When Summer Fades (27 page)

‘Carlos married Rosa at the beginning of the year. Today I heard that she’s recently given birth to a baby girl. Born prematurely and…’ Stifling a sob Sophie ran from the room. ‘I think Nicholas needs changing,’ she called back unconvincingly, hurrying upstairs to the nursery.

‘The bastard! The dirty, rotten bastard!’ Monty hissed angrily. ‘If I ever come face to face with Carlos Martins! I’ll…’

Edna however wasn’t listening. Her thoughts were elsewhere, winging away to a certain pale pink envelope. ‘Of course!’ she whispered. ‘Why didn’t I realise? Pink for a little girl!’

With Monty loading up the car ready for their journey home, Sophie took her aunt to one side. ‘Now it’s my turn to ask you to stop worrying,’ she begged. ‘
Please
will you convince Uncle Monty I am perfectly safe and extremely content.’

‘If you’re sure dear?’

‘I am. Honestly. And if you don’t get a move on you’ll be late for your guests at Casa Edna. Which reminds me I’d better get a move on too. Callie’s calling this evening so I shan’t be on my own.’

*

‘Shall I tell you what hurts the most? Callie,’ Sophie sniffed, blowing her nose hard while reaching for another tissue. ‘It’s when I think of Rosa twittering on about being a virgin bride, keeping herself pure for her husband. To think I even used to feel so guilty about Carlos and I making love.’

‘Believe me, I do understand,’ Callie said, patting her hand sympathetically. ‘You have every reason to feel hurt and betrayed.’

‘Not only hurt and betrayed, I now realize what a bloody fool I was too! It’s as if both Carlos and Rosa used me in their little game. Not only did I fall for it, they’ve even called the baby Sophia after me! I didn’t dare tell that to my aunt and uncle.’

Chapter 17

Carlos felt all eyes turn in his direction. Rosa crossed the room and thrust a screaming infant into his arms.

‘Here you are,’ she said, her own eyes flashing wickedly. ‘Grandmother’s forever telling me you had the magic touch with me all those years ago. See if you can quieten little Sophia. She’s making so much noise, I can hardly hear our guests talk.’

With the newly subdued baby in his arms, Carlos acknowledged the assembled guests with a thin smile and walked out onto the balcony.

‘Oh, Sophia,’ he whispered. ‘How unlike your namesake you are. The Sophie I knew and loved was so quiet and undemanding. Although,’ he said with a wry smile, when the baby reached up to grasp his forefinger in her chubby palm. ‘Your hold on me is just as strong.’

Looking out over Lisbon rooftops, Carlos acknowledged Maria-Clara was right. He had had the magic touch all those years ago at Rosa’s christening. But how he wished he hadn’t! Lost in thought, he was transported back twenty years to when he was a shy, introvert teenager and the wife of his father’s business partner had been safely delivered of a long-hoped for daughter.

‘
I
have
the
sons
,
José
,’ Eduardo Martins had beamed, patting his friend warmly on the back. ‘
Now
you
have
the
beautiful
daughter
.
Between
us
we
have
guaranteed
the
future
of
the
Martins
-
Ramirez
partnership
.’

At the time meant only as a joke, everyone (having had far too much champagne) had laughed and teased the blushing teenager. Carlos had then spent a thoroughly miserable day, listening to both family and guests refer to the tiny bundle with rosebud mouth, as his future bride! Far too young to know what all the fuss was about, Rosa had displayed a healthy pair of lungs throughout the entire proceedings. Passed from relation to relation and guest to guest by her frail, exhausted mother, it was Maria Clara who eventually suggested.

‘
Why
not
let
Carlos
hold
her
?
He’s
a
quiet
,
sensitive
child
.
He’s
certainly
very
good
at
calming
that
wild
,
younger
brother
of
his
– when
Cristovao’s
mother
allows
him
to
come
and
visit
!’

The mere mention of Carlos’s mother and the young son she’d taken with her, when she had left Eduardo Martins for no apparent reason, sent a frisson of uncertainty about the room. Anxious to avoid further unpleasantness, Carlos had stepped forward, found the yelling Rosa thrust in his arms and been greeted with wild applause. To shouts of ‘
Bravo
Carlos
!’ the tiny bundle had suddenly stopped her lusty screaming and gazed almost adoringly into his navy blue eyes.

