A Spanish Inheritance

The look Ramon slanted at her suggested she might be right.

‘It will be an attractive feature in the courtyard, as well as performing a practical function,’ he said.

‘When did this happen?’ she said incredulously when they turned a corner and she saw what the villagers had built for her.

‘Is it a good surprise?’ he murmured.

‘How did you keep it hidden from me?’

‘Camouflaged with trimmings…think of it as a gift.’

‘Another gift,’ she said, remembering the shirt. ‘I really can’t accept anything for myself until everyone knows about the back pay.’

‘Don’t worry,’ Ramon said, holding up his hands. A hush fell as he began to speak, then one or two people interrupted.

‘What are they saying?’ Annalisa demanded anxiously as she watched the negative gestures amongst the villagers.

‘No one is prepared to accept back pay,’ he translated for her.

‘But they must—’

‘You can’t force them to take the money,’ he pointed out. ‘They say the success of the finca is reward enough. They are pleased to have this opportunity to repay your father’s generosity.’

Annalisa’s mouth opened and shut again. She was running out of arguments, running out of ghosts… Turning round to include everyone in her reply, she said, ‘Gracias…le agradecen cada uno—’

‘I’m impressed,’ Ramon growled. ‘You’re a quick study.’

‘I have a good teacher.’

‘And you’re a great student,’ he said in a soft drawl that made her feel warm all over.

Then Maria Teresa intruded unwittingly as she cried excitedly, ‘And now the well, Señorita Wilson.’

As the crowd parted Annalisa clapped her hands with delight. ‘It’s lovely! Thank you all so much! And, thank you, Ramon!’ Throwing her arms around his waist, she hugged him impulsively. But the warm, hard feel of him was dangerously seductive, and as a cheer went up she ricocheted back in time to hear his mellow voice.

‘Maria Teresa—el honor es el tuyo.’

Grabbing her by the wrist, Maria Teresa pointed to the sturdy black handle.

‘What?’ Annalisa mouthed to Ramon.

‘You have to draw the first bucket of water,’ he said, lacing his explanation with a slow-burning smile. ‘For good luck.’

But the handle turned far too easily. ‘Is it dry?’ she whispered anxiously to Ramon.

The corners of his mouth tugged down, as if there could be a problem. ‘I’m sure there’s something down there,’ he said, frowning as he leaned over to peer into the well shaft.

‘But if the bucket’s empty—’

He straightened up and speared a look at her. ‘Break the mould, Annalisa. Take a chance.’

The timbre of his voice was low and challenging. She lobbed the dare straight back. ‘OK. If you’re so confident, come here and help me.’

‘My pleasure,’ he said, moving through the crowd.

An expectant hush dropped like a blanket around them as he placed his hands over hers. As they began to turn the handle together shouts of ‘Arriba! Arriba!’ grew around them, until the bucket burst into the sunlight and jiggled between them on its tough hemp rope.

Grabbing hold of it, Ramon brandished it in the air to even louder cheers.

‘I told you,’ Annalisa said, plucking at his arm. ‘There isn’t any water.’

‘And I say you’re wrong,’ he insisted fiercely. ‘About that and a great many other things.’

‘Let me see,’ she insisted. The silence now was tense and expectant. What if the bucket was dry? What if Ramon’s system had failed? Annalisa couldn’t bear to think about it, and, flashing an anxious glance at Ramon, she dipped her hand in. There was nothing except maybe an inch of water sloshing about in the bottom. Pressing her lips together, she shook her head.

‘Check again,’ Ramon growled softly.

‘I have checked,’ she shot back tensely. ‘There’s barely enough for two coffees—’

‘I had something stronger than coffee in mind.’ He flashed her a grin.

‘This is hardly a time for celebration,’ Annalisa pointed out, shooting anxious glances at the waiting villagers.

‘So you still don’t trust me?’

‘What on earth has that got to do with—?’

‘Get your hand back in there,’ he ordered, grasping her wrist.

With a frown she tried again. There was something at the bottom…

‘Don’t give up,’ he warned.

She froze suddenly and, drawing her hand out, stared straight into Ramon’s eyes. ‘Is this a joke?’