Normally not the most demonstrative of people, Katherine couldn’t help giving her a little hug. ‘Absolutely. From experience, I know it does.’
Beforehand Katherine had wondered at the quantity of food being prepared, but as guests arrived with children and, in some cases, grandchildren, along with the families of the men who worked on Estancia Grande, it was obvious why Teresa and her team had prepared for so many. Roberto and Antonio left their posts to greet their colourfully dressed guests, leaving Geraldo and his men to oversee the sizzling meat sending up a wonderful aroma into the air.
Roberto kept her close as his parents presented her to one group after another, his arm tightening round her waist when Ildefonso Soares, the last to arrive, came up with Gloria, striking in a flame-coloured number with more flounces on it than any dress there.
‘Calma, amada,’ murmured Roberto, as he felt Katherine tense. ‘No fighting on Christmas Day.’
Katherine flashed him a sparkling look and gave both the latecomers a radiant smile. ‘Muito prazer, e Feliz Natal.’
Gloria lunged forward, obviously intending to kiss Roberto, but he gave her cheek a pat and shook her father’s hand.
‘I come to help, Dona Teresa,’ the girl announced, but Antonio shook his head, smiling.
‘It is not necessary, cara. We have Katherine’s help today.’
Ignoring Gloria’s scowl, Teresa showed her to the place reserved for the Soares family at one of the tables, which were now loaded with festive food and drink.
Antonio de Sousa and his wife sat at the head of a table with the families of their men, with Roberto and Katherine at the foot. At first the women were shy, but as Roberto supplied rapid translations for Katherine’s questions they grew more relaxed, and there was much laughter when he handed her his cuia, a gourd filled with mate, the local herb tea she was instructed to drink through his bomba, a silver spoon with a perforated bowl.
‘It is a straw to draw up the mate,’ he told her.
With expectant eyes on her she obediently sucked some of the hot liquid into her mouth, but as the taste hit her tongue her eyes opened wide, then watered with the effort to swallow the bitter brew instead of spitting it out. She shuddered and very carefully said, ‘Nao, obrigada. Agua por favor!’
Everyone laughed as Roberto passed her a glass of water. ‘Well done,’ he whispered, taking her hand. Katherine smiled up at him, intercepting a look from Gloria which should have killed her on the spot. ‘We’re attracting attention,’ she whispered, but his grasp only tightened.
‘I do not care.’
To Katherine’s surprise, she didn’t either and smiled as she got up in response to his mother’s signal, as Teresa beckoned to Maria and her team to follow them as some of the men struck up music with guitars and accordions.
‘We fetch the sobremesas now,’ Teresa announced as they hurried into the house.
Maria, Dirce and the other women took bowls of fruit salad to the tables, along with ice cream for the children. Teresa took a great crystal bowl of cream-topped trifle to the table where the Soares family was sitting, and Katherine put the other in front of Antonio.
‘Would you like to try some?’
Antonio gazed at the inviting confection with anticipation. ‘With much pleasure, cara.’
Katherine’s trifle was greeted with equal enthusiasm by all the adults on the table, including Roberto. Katherine smiled to herself as she saw Gloria deliberately push hers away untasted, much to the satisfaction of her father, who ate both portions with gusto.
By this time children were playing under the trees, with parents interfering only when things grew heated. Then suddenly the music changed, and every child was instantly alert as they heard the familiar strains of Jingle Bells.
‘Papae Noel!’ shrieked a small girl, and at once there was a mini stampede as the children flocked towards the white-bearded figure in red seated on a horse pulling a trailer filled with bulging sacks of presents.
As he dismounted with a loud, ‘Ho-ho-ho!’ the children swarmed around him in vociferous demand.
‘Calma, calma.’ He held up quelling hands and spoke magic words which sent them scampering back to sit on the grass, gazing up at Papae Noel in expectation.
‘Heavens, he must be hot,’ murmured Katherine, utterly delighted by the scene.
‘Not too much. His suit is thin silky fabric,’ Roberto told her. ‘Com licenca, I must help my father give out the presents.’
