A Spanish Vengeance

Had he heard that stupid lie? More than likely. Her heart lurched downwards at the speed of an out-of-control lift. But she could explain later, of course she could. She twisted her head, seeking his eyes, but he was already walking Isabella to the table.

If he had heard, and he must have done—she’d spoken the lie firmly and he wasn’t deaf—it certainly wasn’t bothering him one little bit. He was smiling and looking sveltely relaxed as he held out a chair for his sister. As far as he was concerned she could go and marry the devil himself. She had never felt so utterly wretched.

Diego’s face ached from smiling and responding to Isabella’s idle chit-chat. And his heart ached because of what he’d heard.

She couldn’t still be planning to marry Ben Clayton. He wouldn’t let it happen! He must have got hold of the wrong end of the conversation. They couldn’t have made love with such passion, tenderness and beauty if she’d been in love with another man.

Lisa wasn’t that kind of woman.

Unless… The unwelcome thought darkened his soul and made his blood run cold. Unless they’d cooked something up between them.

Faced with the failure of the magazine, their parents facing a mountain of debts, both of them about to lose what they probably thought of as their inheritance, not to mention their jobs, he could almost hear Clayton telling her, Do this for us, for our future. Do what he wants, lie back and think of Lifestyle flourishing again. And when he throws you out we’ll marry anyway.

Utter nonsense!

He wouldn’t let himself go down the tortuous track Lisa had followed earlier when she’d believed Isabella was his wife. In view of what Rosa had said to her he could understand why she’d jumped to that conclusion. Coupled with the misconceptions of five years ago he could understand and forgive.

But she’d been kissing Clayton as if she couldn’t wait to jump into bed with him.

He wished he hadn’t had to remember the torrid scene that had left him feeling so shattered, the shock quickly turning to bitterness and anger.

In any case, she had never been to bed with Clayton. He knew that for a fact. She’d been a virgin; he’d stake his life on it.

She’d been angry enough to slay him where he stood when she’d accused him of being married. If she was in love with Clayton, if together they’d hatched up the plan to part him from a sizeable chunk of money, then the fact that he had made her his bit on the side wouldn’t anger her so much, would it?

Dio! If he didn’t haul her away to somewhere private within the next few minutes he’d go loco! He needed everything straightened out. He had to know if her feelings for him ran as deep as his did for her.

Brooding eyes rested on her for longer than he’d allowed himself thus far. Sideways glances, swift and quickly away again, had revealed her—unusually—adding dollops of cream and several spoonfuls of sugar into her coffee. And she’d drunk thirstily of the jug of iced water Rosa had provided. She’d been worryingly pale when she’d joined them in the shade but, thankfully, she looked marginally better now.

He loved her so much—he adored her. His heart turned over. She was listening to Isabella’s rapturous descriptions of the delights of Seville, predictably focusing exclusively on the best boutiques, restaurants and night spots. The Plaza de Espana, the Giralda, the lovely gardens of the Maria Luisa Park not rating a mention. Lisa was doing her best to look interested, smiling, inserting the odd comment or question when she could get a word in but her beautiful eyes were troubled.

Time to butt in, make his excuses to Isabella and take Lisa some place where they wouldn’t be disturbed. To the coast, as he’d originally planned. Isabella could kick her heels here until Cesar arrived. A just punishment for the earlier histrionics that had come within a whisker of ruining his life!

Lisa could feel Diego’s eyes on her. She felt her cheeks go pink, tried to concentrate on what Isabella was chattering about, blissfully unaware of any undercurrents, and couldn’t. Wondering what he was thinking, she gave a start of surprise as Rosa appeared with a portable p

hone extension and handed it to her.

‘For me?’

Stupid question! Why else would Rosa bring the phone to her?

Her stomach lurched sickeningly. She had insisted Diego left a contact number with her father in case he wanted to get in touch with her, just for a chat, but secretly aware that he wouldn’t. As far as he was concerned, if his daughter was out of sight she was out of mind.

Her hand was shaking as she took the instrument. Had something terrible happened to him? The headache that had eased while she’d been sitting in the shade came crashing back.

She spoke her name on a near whisper and heard Sophie’s voice—loud, clear and riven with tension.

‘Ben’s been in a traffic accident. They’re operating on him now. And the last thing he said before he went through to theatre was, ‘Ask Lisa to come. I need to see her.’ So you’d better forget what you’re doing over there…’ Her old friend’s voice curled with contempt. ‘And get back here. You owe him that much. We thought he was dying, and he still might, and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that a man who was always an ultra careful driver should turn into the opposite after he’d been dumped, do you?’

Too shocked to speak, Lisa’s lips moved wordlessly. She could hardly take it in. Dear Ben, the lifelong friend who’d been looking out for her for years, might be dying! He mustn’t!

Crisply, Sophie named the London hospital he was in then snapped, ‘Say something, why don’t you? Even if it’s only sorry!’

Lisa snatched in a breath, anxiety making her voice thin. ‘Tell him I’ll be with him as soon as I can. I’ll get the first available flight back. And tell him to—’ her words wobbled emotionally ‘—hang on in there and—and wait for me.’

If he died it would be like losing a brother. And Sophie, who had been like a loving sister to her, would always lay the blame on her.

She scrambled to her feet, the phone slipping from her nerveless fingers. Trying to keep the panic out of her voice, she told the wide-eyed Isabella, ‘Excuse me, I have to go.’ She shot a glance in Diego’s direction, noted that he’d picked up the phone and was saying something to Sophie, and fled to her room.