A Spanish Engagement (16 page)

‘So we will just stick to the truth as much as possible,’ she reiterated quietly to Max as they followed Molly up to the house at a more sedate pace.

‘Relax, you’ll be fine.’ He glanced over at her as if her nervousness amused him.

‘What’s so funny?’ she muttered crossly.

‘You are.’ He smiled. ‘I bet you don’t get this edgy when you are dealing with major business contracts.’

Carrie frowned. He was right, she didn’t. ‘This is different.’

‘Is it?’ He stopped and reached to catch hold of her hand, pulling her around to face him. ‘What’s different about it?’ he asked softly.

‘Well…’ Carrie paused. Suddenly she realised what he was getting at. In his eyes this was just a business deal. That was why he was cool and collected. But she had done the unforgivable: she had got carried away with the pretence. She actually cared about what they were doing. No wonder he was looking at her with such questioning eyes. ‘Well…I don’t have to lie when I’m doing business deals, Max,’ she blustered. ‘I would have thought that was an obvious difference.’

‘You work in advertising, Carrie. You know how to stretch and enhance the truth. You told me that the first time we met…if you remember?’

‘I didn’t say that.’

‘Yes, you did.’ He put a hand under her chin, forcing her to keep looking up at him. ‘You said that you didn’t have to believe in something to sell it.’

‘I was talking about products.’

‘Well, think of yourself as an assignment, then, and sell yourself.’ He gave a crooked grin. ‘You won’t have to work too hard. You’ve got the perfect packaging…’ he watched the way her skin tinged with a rosy red colour
‘…and all the right endorsements…’ He reached and caught hold of her hand, turning the diamond so that it caught the light. ‘All you will have to do is smile; everyone will love you.’

Everyone except him, she thought, her heart heavy against her chest. He was the only person whose love she sought. Even now, as he talked so coldly of their association like a business deal, she longed for him. Longed to step closer and ask him to just hold her.

She despised herself for the weakness. It had taken her a long time to get over the hurt Martin had caused in her life, and she had been so determined that no one would ever make her feel vulnerable again…and yet here she was years later, her heart on the line again.

The sound of a car pulling up the drive made them both look around. ‘It’s my sister, Victoria,’ Max said, then glanced back at Carrie. ‘Just in time to hear our announcement.’

Carrie would have liked to pull away from him. Demand to go home, tell him that she had changed her mind. But she couldn’t…

‘
Hola
, Max,’ Victoria called over to them cheerily. She helped the twins out of the back of the Land Rover before hurrying over towards them, her dark hair swinging in a shiny bob.

She was an attractive woman in her late twenties, slim and petite. She wore a white dress that seemed to float around her as she walked, adding to her air of femininity. ‘You’re early.’ She smiled at Max. ‘I hope you’ve come specially to help Manuel with the cooking.’

She had the same dark eyes as her brother and they shone with warmth and enthusiasm as she reached and kissed Max on both cheeks.

‘But of course,’ Max said, laughing. ‘It wouldn’t be a
family party if I didn’t cremate a few steaks on the barbecue.’ He reached to draw Carrie closer. ‘Carrie, I’d like you to meet my sister, Vickie.’

The girl reached and kissed her on each cheek. ‘It’s lovely to meet you,’ she said warmly. ‘I’ve already heard all about you.’

‘Have you?’ Carrie glanced in surprise up at Max.

‘Not from him. From the font of all knowledge, Estelle.’ Victoria laughed. Then looked past her as Molly came down the steps and stood close behind Carrie.

‘This is Molly,’ Carrie said, trying to bring the child forward. But Molly was stubbornly hiding behind her. ‘Aren’t you going to say hello to Max’s sister?’ Carrie asked gently. ‘And look, this is Belle and Emilio—you must wish them a happy birthday.’

Molly peeped around at the children, but seemed suddenly struck dumb with shyness.

‘Happy birthday.’ Carrie smiled at the twins. They looked adorable. Belle had a pale yellow dress on and Emilio was wearing denim jeans and a smart white shirt.

‘We have a birthday present for you in the back of the car,’ Max said. And suddenly their angelic silence was broken with boisterous chatter as they launched themselves at their uncle to ask him excitedly what he had got for them. Molly stepped forward, her shyness suddenly forgotten as she watched the way the other children were leaping around in anticipation.

