by Anne Hampson
‘Arminda’s been away in Lisbon,’ explained Carlos, ‘and so she only heard of our marriage last night when she arrived back and Isobella phoned her.’
Arminda lifted her eyes and said, as if she had forgotten Hydee’s presence altogether, ‘It was an awful shock, Carlos.’
He seemed to swallow something in his throat. Hydee suddenly wanted to escape, to leave them together . . . and yet at the same time a spasm of jealousy shot through her.
The moment was tense, electric. Arminda was the one to ease it by saying it was time she left, as her mother was waiting to be driven into town.
‘We have only one car now, as you know,’ she added finally, with a thin smile for Carlos.
‘We shall see you and Dona Lucia soon—at our dinner party?’
‘Of course. Mother and I will be pleased to come.’ Her face was pale, her lips compressed. Hydee felt sorry for her but knew why Carlos had not chosen her for his wife.
There was a hardness about her that he could not possibly miss; he knew she would never make a suitable mother for his children. But for all that, Hydee was of the firm conviction that what he felt for Arminda was something far deeper than mere friendship.
Chapter Seven
It was from Gasper that Hydee learned more about Arminda. He called the following day, and as the vintage was in full swing, Carlos was away from the house, supervising the activities which began at daybreak with an army of workers invading the quinta from the surrounding countryside, eager to earn some extra money. Men, women and even children came, dancing along to the rhythm of guitars and mandolins, a merry crowd which seemed to turn the vintage into a carnival.
Standing on a shady verandah, Hydee saw the white, low‐slung sports car arrive, and the way in which the driver slewed it to an abrupt standstill gave the immediate impression of a devil‐may‐careattitude towards life. Yet the figure of the man himself was impressive, his every movement stamping him a member of the nobility. With a frowning gaze Hydee watched him approach the house, covering the distance with the same athletic grace that was so familiar because Carlos, too, moved in that lithely powerful way. Another member of the family? Involuntarily Hydee’s mouth tightened; she had no wish to meet this man, and she was about to retreat into the room behind her when, chancing to look up, he caught sight of her, smiled and waved, and called something which she failed to catch. Biting her lip in vexation, she pondered the possibility of making some excuse when the servant informed her of the man’s appearance. But after only a moment’s thought she shrugged resignedly, admitting that there was no alternative than to meet him, and she proceeded to the drawing room to wait his entry into the house. He was shown in by Bento, who began in his customary accented but stolid voice, ‘The Visconde Gasper Antonio Joao—’
‘That’ll do,’ broke in the young man with a wry expression sent in Hydee’s direction. ‘You can go, but bring me in a glass of sherry in about five minutes.’
The man went, closing the door silently behind him, and the two stood staring at one another before Gasper said in the same impeccable English, ‘Hello, my new cousin‐in‐law!’ He strode towards her, his hand outstretched, his slate‐grey eyes meeting hers, which were wide and limpid and scanning his aristocratic face anxiously for some sign of disfavour even while instinct told her she would find none, that here was a member of the illustrious family who was far different from Isobella. He was smiling as she gave him her small white hand, and he said sincerely, ‘Welcome to our country and our family. I would have come sooner but, like Arminda, I have been away.’ Tall and assured, he stood smiling down at her, and suddenly her heart was light.
‘I’m happy to meet you, Gasper. Carlos told me about you—and about the other members of his family.’ She paused, then added, ‘Carlos is not here, but I can send for him if you want me to.’
‘It’s not Carlos I have come to see, but you.’ He glanced at a low couch below the window. ‘Shall we sit down?’
‘Of course.’ Why had he come to see her? she wondered, taking a seat on the couch and watching him bring up a chair so that he would be sitting opposite her instead of beside her.
‘The other members . . .’ Gasper gave her his full attention, a wry expression in his dark grey eyes. ‘And what did you think of my cousin Isobella?’ he inquired, watching her curiously, interested in her reaction to his mention of his cousin.
‘You’ve been speaking to her?’ she countered at once, and he nodded without hesitation. ‘She doesn’t like me,’ Hydee then added, a quiver in her voice. ‘But if she’s been talking to you about me, then you know what her feelings are.’ She looked at him through troubled eyes. ‘I can understand her sentiments,’ she went on when he did not speak. ‘She had other ideas for her brother.’
