distaste.»
'Well, be warned!' said Francesca with more violence than she had shown so far.
'I don't need the warning,' retorted Toni angrily. 'I'm not interested in your father one tiny bit, and I can't imagine why you should think it's necessary to tell me this. Unless you have your own doubts!'
Francesca gave a scornful laugh. 'Oh, no, senhorita, I have no doubts,' she returned impudently.
The next morning Toni woke early again. Looking at her watch, she saw that it was only a little after six- thirty, but she was no longer tired and she refused to lie in bed just thinking of the beautiful day outside, when she could be part of it.
She got up, and rummaging in a drawer produced what she was looking for, a dark blue one-piece bathing suit. There was also a bikini hidden in her suitcase, but she knew they were forbidden on public beaches. Not that the beach below the castelo was public, but she did not want to antagonize the Conde still further. She put on the swimsuit, and a dark blue and green towelling beach dress, which barely covered her thighs. Sandals on her feet, and a towel about her neck, she descended the staircase silently, emerging into the courtyard without mishap. She did not know how to reach the door Francesca had used, so instead she walked out through the main entrance and round the castle walls to the stretch of grass which led to the cliff- top.
The beach appeared deserted, and she went down the steps, revelling in the new-found freedom. The sun was already beginning to warm the cool air, and she felt vigorously healthy. On the sand, she stepped out of her sandals, shed the beach dress and towel, and ran eagerly into the creaming waves. The chill had her gasping, but it was wonderful, and she swam out eagerly, her hair divided into two bunches with the elastic bands soon soaking about her shoulders. After a while she swam back to the beach, and walked up the sand wringing the water out of her hair. She was completely unaware of another presence until the man's shadow fell across her path. She almost jumped out of her skin, and she said coldly:
'Must you continually appear without warning? Like some evil genie out of a bottle!'
He half-smiled, rather mockingly, and said, 'Desculpe, senhorita.'
She looked at him for a moment, registering everything about him from the close-fitting dark denim trousers he was wearing together with a mustard- coloured knitted nylon shirt, to the mat of dark hairs which was faintly visible above the opened buttons of the shirt. The sleeves were pushed up to his elbows, and a gold watch glinted among the dark hairs of his wrist. Round his neck he had a slender gold chain, suspended from which was a circular medallion. Toni felt the magnetism of his attraction like a living thing around her, and shivering, she turned away, picking up the towel and beginnning to dry herself.
'Did you enjoy your swim?' he asked lazily, propping one foot up on a rock and gazing out to sea for a few moments.
'Yes, thank you.' Toni was short.
He half-smiled again. 'You appear to have done so,' he murmured, surveying her intently.
Toni hastily donned the beach dress. It was not very satisfactory as a covering, but at least it gave her a little more confidence. She was completely unaware that standing there, slim yet curvaceous, in the dark blue swimsuit, her hair tied in the elastic bands, with no make-up to spoil her faintly tanning complexion, she looked little more than Francesca's age.
'What have you come for, senhor ?' she asked, linking her fingers together.
'Must there be a reason?'
Toni turned away. 'I would think so, senhor. I can't believe that overnight your opinion of me has changed so utterly.'
He straightened, thrusting his hands into his trousers pockets. 'You are very terse, senhorita.. Do not Englishwomen accept a man's presence without question?'
Toni glanced at him. 'No. Not when the man is Conde Raoul Felipe Vincente della Maria Estrada,' she retorted.
'You
'Well, be warned!' said Francesca with more violence than she had shown so far.
'I don't need the warning,' retorted Toni angrily. 'I'm not interested in your father one tiny bit, and I can't imagine why you should think it's necessary to tell me this. Unless you have your own doubts!'
Francesca gave a scornful laugh. 'Oh, no, senhorita, I have no doubts,' she returned impudently.
The next morning Toni woke early again. Looking at her watch, she saw that it was only a little after six- thirty, but she was no longer tired and she refused to lie in bed just thinking of the beautiful day outside, when she could be part of it.
She got up, and rummaging in a drawer produced what she was looking for, a dark blue one-piece bathing suit. There was also a bikini hidden in her suitcase, but she knew they were forbidden on public beaches. Not that the beach below the castelo was public, but she did not want to antagonize the Conde still further. She put on the swimsuit, and a dark blue and green towelling beach dress, which barely covered her thighs. Sandals on her feet, and a towel about her neck, she descended the staircase silently, emerging into the courtyard without mishap. She did not know how to reach the door Francesca had used, so instead she walked out through the main entrance and round the castle walls to the stretch of grass which led to the cliff- top.
The beach appeared deserted, and she went down the steps, revelling in the new-found freedom. The sun was already beginning to warm the cool air, and she felt vigorously healthy. On the sand, she stepped out of her sandals, shed the beach dress and towel, and ran eagerly into the creaming waves. The chill had her gasping, but it was wonderful, and she swam out eagerly, her hair divided into two bunches with the elastic bands soon soaking about her shoulders. After a while she swam back to the beach, and walked up the sand wringing the water out of her hair. She was completely unaware of another presence until the man's shadow fell across her path. She almost jumped out of her skin, and she said coldly:
'Must you continually appear without warning? Like some evil genie out of a bottle!'
He half-smiled, rather mockingly, and said, 'Desculpe, senhorita.'
She looked at him for a moment, registering everything about him from the close-fitting dark denim trousers he was wearing together with a mustard- coloured knitted nylon shirt, to the mat of dark hairs which was faintly visible above the opened buttons of the shirt. The sleeves were pushed up to his elbows, and a gold watch glinted among the dark hairs of his wrist. Round his neck he had a slender gold chain, suspended from which was a circular medallion. Toni felt the magnetism of his attraction like a living thing around her, and shivering, she turned away, picking up the towel and beginnning to dry herself.
'Did you enjoy your swim?' he asked lazily, propping one foot up on a rock and gazing out to sea for a few moments.
'Yes, thank you.' Toni was short.
He half-smiled again. 'You appear to have done so,' he murmured, surveying her intently.
Toni hastily donned the beach dress. It was not very satisfactory as a covering, but at least it gave her a little more confidence. She was completely unaware that standing there, slim yet curvaceous, in the dark blue swimsuit, her hair tied in the elastic bands, with no make-up to spoil her faintly tanning complexion, she looked little more than Francesca's age.
'What have you come for, senhor ?' she asked, linking her fingers together.
'Must there be a reason?'
Toni turned away. 'I would think so, senhor. I can't believe that overnight your opinion of me has changed so utterly.'
He straightened, thrusting his hands into his trousers pockets. 'You are very terse, senhorita.. Do not Englishwomen accept a man's presence without question?'
Toni glanced at him. 'No. Not when the man is Conde Raoul Felipe Vincente della Maria Estrada,' she retorted.
'You
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