Exotic Affairs(121)

‘Vito—’ She touched his arm to gain his attention then instantly withdrew her fingers again when they tingled as if they’d just touched solid rock. ‘Do you think Luiz would mind if I put his helicopter to use?’ she said.

He swung around so lightly for a man of his size that Caroline was startled. ‘Why?’ he demanded sharply. ‘What do you want the helicopter for? What’s wrong?’

‘Nothing,’ she assured him, but even as she spoke his eyes were flicking in all directions, and he seemed to grow another few inches, like a bear getting ready to enfold its prey. Or, in her case, to protect its cub, she amended ruefully.

‘I need the helicopter to run an errand for me,’ she said. ‘A special errand.’ Then she went on to explain…

She was just finishing some breakfast on the morning of her wedding day when her father arrived in Luiz’s helicopter. The moment she saw it was him climbing out she was up and running, out of the hall and out into the sunshine, to meet him halfway across the lawn.

‘Oh, Daddy,’ she sobbed, and launched herself at him. ‘How could you just walk away from me like that?’

‘Don’t fuss, Caro. I’m fine!’ he censured irritably as she began a detailed check for any physical signs of poor health.

‘You don’t look fine,’ she told him, seeing the changes in him even if he didn’t think they were there. He looked older and thinner and—She sighed unhappily.

‘Some place—this,’ he ventured, deliberately changing the subject, Caroline suspected. ‘Never seen anything quite like it. Coming in over the top of that mountain actually took my breath away. Did you know seven years ago that Luiz was heir to all of this?’

‘No.’ She was trying to catch his eye, but he wouldn’t let her, and his hands were grimly keeping her at arm’s length. ‘It wouldn’t have made any difference to the way I felt about him if I had,’ she added absently. ‘Will you please look at me?’ she said impatiently.

He flicked his eyes to hers. She saw the guilt, the shame and the misery, and her own eyes filled with tears. ‘I love you so much,’ she choked. ‘And I’ve been worried about you!’

His defences collapsed. On a ragged sigh he tugged her to him and wrapped his arms around her tight. ‘And him?’ he questioned gruffly. ‘Do you love him?’

‘Like a second skin,’ she replied. ‘But then I always have done, you already knew that.’

‘Yes, I always knew it,’ he confirmed heavily. ‘But I’m still sorry for getting you into this dreadful mess.’

‘No mess,’ she denied, then repeated it when she saw his disbelieving look. ‘No mess, Daddy. Luiz is what I want. He’s what I’ve always wanted.’

He grimaced. ‘But not handed to him on a plate like a damned sacrifice.’

‘I’m no sacrifice either!’ she informed him crossly. ‘Or are you trying to imply that Luiz feels nothing for me in return? Because if you are,’ she continued angrily, ‘then maybe you should just turn around and go away again.’

‘I’m not implying anything.’ He sighed again. ‘Good grief,’ he added. ‘The man has twice gone to big enough lengths in his attempts to get you to this day…’

Twice? Caroline felt that chill hit her spine again. ‘What do you mean twice?’ she demanded.

‘Nothing,’ he grunted, going all shifty-eyed. ‘Well, would you look at that?’ he then exclaimed in surprise, diverting her attention to the spot he was looking at near the castle entrance. ‘What’s he doing here? He never told me he knew Luiz!’

He never told me… Caroline repeated to herself as she too turned to stare at Felipe. And so many, many things began to slide into place. Her own father was Luiz’s mole, though unwittingly.

Oh, Daddy, she thought sighingly. And when he went to go and speak to Felipe she stopped him. ‘Watch him, Pops,’ she warned, and just the quiet use of her childhood name for him was enough to alert Sir Edward to trouble. ‘Watch every single word you say to him and watch your back.’

‘Why?’ he frowned. ‘Who is he?’

‘He’s Luiz’s half-brother—the man who thinks he should have inherited all of this…’

Enlightenment came to him as quickly as it had come to his daughter. His soft curse confirmed it.

The helicopter lifted off then, rendering words useless as the sounds of its rotors filled the air. Her father seemed to use the time the helicopter took to sweep off down the valley to come to some kind of decision.