‘Big ideas,’ submitted Gasper. ‘But she should know Carlos better than to think she can influence him.’ Gasper turned as the door opened and Bento entered carrying a small silver tray on which was the glass of sherry.
‘Aren’t you having anything?’ he asked, and Hydee shook her head.
‘No, thank you.’ She watched the servant leave, then turned her attention to Gasper again, examining his features and approving of them, for although he had the same athletic build as his cousin, the same stamp of the nobility, here the resemblance ended. Gasper’s features were softer, his eyes serious at this moment, but she knew they would laugh often; his mouth was firm yet wide and generous, and she sensed that it could purse with compassion just as easily as it could curve with humour. The moment he had come across the room, extending a hand, she had been strangely affected by him, and by the sure knowledge that she had at last found a friend. ‘Why have you come?’ she inquired as he put the glass to his lips.
‘Because, Hydee, I realised that you might require some support. You’re a brave girl to have married my cousin. Surely you had some misgivings?’
She nodded, replying mechanically, ‘At first, yes, I suppose I did.’ Unconsciously she played with a few strands of hair; it was a nervous gesture acquired since her marriage. ‘You say I might need support. . . .’ She broke off, reluctant to proceed, and seeing her embarrassment, Gasper began to talk, dispensing with tact.
‘Isobella learned of the circumstances of your marriage, and so you must be prepared for the whole family to know that it was a marriage of convenience. They now realize that Carlos, having become convinced that it was a mother his children needed rather than a nanny, embarked on this unorthodox method of procuring one.’ He paused a moment to put his glass down on the table. ‘Don’t be embarrassed with me,’ he said gently. ‘I’m the odd one out in this family, not approved of, as you will very soon discover. And so it seemed to me—after listening to the bitter complaints of Isobella regarding her brother’s marriage—that I had better see you and forewarn you as to what to expect.’
‘It was thoughtful of you,’ she murmured, but went on to add that he must realise that what he was saying was a great embarrassment to her.
‘It shouldn’t be,’ he returned. ‘If you accept that I know all about this marriage, then we can discuss things together openly and easily. I’m only here because I firmly believe you ought to know that there’s at least one member of the family who doesn’t disapprove of you.’
‘You’re very kind, Gasper.’ She looked at him mistily, quite unaware of the dark, troubled expression in her eyes, of the faint convulsive movement of her mouth. ‘But please don’t get everything wrong,’ she begged. ‘Carlos is very nice to me, very kind.’
‘He would have to be, wouldn’t he? After all, he prevailed on you to marry him, to enter this business deal which is to affect your whole future. Yes, surely he must be kind to you.’ Sharp the last few words, and an unexpected hardness entered his eyes, reminding her of Carlos.
‘I wanted to marry him,’ she readily confessed. And before she quite knew it, she was confiding in him, telling him that she had been alone in the world after having been jilted. And lastly she heard hers
elf say, ‘I would never have looked at another man after Noel—not in the ordinary way—but yet I wanted to be with children, so I snatched this chance to become a mother.’
‘And you’ve no regrets?’ he asked curiously.
‘None.’ Not yet . . . but would she have eventually? ‘Carlos doesn’t seem to be aware of Isobella’s true character, does he?’ Hydee changed the subject, breaking the silence that had fallen between them.
‘Some women have the ability to adopt a front to suit the situation. You’ll have different treatment from her when Carlos is around,’ he predicted.
‘She was a great friend of Carlos’s first wife—so she said.’
‘She actually told you that?’ Gasper frowned in disgust. ‘Yes, she and Eunice were exceptionally friendly, and yet Isobella showed little emotion when she died.’
‘She’s now friendly with Arminda.’ Although rather reluctant to discuss these people, Hydee was at the same time exceedingly curious to learn more about them. ‘She had hoped Carlos would marry her.’
