Far From Home (19 page)

Señora Rodriguez harrumphed and bellowed, ‘Get him to marry her and take her back to England with him!’

‘I will try to speak to Newmarch alone.’ Sofia spoke to her daughter in an undertone. ‘She glanced towards the window. ‘It is a fine night. Perhaps I will show him the garden.’

She cast her eyes over to her mother-in-law, who was eyeing them both suspiciously, then told Elena, ‘Go now and tell Maria that her mistress is tired and wants to go to bed.’

Elena grinned and, giving a condescending bob of her knee to Señora Rodriguez, left the room on her mission.

Sancho and Edward returned as a protesting Señora Rodriguez was being shepherded out of the room by her maid. ‘Goodnight,
Momia
,’ Rodriguez said and kissed her cheeks. ‘Sleep well.

‘She is retiring early?’ He spoke in English to Sofia out of respect to their guest.

‘Poor
Momia
. It is a strain for her when she cannot ’ear,’ Sofia replied. ‘And she is tired after her journey. She said to please excuse her, Meester Newmarch. She will see you in the morning.’

‘Of course,’ Edward graciously assented. ‘I shall look forward to that. And your daughters? Have they retired also? They will be tired after the hectic day, I expect?’

‘Sibella will be reading in her room,’ Rodriguez said. ‘She is constantly improving herself. Always a book in her hand. She reads in English as well as French and Spanish,’ he added proudly.

He made no mention of Elena and Edward gave a small sigh of reprieve, though he found it odd that Rodriguez did not remark on Elena’s accomplishments if he wanted to marry her off.

‘Newmarch!’ Rodriguez appeared to hesitate. ‘Would you think me very inhospitable if I excused myself and left you to be entertained by my wife? I have brought much paperwork with me and if I work on it tonight I shall be free tomorrow to entertain you and show you the rest of the estate.’

‘Oh, Sancho! You are so naughty,’ Sofia pouted. ‘Meester Newmarch doesn’t want to talk only wiz me!’

‘On the contrary.’ Edward smiled. If Rodriguez was foolish enough to leave his lovely wife with him then he must suffer the consequences. His previous fears of being tempted by Sofia and found out by Rodriguez had dissipated and melted away. The lure of Sofia, the seduction of her, was what he wanted more than anything else. ‘I would be delighted, señora.’

‘It is a beautiful night, Ed-ward,’ Sofia murmured after Rodriguez had left them. ‘There is a moon. Would you like to look at ze garden by its light?’

‘Yes,’ he breathed and could feel a pulse hammering in his throat. ‘I would.’

‘Come then.’ She picked up a shawl and placed it around her shoulders. ‘Just for a few moments as it is quite cold tonight.’

Edward wasn’t cold. Quite the opposite. But where was Rodriguez? Upstairs or down? Was he near a window where he might look out and see them?

Sofia led him out of the house by a side door rather than the front, explaining that it was quicker to the garden that way. ‘The front is green, what you say – lawn? Out ’ere is my garden where I might walk privately with no-one to disturb me. It is my secret arbour. You like the lovely smells, yes?’

‘Yes!’ The perfume of exotic blossom lingered on the air. And this is winter, he mused as he breathed in the sweetness. The moon cast its light over the shrubs and flowers which clambered over the arched trelliswork and bowers, turning them to silver.

‘In the summer, when it is ’ot during ze day, I stay indoors. But at night I come out ’ere. Sometimes I even sleep outside.’ She laughed. ‘You see, I am just a peasant at ’eart! Sancho doesn’t understand that.’

But I do, he thought. That is her attraction. That is why I loved Ruby, who was a peasant too. The common people have a zest for life, love and passion that their betters do not have, or else keep hidden. But I have it, he thought fiercely, and reached for Sofia.

‘I would like to sleep out here with you, Sofia,’ he whispered urgently and pulled her towards him. ‘But there would not be much sleeping.’ Hungrily he sought her mouth, cradling her head in his hands.

‘Oh! No!’ she gasped, pulling away. ‘Not yet. It is too soon.’

‘Yes,’ he pleaded. ‘It is not too soon. I want you, Sofia. Desperately. And I want you now.’ He lowered his hands to her shoulders, brushing away her shawl and clasping her bare flesh with flexing fingers. ‘Please! Don’t make me wait.’

‘We must.’ Her breathing was fast and her words tumbled out. ‘We cannot. Not when Sancho is ’ere! If ’e should find us!’ She pulled at his hands, which were unbuttoning her bodice. ‘Please. Calm yourself. Come and sit down.’

