Passionate Protection

Yes, go on,' Jessica urged her. 'Last night…?'

'Well, it is just that Senora Sanchez came up to see her. I had gone downstairs to get her some hot milk to help her sleep, and when I came backI could hear their voice

s. Senora Sanchez was very, very angry. I could hear her shouting, but I didn't go in. When she came out she didn't see me, and I went into the room and found Lisa crying. The Senora had told her that she was to be punished for being naughty and that the Conde was to send her away—to a school where they would be very strict with her—and that she would never be allowed to come back.'

Jessica was appalled and looked it. How could Pilar be so heartless, and why had Sebastian not confided his plans to her? Of course Pilar was Lisa's aunt, but surely he might have consulted her before deciding to send Lisa away to school?

She had been intending to suggest that there might be a good school in Seville she could attend, and that during the week they could live in the house there to be with her. How could he treat his daughter so unkindly?

'I tried to comfort her,' Maria went on to say, 'but it was many hours before she went to sleep.'

'You should have come and told me,' Jessica said remorsefully, hating to think of Lisa lying awake and crying while they were dining downstairs unaware of her misery. 'Did she say anything this morning?' probed.

Maria shook her head. 'Not a word. She was very subdued and quiet, but she said nothing.'

Feeling more apprehensive than she wanted to admit, Jessica hurried back downstairs to give Tia Sofia the news.

She too looked grave when Jessica had finished. 'You say Pilar told her that Sebastian was to send her to school? I cannot believe he would come to such a decision without telling us first. Do you think she could have exaggerated?' It was a thought, but Jessica felt that not even Pilar would have dared to tell such a barefaced and hurtful lie without some justification.

Jorge was summoned and told of their fears, and Senor Alvarez, who had accompanied him, was quick to suggest that they each take portions of the house to search. 'Sebastian must be told,' he added firmly. 'I'll telephone him,' Jorge agreed. 'Unless, of course…' he glanced at Jessica, but she shook her head. She didn't trust herself to speak logically to Sebastian at the moment; she was too concerned about Lisa. She thought of the little girl's misery and was overwhelmed by a sensation of nauseous sickness. She had felt slightly unwell when she first woke up and had put it down to the richness of the food at dinner last night and the fact that her system had still not grown accustomed to eating so late.

'You are not well?' Senor Alvarez had seen her pale face and hurried to her side.

'It's nothing,' she assured him. 'I'm fine now.' She saw the glance he and Sofia exchanged and was puzzled by it, until she murmured discreetly to her,

'I have noticed on a few occasions recently that you have not seemed well. Could it be…?'

It was a few minutes before Jessica realised what she meant. Could she be carrying Sebastian's child? Surely it was too soon to know, and besides, there had only been those two occasions…

One of which would have been more than enough, she reminded herself grimly, panic clawing through her at the implications. She wasn't ready yet for the responsibility of a child. Her relationship with Sebastian was too fraught with difficulties; they had no right to bring a child into such an insecure marriage. Children should be wanted, surrounded with love and care.

She was letting her imagination run away with her, she decided later, as she listened to Senor Alvarez speaking quickly to Sebastian. She probably wasn't pregnant at all.

'Sebastian is returning immediately,' he told them. 'Meanwhile we must do all we can to find her.'

Senor Alvarez quickly took command, much to Jessica's relief. They were each given different sections of the house to search, apart from Luisa, who elected to help Jorge with his.

Jessica walked with them to the top of the stairs, thinking it was a pity that if Sebastian had to arrange a marriage for his brother he didn't do so with pretty little Luisa, who plainly was quite ready to fall in love with him, just as he was with her.

She was halfway through her own part of the hacienda when suddenly a thought struck her. She hurried downstairs and out into the courtyard, ignoring the heavy rain as she dashed across to the stables. She had hoped to find Enrico, who was in charge of the horses there, but he had obviously taken shelter somewhere, because the place was deserted. The first thing Jessica noticed as she approached the building Lisa had shown her was that the roof was dipping badly under a weight of water. Once inside she realised that it was also leaking because the floor was damp, but she didn't waste any time worrying about the dampness, hurrying instead across to the cellar door, wrenching it open and anxiously calling Lisa's name. The light was on, and she thought she heard a faint reply, when suddenly almost overhead there was a terrific clap of thunder. She eyed the steps uncertainly. Moisture trickled down the walls, the light was dull and pale, and she felt an increasing aversion to go down, but Lisa might be down there, hurt or frightened. She hesitated, wondering whether to dash back to the house, acknowledging that she should have gone to Senor Alvarez in the first place and told him of her fears. She was just about to go when she heard a sound. Straining her ears, she caught it again. Lisa! She was down there!

'Don't worry, Lisa,' she called out, 'I'm coming down!'

She had almost reached the bottom when she heard a sound, a dull heavy rumbling which she tried to tell herself was thunder, but which instinct told her was something much worse. The only sound she had ever heard to resemble it was avalanches witnessed on television, and there was certainly no snow on the hacienda. There was water, though, she reflected nervously, remembering the dilapidated roof, bowing under the weight of water. If that roof collapsed! She daren't allow herself to think about it. Terror clawed painfully at her stomach and she crossed her hands protectively over it, knowing in a blinding moment of realisation that she did want Sebastian's child.

Somehow the thought that she might already have conceived it made her feel all the more protective towards Lisa. Half running, half stumbling, she hurried down the steep steps, searching the cavern at the bottom with frantic intensity, until she saw the little girl at the farthest end, her face tear-stained.

'Oh, Lisa!'

'Jessica, I can't get up,' Lisa cried plaintively. 'I fell and hurt my ankle. I thought I was going to be here for ever!'

'Hush, darling, it's all right,' Jessica comforted her, hurrying over and crouching on the floor beside her. 'Let me look,' she said gently, running her fingers over the little girl's leg and ankle-bone. She thought it was more sprained than broken, but she couldn't let Lisa risk putting any weight on it. She would have to carry her out.

'Put your arms round my neck,' she instructed, 'and hold on tight. It might hurt a little bit, but just think of how quickly we're going to be back in the house. You gave us all a nasty fright, you know,' she went on, talking quietly as she tried to make Lisa as comfortable as she could. 'Tio Sebastian is coming back from Seville to help us look for you.'

'But you found me,' Lisa protested drowsily, gasping as Jessica tried to lift her. Dear God, what if she had banged her head when she fell? She could have concussion—anything! Should she leave her and go and get help?

'Don't let Tio send me to school, will you?' Lisa begged tearfully.