After a brief glimpse into a well-proportioned bathroom, a shower room and the usual offices, Juan led her back to the lounge commenting, 'Felipe, my manager, is in Las Palmas at the moment. You will eventually make his acquaintance, but I deliberately chose to call here while he was otherwise occupied. He's a nice enough fellow, but inclined to be garrulous.'

  178 ISLAND FIESTA

  Corinne vaguely wondered why he had bothered to furnish her with this information; the chances were she would never make the manager's acquaintance.

  Juan indicated that she should be seated with an elegant wave of his hand towards a comfortable-looking chair beside the window, and when she was seated, settled himself in a chair opposite her. 'He takes his leave at the end of May,' he went on slowly. 'And during that time I take over the management.' His grey eyes met Corinne's disinterested ones. 'This is where we shall stay for a month,' he stated casually, and went on smoothly as if he had been discussing the weather, 'I see no point in travelling back to the hotel each evening, and out again the following morning.'

  Corinne's eyes lost their dull expression and widened as the full implication of his words reached her. 'We ?' she echoed in a startled voice, as the vision of that double bed rose up like a spectre before her eyes. Then she shook her head in a bewildered movement. She could have not heard correctly, but she had ! Her mind searched out for another explanation, and after a moment's thought she had it. This was his manager's apartments, and he must be a married man. She drew in an audible sigh of relief, and gave a slight nod of acknowledgement.

  Juan's watchful eyes rested thoughtfully on the now calmer Corinne. 'We,' he repeated, and then gave a small smile. 'I rather thought it would make an ideal honeymoon retreat for us.'

  Corinne's eyes registered the shock she had received, and a wicked imp of amusement lingered at the back of Juan's eyes as he witnessed her reaction. It was this look that gave her the help she so

  ISLAND FIESTA 179 badly needed at this time. 'I don't think that's at all funny,' she blazed at him, 'not from my point of view anyway,' she added bitterly, and as her fury rose to screaming pitch she tacked on acidly, 'Just because you've taken over a married man's apartment it doesn't mean that you can ' she floundered here, then took a deep breath. 'Well, you know very well what I mean. As far as the rest of the island's concerned, they can think what they like, but I shall expect to find a single bed in that spare bedroom during that month !'

  Her hands were trembling when she finished and she clasped them together tightly. She didn't know what she was worried about. May was a long way away, and by then she would be out of this hateful man's vicinity, she told herself in an effort to calm herself. One look at Juan's closed expression, however, told her exactly what she was worried about, and set her pulses racing again.

  'A married man's apartments ?' Juan echoed with a frown, and his eloquent brows rose. 'This is my apartment. Felipe has a suite over the reception area.' His eyes met Corinne's. 'I have no intention of using the spare room,' he added rneaningly. 'I said honeymoon, and I meant honeymoon.' He took in her white face and shocked eyes. 'You just need time to get used to the idea,' he said soothingly.

  'You're breaking our contract,' Corinne replied in a voice she hardly recognised as her own; it was all she could think of saying as her mind temporarily closed down on her.

  'I apologise about that,' Juan answered, still in that smooth voice as if comforting a child. 'But I did warn you of the possibility. My mind's quite made

  18o ISLAND FIESTA up. I can assure you we shall deal very well together.'

  Unable to bear being in such close proximity to him, Corinne jumped out of her chair and stood beside the window gazing out. There was nothing like having it laid on the line, she thought dully. At least he hadn't tried to fool her that he loved her. At this point she recalled his reaction to the small gesture she had made when she had pleaded with him to give her that job. Her throat constricted painfully. If there was anything worse than marrying a man you didn't love, it was marrying a man who did not love you. Juan loved Dolores, she was certain of this now, he loved her so much that any other woman's touch was abhorrent to him. She swallowed. 'And you think I would allow her voice choked, but she made herself to go on, 'such a thing to happen,' she asked in a low voice. 'Is that the kind of woman you think I am ? With no feelings ?'

  Juan came to stand beside her and caught her hand in his. Corinne tried to pull her hand away, but as before he refused to release it and as he lifted it to his lips, she knew that he was going to kiss her palm, and she also knew what feelings such an action would arouse. 'No ! ' she said desperately. It was so easy for him, she thought wildly. He could make her his slave and he knew it.