‘
There
!
What
did
I
tell
you
?’ Eduardo had proclaimed to the bemused gathering. ‘
Is
that
not
perfect
?
Are
they
not
made
for
each
other
?’

Sadly, Rosa’s healthy constitution was not shared by her mother, who had died unexpectedly, within two weeks of the christening. The indomitable Maria-Clara Martins taking it upon herself to help the distraught José Ramirez, subsequently sent along her only daughter to care for the grieving father and his motherless child.

The sound of yet another champagne cork and the smell of a familiar perfume, summoned Carlos back to the present. Still cradling the sleeping baby in his arms he felt someone touch his shoulder.

‘Mother! What are you doing here?’

‘Don’t look so shocked Carlos. I was sent an invitation. Remember?’

‘I hadn’t expected you to accept that’s all. Did Father know you were coming?’

Helena Martins brushed an exquisitely manicured hand gently across Sophia’s head of dark curls. ‘Of course. In fact it was your father who persuaded me to come. Little Sophia is, after all,
my
granddaughter. Why should I let Maria-Clara monopolise her?’

‘Oh, so you’ve noticed have you?’

‘I’ve noticed how the poor child is hardly ever left alone. I’m not surprised she's been crying ever since the baptism service. Sophia must be quite worn out by it all.’

‘At least she’s sleeping now,’ Carlos said, looking down at long curling lashes and a perfectly formed, rose bud mouth set in sleep.

Deep in thought Helena studied her son. ‘You know – it does suit you Carlos. Seeing you standing there with a baby in your arms, I…’ Recognising a familiar shuttered look on his face, she continued hurriedly. ‘Oh, dear! That wasn’t very tactful of me. Today of all days, I’m sorry. May I ask ... do you ever hear from Sophie?’

‘
No
!’ Carlos said bitterly. ‘Rosa received a polite letter of congratulations ages ago and I had a note announcing she was going back to her ex-fiancé.’

‘Did that surprise you?’

‘Of course it did! Why should she do that? She didn’t love him!’

‘Love isn’t everything Carlos. Perhaps Sophie had her reasons.’

Not wanting to wake the sleeping baby in his arms, Carlos hissed. ‘That’s rich coming from you Mother! You’ve always maintained the reason you left Father was because you loved him
too
much!’

Later, waiting to kiss her son goodbye, Helena took him to one side and whispered in his ear. ‘Carlos ... about Sophie. It was Cristovao who always gave up on everything, whereas you were the exact opposite and always saw a thing through.’

‘Are you implying I’ve changed?’

‘Not exactly. Yet at the same time I know you’re deeply unhappy. Unless you discover for yourself what happened to Sophie you can never be free to...’

‘I do know what happened! She married her ex-fiancé!’

‘Did she? Do you have proof?’

‘Well, no. That doesn’t mean she hasn’t’

‘Nor does it mean she has,’ Helena replied, softly.

*

On a balmy, late September day, when the family met for lunch in the water gardens originally created for Expo ’98, Cristovao turned to his brother with a curious smile.

‘Is it my imagination or have our parents been seeing more of each other since Sophia’s christening?’

‘At least they don’t argue anymore,’ Carlos observed. ‘And as long as Grandmother doesn’t interfere again, who knows what might happen?’

Cristovao looked ahead to where Maria-Clara and Augustina were sitting in the shade, gently rocking Sophia’s pram. ‘There’s little danger of that now. She’s too old and frail. I understand she’s even decided against going to Alvor next month. I thought she’d want to see your new villa. As for myself I can’t, Grandmother, Elisabete and Rosa have talked of nothing else for weeks.’

That night, unable to sleep, Carlos considered Maria-Clara’s earlier words. ‘
I
won’t
come
to
the
villa
,
Rosa’s
already
shown
me
the
photos
.
It
looks
beautiful
and
I’m
sure
you’ll
be
very
happy
there
.
You
know
Carlos
…
I
only
ever
wanted
you
to
be
happy
.’

