by Anne Mather
Ally cringed at Julia’s patronising words but to her relief Raul rescued her from complete ignominy. ‘I don’t think Mrs Sloan looks old enough to be your aunt, let alone mine,’ he remarked drily, holding out his hand, and Ally was forced to take it. Then, with terrifying candour, he said, ‘Besides, I believe we have met before, Mrs Sloan.’ And, as the colour drained out of Ally’s face, he added, ‘If I’m not mistaken, we shared the lift yesterday afternoon.’
Julia stared at him. ‘You never said,’ she pouted, as Ally struggled to retain her composure, and Raul shrugged.
‘I didn’t know who Mrs Sloan was, did I?’ he replied reasonably. ‘It was when I went up to the office to speak to your father.’ He turned back to Ally. ‘Small world.’
‘Yes. Isn’t it?’ Ally could feel the blood pouring back into her cheeks again, and she pulled her hand out of his grasp with careful determination. ‘How—nice to see you again.’
The words almost choked her and she was sure he knew it. But thankfully Julia seemed to notice nothing amiss. ‘Oh, well,’ she said, slipping her hand into his. ‘I suppose we’d better get going. Raul’s taking me sailing this morning, Aunt Ally. That’s what he does for a living, don’t you, darling? He runs his father’s charter company. They charter yachts to companies and to people who want the thrill of sailing, but can’t afford to buy their own.’
‘Which must be the best part of the world,’ remarked Ally shortly, trying not to resent his smug complacence. Then, forcing a smile, she added, ‘Well, have a good day. I’ll think about you when I’m tucking into some of Maria’s blueberry pancakes.’
Of course, she wouldn’t. Well, she might think of them, she acknowledged, but seeing them together had robbed her of what little appetite she’d had, and she wondered if it wouldn’t be simpler just to tell Suzanne she was leaving and get it over with. At least the decision would be made, for good or evil.
‘Perhaps Mrs Sloan might like to join us.’
Raul’s careless invitation caught her completely unprepared and she was relieved and hardly surprised when Julia took exception to it.
‘You’re not serious!’ she exclaimed, apparently not at all averse to offending the older woman. ‘Aunt Ally doesn’t know anything about boats! I doubt if she’s been on anything larger than a motor boat in her entire life.’
‘All the more reason for her to learn,’ observed Raul mildly and Ally could see that Julia was seething with repressed emotion.
‘Why are you doing this—?’ she began angrily, but before their exchange could get out of hand, Ally intervened.
‘Julia’s right,’ she said, even though the girl’s words had been unnecessarily hurtful. Which was ridiculous, she acknowledged impatiently, her eyes darting away from Raul’s dark challenging gaze. For God’s sake, it wasn’t as if she wanted to spend the day with them. ‘I’m—no sailor,’ she continued doggedly. ‘Besides—’ she made a gesture in the direction Tom had taken ‘—I’ve promised to join Mr Adams after breakfast.’ Her lips tightened. ‘But thank you for the invitation.’
‘Some other time, perhaps,’ murmured Raul, ignoring Julia’s agitation. ‘I understand you’re staying for several weeks.’
‘Well—I’m not sure how long—’
Ally didn’t want to get into that with him, but he immediately understood her ambivalence. And called her on it.
‘No?’ he queried, as if any doubts she was having were news to him. ‘Surely you’re not thinking of cutting your holiday short?’
Ally swallowed, forced to look at him or risk arousing Julia’s curiosity—or worse. ‘I—it may be necessary for me to return to England sooner than I anticipated,’ she murmured awkwardly, and he smiled.
‘I hope not.’ His determination was almost frightening. ‘And Julia has forgotten to tell you that I came to bring an invitation from my parents for you all to dine at Finisterre in two days’ time. As Julia said, an earlier invitation had to be cancelled and my mother is so looking forward to meeting you.’
