Read Online The Arrogant Duke by Anne Mather - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Anne Mather
Ads: Link
denied this, but as she knew, and Teresa knew, she did not think it worth the trouble.
'Might — might I ask where we are going?' Juliet asked.
The Duque drew out his cheroots. 'I have to go to Venterra, the village you saw on your arrival, sen- horita. My business there will not take long, and afterwards I thought we might drive over to Lauganca Bay on the far side of the island. It is the area reported to have seen the destruction of several Spanish galleons. I thought the area might interest you, senhorita.'
Juliet was astounded and looked it. Gathering her wits, she said: 'Might we go on to the beach, senhor?'
Teresa stiffened at once, giving Juliet an incensed look when the Duque said: 'I do not see why not, do you, Nurse Madison?'
Nurse Madison shrugged indifferently, obviously put out. 'You make the decisions here, Senhor Duque.'
The Duque gave her a wry glance and then allowed his gaze to flicker over Juliet's slim-fitting dress. 'Are you ready now, Senhorita Summers?'
Juliet hesitated. 'Give me a minute, senhor ,' she said quickly, swallowing the remains of her coffee.
Dashing up to her room, she swiftly slid off the dress she had been wearing, and pulled on cotton pants in a particularly attractive shade of apple green and a lace overblouse of pink Tricel. Then she opened a drawer and extracted two bathing, suits; one in navy blue trimmed with white, and the other in emerald green. She doubted that she would need them, but if the opportunity arose she did not want Teresa to say that she had no swimsuit. After retrieving a basket-type shopper from the bottom of the wardrobe, she put the suits inside together with towels and a pair of dark glasses. Satisfied that she would do, she ran back down the stairs to the hall.
Neither Teresa nor the Duque were around, but when she looked out' of the lounge windows she saw a sleek convertible parked on the forecourt, waiting for its occupants.
Frowning, she walked slowly out to the car, • and looked around. It was a beautiful morning, although there were clouds in the sky, and she thought there might be showers later. She could see the gardeners working among the trees, singing at their tasks, and felt a sense of wellbeing which was shattered^ when she turned and saw the Duque walking towards her carrying a triumphant-looking Teresa in his arms.
Juliet turned away. It was such a difficult situation, she thought with a heavy sigh. By trying to show the Duque that Teresa was very susceptible to his charms, she was destroying her own defences against possible counter-attack. Teresa might just as easily imagine she, Juliet, was jealous of the Duque's attentions. Oh, it was ridiculous, thought Juliet impatiently. Couldn't the man see what he was encouraging? Of course, Teresa was helpless, at least no one could prove otherwise but Teresa herself, and she had to be carried when she was not in her wheelchair, but did it have to be the Duque who carried her? Actually, in normal circumstances, it would have been the most natural thing, but these were not normal circumstances.
She heard the Duque's footsteps behind her, and swung round to encounter Teresa's satisfied expression. Schooling herself not to show her annoyance, she was therefore unprepared for the Duque's first words:
Teresa did not wish to bring the wheelchair after all. It is collapsible, senhorita , and at first that was our | intention. However, after I had dismissed Miguel, she changed her mind again.'
Juliet looked into his dark eyes, but they were completely expressionless, except that she could sense, rather than see, a kind of suppressed amusement, as though he had known all along what she was thinking.
He had answered her unspoken question, he had removed the reason for her impatience, why then did she feel so furiously angry with him?
'Please, get in the car, senhorita,' he murmured lazily, and deciding there was little to be achieved, standing there, staring at him like some stupid schoolgirl,
'Might — might I ask where we are going?' Juliet asked.
The Duque drew out his cheroots. 'I have to go to Venterra, the village you saw on your arrival, sen- horita. My business there will not take long, and afterwards I thought we might drive over to Lauganca Bay on the far side of the island. It is the area reported to have seen the destruction of several Spanish galleons. I thought the area might interest you, senhorita.'
Juliet was astounded and looked it. Gathering her wits, she said: 'Might we go on to the beach, senhor?'
Teresa stiffened at once, giving Juliet an incensed look when the Duque said: 'I do not see why not, do you, Nurse Madison?'
Nurse Madison shrugged indifferently, obviously put out. 'You make the decisions here, Senhor Duque.'
The Duque gave her a wry glance and then allowed his gaze to flicker over Juliet's slim-fitting dress. 'Are you ready now, Senhorita Summers?'
Juliet hesitated. 'Give me a minute, senhor ,' she said quickly, swallowing the remains of her coffee.
Dashing up to her room, she swiftly slid off the dress she had been wearing, and pulled on cotton pants in a particularly attractive shade of apple green and a lace overblouse of pink Tricel. Then she opened a drawer and extracted two bathing, suits; one in navy blue trimmed with white, and the other in emerald green. She doubted that she would need them, but if the opportunity arose she did not want Teresa to say that she had no swimsuit. After retrieving a basket-type shopper from the bottom of the wardrobe, she put the suits inside together with towels and a pair of dark glasses. Satisfied that she would do, she ran back down the stairs to the hall.
Neither Teresa nor the Duque were around, but when she looked out' of the lounge windows she saw a sleek convertible parked on the forecourt, waiting for its occupants.
Frowning, she walked slowly out to the car, • and looked around. It was a beautiful morning, although there were clouds in the sky, and she thought there might be showers later. She could see the gardeners working among the trees, singing at their tasks, and felt a sense of wellbeing which was shattered^ when she turned and saw the Duque walking towards her carrying a triumphant-looking Teresa in his arms.
Juliet turned away. It was such a difficult situation, she thought with a heavy sigh. By trying to show the Duque that Teresa was very susceptible to his charms, she was destroying her own defences against possible counter-attack. Teresa might just as easily imagine she, Juliet, was jealous of the Duque's attentions. Oh, it was ridiculous, thought Juliet impatiently. Couldn't the man see what he was encouraging? Of course, Teresa was helpless, at least no one could prove otherwise but Teresa herself, and she had to be carried when she was not in her wheelchair, but did it have to be the Duque who carried her? Actually, in normal circumstances, it would have been the most natural thing, but these were not normal circumstances.
She heard the Duque's footsteps behind her, and swung round to encounter Teresa's satisfied expression. Schooling herself not to show her annoyance, she was therefore unprepared for the Duque's first words:
Teresa did not wish to bring the wheelchair after all. It is collapsible, senhorita , and at first that was our | intention. However, after I had dismissed Miguel, she changed her mind again.'
Juliet looked into his dark eyes, but they were completely expressionless, except that she could sense, rather than see, a kind of suppressed amusement, as though he had known all along what she was thinking.
He had answered her unspoken question, he had removed the reason for her impatience, why then did she feel so furiously angry with him?
'Please, get in the car, senhorita,' he murmured lazily, and deciding there was little to be achieved, standing there, staring at him like some stupid schoolgirl,
Similar Books