‘And there’s only one way I can be,’ he sighed, determined to ring Victoria Villas first thing in the morning.

Dreading an answer phone, Carlos was surprised and delighted to hear a voice – even if it wasn’t Sophie’s. ‘If Sophie’s been working nights and sleeping, please don’t disturb her,’ he begged. ‘Tell her I’ll ring again this evening.’

‘It won’t do no good if you do.’

‘You mean she won’t want to speak to me?’

‘I dunno, ’cos Sophie don’t live ’ere no more.’

‘Are you sure?’

‘Course I am! There’s only me and me mum living ’ere. As the place ’aint big enough to swing a cat, Gawd knows where Sophie would sleep if she did!’

Carlos froze. Where was Sophie sleeping ... and even worse with whom? ‘Do you er – have her new number? When she left did sh…?’

‘Nah. ’Cos she left in February and the council di’nt move us in ’til March. I suppose I could go an’ check with me mum if you like?’

February! How could Sophie possibly move and Rosa not know. Surely she would have sent a forwarding address, or had Rosa decided not to tell him? Rosa whom he knew only too well was renowned for keeping secrets!

Absentmindedly doodling long trailing R’s and S’s on his telephone pad, Carlos heard a voice suggest. ‘Mum says why don’t you call by and ask the two old tarts next door. They might know where she went.’

Not bothering to explain he was ringing from Lisbon and hardly in a position to
call
by
, Carlos stared blankly at the phone. Where was Sophie?

‘
Isn't
it
obvious
?’ a voice echoed in his head. ‘
She
might
not
be
living
at
Victoria
Villas
but
she
must
still
be
working
.’

‘The hospital!’ he called, startling his secretary, who was bringing in the morning’s post.

‘The hospital! Surely not your uncle taken ill again?’

‘No,’ Carlos reassured. ‘It’s nothing to worry about.’ Highly relieved when his secretary left the office, he proceeded to ring Beckford General.

‘Accident and Emergency,’ a voice answered, out of breath.

Sensing despair in the nurse’s voice, Carlos realized time was of the essence. There was no time for pleasantries. ‘I’m trying to contact my – er – cousin, Sophie Fuller. She works in casualty. It is rather important.’

‘I don’t know any Sophies I’m afraid. I’ve only just qualified. I’ll ask Sister.’

Moments later, when the young nurse returned, she explained hurriedly. ‘Sister Norris said to tell you Sophie’s on maternity leave.’

‘What!’ Carlos gasped, his heart sinking. ‘You mean she’s having a baby!’

‘No. Apparently she’s already had it. She had a little boy at Easter.’

Numbed, Carlos slumped at his desk and buried his head in his hands. Sophie … a baby in the spring? That was impossible, wasn’t it? Unless, of course, she had married Gavin … How could she possibly have done that? Quite easily, he concluded bitterly, his gaze alighting on a photo of Rosa and Sophia by his OUT tray. Deciding that’s exactly what he needed to do – to get out – Carlos left the office, scattering papers to the floor.

*

‘Honestly Carlos. It’s no bother,’ his mother reassured him. ‘I can easily shut the shop. It’s almost lunchtime anyway. Come upstairs and I’ll get us some lunch.’

‘No lunch. Thank you. I’m not in the mood for eating but if you’ve got a drink?’

Intrigued by this unexpected visit, Helena Martins poured two glasses of dry port and waited for an explanation.

‘I see...’ she said, at length. ‘And I agree you have every reason to be angry with Sophie. So tell me, what upsets you the most? The fact she became pregnant or the fact she didn’t tell you about it?’

‘I’m not sure I understand.’

Helena gave a delightful smile. ‘My dear boy, you who were always so serious and worldly wise – yet at other times so naive. You really don’t understand do you?’

‘Mother, please! I’m in no mood for riddles. I’ve a hundred and one things I need to deal with at the office before I leave for Alvor this weekend. The decorators are finally due to leave the villa – then of course there’s Elisabete’s fiftieth birthday celebrations.’

‘But surely,’ Helena broke in softly. ‘None of that is important now you’ve discovered Sophie’s given birth to your child.’

‘
My
child
? How can Sophie’s baby be my child? She went back to her ex-fiancé!’