‘Well—’
‘He’s only teasing you, Aunt Ally.’ Although Julia spoke tersely she had evidently come to the conclusion that Raul must be teasing her, too. ‘In any case, you can’t leave yet. After waiting for goodness knows how many years for you to come and visit us, Mum would never forgive you if you decided you’d rather go back to an English winter than stay here.’
Ally felt trapped. She had no idea what Raul’s game was but she was fairly sure he had not been teasing. Which meant—what? That he was enjoying tormenting her? That she couldn’t trust him not to say anything if she opposed his will?
That he wanted her to stay?
CHAPTER EIGHT
ALLY slept badly that night and awakened the next morning stiff and unrested. The muscles in her shoulders felt tight and knotted, and there was the uneasy flutter of apprehension in her stomach. Stepping into the shower cubicle, she ran the water as hot as she dared in an effort to loosen the tension in her neck and then switched to a cooler temperature before stepping out.
What was she going to do?
As she wrapped herself in one of the soft towelling bath sheets, she made another attempt to consider her options and decided they were narrowing by the day. She had thought it was up to her whether she risked offending Suzanne by returning home, but it wasn’t. Raul had made it his business, too. And, on top of that, there was her daughter begging her not to ruin her holiday, who wouldn’t understand why her mother appeared to be stalling over making a decision about a man who hadn’t considered her feelings in the past.
Tom Adams would be pleased, she reflected ruefully. He had been waiting for her the day before when she’d eventually made her way down to the beach. He must have wondered what had taken her so long, but, after that scene with Raul and Julia, she hadn’t felt much like socialising with anyone. She’d made some excuse about having to wait to be served in the restaurant, when in actual fact all she’d done was order coffee and that had been delivered almost immediately.
Nevertheless, she couldn’t deny that she had felt a certain amount of security in Tom’s company, a belief that while she was with him Raul would keep his distance. An unnecessary conviction in the circumstances, she acknowledged drily. Raul and Julia had gone sailing. The chances of seeing him again that day had been slim and she’d known it.
And, she remembered, Tom had offered no protection that morning when Raul had cornered her by the lifts. Raul hadn’t shown much concern for the other man then, and she could only assume that seeing her so unexpectedly had caused him to act totally out of character. Which was probably why he’d covered himself by saying they’d met before when Julia had introduced them. Raul was nothing if not thorough in everything he did.
All the same, Ally hoped she wasn’t going to have to spend the whole of the holiday keeping Tom Adams company. He was a nice man; there was no doubting that. But he was too much like Jeff for her liking and she had no desire for him to get the wrong impression.
The phone rang as she was leaving her room to go down for breakfast.
Sam, she thought at once, coming back into the room again. She guessed her daughter had chosen this time to be sure of catching her in, as she’d done the previous day.
Or it could be Tom Adams. As she reached for the phone, she recalled that he’d coaxed her room number out of her the afternoon before. Thank goodness she’d been able to say that she was having supper with Suzanne and Peter again, she thought ruefully. Otherwise, he’d have monopolised her whole day.
Still, right now she couldn’t take the chance of not answering in case it was Sam. She’d been going to ring her daughter anyway, to tell her that she’d decided not to rush back after all. She wasn’t promising to spend the next three weeks in San Cristobál, as she’d originally intended, of course, but Sam needn’t know that. One day at a time, she told herself, lifting the receiver.
‘Hello?’
‘Good morning, Ally.’
It was Raul. She’
d have known his voice anywhere, she thought, wishing she had the courage to slam the phone down again.
‘What do you want?’
She was less than gracious and she heard the amusement in his tone as he said, ‘To speak to you. What else? Did you have a good day yesterday? I saw you on the beach with your elderly admirer. Tell me, has he appointed himself your protector against undesirable characters like myself?’
Ally stiffened. ‘You said it.’
‘You wound me.’
‘No, I don’t.’ She despised herself for the frisson of excitement his words had given her. ‘And Tom’s not elderly. He’s nearer my age than you are.’
‘I don’t think so.’ Raul’s voice lost some of its humorous appeal. ‘He’s at least twenty years older than you are. There are only a handful of years between us.’ He paused. ‘If you feel it’s necessary to count.’