He allowed her to lead him towards a wooden seat beneath an arch which was covered in trailing greenery, but he grasped her once more when they were seated and ran exploring hands over her breasts.

‘No. You must not!’ She removed his hands.

‘Yes,’ he murmured, holding her two hands with his one and keeping her fast whilst he slid the fingers of his other hand beneath her bodice to touch her lissom flesh and search out her nipples. ‘I must.’ He had lowered his head to take her in his mouth when he felt her suddenly freeze.

‘Stop!’ she whispered. ‘It is Sancho!’

He drew away and Sofia quickly adjusted her bodice. ‘My shawl!’ she exclaimed softly. ‘I ’ave lost it.’

He got up from the seat and slowly moved towards the shawl on the ground where he had carelessly dropped it. His eyes moved about the arbour. The moon threw shadows making pockets of darkness and he hoped that Sancho had not seen them embracing beneath the bower. He retireved the shawl and crept back to the bench.

‘I can’t see him,’ he whispered. ‘But I can smell his cigar.’

She nodded. ‘Yes,’ she said hoarsely. ‘That is what I noticed. Come.’ She flickered her fingers, indicating that he should follow her. ‘We must walk down ze garden into the open. Then ’e will not suspect anything if ’e sees us.’

He reeled after her, his mind in turmoil, his body quivering and frustrated. Damn and blast Rodriguez. He said he was going to do some work! Does he suspect something? Did my desire for Sofia show?

‘We are all right now,’ Sofia whispered. ‘He will not come down ’ere.’ They were in a little orchard where the grass was long beneath the trees and where a wooden cabin stood with its doors wide open. ‘If he does I will tell him I am showing you my doll’s ’ouse.’

‘Your doll’s house?’ he grunted. ‘What do you mean?’

‘I told you that I sometimes sleep outside! ’Ere is where I sleep. I ’ave a little bed inside and I keep the door open so that I can smell ze grass and blossom.’

She took his arm and moved close to him. She seemed to have got over the shock of being almost caught out by her husband. ‘I will show it to you sometime, Ed-ward,’ she whispered. ‘When Sancho is not ’ere.’

‘When?’ he demanded, his desire for her returning. ‘Tell me!’

‘Perhaps you will stay a little longer after Sancho returns ’ome? Sibella will return with her father for she must study, but Elena and I can stay.’ She lifted her face up to him and he kissed her lips. ‘We must find a reason for you to stay too.’

‘
Idiota
,’ Sofia hissed at Elena. ‘Why did you not come sooner? That Newmarch, ’e is not ze usual Eenglishman. He is very passionate. Phew!’ Sofia wafted her hand in front of her nose. ‘You stink of
cigarro
.’

Elena grinned. ‘It worked,
si
? ’E want to make love to you?’

‘
Tst
. Like your grandmother says, you ’ave no manners!’ Sofia said angrily. ‘Where is your respect? I do this for you, so that you can have your Zac and a dowry.’

‘She is not my grandmother,’ Elena said sulkily, then added, ‘sorry,
Momia
. I was held up by Sancho. ’E wanted to know where I was going,’ she grinned, ‘and I had one of his
cigarros
hidden behind my back! I told him that if Meester Newmarch asked me to marry him, I would pray that I would make him an obedient wife.’

‘What did he say?’ Sofia asked anxiously.

Elena shrugged. ‘He just laughed.’

Edward rode out with Rodriguez the following morning and covered most of the estate. He was tired when they got back, being unused to riding all day, but had found his talk with Rodriguez most enlightening. His host had told him of the acreage he held, how many servants and slaves he had working for him, of the merchandise which he shipped not only through the American States but also to China, Spain and England.

‘This country is becoming more developed day by day, month by month. Men are coming in to search for gold.’ Rodriguez had given a dry laugh. ‘They do not realize that you do not have to dig for it. What must be done is supply the settlers and their wives with what they need. Ordinary things like wheat and sugar so that their women can cook, cotton so they can make clothes, timber that is already felled and ready for building homes.’

Edward had felt an excitement in the pit of his stomach. That is exactly what I said to Robert Allen! That the men who came to dig would want wheelbarrows, picks and shovels. And yes, he allowed, they would want all the commodities that Rodriguez mentioned too.

‘So, have you given further thought to my offer? About the ship?’ Rodriguez had asked. ‘I must leave first thing in the morning. My banker is coming to see me and he will want to know if I am going ahead. I can, of course, bring in someone else. One of my cousins has expressed an interest. But,’ he raised a hand, ‘I am rushing you. Of course you need more time to consider. To write to your banker and ask his advice. Stay a few days longer,’ he had urged. ‘Sofia will look after you, and my mother will stay for propriety’s sake.’ He raised his eyebrows. ‘We must observe cold caution.