‘Go and show Belle and Emilio where their birthday present is in the car, Molly.’ Max smiled over at her. ‘On the back seat.’

Immediately the three children were running down towards Max’s vehicle as if they had known each other for years, Molly full of self-importance because she knew
where the presents where and what was inside the gold paper.

‘The peace and quiet didn’t last for long.’ Victoria smiled. ‘I just hope they can keep their clothes clean until at least a few other people have arrived…’ She trailed off as she suddenly noticed the engagement ring on Carrie’s finger. ‘Is that…?’ She looked questioningly up at Carrie and then over towards Max. ‘You’re not…?’

‘Yes.’ Max smiled. ‘We were just on our way in to give the good news.’

Victoria squealed with excitement. ‘I can’t believe you have stood there and rattled on about children’s presents—we should be inside… Oh, congratulations…’ She kissed Carrie, then flung her arms around her brother, her pleasure almost outweighing the children’s a few moments ago. ‘This is wonderful, Max…everyone is going to be thrilled.’

Carrie found herself being half pulled by the girl, up and through the front door.

It was dark inside, and she had only a vague impression of a beautiful hallway with rush mats on a stone floor, pine country antiques and squashy butter-gold furniture in a wide, spacious lounge. Victoria led her through the rooms at a pace, not stopping for a moment until they were outside onto a balcony that overlooked the river and the valley beyond.

Victoria’s husband Manuel was out there, lighting the barbecue, and a woman of about sixty was chopping vegetables on a counter beside him.

‘
Mamá
, wonderful news,’ Victoria said as she presented Carrie with a flourish. ‘You’ll never guess…’

The woman turned and Carrie saw that she was very attractive and petite, with dark hair silvering around the
temples. She took off the apron she had over her floral dress and came towards them immediately.

‘Max has got engaged! This is Carrie,
Mamá
—your future daughter-in-law.’

Carrie needn’t have worried about what she was going to say; everyone suddenly seemed to be talking all at once. Max’s mother was ecstatic; she hugged Carrie and then flung her arms around Max.

‘I knew there was something different with you just recently…knew there was something afoot—you’ve looked so happy! I’m so pleased for you both. Where is your father, Max? He should be here!’

A bottle of champagne was produced. Then Max’s father appeared in the doorway and was told the news.

Carrie noted that Max was very like his dad; he was tall and well built, with hair that was still thick and dark. He looked over at his son sceptically as he heard the news. ‘You’re settling down here…or are you heading back to Seville?’

‘I’m giving up my job in Seville, Father, and making my home here,’ Max told him steadily. ‘I told you that last week.’

‘Yes, you did. But last week I couldn’t see what had changed to make you want to stay here.’ Max’s dad looked over at Carrie and then he smiled. ‘But I understand now.’

As he came across and gave Carrie a hug she felt overwhelmed with the warmth and affection that seemed to surround her.

The door opened and more of Max’s relatives arrived. She was introduced to aunts and uncles, to cousins and second cousins, and after a while she was lost with the amount of names she was trying to remember.

Molly ran in with Emilio and Belle, and Max swept her
up into his arms as she passed and brought her over to introduce her to his mum and dad.

Carrie watched across the crowded room as Max’s mother sat the child on her knee and started to talk to her. Molly seemed to have got over her earlier bout of shyness because she appeared to be chatting back quite happily.

Carmel and Bob arrived, and Carrie excused herself from the crowd around her to go and speak to them. But by the time she had got across the patio Max had already introduced them to his parents and they were deep in conversation.

‘I believe you’ve got your ring,’ Carmel said, and took hold of Carrie’s hand to look. ‘It’s beautiful, my dear,’ she said softly. ‘I’m so happy for you.’

‘We are going to have to get these two up the aisle quickly then, Carmel,’ Max’s mother said with a smile. ‘Before you and Bob have to go back home.’

‘We’d really like that,’ Carmel said, and sat down on the seat next to her. ‘They make a lovely couple, don’t they?’

Everywhere Carrie moved in the room she could hear people complimenting them and wishing them well. If only they knew, she thought as she glanced over to where Max was deep in conversation with his father. That this was all a charade…

Across the patio she saw Estelle and her husband Ambrosio had arrived. Estelle’s eyes connected with hers across the room and then she raised her glass of wine in a salute that seemed vaguely mocking somehow.

