Sweet Revenge (14 page)

'But you would!' she exclaimed incredulously.

'Yes, I would,' he agreed.

'But why? Why?'

'As I once told you, you have a certain - how shall I put it - attraction. You are different from our Portuguese women, as my wife was once different also. And in addition to this, you are a woman without scruples. You attempt to destroy the marriage of a friend of mine; you play the part of a man's fiancee, allowing him to make love to you for money; why then should you object when I tell you that I also find you attractive? Not in the way I would love and respect a woman whom I intended to marry, but merely as a purely physical arrangement, it suits me very well.' Toni couldn't believe her ears. She was horrified. 'Then also you are very conveniently a governess, and as Francesca needs a governess . . .' His voice trailed away.

Toni's fingers were swift and angry, and before he had a chance to stop her she had slapped him violently across This face, uncaring that she struck his scar. He pressed a hand to his cheek, and she felt a moment's compassion, and then he ground out:

'I am sorry if my proposition has come as a shock to you,
senhorita,
and maybe the thought of a man so disfigured making love to you nauseates you, but it is of no matter. I do not care about your childish whims and fancies. You are what you are, and I am not a man to be thwarted!'

'You're crazy!' she gasped, pressing a hand to her stomach. 'Crazy!'

'Oh, no, I think I am perfectly sane,' he remarked, recovering his coolness. 'However, you are entitled to your opinion, of course.'

'But - but you can't do this to me! If - if I were the kind of woman you are making me out to be, why should I care what happens to Paul?' She was trembling and her voice was not quite steady.

He shrugged his broad shoulders. 'Who knows? Nevertheless, I cannot believe you are all bad, and I do not think you would want to make such trouble for a man who is reputedly a friend of yours.'

Toni clenched her fists. 'You expect me to - to - give in to your demands because of Paul!'

'Why not? I did not think it would be so distasteful for you!'

Toni swallowed with difficulty. Her throat felt dry, and she felt as weak as she had done at the start of her period in bed. The Conde della Maria Estrada now replaced his glass on the tray and came purposefully towards her. Toni shook her head, backing away from him, until she came up against the wall by the door, where she stiffened into immobility. The Conde halted a few inches from her, looking down at her with those disturbing dark eyes. His scar gave him a swarthy, piratical appearance, and she quivered with fear.

'Do not be alarmed,' he murmured softly, sliding one hand round her neck, under the heavy weight of her hair which was loose about her shoulders. 'I will not hurt you - Toni.' The way he said her name, with its faintly foreign inflection, turned Toni's bones to water. His nearness melted her resistance, and she was terribly afraid of his power over her.

His grip on her neck tightened suddenly, painfully, and with a groan he jerked her forward, close against him, while his mouth sought the soft warmth of hers. His hands slid round her back, caressing her urgently, arousing emotions she had not known she possessed. Her whole body flamed into vibrant life at his touch, and she wanted desperately to respond.

By an enormous effort of will power she managed to stay immobile, and he became angry at her coldness, his mouth became more demanding, and his arms held her closer so that her body was moulded to his.

'Toni!'
he muttered, against her mouth,
'kiss me!'

'No!' Toni struggled violently, managing to get her hands against his chest, pushing him away from her.

Then, as suddenly, she was free, and he had stepped back, his eyes blazing with fury.

'So,
senhorita
,' he muttered savagely, 'you have gained a temporary reprieve.'

Toni pressed the palms of her hands against her hot cheeks. Her mouth felt bruised, and her whole body ached from the passion of his touch.

'Oh, please,' she whispered despairingly, 'let me go! Don't forge me to stay here!'

He turned away to pour himself another drink. 'You can go,' he said slowly. 'If that is what you wan:.'

'And-and Paul?'

'Leave Paul to me!'

'You will - incriminate him? Deliberately?'

'As I have said, leave that to me.' Toni gave an exasperated gasp.
'Senhor,
please. I can't stay. I can't pretend to be Francesca's governess.'

'Why not? You pretended to be Paul's fiancee.'

'That was different.'

