Fascination (8 page)

‘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 uncomfortable 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.

‘As I said,’ returned Carlos, the piercing curtness of his voice cutting the atmosphere, ‘I intend to give a dinner party so that Hydee can be formally introduced to the family.’

‘She doesn’t particularly want to be introduced formally,’ Gasper took it on himself to state. ‘This kind of introduction’s far less unnerving than being confronted by a host of strangers all at once.’

‘I think it is I who shall decide what is good for my wife.’ Etched into Carlos’ austere features was a harsh, uncompromising quality which sent an involuntary shiver along Hydee’s spine. However, as Gasper chose not to comment, the awkward moment passed, and for the next few minutes the two men talked inconsequentially about the vintage, and then Gasper rose from his chair.

‘I shall see you both at the dinner party.’ He smiled reassuringly at Hydee and went out.

Carlos looked at his wife across the distance separating them and said coldly, ‘Gasper’s the family’s flirt—but I assume you gathered that much?’ There could be no doubt as to his meaning. Hydee averted her head, aware of a little access of anger rising within her because of his attitude. At this moment he was like his sister: arrogant, distant, superior.

‘I found him pleasant to talk to,’ she responded quietly. ‘He certainly didn’t do anything I could resent.’ Despite her frayed temper, she was nervous; it was an uncomfortable feeling, which she tried vainly to shake off.

‘Gasper doesn’t like my sister.’ Carlos spoke brusquely, making no comment on what she had said. ‘What did he have to say about her?’

‘Nothing much,’ she prevaricated, and saw at once that it was not the answer her husband had asked for. His frowning gaze bit into her, and his mouth, compressed into a thin line, seemed almost cruel. ‘Isobella doesn’t like me,’ she continued, then stopped as he made a swift gesture as if to repudiate the statement.

‘It’s Gasper who doesn’t like her,’ he corrected. His eyes were coldly curious as he repeated, ‘What did he have to say about her?’

‘It was nothing derogatory,’ she murmured, a dryness catching at her throat.

‘Derogatory,’ he repeated, and there was no mistaking the significance of the word. Hydee knew she had made a slip, one which she realised could not be rectified.

But what must she do? To repeat what Gasper had said was unthinkable. ‘I’d rather not carry on this conversation,’ she offered at last, conscious of a little twinge of desolation at the coldness of her husband towards her. For the past few days she had desired to be closer to him, to cement their friendship, but at the same time she had been deterred from making any approach because she had begun to wonder if he felt any real respect for her. Perhaps, deep within him, he despised her, feeling, as his sister did, that she was of low birth when compared to his own noble lineage, which, Hydee knew, could be traced back for a thousand years. ‘Please don’t ask me these questions, Carlos,’ she added pleadingly.

‘I shall question Gasper, then.’

She lapsed into silence, and within a few minutes she was alone, her eyes misty, a weight on her heart which seemed almost to be physical.

***

She wrote to Ellie the following day, her letter bright and full of news of the children, and in the end she mentioned the dinner party which Carlos was shortly to give. Hydee wrote lightly of the coming event, but she was quailing inwardly, convinced that it would be an ordeal which she would not forget in a hurry.

And she was right. The massive dining salon of the Palacio was brilliant with lights, mostly concealed except for the candles on the long glittering table, set in silver‐gilt candelabra. Flowers in the centre were matched in miniature at the ladies’ places. Crystal, fine antique porcelain, hand‐embroidered napkins and table mats… Hydee had stood watching Ana and Jesuina putting the finishing touches to the table and knew without any doubt at all that she would be glad when the evening came to an end.

Chapter Eight

It happened that the first two guests to arrive were Arminda and her mother, the older woman tall and erect, superbly dressed in a long black velvet gown trimmed with diamanté studs; she was regal, with all the arrogant confidence of a queen. She met Hydee’s gaze as they shook hands, and in the black depths Hydee read, unmistakably, a dark venomous hatred that sent an uncomfortable quiver running along her spine. Hydee flushed under the prolonged unsmiling stare and swallowed convulsively, wishing she were a thousand miles away. Arminda merely inclined her head and moved with the same regal grace as her mother, accepting the chair which Carlos offered to her. Immaculate in evening dress, he fitted in so perfectly that Hydee did not merely feel herself to be the odd one out but admitted quite freely that she was.