followed almost instantly by a flash of hot, furious dislike. “You’re thinking that I was in love with Eric, aren’t you?”
“You are mistaken ...” he b egan, but she cut across that smooth, urbane voice with cutting distaste.
“That was the worst thing anyone - even you - could have thought of. My mother and myself came to live with Eric and Mandy when I was little more than a child. I was as fond of Mandy as I would have been of a sister, and Eric was like an elder brother to me. When they died it was quite natural that I should take over responsibility for Peter - and in refusing to let you take him away I’m only carrying out his father’s wishes.”
He moved away from the window and came nearer to her. She did not recoil, but stood stiffly facing him.
“I am wondering if you will answer some questions for me, Miss Lawrence - answer them truthfully, I mean.”
Aileen shrugged. “I can’t very well answer them until they’re asked, can I?” she countered.
That drew a slightly taut smile. “Eric had become very prejudiced against us, hadn’t he?”
“With reason.”
“And had prejudiced ... others against us also?”
She shrugged again. “I suppose so.”
“And you accept this second-hand prejudice?”
Her eyes narrowed as her head went up a little defiantly. “I hardly think it’s second-hand now, Mr. Adriano. I have had a chance to meet one of Eric’s Spanish relatives. If it was once second-hand it’s not so now.”
She saw his mouth set at that and felt a little stab of satisfaction. It was quite possible that nobody had ever spoken to him like that before. Serve him right. Maybe it would jab that self-assurance of his. The rich, attractive Conde de Marindos - she could not deny that he was attractive, whatever she felt about hi m personally - was obviously too used to getting his own way, especially with women, who no doubt became bemused by those dark good looks and the thought of becoming the Condesa de Marindos. Idiots!
“You are exceedingly frank,” he said, slightly tight-lipped.
“You asked me to be truthful,” she pointed out. “Are there any other questions?”
“I don’t think so, except - you knew that I had been looking for Eric for some years?”
Aileen nodded. “Mr. Jenton told me so this morning - but that doesn’t mean you would have been able to persuade him to go back. He said that he had found more happiness and freedom here than when he had been living with your family in Spain. He had no wish to return and he would not wish Peter to go there either.”
“Not even knowing that Peter will eventually inherit a fairly large estate?”
“He must have known that when he made the decision to sever all contacts.” She smiled a little distastefully, congratulating herself on her surface calmness, because she was absolutely seething inside. “Money doesn’t make up for everything. It couldn’t compensate Eric for having to grow up among outmoded restrictions and the final straw of actually having to bow down to having his marriage arranged for him. I don’t think it would compensate Peter either. He is, after all, Eric’s son.”
“And Eric, however much he might like to deny it, was still a member of the Adriano family. His son is also.”
“He might look it, but he is an Australian by birth. As for this estate - let him choose for himself later on.”
He was silent for a moment and she felt those very dark eyes going over her with another trace of speculation in their depths.
“How much of this is because you think you are carrying out Eric’s wishes or personal prejudice, I wonder?” There was a little pause and she had to again force herself to remain coldly composed beneath that dark glance. “Would you have refused to allow Peter to come back with me if you had not decided to dislike me personally?” he asked quite deliberately.
“That’s beside the point,” Aileen evaded, although she could not help feeling that she probably
“You are mistaken ...” he b egan, but she cut across that smooth, urbane voice with cutting distaste.
“That was the worst thing anyone - even you - could have thought of. My mother and myself came to live with Eric and Mandy when I was little more than a child. I was as fond of Mandy as I would have been of a sister, and Eric was like an elder brother to me. When they died it was quite natural that I should take over responsibility for Peter - and in refusing to let you take him away I’m only carrying out his father’s wishes.”
He moved away from the window and came nearer to her. She did not recoil, but stood stiffly facing him.
“I am wondering if you will answer some questions for me, Miss Lawrence - answer them truthfully, I mean.”
Aileen shrugged. “I can’t very well answer them until they’re asked, can I?” she countered.
That drew a slightly taut smile. “Eric had become very prejudiced against us, hadn’t he?”
“With reason.”
“And had prejudiced ... others against us also?”
She shrugged again. “I suppose so.”
“And you accept this second-hand prejudice?”
Her eyes narrowed as her head went up a little defiantly. “I hardly think it’s second-hand now, Mr. Adriano. I have had a chance to meet one of Eric’s Spanish relatives. If it was once second-hand it’s not so now.”
She saw his mouth set at that and felt a little stab of satisfaction. It was quite possible that nobody had ever spoken to him like that before. Serve him right. Maybe it would jab that self-assurance of his. The rich, attractive Conde de Marindos - she could not deny that he was attractive, whatever she felt about hi m personally - was obviously too used to getting his own way, especially with women, who no doubt became bemused by those dark good looks and the thought of becoming the Condesa de Marindos. Idiots!
“You are exceedingly frank,” he said, slightly tight-lipped.
“You asked me to be truthful,” she pointed out. “Are there any other questions?”
“I don’t think so, except - you knew that I had been looking for Eric for some years?”
Aileen nodded. “Mr. Jenton told me so this morning - but that doesn’t mean you would have been able to persuade him to go back. He said that he had found more happiness and freedom here than when he had been living with your family in Spain. He had no wish to return and he would not wish Peter to go there either.”
“Not even knowing that Peter will eventually inherit a fairly large estate?”
“He must have known that when he made the decision to sever all contacts.” She smiled a little distastefully, congratulating herself on her surface calmness, because she was absolutely seething inside. “Money doesn’t make up for everything. It couldn’t compensate Eric for having to grow up among outmoded restrictions and the final straw of actually having to bow down to having his marriage arranged for him. I don’t think it would compensate Peter either. He is, after all, Eric’s son.”
“And Eric, however much he might like to deny it, was still a member of the Adriano family. His son is also.”
“He might look it, but he is an Australian by birth. As for this estate - let him choose for himself later on.”
He was silent for a moment and she felt those very dark eyes going over her with another trace of speculation in their depths.
“How much of this is because you think you are carrying out Eric’s wishes or personal prejudice, I wonder?” There was a little pause and she had to again force herself to remain coldly composed beneath that dark glance. “Would you have refused to allow Peter to come back with me if you had not decided to dislike me personally?” he asked quite deliberately.
“That’s beside the point,” Aileen evaded, although she could not help feeling that she probably
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