When Summer Fades (15 page)

Carlos gave a sharp, dry laugh. ‘You surely don’t believe that?’

‘It’s what Rosa believes. What you’ve led her to believe.’

Carlos’s eyes filled with despair. ‘No, Sophie! That’s where you’re wrong. It’s what
Grandmother
would have Rosa believe.’

‘Why haven’t you said anything to the contrary?’

‘I have, frequently. I told Grandmother again only last Saturday, when I fetched the cream for your back. I told her as I will tell you now, much as I love Rosa as a cousin, I have no intention of ever making her my wife. To me Rosa is just a child.’

‘A child, maybe. But a child who adores you all the same.’

‘Rubbish! You forget I’ve known Rosa all her life. I know what she’s like. I’m simply the toy she
thinks
she wants until she tires of it!’

‘Yet having spent so little time with me, how can you know what I’m like.’

‘Because I do.’

Bewildered, Sophie found herself drawn back into Carlos’s embrace.

‘I’m surprised to hear you say you don’t know me,’ he said, huskily, holding her gently and stroking her hair. ‘I thought we got on very well together.’

‘We do.’

‘Then tell me, what is it you’d like to know about me?’

‘I’m not sure, but I certainly don’t want to wake up tomorrow morning, knowing that I’ve slept with Rosa’s future husband. You must remember, she is also my friend.’

‘That sounds promising,’ Carlos said, faintly amused. ‘You’re talking about waking up tomorrow, knowing that you’ve slept with me. Are we going to sleep together? Is that what you really want, Sophie?’

‘Only if you can swear to me you’re not going to marry Rosa.’

‘I swear,’ Carlos replied, his lips closing on hers.

*

Waking to an early golden dawn, Sophie stirred, surprised to find herself still wearing Carlos’s shirt. Wriggling from her stomach on to her side to dislodge buttons digging uncomfortably in her breast, she found navy-blue eyes fixed intently on her face.

‘
Bom
dia
,’ Carlos said with a smile.

‘
Bom
dia
,’ she replied, desperate to ignore the voices echoing in her head. One was accusing her of betraying Rosa, the other springing to Carlos’s defence.
He
isn’t
marrying
Rosa
,
because
he
told
me
! said one,
And
you
believe
him
? accused the other.

Seeing her frown, Carlos laced his fingers through her tousled hair. ‘What’s the problem?’

‘I’m not sure what you mean?’

‘I think you do,’ he coaxed. ‘Would it help to remind you that I feel as if I’ve known you forever?’

‘Perhaps … if I thought it was the truth.’

‘I would not lie to you, Sophie. I love you far too much.’

‘Oh, Carlos! I love you too. But what are we going to do about Rosa and your grandmother?’

A shuttered look appeared on Carlos’s face. ‘Nothing, because, quite simply today is for us. I will allow nothing to spoil it. Soon I must return to Lisbon and—’

Sophie placed a hand on his lips. ‘Please don’t say it, I can’t bear the thought of you leaving. ‘

‘So … shall we think of something else?’ he teased, his fingers trailing seductively from her cheek to her throat.

An hour later and reluctant to move, Carlos eventually conceded they would have to. Sophie was right. They could soon have Bernado and Filomena on the doorstep.

‘If you don’t want to arouse suspicion, I’ll take a shower and you use Rosa’s bathroom,’ he advised. ‘For my part however, I wouldn’t mind if the whole world knew we were lovers.’

Mention of the word
lovers
made Sophie blush. Carlos reached for her hand.

‘Does it still embarrass you that we became lovers, because it wasn’t like this with your ex-fiancé?’

Sophie nodded, not wishing to be reminded of the time spent with Gavin.

‘He wasn’t right for you, Sophie. What you shared with Gavin wasn’t special’

‘How can you possibly know that? You never met him.’

‘No. But I remember the night Rosa said you had the ring and no fiancé. There was so much sadness in your face. A sadness that I wanted desperately to magic away.’

