by Anne Hampson
‘When you went into that bog after Clara I had the proof I wanted, but that meant that Eduarda had
deliberately lied, which didn’t seem feasible------ ’ Again
he stopped and his mouth became compressed. ‘I related to Eduarda what had happened in the bog, saying that your action on that occasion did not fit in at all with the fact that you had previously left my niece to drown.’ Duarte paused, his eyes narrowing. ‘I saw at once that Eduarda had lied over that incident in the sea. She gave herself away by her obvious uneasiness, so I tackled her. She admitted to telling a deliberate lie.’ Again he paused, but when Laura remained silent he added, ‘And so I had an excuse for telling Eduarda that I was not now going to marry her. ’
‘ She took your decision mildly?’
‘She accepted it, and agreed to leave Torassa. However, she had guessed that I was in love with you and she made that stupidly childish attempt to cause dissension between us by reporting that, you weren’t at your work in the Gallery.’ Duarte frowned as he ended, a sign that he considered the topic unworthy of any further waste of time. And as Laura was in full agreement she lifted her face invitingly and Duarte, his eyes dark with emotion, bent his head to take what she was so eagerly offering.
‘My darling! ’ His lips were hard, almost ruthlessly demanding.
‘I never dreamed I’d meet a girl like you!’
‘Nor I a man like you,’ rejoined Laura shakily when at length she was released. ‘Oh, Duarte, I hope I shan’t
let you down--------’
Duarte shook her, but gently.
‘Don’t you dare say anything like that again! You could never
let me down, not in any way at all!’
‘No ...’ The catch in her voice, caused by his stern tones, was not lost on him and he instantly brought her to his heart again.
‘Sweet...’ he murmured softly, ‘I didn’t mean to hurt you.’ And he kissed her, gently this time, and when presently she looked up into his eyes she saw the infinite tenderness contained in them.
‘You will never hurt me,’ she returned with confidence. ‘Nor I you, dearest Duarte,’ she added lovingly as, putting her arms around his neck, she went up on tiptoe and pressed her lips to his.