Carrie had the distinct impression that the woman was saying to her, You may be fooling everyone else in this room, but not me. I know the truth. Hurriedly Carrie looked away from her. Victoria might have referred to
Estelle as the ‘font of all knowledge’, but even Estelle couldn’t possibly know the truth.

Or could she?

Because as Carrie’s gaze moved back towards Max she noticed that he was barely listening to his father now; his attention had been distracted by a woman who was standing just beside the patio doors.

Carrie didn’t need anyone to tell her that the woman was Natasha. The look on Max’s face told her that quite clearly.

N
ATASHA
was even more beautiful than Carrie had imagined. She was in her mid-thirties and had short dark hair that was expertly cut, flattering the classical shape of her face, emphasising her high cheekbones and huge blue eyes. The closely fitted halter-neck top and white trousers that she wore did nothing to disguise the fact that she was heavily pregnant; in fact they deliberately seemed to draw attention to the large bump, making it clear at the same time that once the baby was born she would be reed-slim.

She seemed to radiate a healthy vitality that shone from her blue eyes, and every now and then as people spoke to her she placed a hand on her stomach.

Carrie was surprised the woman was pregnant. Maybe she had the wrong person. Maybe this wasn’t Natasha. Max hadn’t mentioned she was expecting—unless, of course, Max hadn’t known.

She glanced back at him. He was still watching her and Carrie thought she saw a flicker of regret in his eyes as he watched her happily showing off her pregnancy. She took a sip of her champagne and told herself that she was imagining things…and anyway she didn’t care.

But as Max excused himself from his parents to walk purposefully in the other woman’s direction the sick feeling of jealousy caught her off guard.

Natasha looked pleased to see him; she kissed him on each cheek and then looked up at him with a shy expression in her eyes. Obviously Max was talking to her about her pregnancy, because she put her hand on her stomach
and smiled. Then she caught hold of Max’s hand and placed it on her stomach as well.

The sick feeling inside Carrie suddenly turned to a red-hot wave of anger. She wanted to go across and physically drag Max away from her…how dared he touch her like that?

‘Everything all right, Carrie?’

Carrie looked around and to her dismay saw Estelle standing beside her. ‘Yes, fine, thanks.’ She gritted her teeth and smiled. Estelle was the last person she wanted to have to deal with right now.

‘Congratulations, by the way. And it’s a lovely ring.’

‘Thanks.’ Carrie looked down at the sparkle of her engagement ring. She had no right to be angry with Max, she told herself fiercely. The ring wasn’t real…the engagement wasn’t real. If he was still holding a torch for Natasha, then that was his problem, and it was nothing to do with her. Max was free to flirt and laugh with whatever woman he liked.

Yet the sensible words didn’t make her feel any better.

‘Have you set a date for the wedding yet?’ Estelle asked.

‘No, not yet.’ Carrie couldn’t stop herself looking across at Max again. He was still talking to Natasha. They seemed perfectly at ease together, laughing as if at some private joke.

‘Natasha’s husband is conspicuous by his absence,’ Estelle said, following her gaze. ‘I’m sure Natasha wouldn’t be able to flirt quite so openly with Max if Erick was here.’

Carrie looked away from the couple hurriedly. ‘They are just old friends, Estelle,’ she said firmly.

‘If you say so.’ Estelle gave her a somewhat brittle smile. ‘Anyway, good luck with your forthcoming mar
riage,’ she murmured, her tone clearly indicating that she would definitely be in need of luck to make things work.

Before Carrie could say anything else to her the woman turned away to resume a conversation with someone else.

Carrie walked in the opposite direction, trying to keep her back firmly towards Max. She didn’t want anyone else to notice how much it bothered her to see him and his ex-lover in such cosy harmony.

Manuel was throwing chicken on the barbecue, and next to him Ambrosio was setting up a trestle-table full of food. ‘Can I be of any help?’ Carrie asked, hoping the answer would be yes; she felt as if she needed to do something to take her mind away from Natasha.

‘No, everything is under control. I’ve got the expert here to help.’ Manuel grinned over at Ambrosio.

‘This is supposed to be my time off,’ Ambrosio complained, and then laughed when Carrie told him she wouldn’t mind taking over.

‘No, I don’t mind doing this…I enjoy it, really. Where has that fiancé of yours got to?’

‘I don’t know. He’s…over talking to Natasha, I think.’ Carrie very carefully tried to sound as if she didn’t care.

‘Is he?’ Ambrosio shook his head.

