away.

  Tara had received most of it as her final payment for having Josh. The little bit that had been left over had been swallowed up by bills in the first few months when she’d been unable to work because she had been looking after the baby. She could account for every single penny if she had to, but it would mean her admitting that she wasn’t Josh’s real mother and that was something she desperately wanted to avoid.

  ‘So was it too much to expect that you might spend some of that money on making sure that Antonio’s son was properly cared for? Did it never cross your mind that you had no right to spend it all on yourself?’

  She could hear the anger in his voice and her heart ran wild as she struggled to explain without telling him the truth. ‘There were expenses—’

  ‘Expenses? Come, Miss Williams, you must have been enjoying a very lavish lifestyle if you managed to spend all that money in less than a year!’ he shot back, glaring at her.

  ‘It wasn’t like that. You don’t understand,’ she said desperately, hurt beyond belief by the way he was looking at her. ‘I didn’t spend—’

  The door suddenly opened and she stopped when Doreen appeared, holding Josh. Becky automatically reached out and took the child as he lunged towards her. She snuggled him close, breathing in his wonderful baby smell while she tried to calm down.

  If Doreen hadn’t opened the door then she would have blurted it all out and told him that nearly every penny of Antonio’s inheritance had gone on buying his son. How would Felipe feel about that? Would he blame her for what had happened because it had been her idea?

  Felipe felt his anger disappear the moment he looked at the baby in Rebecca’s arms.

  The little boy was the image of Antonio!

  From his shiny black curls to his chubby little feet, he was a miniature replica of his father. In that instant any doubts he’d had about the child’s parentage disappeared. This was Antonio’s son, his own flesh and blood.

  He wasn’t aware of what he was doing as he held out his arms. The little boy gurgled happily as Rebecca silently handed him over. He could feel the weight of the child’s sturdy little body in his arms and had to make a conscious effort not to hold him too tightly.

  He wanted to press him to his heart and keep him there, pretend, even if it was only for a moment, that he had Antonio back and that he could keep him safe from harm. It was all he had ever wanted to do and he had failed, but he wouldn’t fail this child, his brother’s son.

  It was a moment which Felipe knew he would remember all his life, a moment of such pain and such joy that he found it hard to comprehend what he was feeling. It was as though all of a sudden a key had turned and the door to his heart had been flung wide open. It was a relief when the baby suddenly grabbed a handful of his hair and tugged it hard, because he wasn’t used to dealing with so much emotion.

  A smile tugged at the corners of Felipe’s mouth as he gently unfurled the baby’s fingers. ‘I shall have no hair left if you keep that up, young man,’ he told him in Spanish. ‘Your uncle will be bald.’

  ‘He’s a devil for pulling your hair,’ Becky said softly. ‘It’s a wonder I’m not bald as well the way he tugs my hair.’

  Felipe’s black brows rose in surprise. ‘You speak Spanish?’

  ‘Yes. I’m not very fluent, but I can get by.’ She gave him a sad little smile that made his heart ache all over again. ‘Antonio offered to give me Spanish lessons in exchange for a favour I did him. That’s how we became friends.’

  She looked at the baby and sighed. ‘I’ve tried to keep it up so that I can teach Josh when he’s old enough. It seemed important that he should be able to speak his father’s language.’

  Felipe was deeply moved, so much so that he didn’t dare show how much it had affected him. He passed the baby back to her, trying to put what he had learned into context. It was probably just some wonderful story that she had dreamed up to impress him…

  Only he didn’t believe that.

  He went back down the steps while she had a final word with the childminder. It was obvious that the woman was asking who he was, but he didn’t feel inclined to join in the conversation. He needed to clear his mind so that he could focus on what he intended to do.

  Josh was Antonio’s son
. There wasn’t any doubt in his mind about that. Obviously, he would need to take that into account before he made any decisions.

  He took a deep breath but the tension that had been building inside him all day was suddenly worse than ever. Rebecca was the child’s mother. He would need to take account of that as well.

  Doreen had been intrigued to learn that Felipe was Josh’s uncle. Becky kept trying to edge away but the woman kept asking her more questions. Becky glanced over her shoulder and sighed when she saw Felipe standing by the kerb.