Gasper nodded, putting his glass to his lips and regarding Hydee thoughtfully from above its rim. ‘You’ve met Arminda, I believe?’ And when she inclined her head, he added, ‘Isobella lost no time in contacting her on her return from Lisbon. Arminda has been backed as the second marquesa ever since she and her mother took up residence in this district, and I must admit that I myself expected something to come from the friendship that instantly sprang up between Arminda and my cousin. However, Carlos, in one of his infrequent expansive moods, actually confided to me that he could never marry Arminda, simply because he was sure she would not devote herself to the children. She’s been used to a full social life, and marriage to Carlos would have provided the opportunity for her to resume that life, at least as she saw things. Also, she has her mother hanging on all the time, another reason why Carlos discarded the idea of marrying her.’
Hydee, having listened with interest, glanced away to look through the massive side window to where tall umbrella pines shaded part of the garden where Luiz was working. All was kept immaculate out there, with the verdant carpet of the lawn patterned with beds of exotic flowers blooming in the warm afternoon sunshine. But although her attention was with the beauty she saw, Hydee was trying to speak, to voice something that was proving very difficult, but at last she heard herself say, as she turned from the window, ‘I had the impression that Carlos cares a great deal for Arminda.’
Gasper nodded in agreement, and Hydee felt a stab of jealousy, realising it was the second time she had been affected in this way.
‘I’m sure he cares a lot about her, and he’d have married her if it hadn’t been for the reasons I’ve mentioned. Carlos has many faults, but his love for his children, and his sense of duty towards them, carry far more weight with him than any personal feelings or desires.’
So he was probably in love with Arminda, just as Hydee had suspected. . . . ‘What was Carlos’s first wife like?’ she asked presently. ‘She was English, too.’
‘I detested her,’ he admitted quite frankly. ‘Carlos was only twenty when he married her. He’s a passionate man—or at least he was then—and she found favour with him in that particular way. They were married for several years before Ramos was born, and I expect they were happy.’ He spread his hands. ‘I don’t know. But after the birth of Luisa, they seemed to drift apart, and she definitely had lovers. Isobella doesn’t know this, but I do.’
Hydee frowned at the information. ‘How do you know?’ she asked, the frown still between her eyes.
‘Because, unfortunately for women, men talk.’ ‘Did Carlos know?’
‘I expect he did; one would have the greatest difficulty in keeping anything from Carlos.’
‘Yet he continued to live with her?’
‘Here in Portugal we don’t favour divorce, as you probably know.’
Hydee was silent, her thoughts shifting to Isobella’s prophecy that Hydee’s marriage would not last six months.
‘But in the end, there was no love between Carlos and his wife?’ she murmured at last, speaking to herself rather than to her companion.
‘I don’t believe there was real, deep love even in the beginning. Eunice married for wealth and position and he for . . . well, the convenience of having a woman at hand.’ Gasper broke off, grinning at her expression before he went on, ‘In our family—and many like it—love is not considered essential to a successful marriage. We’re a hard, mercenary lot, and you’ll find that Carlos is no different from the rest of us.’
She looked at him almost with affection and stated firmly, ‘You are different. Gasper, and I’m sure that when you marry it will be for love.’
‘Think so?’ His eyes rested on her face for a long,unfathomable moment. ‘Well, that’s in the far future, because I assure you that my bachelor life appeals to me at present. I like the freedom. I’ve just been to Paris and had a rather wonderful time with a glamourous blonde I met there while on another visit five months ago.’ He laughed at Hydee’s rising colour. ‘If I were married I’d not be able to gallivant about like that.’ Picking up his glass, he took a drink, then stared absently into the amber liquid that was left, appearing to be deep in thought.
After long moments Hydee said, thinking of Isobella and speaking her thoughts aloud, ‘It’s not going to be very pleasant unless Isobella changes her opinion of me, is it?’
‘She’ll not change,’ he said firmly. And then, after a small hesitation, ‘It was a shock, as you can imagine, when—after the whole family had decided that Arminda was the girl for Carlos—he brought home an English bride he had married without ceremony.’ Gasper broke off and laughed.
To her surprise, Hydee found herself laughing too as she said, feigning indignation, ‘I assure you we did have a ceremony!’
‘In a way I can understand Isobella’s feelings,’ conceded Gasper when their laughter had died, ‘but I certainly don’t sympathise with them.’
