think their romance had ended than know the truth, but now, seeing the happiness on her face, he wasn’t so sure.
‘When is the wedding?’ his mother asked as she sipped at her wine.
‘Christmas Eve.’ Despite Lydia’s subtle scrutiny, he managed to say it calmly, but didn’t miss the question on his mother’s face.
‘Why the rush?’ For a moment she grappled with her limited English.
He took Lydia’s hand and looked into her eyes. ‘I met the woman I love. Why wait?’
Lydia held his gaze, blushing prettily and very convincingly, then smiled up at him. A warm smile that lit up her eyes, sending those sparks of lust hurtling through him once more as memories of their kiss in the rain surfaced.
‘We want to be married and, as neither of us wants a big fancy affair with lots of guests, Christmas Eve seemed perfect.’
‘Then you are not...?’ His mother’s question died away as he turned his attention to her, pulling Lydia close against him.
‘No. Goodness.’ Lydia laughed and the relief on his mother’s face shocked him. Did she suspect there was more to this engagement than love? Worse still, did she somehow know what his father had done with his will? She might have been a distant figure in his childhood, thanks to his father’s influence, but she was still his mother and that counted for something at least. He had no wish to hurt her.
‘We want to marry, as soon as possible and with the minimum of fuss.’ He spoke first in fast Spanish, to ensure his mother understood, then repeated it in English as he looked at Lydia.
‘And we’d like you to be there,’ Lydia enthused and Raul inwardly groaned as she got carried away with the role she was acting out. One more bit of deceit to extricate himself from.
‘I will be.’ His mother smiled then hugged them both in turn. He watched as Lydia hugged her back, recalling the little she’d told him of her childhood. She had painted a very cold picture. Had she missed out on a mother’s love?
‘There is one other person we’d like at the wedding,’ Lydia said softly, almost absently. Her skills for acting were very convincing. He’d have to be wary of that.
‘I think I know who that might be.’ His mother responded to Lydia but looked at him and he had the strange sensation of being out of control, completely at another person’s mercy, something he’d long ago decided never to be again. ‘His name is Maximiliano, after his father.’
To hear it confirmed—from his mother—hurt like hell. He had never been the son his father had wanted, even from the moment he’d been born. The honour of being given his father’s name had been bestowed on the son he’d truly wanted.
‘Do you know where we can find him?’ Lydia asked, not taking her attention from his mother once. Could she sense his anger, his growing dislike for a brother he’d never known, the only son his father had wanted?
She shook her head and changed the conversation immediately to something completely different, preferring to indulge in a conversation about village life, and Raul knew the opportunity had passed. He shook his head at Lydia as she looked up at him. He didn’t want his mother hounded about this. It obviously made her as angry as it made him.
He’d lost his father and she’d lost her husband. Of course she didn’t want to bring her husband’s love child into their lives now and she most certainly wouldn’t want him at her son’s wedding. No, this wasn’t the way to find out about his brother.
‘We need to go back to the villa,’ he said, smiling at his mother, trying to ignore the shocked look on Lydia’s face. He would have to find another way of tracing his brother. He was not going to have his mother’s life turned upside down just because his father had made one last dig at both of his sons, pitching them against each other.
He guided Lydia towards the door, wanting to leave before something more was said to upset his mother, and was standing beneath the archway, which in summer became covered in bougainvillea, when his mother called to Lydia, who exchanged a glance with him then went back to see her. He waited, not wanting to see the moment when his mother would be duped once more into thinking he and Lydia were in love. A few minutes later, Lydia reappeared, looking as uncomfortable as he felt. At least she had a conscience.
He wanted to ask her what had been said, but decided against it. In a few weeks the fake engagement would be over and whatever it was wouldn’t matter any more.
* * *
Lydia had clutched her small bag in her lap as Raul had navigated the twisty turns of the road back to his villa, aware that she was now holding the key to her freedom. His mother had pushed an old envelope into her hands and the words she’d spoken in heavily accented English still collided with Lydia’s conscience. She should have put the woman at ease and spoken Spanish, but she was still uneasy about doing so after Raul’s put-down and she wasn’t yet ready to prove to him she was anything other than an empty-headed party girl.
She stood now, looking out over the dark countryside, wondering what exactly was in the envelope and why his mother had kept it from him all along. She’d have to wait until she was alone. The last thing she wanted to do was unleash the secret until she knew what it was and if it would help her find Raul’s brother. She had to know if it really did reveal enough to enable her to walk away from Raul, her father’s debts cleared. She could still hear his mother’s words as she’d thrust the envelope into her hands, struggling to put what she wanted to say into English. Her eyes, as dark as her son’s but much softer, had implored Lydia to listen, to hear what she had to say. It was the kind of look that crossed any language barrier.
‘I have guarded this secret from my son since the day he was born and now, as the woman he loves, it is your secret to guard—or share.’
‘What wise words did my mother give you?’ Raul’s voice made her jump as he came up behind her. His nearness set off the thudding in her heart and she tried to tell herself it was because of the secret she now held and definitely not because of the man.
‘You startled me,’ she said as she whirled round to face him, finding herself just that little bit too close. He looked down at her, questions and suspicion brimming in his eyes.
Today she’d seen a very different man from the hard businessman she’d first met in London and her thoughts towards him were changing. Just like her, he had every reason to portray a tough exterior to the world. But knowing this made her vulnerable to him and, worse, made it dangerous being close to a man she was undeniably attracted to. Apart from that kiss last night, she’d kept her distance and her sanity, but now, holding the key to his past and to her freedom, her resistance had slipped a little lower.
‘Did she tell you anything more about my brother?’ His words were soft and coaxing but fierceness in his eyes betrayed his emotions more clearly than she was certain he would have wanted.
‘No, she didn’t tell me anything about your brother.’ Lydia embellished the truth, not liking having to lie, but until she knew what was in that envelope she couldn’t tell him. Partly to protect him but more out of respect for whatever it was that his mother had concealed. She must have had a good reason for doing it, but as soon as Lydia knew she would tell him and then hopefully free herself of this ridiculous contract.
‘She must have said something.’ His dark eyes narrowed in suspicion and she glanced at her bag as it lay on the