  'I know what kind of a woman you are,' Juan said softly, and looked down at her hand trembling in his. 'See how you tremble,' he said gently. 'Like a dove. It trembled once before, remember ? It wasn't anger that caused that reaction, was it ?' he added softly.

  Corinne made another futile effort to release her hand. He was telling her how easy it was going to be

  ISLAND FIESTA I81 for him to lower her defences, and she couldn't bear it. 'And you ?' she cried out. 'Will you think of Dolores while you make love to me ?'

  Her hand was released so suddenly that she had to take a step back from him, and she winced at the look of fury on his face. The next minute he had slapped her hard across the face, leaving a white mark on her flushed features as she blinked in bewilderment at such an action.

  'You will never say that to me again, do you hear ?' he said harshly.

  `I'm not likely to,' muttered Corinne, still recovering from the blow. Her face stung where he had hit her. 'Do you still think we'll deal well together ?' she asked him with a small twisted smile, as she moved swiftly away from him in an action that said more than words.

  `Oh, yes,' he replied grimly. 'When I've tamed that infuriating streak of yours to annoy me. You see now how easily you can goad me into losing my temper. No other woman has that distinction. Is that what you want to hear ?' he asked savagely. `Not even Dolores reached through that far.'

  Corinne sat down on the chair again. Because they annoyed each other it didn't mean that they were meant for each other, she thought dully. It usually meant the opposite, but it was no use telling him that, not when he was trying to convince himself that he was in love with her. That, she reasoned silently, was the reason why he had hit her just now. He couldn't bear the truth.

  There was a tap on the door, and at Juan's authoritative 'Entrae a waiter appeared wheeling a trolley which he took through to the dining room. A few

  182 ISLAND FIESTA minutes later he announced that lunch was ready, and stood by the dining room door ready to serve them their meal, but at Juan's sharp command of dismissal he looked surprised, but obeyed the order and left them.

  Juan looked at Corinne, and she met his look with a defiant challenge in her dark blue eyes. 'I shall have to do something about that look too,' he said grimly. 'Come and have lunch. I ordered it especially for you. Afterwards we'll talk.'

  Corinne wanted to say that food would choke her. She had never felt less like eating, but it was safer to just do as he asked, she thought. That way she might get out of the apartment in one piece.

  As she passed him as he stood by the dining room door, it occurred to her that she was not afraid of him, and surely she ought to have been. This puzzled her a little, and she wondered if she was now shockproof, and considering what she had been through since she had met this domineering man this was not altogether surprising.

  When he had seated her at the dining table, in much the same way as a head waiter might have seated a valued client, he sat opposite her and proceeded to tempt her with the dishes of various foods laid out in appetising array.

  If he could act as if nothing had happened, so could she, she told herself stoutly, and attempted to try and raise some appetite. Normally, she was very fond of the large succulent prawns that were almost a meal in themselves, but she shook her head as Juan presented a bowl of them to her. He next presented a dish of a creamy-looking substance, murmuring, 'It's mainly cheese, but with a cream base try it on one

  ISLAND FIESTA 183 of these slivers of toast. It's a great favourite with our European tourists,' he assured her.

  If only to look as if she was trying, Corinne smeared a little of the substance on the thin finger of toast and gingerly tasted it. It was creamy, and had an odd cheesy taste, but it was not a cheese that she could identify.

  As if in answer to her unspoken query Juan said, 'It's cheese made from goats' milk. The islanders have made cheese this way for centuries.'

  Corinne nodded abstractedly, and finished eating the slice of toast, but refused a second piece, saying hastily, 'It was very nice, but I think I'll just have a peach now. I'm not really hungry,' she added, thinking what an absurd situation she was in.