The assurance was unnecessary; his earlier remarks had already convinced Hydee that he had no time at all for Isobella.
‘I’m glad you came today,’ she murmured, casting him a look of gratitude, and for no reason at all she thought of Noel and recalled the happiness they had once enjoyed. Their happiness had seemed so strong and permanent that nothing, just nothing, could take it away. Yet both were now married to other people. . . . Unwanted tears filled her eyes, and Gasper, misunderstanding the reason for them, impulsively leant forward and placed a hand over hers as it rested on the arm of the sofa.
‘Don’t take Isobella’s vicious words to heart,’ he advised gently. ‘As I’ve said, it took courage to marry Carlos; and you just hang on to that courage so that you can stand up to Isobella, and the rest of the family, too. I don’t suppose you’ve met Ines yet?’
Hydee shook her head, aware from his tone that Ines was another Isobella. She was the daughter of Gasper’s Aunt Gracinha and Uncle Duarte, who owned a palacio and quinta about half the size of Carlos’s.
‘She’s recently been married.’
‘That’s right—married a visconde named Francisco, whom you’ll detest on sight. No love match, that,’ he assured her with a wry grimace. ‘Money—on both sides, an amalgamation of wealth with no thought to emotions or the eventual drifting apart which so often results from marriages of that kind.’
‘They’ll all be our guests at Christmas, so Carlos said. I hope, Gasper, that you will be here.’
‘You can rely on me,’ was Gasper’s staunch reply, which made Hydee feel totally uplifted, and also that she had known him for weeks at least. He was charming; he could be frivolous, she surmised, and yet he had an equally attractive serious side which was the basis of her confidence that, if it should ever be necessary, he would be her friend and her prop. As for her own attitude towards him, she was faintly surprised at her ability to be totally uninhibited, but his manner was so easy and spontaneous that it would in any case have been impossible for her to have felt unc
omfortable for very long.
His hand still lay on top of hers; his eyes were wide and strangely fixed. She fluttered him a smile and discovered that, somehow, he had come closer so that she felt his cool breath on her cheek.
And it was at that very moment that the door swung inwards and they saw Carlos standing in the entranceway, having stopped abruptly on capturing the scene—the two sitting there, close, and looking into each other’s eyes.
‘Good afternoon, Gasper,’ he said with cold politeness. ‘Is there some particular reason why you are holding my wife’s hand?’
Gasping at his lack of delicacy, Hydee snatched her hand away, colour leaping to her cheeks.
‘None except that we’re getting acquainted,’ replied Gasper smoothly.
Coming farther into the room, Carlos stood by the fireplace, one arm resting in what seemed a casual manner on the mantelshelf. ‘What time did you arrive?’ Carlos’s eyes went briefly to the sherry glass which was standing empty on a small table at his cousin’s elbow.
‘I’ve been here for about an hour.’
‘Why didn’t you send for me?’ There was a trace of censure mingling with the arrogance in his tone which Gasper chose to ignore.
‘I didn’t come to see you, Carlos; I’d been speaking to Isobella and decided to come along and introduce myself to your charming wife.’ Was there a challenge in the words? Hydee felt uncomfortable and lowered her eyes.
‘I’m giving a dinner party so that you can all meet Hydee,’ returned Carlos in cold tones. And, after a slight pause during which his gaze was fixed, unmoving, on his wife’s bent head, ‘You decided to come after talking with Isobella, you said?’
‘That’s right.’ Hydee glanced up swiftly, her nerves drawn tight as she feared Gasper would say too much to his cousin. But she need not have worried; he caught her pleading glance and added mildly, ‘As long as Isobella had informed me of your marriage, it would have seemed wrong if I’d not come over at once to meet my new cousin.’ He looked all charm at this moment, a half‐smile on his lips, a glimmer of good humour in his slate‐grey eyes. ‘I think you must agree with me, Carlos?’ Watching her husband’s expression, Hydee was filled with misgivings without being able to explain them. He seemed so stern, so vexed that his cousin had called. She supposed it was not the thing for Gasper to be holding her hand like that, and yet why should Carlos care? She was nothing to him, and it wasn’t as if Gasper had shown his affection in front of company.