‘There are ten years between us,’ said Ally fiercely. And then, knowing she would hate herself for it, she asked, ‘How did you see me on the beach anyway? I thought you and Julia were going sailing.’
‘We did.’ His tone lightened again. ‘The conditions weren’t suitable. We had to come back. But I’m flattered that you were interested enough to find out how old I am. That pleases me. It pleases me a lot.’
Ally felt a shiver of anticipation slide down her spine. ‘It shouldn’t.’ She drew a breath. ‘And what do you mean, the conditions weren’t suitable for sailing? There was a fairly stiff breeze blowing off the water.’
‘Are you suggesting that there was another reason why we came back?’
‘I don’t know, do I?’
His attractive voice deepened. ‘Perhaps you’re thinking I came back to see you.’
‘No.’ Ally’s tongue circled her dry lips. ‘I wouldn’t think a thing like that.’
‘Perhaps not.’ He paused. ‘In any event, I didn’t ring to discuss what happened yesterday. I want to know what you have planned for this morning.’
‘This morning?’ Ally wished she had a ready answer. ‘I— I’m not sure—’
‘Obviously you have nothing planned,’ he remarked drily. ‘I’ll pick you up in—shall we say, an hour?’
‘You can’t.’
‘Why can’t I?’
‘I don’t want to go anywhere with you.’
‘Don’t you?’
‘No.’ Ally swallowed. ‘In any case, Julia—’
‘Julia is spending time in the beauty parlour this morning,’ he informed her flatly. ‘She told me so last evening. She is anxious to look her best for my mother’s supper party tomorrow evening.’
‘Then perhaps I should try and make an appointment, too,’ said Ally at once. ‘As you insist on me attending the party.’ She caught her breath. ‘Why did you do that? You must have known how I would feel.’
‘I thought I did,’ he responded softly. Then, almost detachedly, ‘I don’t want you to go back to England. I want you to stay here.’
Ally was trembling. ‘Why? Why?’
‘I’ll tell you later. Bring a hat. The sun can be merciless on the water.’
‘But I can’t,’ she wailed, but he wasn’t listening to her.
‘Be at the gate at nine o’clock,’ he told her steadily. ‘Don’t let me down.’
He rang off before she could tell him she wouldn’t be there. She was left holding the receiver, the dial tone buzzing emptily in her ear. Slamming it back onto its rest, she stared at it for several seconds, half hoping he would ring back and give her the chance to tell him she wasn’t coming. But he didn’t. The phone remained ominously silent and as she hadn’t the first idea where he’d rung from, she was helpless.
Her cheeks were burning and almost involuntarily she moved towards the vanity mirror and stared at her reflection. This couldn’t be happening to her, she thought, even while her mind was registering the pros and cons of what she was wearing and whether she ought to change into something else. Whatever the outcome, she didn’t have a wardrobe full of designer gear to choose from. But her cream polo shirt and matching cotton shorts had definitely seen better days. She was always self-conscious about her generous hips, too. But her legs were decent. Perhaps they’d distract his eyes from—
Wait!
She brought herself up sharply. What was she thinking? She wasn’t even going to meet him. Right? Right. All this was purely hypothetical because she was going to stay right here in her room until lunchtime. Until there was no chance of meeting him at all.
She ran a hand round the back of her neck and found it damp. Oh, great! She was sweating again. He only had to get on the phone and her body reacted like it did when she’d been too long in the sun. He reduced her to a quivering mass of nerves and senses, incapable of handling him, incapable of controlling herself.
It had to stop.
Stripping off her clothes again, she marched back into the shower and turned on the cold tap, not coming out again until she was chilled to the bone. Then, tossing the polo shirt and shorts into the laundry bag, she dressed in a plain, short-sleeved cotton shirt and a denim skirt whose hem hovered a couple of inches above her knee. Smart, without being too formal, she decided, with some satisfaction. And deliciously cool in the draught of air coming from the air-conditioning system.
