The Forgotten Gallo Bride

‘I’ve been studying at a cookery school up north. I sell my cakes and biscuits at a local market—that was how Jasper tracked me down.’

‘Before that. Tell me everything that happened between us. From the beginning.’

She swallowed. ‘There’s not that much to tell. You and Jasper had been on a business trip to Antigua in the Caribbean. To look at my uncle’s casino operation amongst other things. You had a business meeting on his yacht. That’s where you met me.’

‘And this was the uncle you lived with after your parents died?’

‘I’d lived on that boat for almost a decade.’ She nodded.

‘How is it possible that you couldn’t just leave of your own accord?’

She looked at the floor. She understood how it sounded. She was a grown woman. Why couldn’t she just have given her uncle the finger, walked out of the door and not looked back? There were no chains holding her there...but then there were. Invisible chains that hurt in their own vindictive way.

‘When someone tells you you’re worthless, day in and out...several times a day. When you’ve been transplanted from your home, your country and you’re isolated from your old friends...and the only people you have around you are the ones telling you to be grateful. So grateful because without them you’d have nothing. That you are nothing...’

She forced herself to try to explain. ‘I had no money of my own. No job. No training. I had no idea how to get out of there. Most of the time I was literally stuck on a boat in the middle of the ocean. He had my passport and was the trustee of what little money my parents had left me...’

That had all gone. He’d said they’d needed it for her expenses.

‘I was so shy. I tried, but I was so afraid of doing everything wrong.’ And she had done lots wrong—worn the wrong thing, said the wrong thing. She’d retreated more and more, hiding below deck.

She’d processed it since, worked it through. But all those years of isolation had left their mark; the shadow lingered.

‘My uncle was determined to impress you. He thought you were a prospective investor. He’d always had plans to expand his casino. He was so angry when I served you at your meeting. He made jokes at my expense. You smiled, seemed to go along with them...’ But then she’d looked at him surreptitiously and had caught him looking at her. That moment that he’d held her gaze then? ‘But you told him you weren’t going to invest. He was very angry but hid it from you.’ She drew in a shaky breath. ‘He didn’t hide it from me.’

She paused, hating having to relive this, hoping that Tomas could see she was speaking the truth. If only she’d told him sooner.

‘You overheard him,’ she muttered. ‘You saw the mark on my cheek. And you asked if I wanted to get out.’

‘So I bought you?’

‘That’s how my uncle saw it.’ Because he’d viewed her as a chattel. ‘And he didn’t hesitate to let you. You framed it as part of the business deal. It was only afterwards that you told him you’d never ever invest in his company. And that he was never to come after me or ask me for money. That if he did you’d destroy his business and his reputation by telling the world he’d basically sold his niece. He’s not contacted me since.’

‘And that’s what you wanted?’

‘I changed my name the minute I could to prevent him from finding me.’

‘That was why Jasper couldn’t find you sooner?’

‘Yes. He spotted a piece about me in my local papers. It was about my cakes at the market and there was a photo with it. I guess he thought it was worth a shot.’

‘How much did I give you?’

‘You offered me a million as our annulment settlement. I took ten thousand. I have just less than half of it. I’m still saving to repay the amount in full. The money you gave me enabled my escape, but it was your ability to pull it off that just...’ She couldn’t explain it. Her confidence in him had given her confidence in herself. He had made such a difference to her. He’d never truly understand it.

And from the look on his face, he didn’t even want to try.

‘Your uncle’s picture is upstairs in the gallery?’ he asked sharply.

‘Yes.’

‘But not yours.’

‘No.’

He breathed out.

‘I don’t think you ever had a picture. And there was no record...’

‘Jasper had a record. You knew.’

‘But I didn’t know about your amnesia. I’d read about your accident, of course—’ She broke off. ‘But all the reports said you’d made a full recovery. And I thought the annulment had gone through.’

‘So then you came here and after all I’d done, you lied to me.’

‘I didn’t lie.’

‘You told me we hadn’t met.’

‘I said you didn’t know me. And you didn’t.’

‘Semantics,’ he spat. ‘You omitted vitally important information. I don’t care if you thought it was for the best, it was wrong. It was especially wrong to sleep with me while withholding that information.’