  It was obvious that he was impatient to leave, even though he was making an effort not to show it. However, the number of times Felipe had needed to wait for anyone had to be few and far between. He was the kind of man who was accustomed to people jumping to obey his every command.

  The thought was a little disquieting, but Becky refused to let him see how on edge she felt as she finally took her leave of the childminder. Josh was gurgling away, trying to tell her what he had done during the day. They usually played a game on the way home: she asked him questions about his day and pretended she understood what he was saying to her. However, that day she felt far too self-conscious with Felipe being there. It would hardly improve his opinion of her to know that she held in-depth conversations with a nine-month-old baby!

  ‘What happens now? Do you usually take Josh straight home?’

  She jumped when he spoke, wondering why she should be the least bit worried about what he thought of her. Felipe’s views on her as a person had been expounded in graphic detail the day before and she doubted if anything would improve his opinion.

  It was a painful thought so she focused on the question instead because it was easier. ‘Yes. He’s had his supper at Doreen’s so he just needs a bath and a cuddle, then it will be time for him to go to bed.’

  ‘It appears that you spend very little time with him. Surely it can’t be good for a child this young to spend so much time away from his mother?’

  She shrugged, not wanting him to guess that the thought had troubled her often during the past few months. ‘He seems perfectly happy. And I need to work.’

  ‘Because of the money?’

  ‘Yes,’ she snapped, disliking his tone. It hurt to know that he believed she was capable of such massive self-indulgence but, short of telling him the truth about the money, there was nothing she could do.

  She quickened her pace, not bothering to check if he was keeping up as they made their way along the street. She lived just a short walk away from the childminder’s house so it took them barely five minutes to reach her flat. She stopped on the step, juggling a wriggling Josh in her arms while she hunted her key out of her bag.

  ‘I’ll take him.’

  Felipe lifted the baby out of her arms without giving her a chance to reply. Becky’s mouth thinned because it seemed yet another example of his high-handed attitude. What made it worse was the fact that Josh was obviously delighted to have his uncle holding him.

  The baby’s chuckles accompanied them as they made their way up the three flights of stairs to the top floor. She rented the attic flat and had always felt quite proud of the fact that she’d transformed a rather dingy space into a place of colour and light. Now, as she slid her key into the lock, she found herself wondering what Felipe would think of her home. Recalling the elegance of the Clinica Valdez, she doubted if his opinion would be all that favourable.

  ‘Put Josh in his play-pen,’ she instructed as she let them into the tiny hall. She tossed her bag onto the small table she’d spent so much time lovingly restoring and slipped off her coat. ‘It’s through there, in the sitting-room.’

  Felipe didn’t say anything as he carried the child into the adjoining room. Becky hung her coat on a peg then followed him. She paused in the doorway and watched him looking around, wondering what he would think of the place.

  She’d worked so hard scraping the walls to get rid of the hideous paper the previous tenants had hung, but she’d been really pleased with the results. At this time of the day, when the evening sun was streaming in through the skylight, the whole room seemed to glow, the rich, golden yellow paint she had chosen for the walls reflecting the light.

  The furniture was a mismatched assortment bought from the local flea market, but she’d spent hours polishing the scratches out of the coffee-table and sewing new mossy-green covers for the old sofa.

  An area rug in faded green and gold—another flea-market find—made a small oasis in the centre of the floor and set off the richness of the polished wooden floorboards. She had done everything she could to make a pleasant home for herself and Josh, but would Felipe realise how much effort and love she’d put into it?

  ‘This is charming. The colour of the walls, the sunlight…everything.’ He smiled and she felt instantly warmed when she saw the approval in his eyes.

  ‘Thank you,’ she said softly, looking around. ‘I wanted it to be a real home for Josh, so it seemed worth it.’

  ‘Ah, I see. You had someone to decorate for you?’ He shot another assessing look around the room. ‘I should have realised. No wonder you have managed to spend so much money. It is extremely costly, hiring a good interior designer. Sí?’

  ‘No! I didn’t hire anyone. I did it all myself. I meant that it had been worth all the effort!’

  She took a deep breath when she saw Josh’s lower lip start to wobble when he heard her raised voice. It wasn’t fair to upset him because Felipe was set on believing the worst about her. ‘I suggest we stick to what needs to be said, Dr Valdez. Trying to be polite to one another is pointless.’