The phone rang again.
Ally sank down weakly onto the side of the bed, staring at the phone with almost morbid fascination. And then, because once again it could be Sam, she reached for the receiver.
‘Is that you, Alison?’
Who else?
Ally wanted to groan aloud. ‘Hello, Tom,’ she managed tightly. ‘Look, I’m afraid I can’t talk now. I was just about to go into the shower.’ Liar! ‘So can I—?’
‘That’s all right. I won’t keep you.’ He was depressingly understanding. ‘I’m not dressed myself yet, actually. I slept in.’
‘Oh, well—’
‘Anyway, I wondered if we might do something today. Together. I haven’t seen much of the island yet, and I know you haven’t, and I thought if I hired a car—’
‘I can’t.’ Ally knew she might regret it, but there was no way she could spend another day in Tom Adams’s company. He meant well, but his fussy ways would drive her up the wall. Ignoring the voice of conscience, she added recklessly, ‘I’ve—er—I’ve already made arrangements to go out with someone else.’
‘You have?’ He was clearly taken aback and she sensed the wave of injured pride that accompanied his words. ‘Anyone I know?’
Ally gasped. He was even more like Jeff than she’d imagined. ‘I—no,’ she said firmly. ‘And now I must go.’
‘Of course.’ But he didn’t attempt to hide his disappointment at her answer. ‘Well, have a nice day.’
She was sure he hoped she wouldn’t, but that didn’t solve her problem. She was now in the position of wanting to avoid two men and she realised that once again she’d backed herself into a corner.
So, she could either stay here and have Suzanne thinking she was unwell, or she could do the unthinkable and meet Raul.
She blew out a breath. What a choice! How could she spend the morning with Raul when he was the man Julia was going to marry? She’d already done more than enough to cause a rift between them, and the fact that she’d been innocent of any wrongdoing was not a satisfactory defence.
She sighed, moving towards the windows that were open onto the balcony, gazing wistfully at the view. It was so beautiful out there. Was she really going to waste a whole day of her holiday locked up here just because she was too timid to stand up for herself?
No!
Turning back into the bedroom, she picked up her bag and sunglasses and started for the door. She was going to get some breakfast, and if Tom Adams—or Raul, for that matter—didn’t like it, it was just too bad.
Nevertheless, she looked about her a little nervously when she emerged from the lift in the lobby. It was easy to be brave before the event, but she felt less confident now.
�
��Hey, Ally!’
Suzanne’s call was momentarily mind-numbing, but she managed to turn and face her friend without looking too distressed. ‘Good morning.’
‘Good morning.’ Suzanne gazed at her with some satisfaction. ‘You look nice. I think you’re actually getting a bit of a tan.’
‘I think so, too,’ said Ally, wondering why her friend appeared a little anxious. She took a nervous breath. ‘Is something wrong?’
‘Not wrong, no.’ Suzanne shook her head. ‘As a matter of fact, I was just on my way up to your room. I had a favour to ask.’
‘A favour.’ A ripple of apprehension feathered across Ally’s skin. ‘Of course. What is it?’
‘You’d better hear what it is before you commit yourself,’ declared Suzanne, tucking her hand into her friend’s arm. ‘How do you fancy spending the morning with Raul?’
‘With Raul?’
A little of her consternation must have shown in her face because Suzanne said quickly, ‘I know. It’s a lot to ask, but he seems to think you might enjoy it. Julia would have gone along, too, of course, but she’s having her hair done, and Pete and I are simply up to our eyes—’
Ally wet her parched lips. ‘Raul asked you to ask me?’ she probed weakly, and Suzanne gave a rueful nod.
‘Well, he would, wouldn’t he? I mean, he hardly knows you. Julia said you’d spoken to him briefly the day after you arrived, and I know the three of you had a few words yesterday morning before he and Julia went out, but you know what his family is like. Everything has to be done so—so formally.’
Ally didn’t know what to say. Well, she did, but she couldn’t say it, she thought grimly, realising that she had underestimated him.
