Passionate Protection

'Her parents are dead, then?' Jessica asked sympathetically.

Was it her imagination or did the Senora hesitate briefly before saying, 'Yes, I'm afraid so, she is Sebastian's ward. It could be difficult for her should Sebastian marry and have children of his own.'

'But surely, when he does, his wife will understand and accept that Lisa is bound to find it hard at first,' Jessica suggested.

Senora Calvadores smiled. 'One would hope so, but it would depend very much on the wife. Sebastian must marry, of course, to carry on the name. He was betrothed once, but his betrothed died—a tragic accident in a car.' She sighed and shook her head. 'It was all a long time ago, and best forgotten now.'

It was late afternoon before Lisa and Sebastian returned to the hacienda. Jessica had been working in her sitting room when a maid had knocked and told her that it was the custom for the ladies of the household to drink sherry and eat almond pastries at this particular time of the day, adding that Senora Calvadores was waiting for her in the main courtyard.

She hadn't realised how cramped her limbs had become, and she was still a little stiff when she emerged into the sunshine to find that Lisa and Sebastian had returned and were sitting with the Senora.

Sebastian moved and Jessica realised there was someone else with them; a tall stately woman in her early thirties, her thick dark hair drawn back in a chignon, her cold dark eyes appraising Jessica as they moved over her.

Jessica recognised her from the hotel in Seville, and wondered who she was.

'Ah, Jessica, there you are. Allow me to introduce Miss James to you, cara,' he said to his companion. 'She has come here to work for me for several weeks.'

'I hope she realises her good fortune,' was the brunette's acid response.

'Jessica—Pilar Sanchez, a close friend and neighbour of ours.'

'Merely a close friend,' Pilar pouted, slanting Jessica another acid glance. 'Come, our relationship is stronger than that. If poor Manuela had lived we would have been brother and sister.' Scarlet-tipped fingers lay provocatively along Sebastian's forearm, the look in her eyes as she gazed up at him anything but sisterly. There was a strange aching sensation in Jessica's stomach. They could be lovers. Were they lovers? Surely not; Pilar obviously came from a family as exalted as Sebastian's own; her sister had obviously been engaged to him. If he needed a wife surely he need look no further than Pilar. Or was there perhaps some bar on such a marriage because of his relationship with her sister? Jessica wasn't sure about the Catholic church's ruling on such things.

She was brought back to her surroundings with a jolt as Pilar scolded sharply, temper flags flying scarlet in her cheeks, 'Lisa, your fingers—don't touch my dress, child, you will ruin it!'

The little girl's face crumpled. She looked uncertainly at Sebastian, who was frowning, and then towards his aunt, who said gently, 'Lisa, go and find Maria. It is time for you to rest.'

'Really, Sebastian, that child is growing impossible!' Pilar commented sharply when Lisa had gone. 'You should send her to a convent where she could learn obedience.'

'As Manuela did?' Sebastian drawled sardonically, but Jessica couldn't understand the expression in Sofia's eyes or the reason for his aunt's suddenly tense body.

Jessica had to wait until after dinner to show Sebastian the work she had done during the day. To her surprise he didn't criticise it as thoroughly as she had anticipated, instead showing her some work he had done himself.

'Initially I didn't want to give you any guidelines,' he told her, 'because it is important that we work on the same wavelength. What you have done shows me that you have a natural sympathy for our fabrics and what we hope to achieve with them. Tomorrow we shall spend an hour together in my study talking about what line the new range will take. You like the tower?' he asked her unexpectedly.

Caught off guard by the absence of his normal cynicism and contempt, Jessica replied enthusiastically, 'I love it, but I can't help wondering if Rosalinda was happy there. She occupied those rooms alone…'

'Instead of sharing those of her husband?' Sebastian interrupted. 'This is true, but it was only in the initial days that she occupied the tower. You have obviously heard the story and you must remember that she had accused her husband of seducing her, when in fact he knew he had not. He had married her to protect his good name, but he swore he would remain celibate rather than touch an unwilling woman who had already given herself to another. So matters might have continued if Rosalinda hadn't found the courage to go to him and confess that she had lied to her father, but not to conceal any affair with another man, simply because she had fallen desperately in love with Rodriguez, and wanted him for her husband, but she knew that because of the enmity that existed between him and her father she had no chance of marrying him. So she conceived her plan. She knew of the pride of both Rodriguez and her father and knew that if she were to accuse Rodriguez of dishonouring her he would be forced to make reparation. It was a bold step to take; she had to face dishonour herself— admit to her lack of chastity, perhaps endure the hatred of her husband for ever, when he knew how he had been tricked.

'But Rosalinda was beautiful as well as bold. Rodriguez could not resist her tears of contrition for the trick she had played, and she told him that she was still a virgin. She did not spend many nights alone in her tower,' Sebastian added dryly.

'So she tricked him into marriage, just as you've accused me of trying to trick Jorge,' Jessica pointed out.

He looked at her angrily. 'The two cases are entirely different. She was motivated by love, which excuses much; you are motivated by material greed, which is unforgivable.'

Why was it that no matter what subject they discussed they always ended up quarrelling? Jessica wondered tiredly as she gathered together her designs and the swatches of fabric.

'You are looking pale,' Sebastian confounded her by saying abruptly. 'My aunt tells me you worked all afternoon and then into the evening.'

'You had a guest,' Jessica pointed out, without reminding him that Pilar had looked anything but pleased at his suggestion that she stay with them. 'And besides, I enjoyed it.'

'In future you will take proper exercise.' He frowned. 'Can you ride?' Jessica shook her head.

'A pity, you could have joined Lisa when she rides with me in the morning.'

He made her sound like another child to be humoured and scolded, Jessica thought wryly.

'I can walk, or swim,' she told him. 'And besides, the sooner the work is completed the sooner I can leave.'