These words reminded Sophie that her holiday was also ticking away. She smiled, trying to make light of the situation. ‘If I’d known Augustina before, perhaps I could have requested another of her magic potions then this wouldn’t have happened.’

Holding her at arm’s length, Carlos looked visibly hurt. ‘You wish last night had never happened?’

‘No. I don’t mean that at all. Last night was wonderful. But the magic can’t last – can it? I’m frightened what will happen once the spell is broken.’

She refrained from mentioning in all the fairy tales, she’d read as a child, there was always a wicked witch or a bad fairy and they usually succeeded in spoiling things. In this instance (even if she was being a touch melodramatic), just like in
Macbeth
, there were three: Maria-Clara, Augustina and Rosa!

‘Don’t worry about the future,’ Carlos said, kissing away her tears. ‘Think of last night.’

Last
night
! Sophie emitted a languid sigh. Unlike the times she’d spent with Gavin, last night had seemed so right – so perfect. Conscious of her doubts and fears Carlos had held her close, comforting and soothing until she was relaxed. Only later had he lain on his back, easing her gently into position. ‘I’ll even let you keep my shirt on,’ he’d teased softly. ‘And don’t worry we have all the time in the world.’

All
the
time
in
the
world
… In a way she’d known that to be only partly true. In time, Carlos would have to return to Lisbon, but Carlos was not Gavin and she very soon discovered there would be more than five minutes in which to savour the delights of his tightly muscled body and the exquisite touch of his caress. Sated and content she’d fallen asleep in his arms, knowing the earth had moved at last.

*

‘About that trip I promised you, to see my idea of heaven,’ Carlos said, passing Sophie a coffee.

She paused, her cup half way to her lips, ‘I feel as if I’ve already been there, yet I’m still consumed with guilt.’

‘Because we made love?’

Sophie shook her head. ‘No, not anymore, but I do worry that your grandmother, will hold me personally responsible for breaking off your engagement.’

‘My dear, sweet Sophie,’ Carlos said, taking her hand once more. There never was an engagement – remember? Nor will there be a wedding, at least not between Rosa and myself. If you are guilty, then so am I. I should never have allowed that ridiculous charade of my grandmother’s to continue. Why, at this very moment, I’m sure Rosa’s still asleep, recovering from yet another party. Marriage will be the last thing on her mind.’

*

In her parents’ Lisbon apartment, Rosa was having breakfast. Deep in animated conversation with her mother, they discussed the merits of a heavily embroidered wedding gown as opposed to one of the simplest silk. Seeing mother and daughter together, their heads buried in yet another bridal magazine, José Ramirez shook his head and smiled.

‘Isn’t it a bit early to be looking at wedding dresses?’

‘José′!’ His wife hissed, when Rosa left the room. ‘You know exactly how I feel about this infatuation Rosa has for Carlos, for the moment I am merely humouring your daughter, nothing more. Unless I do, I shall get no peace at all!’

Refusing to be drawn into this familiar argument with Elisabete, José breathed a deep sigh of relief as far as Rosa’s wedding dress was concerned. Hadn’t it been bad enough this past weekend, listening to excited females discussing what to wear for his mother-in-law’s birthday party? Finishing his coffee, he turned to his wife. ‘Do you and Rosa still plan to take Maria-Clara and Augustina shopping today?’

‘Gracious, no! It will be just the three of us. Augustina hates shopping for clothes. She’ll stay at home and plan the food for the party.’

José gulped down his coffee. The terrifying thought of mother, daughter and granddaughter all shopping together was enough to send him hurrying away to his office.

*

Walking towards the car, shopping was the last thing on Carlos and Sophie’s mind.

‘There goes Filomena with the clean laundry,’ Sophie said, watching the young woman head in the direction of the beach house. ‘I told you it was risky staying in bed for so long.’

‘Carlos bent to kiss her cheek before unlocking the car. ‘Ah! But wasn’t it worth it? If only every Monday morning could be like this—’

‘It’s certainly an improvement on Monday in Beckford General.’

