The Arrogant Duke (7 page)

Juliet felt impatient. 'It seems to me,
senhor
, that your niece does not want to get better - to be able to walk again. That she enjoys spending her days in
a
wheel chair, arousing sympathy!'

'Senhorita Summers!' The Duque stubbed out his cheroot angrily.
'I
will not have you suggest such
a
thing!'

Juliet compressed her lips. 'I'm sorry,
senhor.
Excuse me. I need - a wash before lunch!'

He did not attempt to detain her, but she was conscious of his eyes on her as she walked across the patio and into the
quinta.

As she showered and changed, her altercation with the Duque having produced a film of perspiration all over her body, her mind pondered on what she had said, and the more she pondered, the more she became convinced that she was right.

Teresa was not stupid. On the contrary, where getting what she wanted was concerned, Juliet thought she could be very bright, so what if she considered that her presence on the island was only tolerated because of her condition? If this were so, she might think that if she was cured the Duque would send her away. Surely, such ideas were sufficient to maintain the blockage which was causing her physical condition. The Duque had said it was a mental thing, had he not?

Juliet sighed. It would be her prerogative therefore to convince Teresa that her life was too important to spend it in a wheelchair. It would be no easy task. Teresa did not like her, and would fight her every inch of the way, using her own particular influence with the Duque to place her in the wrong if she could. And there was Nurse Madison, who would not help her at all, and who would, if she could, cause even more antipathy between her patient and her patient's new and ] annoying companion.

Emerging from the bathroom, Juliet dressed in
a
slim-fitting tunic of lemon cotton, smoothed her hair, and applied a coral lipstick to her lips.

Had she merely exchanged one disturbing situation for another? She frowned at her reflection in the mirror of her dressing table. Why was it then that whereas one ] situation had left her unhappy and dejected, the other aroused a sense of challenge, of purpose, inside her, so that she could not quell the rising feeling of excitement it engendered?

Calm down, she told herself, with emphasis. Work at it, but don't get involved! That would be fatal!

I
T
seemed apparent that as Teresa's companion Juliet was expected to eat with the family. There were four for lunch, the Duque, Estelle Vinceiro, Teresa and herself. Estelle domineered the conversation, discussing friends they both had on the island, the price of sugar when the current crop was harvested, and the finds of a skin-diving expedition the Duque had joined.

The skin-diving expedition interested Juliet most. On holiday with her father she had made tentative dives with an instructor, but the stereotyped diving areas used by the instructors were not Juliet's idea of exciting. She was interested when the Duque mentioned the possibilities of there being a submerged wreck lying off the reef on the other side of the island. After all, the Caribbean thrived on tales of Spanish galleons, doubloons, and pieces of eight. When the Duque encountered her enquiring gaze, he said:

'You find treasure hunting exciting,
senhorita?'

Juliet could not restrain her enthusiasm. 'Oh, yes,
senhor.
Doesn't everybody?' She replaced her wine glass on the gleaming damask of the tablecloth. 'Do you do much skin-diving?'

Estelle intervened, giving Juliet a rather thoughtful glance. 'The Duque does not have much time for trivial pursuits,' she remarked.

The Duque shrugged his broad shoulders, pouring more wine into his own glass. 'What Senhora Vinceiro means is that
she
does not consider the search for the actual proof of history interesting,' he remarked surprisingly, and Juliet saw the annoyance in Estelle Vinceiro's eyes.

'You know perfectly well that skin-diving is a dangerous pastime,' she exclaimed. 'Your position here should invoke some sense of responsibility inside you!'

'I am absolutely aware of my responsibilities, Estelle,' returned the Duque smoothly, 'and skin-diving is only dangerous to the amateur!'

Juliet deemed it best to say no more, not wanting at all to cause any resentment from Estelle Vinceiro. She was her only ally to date. However, the Duque himself changed the subject and she was relieved.

When lunch was over, Teresa was taken away by Nurse Madison for her rest, and Juliet, feeling
de trop,
excused herself. But she could not help wondering what the Duque and Senhora Vinceiro intended to do, and couldn't understand the vague feeling of unrest she felt.

