‘Did you enjoy the experience as much as I did?’ The sarcasm in her voice made him laugh.
‘I wasn’t dragged along in their wake, thankfully. They were about as responsible as a pair of kids without a care in the world, but they had the common sense to put me in a boarding school as soon as they feasibly could, and before that I was looked after, largely, by my grandparents.’
‘How old were you when you were sent to boarding school?’ she queried, unable to conceal her surprise.
‘Seven.’ Rafael’s dark eyes collided with her wide, green ones and he laughed with genuine amusement. ‘Are you about to tell me that you feel sorry for me? Don’t waste your breath. I was very happy there. I spent holidays with my grandparents and then, later on, with David after my grandparents emigrated to South Africa.’
‘And your parents?’
Rafael’s mouth thinned.
Was he even aware of the signals he gave off? Sofia wondered. Was he even aware of the message he was sending underneath the casual, indifferent front? She didn’t want to be sucked into his personality, the way she had been before she’d known who he really was, but she could feel her heart twisting when she thought about his circumstances as a child. In their different ways, they had both had to fight against the challenges they had been born into.
‘My parents were killed when I was thirteen. Light-aeroplane crash. My father had bought it and they were having fun up in the clouds when it went into a tailspin from which it couldn’t recover.’
‘I... I don’t know what to say. That’s awful. I’m so very sorry for you, Rafael.’
‘We’re here.’
Sofia glanced away from his stern, brooding face to see that they were, indeed, outside the sort of exclusive restaurant that barely had to announce itself because anybody who was anybody should know where it was.
The conversation had ended and she had no idea how to retrieve it, even though she wanted to.
He held her hand walking in, absently stroking her thumb with his finger, but she knew that that was just for effect because only David knew the truth. Everyone else had bought into the fairy-tale whirlwind romance. She knew that but there was still a second when it felt real, a real relationship with real hopes and dreams. She didn’t look at him but tentatively stroked his finger back and wondered whether she’d imagined it when he seemed to still for a fraction of a second.
Ahead of them, David had been positioned in his wheelchair at the long table and she saw, with a sinking heart, that there was an empty chair next to his, which she assumed was meant for her, with Rafael on the other side of her.
She barely had time to take in the rest of the people there. There was a handful. A couple of dozen at most. A no-fuss wedding which would have made complete sense to everyone there, given Rafael’s intensely private personality. A splashy affair, weirdly, would have had everyone peering through the net curtains and wondering what was going on.
Introductions were made. The room was entirely private so there were no prying eyes and Sofia knew that she was being assessed neutrally by everyone there: Rafael’s PA, three company directors, friends of David, several attractive, younger couples, friends of Rafael, and the pesky stepson, whose destiny was about to change thanks to this marriage of convenience.
Freddy’s blue eyes were narrowed and hostile but he didn’t say a word as she walked past him towards the chair that was waiting for her. So he had his doubts...? Would Rafael’s arm round her waist still those doubts? Did she look like a woman in love? Certainly, as Rafael’s hand sent heat pouring through her, she knew that she resembled a blushing bride, even if the blushing was for the wrong reasons!
It was almost a relief to sit, even though it was next to her father, and, with the conversation gradually resuming as waiters entered and began doing their thing, she reluctantly began paying attention to the guy with whom her mother had fallen crazily in love.
‘Just ignore the lot of them,’ he whispered, leaning towards her, and she was forced to lean towards him just to pick up what he was saying. ‘And, if you’re nervous, then the champagne is exquisite. Best money can buy. Well known for its calming qualities. I would be sampling some myself, but unfortunately my consultant has been gloomy in his warnings.’
Sofia sipped some champagne and sneaked a glance at her father, who was formally dressed in a suit and tie. He looked gaunt but his eyes were sharp. She could see the powerhouse behind the diminished exterior.
‘I don’t want to be here,’ she muttered, well aware that Rafael couldn’t hear a word she was saying, because he was distracted by the woman next to him. Instead of recoiling, David leant even closer towards her.
‘I know, my dear. It saddens me to think that the only reason you’re occupying that seat is because you have been generously paid to do so.’
Sofia flushed, knowing how that made her sound.
‘I’m no gold-digger,’ she interjected, leaning into him to make herself heard.
‘No one ever said you were, my dear. Money is always handy and, believe me, I don’t blame you in the slightest for taking what was on offer. You’d rather not have anything to do with me, I realise that, but I hope very much that you’ll give it a go.’
She had his nose. Straight and small. And she had the same shape of face—oval, where her mother’s had been girlishly elfin. Even without analysing it too much, she could see the strength of her father’s features in herself and it was disconcerting.
‘I’m only here because I didn’t have a choice,’ she said in a low, defensive tone, hating the fact that this man might think that she was just another money-grabbing stranger happy to do something she resented because she wanted money in her bank account. That she was willing to sell her pride for the sake of hard cash.
‘My godson can be very persuasive.’
‘Your godson is a pain in the ass.’ She pictured that dark, sinfully seductive face and scowled. Next to her, David wheezed with sudden mirth and then promptly drank some water to subdue the resulting coughing fit.
‘Tell that to his face, and he might die of shock because no one will ever have said that to him before.’
‘That’s a shame,’ Sofia retorted tartly, finally paying attention to the delicate titbits on her plate, a selection of mouth-watering tiny pastries with exotic fillings. ‘If someone had, then maybe he wouldn’t be so...so...arrogant and infuriating.’ She flashed a sideways glance at her father who looked right back at her, speculatively.
‘So you’re not here because of Rafael’s powers of persuasion...’
‘My aunt needs financial assistance,’ Sofia confessed. They were in a huddle. Heaven only knew, they must look like long-lost friends to outside eyes. ‘My cousin, Miguel, was injured in an accident when he was sixteen and she’s never had the money to properly care for him. That’s why I’m here. That’s the only reason I’m here.’ She dug into the food. Yes, she had been harsh in stating the truth, but life was harsh.
‘I didn’t know,’ David murmured mildly.
‘Why would you? Oh,