‘I’m pleased to hear it, Staff Nurse Fuller? Dare I suggest a repeat prescription for
next
Monday morning?’

Delighting in the way Carlos spoke her name, Sophie fixed him with a radiant smile. ‘It sounds a wonderful idea. If only it were possible?’

‘Perhaps it might? Leave it with me and I’ll try and think of something.’

Deciding to do exactly that, Sophie sat back to admire the view. ‘How far is it to this heaven of yours?’

‘Only a few kilometres.’

Pulling off the road onto what appeared to be little more than a remote dusty path, Carlos negotiated a twisting, narrow track that climbed steeply before a heart stopping descent into a lush green valley. In stark contrast to the sandy beaches and bizarre sandstone rock formations of Praia da Rocha, Sophie gazed about her in wonderment.

‘So ... what do you think of it?’

‘Simply amazing! It’s as if the English countryside has been transported miraculously to the Algarve. The way that river meanders – and look at those reed beds – Uncle Monty would say it’s like the Norfolk Marshes. Why hasn’t it all dried up, particularly in this heat?’

‘Because it’s protected on either side. When it rains, which it does even here, the rain simply runs down the valley into the river.’

Hearing the sound of bells, Sophie shielded her eyes against the sun and turned to where a flock of goats was munching contentedly on grass. ‘How delightful! Can we walk down there? I’d love to take some photos.’

Carlos studied her flimsy sandals. ‘I’m afraid not, you’d need walking boots from here. But, if you don’t mind a bumpy ride…?’

Despite wearing a seatbelt and travelling at little more than five miles an hour over extremely rough terrain, Sophie clung on to the seat. ‘No wonder there aren’t any tourists.’

‘I know. That’s what makes it so perfect.’

Eventually stopping on a flat, stone bridge, Sophie left the car and peered into the water below where hundreds of tiny fish, their scales flashing silver, darted in and out, swept along by the fast flowing current. ‘I wonder where they’re swimming to in such a hurry,’ she said, suddenly reminded of the silver earrings worn by Lottie and Pearl that danced and trembled as they spoke.

‘I’ve no idea. But I wish I had their energy.’

‘Of course, I was forgetting you’re so old!’

Tugging playfully at her hair, Carlos pulled her into his arms. ‘And you are so young, I suppose?’

‘Naturally. Although not as young as Ro—’

Silencing the name on Sophie’s lips with a kiss, Carlos murmured huskily. ‘I forbid you to mention her name. I want this day to be only for us. Now, if you’ve finished taking photos, perhaps we can go to the beach?’

‘The beach?’

Looking ahead Carlos pointed to where a gap in the distant sandstone cliffs revealed a brilliant streak of blue.

‘We’ll never get the car through there!’

Realising she was wrong, Sophie spent a nail-biting twenty minutes watching Carlos negotiate hairpin bends and assorted giant boulders.

‘You can open your eyes now,’ he grinned, reaching for a travel rug. ‘I’m afraid here it’s mostly stones and pebbles, however, just around that corner is a sandy cove where we shall be quite alone.’

‘Not quite,’ Sophie teased, turning back to look at the valley, ‘You’ve forgotten the goats!’

Without warning, Carlos swept her into his arms, and as nimbly as the scattered flock they’d left behind, delivered her to safety onto soft, golden sand at the edge of an azure blue ocean.

Watching Sophie breathe in the balmy, salt laced air while a gentle breeze kissed and fanned her hair into a sun-burnished halo, Carlos felt a familiar stirring in his breast.

‘You know, from the moment we first met, you’ve reminded me of the exquisite beauty of this place.’

‘Why is that?’

‘Sit with me and I’ll tell you.’

Sitting down beside him, Sophie waited for his explanation.

‘To begin with … the colour of your hair.’

‘My hair? My hair is boring. It’s all mousey and sandy.’