his crib next to her bed so that she could see to him. Of course she couldn’t do very much just after she’d given birth and she was weak from losing so much blood. That was why her brother hired me. And then, when Elin was getting her strength back, she developed a serious kidney infection. I do hope that this latest bout of a recurring infection which made her so unwell for the past few days will be the last,’ Barbara said. ‘The drugs she took to fight the infection are very powerful and, as you noticed, the side-effects absolutely knocked her out.’
Cortez stiffened but he managed to keep his tone casual as he asked, ‘What exactly are the drugs Elin took?’
‘She was prescribed a powerful penicillin antibiotic to destroy the bacteria that causes the infection. But, as I said, the drug has unpleasant side-effects, which meant that Elin was unable to breastfeed Harry when she developed a kidney infection soon after he was born.’
Cortez stared at the nanny. ‘To your knowledge does Elin use recreational drugs, for instance cocaine? There have been reports in some of the more lurid English newspapers that she is involved in the drug culture which is popular in nightclubs,’ he persisted when Barbara looked astonished.
‘Good heavens, you don’t want to believe anything you read in those kinds of papers. They are called the gutter press for a good reason. There was even a story printed last year which stated that Elin was having an affair with a married actor simply because they were photographed leaving a club at the same time. But she’d never even spoken to the man. As for her taking recreational drugs—’ the nanny shook her head ‘—I’ve never seen any evidence of that, and I simply don’t believe it. Elin is the most devoted mother I have ever met and I am absolutely convinced that she would not do anything that could be detrimental to Harry.’
‘I see,’ Cortez said slowly. The uncomfortable realisation was dawning on him that he might have misjudged Elin. And it was not the first time, his conscience reminded him. When he had gone to Cuckmere Hall for the reading of Ralph Saunderson’s will, Elin had told him that he was her baby’s father but he had refused to believe her until a DNA test had proved she was telling the truth.
But if she was not a drug-user, and according to the nanny Elin was a good mother, then he was unlikely to win custody of his son in a court battle. And he could not forget that Elin had turned down the chance to own Cuckmere Hall. He knew she loved the house. The value of the estate plus the additional money he’d offered her amounted to thirty-five million pounds. It was a sizeable fortune and he had believed that she might be tempted, but she had unhesitatingly rejected his offer and scathingly told him that he could not buy his son.
Even so, could he trust that her apparent devotion to Harry was real? Cortez’s jaw hardened. After Alandra he had vowed never to trust any woman. But Elin was the mother of his child and somehow they were going to have to come to an agreement on how they could both be parents to their son.
* * *
Elin had fled from the acrimonious atmosphere in the study and sought refuge in the garden. But when Harry became fretful for his next feed she took him back to the house and her heart sank when she met Cortez in the entrance hall. Revulsion swept through her as in her mind she heard his cold voice offering her Cuckmere Hall if she gave up all rights to her baby. It had been even worse than his accusation that she was a drug addict and she tensed as he strode towards her, fearful of what he was going to say to her, what new insult he might throw at her now. Her wariness must have shown on her face and he frowned when she clutched Harry tightly to her chest.
‘Dios, you do not need to look so terrified,’ he said roughly. ‘I am not going to hurt you.’
‘Really?’ Her voice was brittle, her emotions balanced on a knife-edge. ‘You don’t think I might have found your disgusting attempt to bribe me to give up my baby hurtful?’
He did not answer but something flashed in his dark eyes that she might have believed was regret if she did not know that Cortez Ramos had a lump of granite where his heart should be.
‘I have to go to Madrid on business and I will be away for one night, at the most two,’ he said abruptly. ‘The trip was planned before I knew about Harry but when I return we will talk about what we are going to do with regard to our son.’
Elin tried to ignore the tug her heart gave when Cortez said our son. It gave an impression of unity between them that did not exist, she reminded herself.
‘What am I supposed to do while you are able to get on with your life, but I am a prisoner in your house? I demand that you give back my and Harry’s passports.’
‘If I did give them back would you promise to remain at La Casa Jazmín?’ He gave her a sardonic look when she stayed silent. ‘If you took Harry away from here I would not rest until I’d tracked you down,’ he warned her. ‘But to save us both time and effort and spare Harry unnecessary upheaval if you decide to try and disappear with him, I will keep the passports in my possession for now.’
‘You have no right...’ Elin broke off when she realised that Cortez was not paying her attention and was watching his son avidly. Harry was staring at his father and gave a winsome smile that was guaranteed to melt the stoniest heart. The effect on Cortez was startling. His hard features softened and he murmured something in Spanish as he leaned closer and kissed the top of the baby’s head.
Elin’s senses stirred as she breathed in the musky scent of Cortez’s aftershave. The sight of his dark head against Harry’s downy black hair evoked a curious ache in her heart. For a moment she allowed herself to imagine that they were a happy family. In her daydream Cortez kissed his baby son before he moved to cover her mouth with his and kissed her with bone-shaking tenderness and the promise of passion later, when they were alone in each other’s arms.
But the reality was that they were at loggerheads and set to fight a custody battle over their son, she reminded herself. It was a battle that she could lose, for Cortez’s wealth and power meant he had access to the best lawyers. The idea that she might be ordered by a court to hand over her baby caused icy fingers of fear to wrap around her heart.
She realised that Cortez was looking at her with an odd expression, as if he also wished that the situation between them was different. But that was too much of a stretch for her imagination, she told herself sharply. Cortez had kidnapped her and was keeping her a prisoner. Never mind that La Casa Jazmín was a beautiful house, it was a gilded jail. Cortez had said some vile things to her, and his promise that they would talk when he returned from Madrid had sounded more like a threat. She jerked away from him and whatever it was that had flickered between them disappeared.
He picked up his briefcase and walked across the hall. ‘I will be back as soon as I can.’
‘Don’t rush back on my account,’ Elin said coldly. But, absurdly, when he strode out of the house and she heard his car roar off down the drive she immediately missed him. She wondered if he had a mistress in Madrid who he was planning to spend the night with. He was a virile man and he was bound to have a lover. The thought bothered her more than it should have done and she despised herself for feeling jealous as she visualised him having sex with another woman.
* * *
In fact Cortez was only away for one night and returned to La Casa Jazmín late the following afternoon. Elin was pushing Harry in his pram around the garden, hoping that the rocking movement would send him off to sleep. Her heart gave an annoying leap when the gates swung smoothly open to allow Cortez to drive through them. He parked his rampantly masculine black sports car in front of the house and leaned against the bonnet, watching her from behind his designer shades as she walked towards him.
The