'In what way?'

'Oh, it just was. There was no - well, there were no strings attached!'

'And with me there is.'

'You
know
it!' She stifled a sob. 'You are despicable! A disgrace to your family! How can anyone with such authority behave so-so - well, in such a primitive manner?'

He half-smiled sardonically. 'All men are primitive,
senhorita.
We are all alike under the skin. We all have our needs, our desires, however base they may be. That you attract me is not a cause for despair. Many women - I do not boast - would envy you.'

'Then take one of them,' she cried desperately. 'Go to bed,
senhorita,'
he said, turning away. 'It is late, and you are tired. Tomorrow you will see everything differently.'

'No. No, I won't! Oh, please, I want to go home!'

'Home? Where is that? A dreary bedsitter in a back street. Oh, yes,
senhorita,
I know all about you. I know you now have no close ties, no one who will miss you. This is sad, but for me, useful.'

'I'd rather be there - in my dreary bedsitter - than here with you,' she choked.

The sardonic smile deepened. 'Indeed? You do not like the silk sheets on your bed, the sunshine, and the leisure? Well,
senhorita,
we will see. You will find I can be very persuasive.'

Toni believed him. Even now, talking to him like this, the picture he had painted had a seducing quality about it. She wondered how he looked in the early morning, between those silk sheets, with a night's growth of beard on his chin, lean and masculine, making lazy passionate love to her. And then she remembered his contempt and mockery, and the elusive state he was offering her - no, forcing her - to accept!

She shook her head helplessly, fear breaking through everything else, and as tears broke she turned and ran wildly out of the room. Upstairs she slammed the door of her bedroom and was grateful for the key she had never used. She turned it firmly, leaning back against the door for a moment as trembling nausea overwhelmed her. She dashed into the bathroom a moment later and was really sick, violently so, until as she leant against the wall afterwards she felt completely drained of all emotion.

Eventually, she washed and forced herself to return to her bedroom and undress. Then she climbed into bed. There were some pills on the bedside table which Nurse Gonzales had given her in case of emergency, should she ever find it difficult to sleep. With shaking fingers she placed two on her tongue and swallowed them with a mouthful of water. Then she lay and waited for the cotton-wool world of the drug to descend upon her and obliviate all thoughts of any kind from her tired mind.

T
ONI
spent a restless night despite the sleeping pills, and came down to breakfast the next morning wondering how on earth she was expected to act normally. It was like some crazy dream where she was being held prisoner with threats, while fate wove its intricate web about her. She was more than a little frightened; she believed that the Conde Raoul della Maria Estrada meant every word he said, and if she attempted to thwart him Paul would certainly suffer. But was that any real concern of hers? Why should she sacrifice herself for a man she barely liked? And yet it seemed inconceivable in the cold light of morning that the Conde could have been serious in his intentions towards herself. He might desire her presence as a governess; had not the Condessa herself said they were hard to come by in this lonely place?-and maybe his sense of humour was a little perverted. He could not really intend
using
her for anything else -
could he?

She was startled therefore when she entered the dining-room and found the Conde already seated at the breakfast table. He rose at her entrance, scanning her thoroughly before saying :

'Good morning,
senhorita,
I trust you slept well.'

Toni bit her lip hard, and did not reply. Instead she helped herself to some strong black coffee and seated herself as far away from him as possible.

He half-smiled, and re-seated himself, putting away the newspaper he had been reading, and pouring himself another cup of coffee.

'You look worried,
Toni
,' he murmured, deliberately using her name.

She looked up at him angrily. 'Stop baiting me, Senhor Conde,' she exclaimed. 'You may find this situation amusing, I do not!'

'No? So - then we must do something to improve your opinion, mustn't we? Have you any plans for this morning?'

'None - apart from arranging my journey home,' she retorted.

He lit a cigarette lazily, and then, glancing her way said: 'Oh, you smoke, do you not? Forgive me! Will you have a cigarette?'