But if she’d told him, he wouldn’t have slept with her. And yes, now she realised she’d been so desperate. She was still desperate.

‘Back that day, I thought I was in love with you,’ she said, her breath seizing. ‘Love at first sight, even though you didn’t really see me at all. I knew you weren’t really interested in me. It was just because my uncle’s behaviour annoyed you so much. But now I realise that, all this time, what I felt was just a huge crush. You came along when I was so trapped and you were like this flash of lightning. So bright. So mesmerising. And you got me out of there. How could I ever look at any other man?’

She swallowed.

‘So, yes, when Jasper said to come and see you I couldn’t resist.’ She moved towards the window, trying to summon the courage to keep speaking as honestly. ‘When you didn’t recognise me at first I thought it was just because... I hadn’t been anything important to you. Then I worked it out.’

‘So you’re over your crush now?’ he asked so dryly her heart almost shrivelled.

‘Yes,’ she answered softly. She held her hands tightly together, her fingers twisting into each other. ‘I’m out of the crush and fully in love with you.’

‘You think you’re in love with me?’ he scoffed bitterly. ‘You’ve fallen for a fantasy. The Prince Charming who rescued you that one day. It’s not real. It’ll never be real. I’m not that guy and I never will be.’

‘No, I know you now.’ She fought back the tears. She’d never been so exposed.

‘What do you think you know? I don’t know who I am, so how the hell can you know anything?’

‘I know the man you are, the things you do. The way you treat people—me. I know you’re strong and determined and loyal. You’re arrogant as hell but kind with it. How you are is who you are. And you’re so much more than the man who rescued me.’

And she was more than the wraith of a person who’d needed that in the first place.

He stared at her for a long moment. ‘There is nothing between us,’ he said matter-of-factly. ‘This was a fun few days. It’s been a while since I’ve had a woman in my bed. You were here. It was convenient. But we’re finished.’

Anger bubbled deep in her belly. Was he really going to play this that way—after everything she’d told him? Everything she’d tried to show him?

She walked towards him. ‘So that’s it—I made a mistake and you’re saying it’s all over?’

‘It was always going to be over,’ he said bluntly. ‘When the Kilpatricks come back you’d leave and we’d be done. You knew that was the deal. Now I just have to hope that you won’t sell your story.’

‘

I haven’t yet,’ she threw back at him angrily.

‘But we both know you’ll sell anything you have to when you need money.’

She gasped. ‘You offered,’ she said in a fierce voice. ‘I took less than you offered. And I was always going to pay you back.’ She’d started a savings account for that purpose already. And one of the reasons she’d come here in the first place was to pay him back.

‘Consider your virginity as full and final payment.’

Oh, that was cruel. ‘People make mistakes every single day, Tomas. And other people forgive them.’

‘Some things are unforgivable.’

‘Was wanting you so very awful of me?’ She flared up at him. ‘Was it so terrible to care? To want not to hurt you? Was being attracted to you such a terrible sin?’

‘You’re confusing gratitude with desire.’

‘Give me some credit.’

‘Why should I?’

‘You know what?’ she asked as she lost control of her emotions. ‘You didn’t die in that accident, but you’re barely living now.’ Her anger spilled over. ‘I don’t understand it. Don’t you of all people know how fleeting and precious life can be? But you’ve trapped yourself here and you’re so bitter—’

‘Don’t I have a right to be?’ he snapped back at her.

‘Of course. To a point. But not for ever. You’re letting pride get in the way of having a full life—’

‘I don’t want this from you. I don’t want you for anything more than what I’ve had. I didn’t then and I don’t now.’ He strode towards her, his fury frothing as the words tumbled from his mouth. ‘All this was was sex. When you were offering everything why wouldn’t I take it? But it means nothing. I don’t need you or anyone to make my life complete.’

‘Fine,’ she said. ‘Lock yourself away here for ever. Lie to yourself and think you’re happy making your pots of money so you can be safe and hide away for ever. Be lonely and grumpy and isolated and miserable.’

‘I am happy here. How can I not be?’ He swept his arms wide.

‘With everything covered in dust cloths and left unused?’ she cried at him. ‘You could have so much more. You deserve so much more.’