  ‘Of course. I am in full agreement with you, Rebecca.’

  He carefully put Josh into the play-pen and handed him some soft plastic blocks before he looked at her again. ‘I hope you don’t mind if I call you Rebecca. After all, we are virtually family so it seems silly to continue being so formal. And you must call me Felipe, of course.’

  ‘My friends call me Becky,’ she said automatically. She looked up when he laughed, feeling her stomach churn when she saw the disdain on his face.

  ‘I doubt if you and I will ever be friends, Rebecca. I think that is asking too much of both of us.’

  He pinned her with a cool stare that seemed to draw out what little warmth she had in her body. ‘I am prepared to tolerate you purely and simply because you are the mother of my brother’s child. And for Antonio’s sake I am also prepared to treat you with a degree of civility. However, given the choice, I would have nothing whatsoever to do with you. Is that clear?’

  ‘Perfectly clear, Felipe,’ she replied, praying that he couldn’t hear the hurt in her voice.

  Becky turned away, fighting to control the rush of tears that threatened her. She wouldn’t break down again. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing that he’d hurt her. And yet there was something in his voice when he continued that told her he had guessed and that it wasn’t satisfaction he was feeling, oddly enough. It threw her into total confusion to hear that note of regret in his voice so that it was a moment before she realised what he had said.

  ‘When we go to Mallorca? What do you mean?’ she demanded incredulously.

  ‘It is quite simple, Rebecca. Antonio’s son should be brought up in the country of his father’s birth. He deserves better than the life you can give him here. That is why you and Josh will be moving to Mallorca as soon as I can make all the necessary arrangements.’

  He smiled sardonically when she gasped. ‘And as an inducement, which I know you won’t be able to resist, I am prepared to give you however much money you want. How much were you planning on asking me for when you came to see me yesterday?’

  ‘Twenty thousand pounds,’ she murmured, unable to lie because she was so shocked. He couldn’t honestly believe that she would agree to uproot herself and Josh and move to another country to live. It was ridiculous.

  ‘So little?’ His black brows rose steeply. ‘I expected you to demand a much larger sum than that, but if y
ou are happy with that amount then so be it. However, I must warn you, Rebecca, that this will be the one and only time that I shall give you any money. From now on you will need to earn your living.’

  ‘Earn my living,’ she repeated dully. She took a deep breath, hoping it would clear her head. Everything seemed to be whirling around so that it was difficult to think. ‘I do that already. I earn my living by working at the hospital.’

  ‘Claro que sí! Of course, and how fortunate that you have such marketable skills at your disposal.’ Felipe smiled and she shivered when she saw the chill in his brown eyes.

  ‘There will be a job waiting for you at the Clinica Valdez as soon as you move to Mallorca. How well everything is working out for you, Rebecca. Sí?’

  CHAPTER FOUR

  FELIPE held his smile but it was an effort. Rebecca was staring at him and it was obvious how shocked she was. It didn’t make him feel good to know that he was responsible for that expression of horror on her face so that it was a relief when Josh suddenly started to wail.

  Bending, he lifted the child out of the play-pen and handed him to her. ‘Perhaps he is tired.’

  ‘Yes.’

  Her voice was so low that he had difficulty hearing the single word, but he refused to let himself dwell on how upset she appeared to be. He had to remember that this woman was capable of anything if it meant that she could get her own way. Hadn’t she deceived Antonio, tricked him into leaving her all that money, hastened his death by encouraging him to refuse further treatment?

  Anger rose swiftly inside him, but he managed to curb it in case he frightened the child. The baby was the innocent victim of Rebecca’s scheming and he wouldn’t do anything to harm Josh, although that didn’t mean he wouldn’t get to the bottom of what had gone on. Something told him that there was still a lot about this situation that he hadn’t been told.

  Felipe sat down on the sofa as Rebecca carried the baby from the room. The sun was streaming through the skylight and he closed his eyes as he settled back against the cushions. He could hear the murmur of her voice as she spoke to the baby, the sound of water running as she filled the bath. They were such ordinary, everyday sounds and yet they filled him with a sense of unreality. He had never imagined when he had got on the plane that morning that this would happen.