As Father Christmas read out the names on the gifts, either Antonio or Roberto distributed them to the eager recipients under the indulgent eyes of parents and grandparents. When every child had a present, another sack was produced with small gifts which Papae Noel handed out to the rest of the guests, including one for Katherine. Roberto resumed his place beside her as everyone at the table opened their gifts, displaying them with cries of pleasure. Then all eyes turned on Katherine as she took the wrapping paper from a velvet box. She needed no translation to know that everyone was begging her to open it, and took out a gold chain with a pendant emerald which matched her earrings. She gave Roberto a startled glance.
‘It is Christmas Day,’ he reminded her, ‘so you must accept it, Katherine.’
‘Then I will. Thank you. Muito obrigado,’ she repeated for everyone’s benefit, then bent her head so Roberto could fasten the clasp.
At his signal, the music began again and many of the guests flocked to the space under the trees to dance, including Gloria Soares, scarlet frills fluttering as she commandeered centre stage.
Katherine was only too pleased to concede it to her, though after a while Roberto insisted she partner him in the dance she soon found easy enough, happy to follow his lead to an accompaniment of encouraging smiles from the other dancers. But from then on she sat with Roberto’s parents while their son did his duty by some of the ladies, and finally danced with a triumphant Gloria. But her pretty, sultry face was stormy by the time she ran back to her father, and soon afterwards they were first to leave. Roberto stood with Katherine and his parents to say goodbye to departing guests as children were rounded up and sleeping babies carried home to bed.
Much later, after Maria and her team, helped by the Estancia hands, had cleared away all signs of the celebration, Katherine and Roberto said goodnight to his parents and before going to bed went outside for a walk under the lights twinkling in the trees.
Roberto took her hand. ‘So, Doutora Lister, how did you enjoy your gaucho Christmas?’
‘Immensely. It was such a lovely day.’ She raised an admonishing eyebrow. ‘Though you shouldn’t have been so extravagant. My gift from Father Christmas caused quite a stir.’
He shrugged. ‘It was just jewellery, Katherine—not a ring.’
The word seemed to hang in the air in the still, starlit night. She wondered how she would have reacted if it had been a ring, and all the implications that went with it, and experienced a pang of emotion hard to identify.
‘So what happens here tomorrow, Roberto?’
‘My parents will rest, the servants will have a holiday, and you and I shall spend more time together,’ he announced with satisfaction. ‘We shall go for a short ride—if a certain delectable part of you is better now.’
‘It must be, because I haven’t given it a thought all day,’ she said, laughing.
He caught her close and rubbed his cheek against her hair. ‘To have you here with me today is the best Christmas present of my life.’ He looked into her eyes. ‘Until I actually saw you standing by the plane, I had doubts that you would come.’
‘I had some myself,’ she said wryly. ‘It was a big step for me to fly all this way to stay with a man I’d known such a short time, Roberto. It didn’t help when you weren’t there to meet me, either.’
‘I apologise for that, Katherine. I was furious when I got held up with the herd—though it gave me chance to put on my little show for you.’ He smiled down at her. ‘I wanted to impress my woman.’
Katherine eyed him narrowly. ‘Is that how you think of me?’
‘Yes,’ he said simply. ‘I believe fate meant us for each other.’
‘Then it’s a pity fate hadn’t located us closer together,’ she said ruefully. ‘Sheer geography is a bit of a problem for you and me, Roberto Rocha de Sousa.’
‘But we will find a solution.’ He took her hand to walk back to the house. ‘You must be tired. You have worked hard today.’
‘I enjoyed it enormously. By the way,’ she added, giving him a sidelong smile, ‘what did you say to Gloria? She was not a happy girl after you danced with her.’
‘I gave her hell for causing your horse to bolt with you.’ Roberto shrugged. ‘I also threatened to tell her father, which made her panic. Much as he dotes on her, Ildefonso Soares could not have forgiven her for causing harm to my guest—nor to my horse,’ he added, smiling, and took her in his arms. ‘Now, let us forget everyone else and enjoy these few moments together before we must go to our separate beds.’