Did he think Max was still in love with Natasha as well? Carrie wondered suddenly. Somehow Estelle’s barbed remarks were easier to bear. Carrie could shrug her off as just being a bitch…but Ambrosio—that was different.

‘Are you sure I can’t help?’ Carrie asked again, determined to squash the feelings of jealousy inside her.

‘No, go and enjoy yourself.’ Manuel reached for a bottle of champagne and before she could stop him he topped up her glass.

The light of the day was starting to fade, the sun sinking
quickly below the mountains. Down in the garden Carrie could see Molly, running around amongst a crowd of children; their laughter drifted upwards in the stillness of the air. Victoria was with them and it looked as if she was trying to organise them into teams…

Molly looked around, as if she sensed Carrie watching her, and waved happily.

Carrie waved back.

Somebody had put some music on and a few people were dancing on the smaller patio. Low-level lighting flickered on around the garden.

‘Here you are.’ Max’s voice coming from behind her took her by surprise. ‘I wondered where you were hiding.’

Carrie wanted to say, Weren’t you the one who was hiding from me? Laughing and flirting with your ex-lover. The words burnt inside her, but she knew she had no right to say them so she bit her tongue.

‘Shall we have a dance?’ He put his arm around her waist. The touch of his hand seemed to sear through her. It filled her with a weakness that she despised herself for.

‘I’d rather not, Max,’ she said quickly, trying to pull herself away from him.

But he didn’t let go of her; instead he pulled her even closer. ‘Hey, we have got to keep up appearances here.’ He murmured the words huskily against her ear. ‘I must have at least one dance with my fiancée.’

‘Max, I…’ But before she could say anything else he took the glass of champagne from her hand and put it down on a side table before leading her firmly towards the other patio.

The music was slow and romantic and Carrie was forced to move closer into his arms; it was either that or create a scene.

‘It’s all going very well so far, don’t you think?’ Max’s
voice was close to her ear and it sent shivers of desire racing through her.

‘Do you think so?’ Her voice was cool and she tried desperately not to allow her body to relax against his.

‘Yes. I told you, you had nothing to worry about; my parents think you are wonderful. In fact you have wowed everyone.’

At his words a feeling of guilt stole through her. Carrie didn’t want to deceive these people. She liked Max’s parents, and she didn’t want to lie to them—she didn’t want to lie to anyone. She wished she had never agreed to this charade and it was all her fault. She had started all this when she had asked Max to pose as her fiancé.

Carrie tried to move away from him, but he held her close. She wished that she could rid herself of the treacherous feelings of desire that flooded through her at his nearness. Her body seemed to respond to him of its own volition; even the scent of his cologne disturbed her senses, bringing back vivid memories of their lovemaking last night. She felt her stomach contract with longing, felt butterflies surging through her system; fiercely she tried to push those feelings away.

‘Max…’ she looked up at him, her eyes wide and pleading ‘…this is all wrong…’

‘This is very right,’ he said, a small smile curving his lips. ‘In fact nothing has ever felt so right.’

She frowned, her heart skipping several beats, wondering what he meant. Then he leaned down and suddenly his lips were covering hers in a kiss that sent her dizzying emotions into even further chaos. She wound her arms up and around his shoulders, loving the feel of him so close, wanting the kiss to go on and on for ever.

He pulled away and smiled at her. It was a few moments before she realised that they were suddenly the cen
tre of attention and that people had gathered around the dance floor to applaud them.

Looking around at the mass of faces, all smiling, all wishing them well for the future, Carrie realised why Max had kissed her…why he had said this was right. He was playing to the audience, it was just another strand in the web of deceit.

Suddenly she knew that she couldn’t take this any longer. Couldn’t stand here and lie for one minute more.

‘Max, I need to get out of here.’ She pulled away from him, her voice barely audible. Her breathing came in short, sharp stabs as she fought to get herself under control.

She saw the way his eyes darkened, the way he frowned.

‘I’m sorry…’ She pulled away from him before she lost the strength to do so.

No one seemed to notice her distress. People smiled at her and patted her on the back as she hurried past them.

It was a relief to get out into the shadows of the garden, away from prying eyes. She could feel the hot prickle of tears building up inside her.

‘Carrie, what’s wrong?’ Max caught up with her almost immediately. He put a hand on her shoulder and tried to turn her to face him.

‘Don’t, Max.’ Stubbornly she refused to turn. She didn’t want him to see her crying.