As it happened, Juliet saw no more of Teresa that day. At dinner, which she ate alone, the Duque dining out again, she was told that the young Senhorita had developed a headache and was dining in her room. Juliet doubted the authenticity of this information, but there was nothing she could do about it short of calling Teresa a liar.

After dinner, despite the desire to go down to the beach, she returned to her room and tried to concentrate on the paperback novel she had brought with her. But its characters were cardboard people without warmth, or depth, and the life she was leading here, and the characters of the people she had encountered, were so much more interesting that at last she put it aside, and merely sat on her balcony in the dusk, watching the dipping lights of the yacht out in the bay.

The next morning, Teresa appeared at breakfast time, much to Juliet's relief. She had no desire to have to approach the Duque with a view to his speaking to his niece because she was incapable of handling her. Nurse Madison was with her, and Juliet thought Teresa had brought the nurse along for reinforcement.

Wishing them both good morning, she ordered rolls and coffee from the maid, and then smiled in what she hoped was a friendly way.

Teresa merely looked away, and Juliet realized she was as yet no further forward.

'I think we'll go on the beach this morning, Teresa,' she said brightly, waiting for the explosion.

Teresa sniffed. 'I think my uncle has other plans for me,' she returned smugly.

Juliet frowned. 'Oh! In what way?'

Teresa shrugged. 'He's taking me out with him,
senhorita.
So you will have to entertain yourself.'

She lay back in her wheelchair defiantly. Dressed in a cream dress with red embroidery, she looked young and attractive, and extremely satisfied with herself. Juliet wondered what the Duque was planning now.

By taking Teresa out with him, alone, he was encouraging her already active imagination to create situations and circumstances that were simply ridiculous. She felt impatient, and ate her breakfast in silence, conscious of Nurse Madison's mocking amusement all the while.

When a shadow fell across the little group, Juliet did not immediately look up, but continued to eat her meal despite the fact that she was conscious of the presence of the Duque with every fibre of her being.

'So,
senhoritaV
he remarked. 'I trust you slept well.'

Juliet was forced to look up now, registering everything about the man in that first moment. In a mustard silk shirt, dark brown riding breeches thrust into highly polished boots, the colour of his hair turning blue-black in the sunlight, he looked powerful and assured and very disturbing. He had rolled back the sleeves of his shirt, revealing muscular forearms dark with hairs, while the band of a gold watch encircled his wrist. With his shirt unbuttoned at the neckline, Juliet felt angrily assured that he was perfectly aware of his attraction, and the anger she had felt earlier was intensified by her own sensual weakness.

'I slept very well, thank you,
senhor
,' she replied, as evenly as she could, and returned her attention to her meal.

The Duque spoke to Nurse Madison, questioning her about Teresa's progress, and then speaking to Teresa herself. Juliet heard the caressing tone in Teresa's voice as she answered, and felt impotent to do anything about it with the Duque thwarting her every move.

But now the Duque had returned his attention to herself, and said: 'Has Teresa told you we are going out this morning, Senhorita Summers?'

Juliet lifted her eyes. 'Yes,
senhor.
I had intended taking Teresa on the beach today, but now, of course, that has had to be cancelled.'

She was aware of Teresa's angry eyes upon her, aware of the almost biting tone of her own voice which was not altogether to do with her young charge, but could do nothing about it.

The Duque ran a hand over the thickness of his hair. Combed across his head from a low side parting, it persisted in lying across his forehead, and he brushed it back only to have it spring forward again immediately. His dark eyes were enigmatic as he said:

'Surely Teresa explained that your presence is also required.'

Juliet's eyes darted to Teresa, registering the girl's anger, and Nurse Madison's astonishment. Obviously Teresa had omitted to tell Nurse Madison this also.

'Your niece only said that she was accompanying you,' said Juliet now, unable in the circumstances to evade the question.

'I see.' The Duque looked at Teresa. 'Why was that, Teresa?'

Teresa wrinkled her nose. 'Senhorita Summers jumps to conclusions, Tio Felipe. I didn't say she was not coming.'

Juliet could have denied this, but as she knew, and Teresa knew, she did not think it worth the trouble.