CHAPTER TWELVE
FOR the rest of her stay at Estancia Grande, Roberto ensured that Katherine experienced as much as possible of the gaucho way of life. She went riding with him most days, an activity she enjoyed all the more in her comfortable gaucho outfit. There were invitations to barbecues with friends of the de Sousas, a traditional gaucho dance for the festive season and even, to her great delight, a day at a rodeo.
‘They go on for many days, and Luis and I competed when we were young,’ Roberto informed her as he drove her home. ‘But only one day was possible for you this time, since you leave the Estancia tomorrow. But we have our stay in Porto Alegre before you fly away from me, amada.’
‘Your mother talks about the city a lot,’ Katherine told him, refusing to think about flying away just yet. ‘In strictest confidence she told me she likes it almost as much as Lisbon.’
He laughed. ‘The highest accolade of all from Teresa Rocha Lima!’
Dinner that night was an extra special occasion, with every local delicacy Teresa could think of since it was Katherine’s last night at the Estancia.
‘What will you buy when you do your shopping, cara?’ she asked over the meal.
Shopping? Katherine went blank for a second.
‘You mentioned presents,’ Roberto reminded her.
She nodded hastily. ‘For my aunt, and James Massey and his wife. And a few friends.’
‘You will find much choice in Porto Alegre,’ said Teresa, and sighed. ‘It is sad that you must leave so soon. You must persuade Katherine to return soon, meu filho.’
Roberto smiled at his mother. ‘I will do my very best.’
‘And now,’ said Antonio, rising, ‘we will drink a toast to our guest. Boa viagem, Katherine.’
‘Thank you.’ She blinked hard and raised her own glass. ‘To the de Sousa family for making me so welcome. It has been an unforgettable Christmas.’
There were more farewells next day when Katherine was ready to leave. She went into the kitchen to say goodbye to Maria and Dirce, and then took a walk to the curral with Roberto to say goodbye to the men there, and then to Garoto, who pushed his nose against her hand. Then Geraldo and Janio carried her luggage to the plane, where Antonio stood with an arm round his wife as Katherine kissed them goodbye. As Roberto took the plane up and away from Estancia Grande, she looked down through a blur of tears at the two figures growing smaller as they waved in farewell.
‘You are sorry to leave, Katherine?’ said Roberto.
‘Yes,’ she said tersely, her throat too thick to say more.
At the airport they took one of the orange town taxis, and Roberto asked the driver to take them on a short tour of the city on the way to the São Rafael Hotel. He helped Katherine into the back seat, slid in after her and pulled her close to kiss her hard the moment the taxi moved off.
‘I needed that,’ he said gruffly, and rubbed his cheek against her hair. ‘I love my parents, you understand, but it is good to have you to myself at last, Katherine.’
‘They were very kind to me,’ she reminded him.
‘My mother was a little nervous before you arrived, carinha.’
‘Why?’
‘Because you are a Doutora Historiadora, and therefore very clever. She was expecting someone far more intimidating than you, Katherine. Although,’ he added thoughtfully, ‘if you had arrived wearing those severe clothes and the famous spectacles you would have frightened her to death.’
Katherine hooted. ‘I haven’t known your mother long, Roberto, but I can’t imagine her feeling intimidated by anyone.’
‘E verdade!’ Roberto laughed. ‘She was just a teenager when my father, who was fifteen years older, brought her here, but now she is very much Dona da casa, and rules Estancia Grande with a firm hand.’
‘Your father adores her, and she him. It’s heart-warming to see them together.’
‘Heart-warming,’ he repeated softly. ‘I like that.’
Katherine smiled at him, then turned to look out at the square they were entering. ‘Come on then, Roberto de Sousa, do your tour guide bit.’
‘Sempre as seus ordems,’ he said promptly, and began rattling off information. ‘We are in the Praça da Matriz, and that building with the large dome is the Catedral Metropolitana. Close by is the Palácio Piratini, the Governor’s residence, and to the north the Teatro São Pedro. There are many such buildings in the city but we shall leave them for another day.’
Not that there would be many more days. Katherine pushed the thought away as she craned her neck to take it all in.