‘What is it,
querida
…? You’re doing wonderfully well, and there’s nothing to worry about.’

The gentleness of his tone made anger rise to her defence. ‘Nothing to worry about?’ she repeated his words fiercely and then spun around to look up at him. ‘Well, I suppose you would think that, wouldn’t you? Because, let’s face it, all this deceit comes easily to you. I just wish
it came as easily to me. I feel like a monster, lying to your family like this…’

‘Carrie, you are being silly, calm down—’

‘No, I won’t calm down, Max.’ She cut across his soothing words and moved back a step as he reached to touch her. ‘Not only are you lying glibly to people who care about you, but you are using me and I don’t like it.’

‘I’m not using you, Carrie,’ he said softly, his gaze raking over the pallor of her skin in the moonlight, the fierce glitter of tears in her eyes.

‘Of course you are using me! You couldn’t care less about my feelings. All you care about is the end result.’

‘I thought that was what you cared about…what you wanted.’ He said the words quietly. ‘No emotional strings…just a straightforward business deal. You get Molly; I smooth things over with my father.’

He seemed to be looking at her with such intensity that she felt he could see straight through to the truth. That he could guess the strength of her feelings for him. The idea was horrifying… She had her pride, after all, and he would probably find it extremely amusing to know that she was in love with him. ‘It was what I wanted,’ she said firmly.

‘Was?’

‘I mean…it
is
what I want.’ Mortified, Carrie raked a hand through her hair. ‘You’re confusing me, Max.’

‘Am I?’ He took a step forward, a smile curving the sensual lips.

‘I know we had an agreement. I know I said I’d go along with the charade. But I didn’t realise then just how it would feel…’ She trailed off helplessly.

‘And how does it feel?’ he prompted softly.

‘It feels terrible.’ She glared up at him. ‘I hate it. I hate the pretence. I hate the way you can turn on that charm
and lie through your teeth, the way you can dance with me as if you have feelings for me. Kiss me as if it means something…’ Her voice caught slightly, before she pulled herself together to continue angrily. ‘And all the time you are lying to your parents…and everyone back in there—’ she waved helplessly in the direction of the house ‘—when everyone has been so wonderfully kind and so happy for us. We are such frauds…how can we do this to them?’

‘It’s a means to an end—’

‘Well, I’m sorry, I can’t go through with this any more…’ She cut across his calm reasoning heatedly. ‘I can’t be as emotionally detached as you seem to be.’ Her voice broke slightly.

‘Can’t you?’

It was strange—she had thought Max would be angry when she said that, but he didn’t sound even slightly annoyed; in fact there was a stillness about him, a watchfulness that was hard to gauge.

‘I know you are worried about your father’s health,’ she continued hurriedly. ‘But the end does not justify the means. You are lying to the people closest to you…people who care about your future—and the awful thing is, it is probably all my fault. I started all this but I can’t be an accomplice to it any more, Max.’ Her eyes darkened suddenly with pain. ‘You don’t love me—’

‘Ah, but I do,’ he cut across her quietly.

The words stunned her into silence and she looked up at him, wondering if she had imagined them. Maybe she wanted to hear him say he loved her so desperately that she was hallucinating.

‘I think I’ve loved you from the first moment I sat next to you on that plane and looked across into your eyes,’ he continued.

‘You don’t really mean that?’ Her voice was huskily unsure.

‘I mean it with all of my heart…’ he answered softly. ‘From the first moment we met I was captivated by you, and I couldn’t believe my luck when I saw those business papers in front of you with Santos Wines on them. It was as if destiny had brought us together.’ He reached out and stroked a strand of her hair back from her face with a tender hand. ‘I knew that you didn’t feel the same about me, so the opportunity to step in as your fake fiancé was heaven-sent. And I was hoping that if we let this engagement continue that, given time, you’d come to love me.’

Tears spilled down her cheeks. She could hardly believe what he was saying to her.

‘Don’t cry,
querida
,’ he said gently. ‘I wouldn’t be saying all this to you except for the fact that your anger and your words just now have offered me a shred of hope that maybe you do have feelings for me.’

‘I’m crying because I’m so happy, Max.’ Her voice was a mere whisper in the stillness of the air. ‘I do have feelings for you. That’s the main reason I felt I couldn’t continue with this phoney engagement. Max, I love you so much that it hurts.’