  She had just been informed by the forbidding-looking man sitting opposite her that she was to become his bride within a matter of weeks, and here they were sitting at the food table as if nothing untoward had happened, as if this sort of thing was cothmonplace. Her bemused eyes watched as Juan picked up the fruit bowl and held it towards her with the same studious care that he had offered her the other food, and she was reminded of another custom that also went back centuries, when the native girls were fattened up for their marriages in the belief that they would bear their husbands sturdy sons. A surge of hysteria bubbled up on the thought that perhaps Juan she swallowed hastily, and in an effort to control these wayward thoughts she attacked the peach as if it were enemy number one, and scraped the silky skin off with more fervour than was necessary.

  This apparently offended Juan's sensibilities, and he gave a slight shudder and with a, 'No, no, mi

  184 ISLAND FIESTA querida,' he removed the peach from her grasp, and selecting another one, he then pared it carefully and cut it in thin slices for her.

  As Corinne suffered the indignity of having her food cut up for her, she wondered what the word `querida' meant, bet decided not to seek enlightenment. He was probably calling her stupid, in which case, she would rather not know.

  The coffee tray had been left on the dining room sideboard, and when Corinne had finished the peach and said that she was replete, Juan carried the tray into the lounge saying that they would be more comfortable there.

  Now that the cease-fire period was over, Corinne knew that she would have to have her wits about her if she was to succeed in her quest to extricate herself from Juan's determined plan for her future.

  After handing her coffee and collecting his, Juan walked over to the chair opposite hers and sat down with an air of deceptive casualness. 'We shall talk about the future, and about the past,' he said quietly. 'As Dolores is in the past, we shall begin there,' he stated firmly.

  Corinne put her coffee cup down hastily on the small casual table beside her. 'No, really,' she pro tested quickly, feeling a flush stain her cheeks. 'It's nothing to do with me and I apologise for what I said ' she broke off lamely, not knowing how far it was safe to go in that direction.

  'It is everything to do with you,' Juan replied inexorably. 'I will not have whispers and rumours ruining our marriage. Dolores,' he went on before Corinne could utter another protest at the autocratic way that he had presumed that she would not oppose

  ISLAND FIESTA 185 his wish to break their contract and make the marriage a real one, 'ceased to exist in my affections,' he gave an ironical smile at this, 'if she ever did hold them,' he added musingly, and gave Corinne a direct stare. 'Perhaps I'd better go back even further. We grew up together, our parents were close friends,' he studied his long tapered hands. 'In those days she was a small, shy, and lovely girl, and I assumed the position of protector towards her. There was never a plan that we should marry. I think perhaps the fact that we had grown up together made us appear more like brother and sister in our parents' eyes than husband and wife, and for that I am eternally grateful,' he added fervently. 'When she was seventeen, a husband was found for her,' he continued steadily. 'A man very much older than she was.' He gave a shrug of his broad shoulders. 'It was then that I mistook sympathy for love--I didn't know it at the time, though,' his fine grey eyes pierced Corinne's dark blue ones, 'and I might never have known it,' he added significantly. Tor Dolores' sake I tried to persuade her parents from forcing her into such a marriage, but I was unsuccessful, of course. Spanish marriage contracts are not easily broken, and this one entailed a great deal of property.'

  He gave Corinne a small smile. 'You are more fortunate than Dolores was. Her courtship period was limited to the minimum time allowed. A wise move on the parents' behalf, she was given no time to back out of the arrangement.'

  It struck Corinne that there was little difference in Dolores' situation and hers, in spite of what Juan had said, for she was to be given no time to back out

  1 86 ISLAND FIESTA of the consummation of the marriage Juan was insisting on either !

  'So,' he continued, 'Dolores married Carlos, who was wealthy and gave her all that she asked for. Had it not been for the differences in their ages I believe she would have been well satisfied with her lot. The age gap, however, proved the stumbling block. Carlos' friends were that much older than Dolores', and she was starved of company of her own age. Carlos, though kind in many ways, was extremely jealous of Dolores' friends, particularly the male ones.' His glance rested on Corinne. 'I can now sympathise with him,' he said softly. 'I know exactly how he felt.'

  Corinne looked away quickly from the possessive look in his eyes.

  'As a childhood friend of Dolores' I was the only one he trusted. As a result, I saw more of her than any of her other friends. I also,' he added a little grimly, 'became her confidante in times of stress. She came to depend upon me for company, and to save her, as she put it, from growing old before her time.'

