‘Tied up elsewhere.’ He spread his hands wide. ‘Where, exactly, no one knows. I am afraid I cannot hold off the creditors any longer.’
There was not one iota of emotion in his voice, Annalisa realised with irritation. He wasn’t even going to put up a fight. ‘No matter,’ she said determinedly. ‘I have people who will work side by side with me.’
‘My dear young lady, you are missing the point.’
‘Oh, really?’ Annalisa said coolly. She was determined not to allow anyone else to patronise her…or cloud the issue by making her angry, she warned herself. First she had to find out everything he knew.
‘Unless you can raise sufficient funds by the end of the month,’ he continued, ‘the banks will call in their loans and the finca will be turned over to its creditors…and sold.’
For a song to Claudia Montoya? Over my dead body! Annalisa thought furiously.
‘Annalisa—’
She turned distractedly to see Margarita dabbing at her forehead with one hand and swinging her wrap weakly in the other.
‘Do you mind if we go?’ she said. ‘I feel a little faint.’
Annalisa’s brain clicked into overdrive. The baby! ‘Of course I don’t mind. Are you all right?’
‘I will be as soon as I get out of here,’ Margarita murmured, taking her arm in a surprisingly firm grip.
Don Alfonso bowed to them, but not before Annalisa had spotted the shrewd calculation going on behind his eyes. If he was in league with Claudia Montoya, the sight of her cosying up to Margarita could only be bad news for the two of them.
‘I’m sorry about that,’ Margarita said as soon as they got outside. ‘But if I had stayed there a moment longer I know I would have done someone an injury.’
‘You think they fixed the meeting for tonight, knowing Ramon was away?’
Margarita nodded as she opened the door to Ramon’s limousine. ‘Of course. Where is that driver?’ she said, gazing around distractedly. ‘He’s never here when you need him.’
‘He’s probably getting something to eat,’ Annalisa said reassuringly. ‘We can wait—’
‘No. We can’t,’ Margarita broke in. ‘You couldn’t have known half those people, but I can assure you they weren’t connected with any legitimate business on the island. They’re not really interested in robbing you of your inheritance. It’s just a means to an end. They’re out to ruin Ramon.’
‘But you were invited,’ Annalisa pointed out.
‘And I’m sure that had them quaking in their boots,’ Margarita said with a self-deprecating laugh. ‘I was only there to provide window-dressing. These men are such chauvinists, Annalisa. You have no idea. Claudia might be their ringleader, but none of them see me as any type of threat—’ She broke off as Ramon’s chauffeur slipped into his seat. ‘We need to get in touch with Ramon fast,’ she whispered in Annalisa’s ear. ‘Before Claudia can do him any more harm. The villa, please!’ she said, addressing the driver in Spanish.
‘My father must have known what Claudia was like,’ Annalisa insisted, steadying herself on the seat as the chauffeur sped onto the highway.
Margarita cut her off with a derisive snort. ‘Your father was too honourable for his own good. And because of that he wasted his whole life trying to keep that greedy bitch from ruining him.’
Her bluntness forced a small rueful smile from Annalisa. ‘Is Don Alfonso involved?’
‘Your father sent Don Alfonso packing years ago,’ Margarita informed her scathingly. ‘Everyone was surprised when he turned up again working for you…but it was hardly our place to advise you.’
Annalisa groaned softly and shook her head. She couldn’t believe she had walked blindfold into such a can of worms. But there might still be chance to retrieve something. ‘Don Alfonso said the banks are about to foreclose.’
‘What exactly did he say?’ Margarita demanded.
‘He said I was broke.’
Margarita frowned. ‘I can’t believe that’s the case. Your father was a very rich man. He must have left you some money.’
‘Believe it,’ Annalisa insisted. ‘My mother never had any money. When I sold the house in England there was just enough to carry out a few repairs on the finca and treat myself to a day out. Nothing more.’
Margarita shook her head as they turned off the main road and started dodging potholes. ‘It just doesn’t make sense. I wish I knew how to contact Ramon. He would know what to do.’
‘Well, he isn’t here, so I’ll just have to sort it out myself,’ Annalisa pointed out reasonably.