'Might — might I ask where we are going?' Juliet asked.

The Duque drew out his cheroots. 'I have to go to Venterra, the village you saw on your arrival,
sen- horita.
My business there will not take long, and afterwards I thought we might drive over to Lauganca Bay on the far side of the island. It is the area reported to have seen the destruction of several Spanish galleons. I thought the area might interest you,
senhorita.'

Juliet was astounded and looked it. Gathering her wits, she said: 'Might we go on to the beach,
senhor?'

Teresa stiffened at once, giving Juliet an incensed look when the Duque said: 'I do not see why not, do you, Nurse Madison?'

Nurse Madison shrugged indifferently, obviously put out. 'You make the decisions here, Senhor Duque.'

The Duque gave her a wry glance and then allowed his gaze to flicker over Juliet's slim-fitting dress. 'Are you ready now, Senhorita Summers?'

Juliet hesitated. 'Give me a minute,
senhor
,' she said quickly, swallowing the remains of her coffee.

Dashing up to her room, she swiftly slid off the dress she had been wearing, and pulled on cotton pants in a particularly attractive shade of apple green and a lace overblouse of pink Tricel. Then she opened a drawer and extracted two bathing, suits; one in navy blue trimmed with white, and the other in emerald green. She doubted that she would need them, but if the opportunity arose she did not want Teresa to say that she had no swimsuit. After retrieving a basket-type shopper from the bottom of the wardrobe, she put the suits inside together with towels and a pair of dark glasses. Satisfied that she would do, she ran back down the stairs to the hall.

Neither Teresa nor the Duque were around, but when she looked out' of the lounge windows she saw a sleek convertible parked on the forecourt, waiting for its occupants.

Frowning, she walked slowly out to the car, • and looked around. It was a beautiful morning, although there were clouds in the sky, and she thought there might be showers later. She could see the gardeners working among the trees, singing at their tasks, and felt a sense of wellbeing which was shattered^ when she turned and saw the Duque walking towards her carrying a triumphant-looking Teresa in his arms.

Juliet turned away. It was such a difficult situation, she thought with a heavy sigh. By trying to show the Duque that Teresa was very susceptible to his charms, she was destroying her own defences against possible counter-attack. Teresa might just as easily imagine she, Juliet, was jealous of the Duque's attentions. Oh, it was ridiculous, thought Juliet impatiently. Couldn't the man see what he was encouraging? Of course, Teresa was helpless, at least no one could prove otherwise but Teresa herself, and she had to be carried when she was not in her wheelchair, but did it have to be the Duque who carried her? Actually, in normal circumstances, it would have been the most natural thing, but these were not
normal
circumstances.

She heard the Duque's footsteps behind her, and swung round to encounter Teresa's satisfied expression. Schooling herself not to show her annoyance, she was therefore unprepared for the Duque's first words:

Teresa did not wish to bring the wheelchair after all. It is collapsible,
senhorita
, and at first that was our | intention. However, after I had dismissed Miguel, she changed her mind again.'

Juliet looked into his dark eyes, but they were completely expressionless, except that she could sense, rather than see, a kind of suppressed amusement, as though he had known all along what she was thinking.

He had answered her unspoken question, he had removed the reason for her impatience, why then did she feel so furiously angry with him?

'Please, get in the car,
senhorita,'
he murmured lazily, and deciding there was little to be achieved, standing there, staring at him like some stupid schoolgirl, she slid into the back of the car. The Duque put Teresa into the front seat, beside his own, and then walked round to climb in beside her. He gave Juliet a cursory glance before setting the car in motion, but Juliet had the feeling that in spite of her antagonism towards him she didn't exist for him as a woman but merely as someone, with radical ideas, who just happened to be Teresa's companion. After all, Estelle Vinceiro left little to the imagination, and it was obvious that she considered the Duque her property. And maybe he was, and what of it? thought Juliet, crossly.

They drove away from the
quinta
in the opposite direction from that taken by Juliet the previous morning, and unable to suppress her interest, Juliet leaned forward in her seat, watching everything with heightened intensity.