  He finished his coffee swiftly and held out his hand for Corinne's cup. 'More coffee ?' he queried, and at the shake of her head, he gave an ironical smile. 'You want to get it over with, don't you ?' he asked her. 'Well, you must bear with me. I intend that you shall hear the whole of it.'

  Corinne's gaze followed his tall frame as he walked over to the table to replenish his cup. Just how far did this sympathy act go ? she wondered. If he thought that he was in love with Dolores there would have been plenty of chances of she felt a stab at her

  ISLAND FIESTA 187 heart; she didn't want to know about that.

  'I can assure you that I did at no time misplace the trust Carlos had placed in me,' he said softly, as he walked back to his chair, and Corinne gave a start at his astute guess at her thoughts.

  'The years went by and I became convinced that I loved Dolores, and certain that at some time in the future she would become my wife. I never questioned this assumption.' He gave an ironical smile. 'There's an old saying that one should be wary of what one wishes for, because it might be granted.' He looked down at the blue and gold coffee cup in his hand. 'And that is precisely what happened to me,' he looked up suddenly at Corinne, catching her unawares. 'Or would have done had I not been privileged to learn the difference between love and sympathy.'

  His lean forefinger traced the golden rim of the cup with a caressing movement, and watching, Corinne felt a soft glow inside her, as if it was her cheek he was caressing and not the lip of the cup.

  'I am not usually given to outbursts of fury,' he said quietly. 'I always abhorred such exhibitions, and felt that such emotions as jealousy were confined to the vagaries of youth. It never occurred to me to be jealous of Dolores' new-found friends, of which there were a generous sprinkling of men, but even this strange situation did not enlighten me.' His eyes swept lingeringly over Corinne's slight figure. 'It took a slight, brown-haired girl, with enormous dark blue eyes, and with an infuriating habit of speaking her mind, not only with that soft voice of hers, but with those lovely eyes, to pitch me out of my complacency. I wanted to strangle Miguel that night,' he

  1 88 ISLAND FIESTA went on steadily. 'Even though I knew he would not dare overstep the bounds of propriety with you, but it made no difference to my feelings. Feelings,' he added meaningly, 'that I had never experienced before, that I did not know that I possessed. I was furious with you too, for stealing my heart in that underhand way. It was only too obvious that you cared nothing for me, and why should you ? I had not exactly paved the way for better relations between us, had I ? but used you as a foil against Dolores' increasing possessiveness that was becoming a bore.'

  'I feel sorry for Dolores,' Corinne broke in, unable to contain her feelings.

  Juan got up and stood beside her and looked down at her. 'No, mi querida,' he said softly. 'You would have been right to feel sorry for her if I had married her for me too, come to that, for it would have been a most unhappy liaison. You see, I have a, lot in common with her late husband, Carlos, even though I have not yet reached his advanced years. She would have found herself as fettered as before, not for reasons of jealousy, but for reasons of pride. One day I will thank Miguel for not only hastening an event that was sure to take place some time in the future, but for giving me hope that one day you might learn to care for me.'

  Corinne recalled the scene that night when Juan had caught her in his arms, holding her in that tight hard hold against him, and her heart thudded at the recollection. She also remembered his last words to her after he had asked her if she was jealous of Dolores.

  Her eyes went slowly over Juan's hard handsome features, and moved to his arms that were now held

  ISLAND FIESTA 189 down at his sides. His eyes spoke of his love for her, but his stance suggested a holding back, and she was inevitably reminded of the way that he had moved away from her touch earlier. She knew a feeling of utter desolation. By his own admission he had convinced himself that he loved Dolores. How much easier would it have been for him to convince himself that he loved her. More convenient too, she thought miserably.

  Her lovely eyes spoke her doubts, and Juan said softly, 'I could convince you ' his firm mouth hardened. 'Or I could badly frighten you.' He held out his hands before him and stared at them. 'They are not quite steady,' he said quietly. 'I want to hold you in my arms, to crush you to me, to kiss those soft lips of yours and prevent you from objecting. You came very close to such treatment when you pleaded with me to give you that job,' he said harshly. 'The way you looked at me, and the way you said my name.'