‘Now,’ said Roberto firmly, ‘we go to the hotel. You would like a little rest before lunch, no?’
‘Actually, I’d like a shower. I got a bit hot in the plane. The flight was a lot more exciting with you in charge, Roberto.’
He grinned. ‘You did not trust me to land you safely?’
She grinned back. ‘I suddenly remembered that Roberto Rocha was at the controls!’
‘I will have my revenge for such slander,’ he threatened as they arrived at the hotel. ‘I stay here when I am in Porto, my parents also. It is not as big as some of the modern hotels, but it has much character, also excellent food, and on the top floors there are suites with a view of the lagoon.’
The process of checking in went very smoothly with Roberto in charge. Katherine barely had time to look round a reception lobby with gleaming golden floors and big leather furniture before they were in a lift on the way to their suite, where Roberto led her into a charming sitting room.
‘The luggage will arrive soon, but I need another kiss,’ he informed her, closing the door behind them. He took her in his arms and kissed her, then raised his head to smile down into her eyes. ‘I have dreamed of being alone together like this.’
So had Katherine, but for the moment it seemed unwise to say so. Though for some reason the brief kiss had dispelled the unexpected frisson of nerves she experienced at the glimpse of a large bed through the half open bedroom door. ‘So show me this view, then.’
They went to the windows to look down on the great lagoon. ‘The Lagoa dos Patos,’ he informed her.
‘Patos?’
‘Ducks.’
She grinned. ‘I expected something more romantic, like flamingos.’
Roberto shrugged in mock apology. ‘Desculpe, senhora, no flamingos.’ He turned at a knock on the door. ‘That is our luggage.’ He went to tip the porter, then rejoined Katherine at the window and put his arm round her waist. ‘Have you recovered from my flying skills enough to eat, querida?’
She nodded with enthusiasm. ‘As long as I shower first before we go down.’
He tipped her face up to his. ‘I suggest we ring room service for our lunch, and then tonight, when you have rested, we shall dine out. You would like that?’
‘Of course I would, though maybe not churrasco tonight. I’ve eaten more meat since I came here to Brazil than I’ve had for months at home.’
‘And here
we have the best beef in Brazil, also the best way of cooking it.’ His eyes gleamed. ‘It gives a man strength—his woman also. Which bag do you need first?’
‘The smallest.’
‘I shall put it with mine at the foot of the bed.’ His eyes met hers. ‘You approve?’
Knowing he meant more than luggage, she nodded her assent. ‘Now, where’s this bathroom?’
After her shower Katherine wrapped herself in one of the hotel robes and opened the door to see Roberto gazing down at the view. ‘How long will lunch be?’
He spun round, his eyes eating her. ‘I said half an hour. Shall we rest for a while first?’
‘You’re tired?’
‘No, amada, I am not.’ He gave her a look which melted her bones as he crossed the room in two strides to pick her up, and then stood laughing down at her with such blatantly male satisfaction she laughed with him. ‘I can now do this, Katherine.’
‘Indeed you can.’ She rubbed her cheek against his as he carried her to the bed.
Roberto lowered her gently, then followed her down to kiss her with such sudden, explosive heat robe and clothes were soon tossed away as they came together at last on the wide white bed, her hunger a match for his as he made love to her with words she only half understood but with caresses which needed no translation as they set her body on fire.
‘Since the moment I saw you again I have longed for this,’ he said against her mouth.
‘Then love me. Now,’ she ordered huskily, and Roberto gave a stifled elated laugh and united them with a smooth, fierce thrust that thrilled her to the core.
‘I hurt you?’ he gasped, but she shook her head vehemently her fingers drumming such a wild, demanding tattoo on his shoulders Roberto made love to her with joyous lack of inhibition, kissing her open mouth as he drove her relentlessly towards the summit she flew over at last before him, and he gave a great groaning sigh in the throes of his release and collapsed on her. They lay panting and winded, held fast in each other’s arms, until a knock on the door brought Roberto off the bed to dive into the robe he’d torn from Katherine.
Under the Brazilian Sun Page 14