‘Speaking of which,’ he continued, ‘Elena will also stay with her mother. She has intimated to me that she looks on you very favourably.’ He appeared to hesitate. ‘She is young and passionate, Mr Newmarch. I must ask you to respect her naivety if you are swayed by anything other than marriage.’

Edward drew in a breath and said stiffly, ‘Be assured, señor, that I would never take advantage of her innocence.’ Not if she was the last woman on earth, he vowed.

‘I never thought that you would, but she is hot-blooded – like her mother once was,’ Rodriguez added. ‘But if you have given consideration on the matter of marriage, then,’ again came the thin smile, ‘our business partnership would have to be reassessed.’

‘In what way?’ Edward asked.

‘It could be part of Elena’s settlement, along with the house that she says she wants, and the stables with thoroughbreds.’ He spoke genially, as if he was an indulgent father, which Edward knew he wasn’t.

A ship. A house. Stables and horses! Edward’s thoughts whirled as he bathed and then changed for supper later. His head buzzed. And if I could have Sofia too! How can I possibly refuse?

He was pleasant to Elena during supper and she joined in the conversation, asking him questions about England, the countryside, people and customs, but he was constantly aware of Sofia’s arousing presence and Rodriguez’ probing gaze.

The next morning after Rodriguez’ departure, Elena announced that she would be out all morning. ‘I am riding,’ she said. ‘I will take a servant with me,
Momia
, so you need not be afraid for me.’

Edward saw a shadow of alarm on Sofia’s face as she replied, ‘You must take care where you go, Elena. There are bandits. You could be kidnapped.’

‘Hah!’ Elena flashed a disdainful smile. ‘Sibella might be kidnapped, but not me.’ She lifted her chin and seemed to be about to say something more, when she remembered Edward’s presence. ‘I shall be well cared for,’ she added. ‘Besides, who would cross Rodriguez?’

Who indeed, Edward thought as he sipped his coffee. Am I brave enough to risk his wrath by indulging in a liaison with his wife?

‘What would you like to do today Ed-ward?’ Sofia said softly after Elena had left and there were just the two of them in the sunny drawing room.

Edward put down his cup and saucer. ‘Anything,’ he said, grasping her hand. ‘Anything as long as it is done with you.’

‘We must be careful,’ she whispered. ‘The servants! Sancho’s mother.’

‘Show me your doll’s house,’ he urged. ‘That’s what I’d like to see. Would that be possible?’

She held his eyes for a second and then moistened her lips with her tongue. ‘It would,’ she said huskily. ‘But you must promise that you will be good. You must remember that I am a married woman. Sancho is a very important man.’

He kissed the palm of her hand. ‘If I have to be good then there is no point in being with you. I might as well go back to New Orleans now.’

‘No!’ she responded. ‘No. Please don’t. We want you to stay.’

‘We?’ he queried.

She shrugged. ‘I! You know my English is not good. And Elena too. She will be disappointed if you leave.’

‘Will she?’ He trailed his fingers down her throat. ‘Well, that would never do. Fetch your wrap, Sofia. Come and show me your doll’s house.’

The door to the little cabin in the garden was closed and Sofia opened it. ‘Someone has been in ’ere!’ She glanced around and stamped her foot. ‘It is not as I left it. I will find out! Someone will get a beating for this.’

‘You can hardly blame them,’ Edward said. ‘It’s very cosy, and private.’

‘But it is mine! No-one else must come ’ere. Only when I tell the servants to clean it. No-one! Not Sancho, not Sibella or Elena. Elena!’ she breathed. ‘It is she!’

‘And Zac?’ Edward was amused. So the girl really was infatuated by the servant if she would risk coming here. He turned to close the door, shutting out the sunlight. ‘Come,’ he said softly, drawing Sofia towards him. ‘Don’t think about Elena. Think on other matters which will please you – and me.’

He unfastened the ribbons on her bodice. ‘I want you, Sofia,’ he whispered. ‘Say you want me too.’

‘No!’ She stayed his hand. ‘You are too quick for me, Ed-ward. I don’t know you. You are an attractive man, but you are a stranger.’ She gazed up at him. There was a flush on her ckeeks and, he thought, desire in her eyes.

‘How do I know that you won’t make love wiz me and then leave?’ Her fingers sensuously stroked his wrist.