Toni shook her head ungraciously, feeling hot resentment overtaking her earlier nervousness. How dare he sit there so calmly, discussing her looks and whether or not she wanted a cigarette, when he must know she was a mass of quivering speculation?

He rose to his feet again, and walked across to the wide windows open to the fresh cooling breeze. Leaning against the casement, he said:

'A pleasant view, is it not? Although I spend much of my time in Lisbon, I find I am always reluctant to return there after a spell at the
castelo.
I am sure you must appreciate this also.'

Toni shut her eyes for a moment, as though in exasperation, and then turned her attention to the newspaper he had flung so carelessly across the table. Although she could not read Portuguese she could look at the pictures, and this she did, ignoring him completely.

With a lazy, yet ruthless, gesture, he walked across and lifted the paper from her unresisting fingers. 'When I speak, Toni, you will listen,' he said decisively. Then he straightened. 'So - now we will make plans for this morning. I suggest we take a drive. Francesca can come with us, and I will show you a little of what it means to be the Conde della Maria Estrada.'

Toni looked helplessly up at him. 'Do I have a choice,
senhor?'

He smiled. 'No. Go get ready if you have finished your breakfast.'

Toni rose from the table. She contemplated arguing with him, but then her own lack of confidence could not go unnoticed, and she had no intention of allowing him to see how nervous she really was. Instead, she turned and walked out of the room just as Francesca was entering. The girl looked a little distressed when she saw Toni, and Toni stopped a moment.

'So, Francesca,' she said coldly, 'you were not my friend at all, just my keeper!'

Francesca looked at her father. That's not true! Papa, what have you told Toni?'

'The truth, that is all,
querida.'

Francesca gave a helpless shrug of her shoulders. 'But -but what do you mean, then, Toni?'

Toni looked puzzled. 'What do I mean?' she echoed. 'When you actually telephoned your father to tell him I was leaving — to enable him to get here in time to stop me!'

'That's not true!' Francesca was obviously hurt. 'Papa!'

Toni looked at Raoul. 'Well,
senhor
? Is that not what you said?'

The Conde drew on his cigarette. 'No. It is not what I said. I said Francesca had told me that you were feeling much better - and so she had. She also told me you were leaving in the morning - on my arrival here. It was all presumption on your behalf that put two and two together and made five!'

Toni heaved a heavy sigh. 'I see. I'm sorry, Francesca. I seem to have made another mistake.'

Francesca looked anxious. 'That is all right, Toni. But - but you
are
staying, aren't you? You will stay and be my governess, won't you?'

Toni shook her head. 'You had better ask your father that question too, Francesca. Your answers seem to be more understanding than mine.' And with that she left the room.

In her own room she sat on the bed wondering how on earth she had allowed herself to get into this situation. She had to leave - she
must
leave, but how could she do so without causing Paul a great deal of trouble. And yet would the Conde really implicate his own nephew? It was a gamble she was not yet prepared to take. She would have to stay on at the
castelo,
at least temporarily, and play the cards as she was dealt them. One thing was certain, the Conde della Maria Estrada would not find her a willing victim.

She changed into a flared linen skirt and a pink candystripe blouse that complemented the tan she was acquiring. Then with sandals on her feet she again went downstairs. The Conde and Francesca were awaiting her in the hall, and she managed to smile quite naturally at Francesca as they went out into the courtyard. They climbed into an open tourer, all three together in the front, with
F
RANCESCA
in the middle, and drove away east into the rising sun.

For all Toni's apprehensions, it turned out to be a wonderful and interesting day. They drove to the scorching, arid slopes above the Douro, and Toni saw the grapes ripening in the burning heat of the sun. At last she was beginning to learn a little about the wine that gave Portugal its fame. Interested in the object of their expedition, for a while she forgot to be antagonistic towards Raoul della Maria Estrada and discovered instead that he could talk with ease about so many things, most particularly his vineyards and his estate. Until then she had never looked for this intelligent mind behind his facade of
INDOLENCE
which she had guessed all along was there. She had been so busy arguing with him that she had almost forgotten his part in the family business, that of supervising the many aspects of the estates and its environs.