Bronwyn Scott's Sexy Regency Bundle (96 page)

Tonight it seemed there was cause again.

Her body reacted of its own accord at the thought of what was to come. Heat pooled in her belly at memories of the morning, of the feeling of his hands on her. She had thought to make this
his

seduction but it had proven to be the opposite.

This was not a man to be led. She would have to be cautious. But her body didn't want to be Her body wanted to capitulate entirely.

Outside the window of her chambers, the sun was beginning its descent. The moment was drawing near. Elena washed and dressed quickly, allowing Anna to help her with the gown's fastenings and to pull up her heavy hair into a becoming style that left her neck exposed.

Then Elena

her room for the pazo's

dining room, a room that had seen little use since Alejandro had left a year ago. Tonight, the room

's Seduction

shone with candlelight and the little luxuries of the pazo were displayed at their best. The table was arranged with her grandmother's china placed on the lace-trimmed tablecloth. Two goblets of prized, colored Venetian glass sat at each place.

Candles glowed

heavy silver candelabras,

the ones she used only at Christmas and other special occasions. Elena sighed. The servants had outdone themselves. The sight of the room was a potent reminder of all the hopes pinned on the stranger, on the man they believed to be Alejandro.

"My lady," Alejandro emerged the

shadows of the big room and came to stand before her dressed in black

clothing. He looked

magnificent in the candlelight. The short jacket he wore emphasized the broadness of his shoulders and the

of his waist. The trousers

encased long legs. His dark hair was pulled back with a silk ribbon, looking sleek and clean.

He came to her and took her hand, bending over it gallantly and

her knuckles to his lips

for a kiss as if she were a grand lady. Indeed, he was all courtly grace, holding out her chair and waiting for her to be seated before taking his own place at the table. He gestured to the two footmen to remove the covers and begin serving. Then,

Scott

when their plates were full, he dismissed them just as easily.

Ah, this one had plenty of

noted, sipping wine

her glass. Clearly he was

no common sailor washed up on shore-he was a man of some gentle breeding. Yet not so much, she noticed, that he was put off by the hearty nature of the meal.

Unlike Don Alicante, she did not give herself airs and serve course

course of luxurious

dishes prepared by a trained chef. Her table was graced with paella full of

shrimp and

sold in the village fish market that day.

brown loaves of bread lay sliced on a pewter tray with pale butter made in the pazo's creamery.

"I saw my chambers today," he said, refilling her glass. He shook his head. "I didn't remember anything. Nothing seemed familiar."

Elena was swamped with guilt. Of course he wouldn't. "Don't

Tomorrow we'll tour the

estate. That might help your memory come back."

She had to play along with his attempts to recall his memories, make it seem as if her suggestions were made in order to help him, but in reality they were only helping her.

the estate would

give her a chance to explain

past to

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him, to give him a false identity and to fill in the gaps left by his real identity.

"I would like that. Have things gone well?

How have you managed? I expect it has been difficult."

Elena nodded. "We've done well enough. I don't think you'll have any complaints." She launched into a recitation of the harvests and the vineyards.

After awhile, he smiled. "We've done better than 'well enough,' it seems."

Elena basked in his praise. Her husband would never have admitted as much. To his thinking a woman hadn't the mind for the business of

a pazo. But she'd shouldered

the

burden without question, unwilling

to let the estate falter in

absence. It

was all she had.

But suddenly she realized that she didn't have it anymore. "I suppose you'll want the reins of the estate back soon enough," Elena said hesitantly.

In the

she hadn't thought beyond

thwarting Don Alicante. But now, as she listed the accomplishments of the past year, she was with a new

This man would want to

assume control of the pazo. He would assume it was his right to do so and she would be unable to stop him. It was a husband's prerogative to