her struggle. At all costs she must prove herself stronger than him at this moment.
As though he read her thoughts he murmured against her lips, ‘Why do you fight me?’
‘Because somebody must,’ she said fiercely, trying not to let her voice shake.
Astonished, he drew back and searched her face.
‘You have more power than any man should have,’ she flung at him. ‘But while I’m alive, it will never be complete. I’ll never give you power over me. Not for an instant.’
‘I believe you really would fight me to the last moment,’ he murmured huskily.
‘Believe it! Because I’ve seen through you.’
‘And what do you think you see?’
‘This is all an act. You don’t really want me at all, any more than I want you. You just can’t bear someone who doesn’t jump when you snap your fingers. If I let you overcome me, you’d shrug at another conquest and forget me the next moment.’
‘Are you so sure?’
‘Completely sure.’
‘Shall we find out?’
‘It will never happen,’ she said slowly and deliberately. She wrenched herself free and backed away from him. She was breathing hard, but in command of herself. She wasn’t so sure of Sebastian’s control. There was a wild look in his eyes, and she was suddenly aware how isolated they were in this distant part of the garden. He was a man used to taking what he wanted.
‘I’m leaving this house,’ she said.
‘And you think you have only to give your orders? Don’t try to order me, Sebastian. I’m going first thing tomorrow. And think yourself lucky if I don’t tell Catalina the kind of man she’s marrying.’
‘Do you know the kind of man she’s marrying?’
‘I know that whatever else you offer your wife, it isn’t fidelity.’
‘I find it hard to think of fidelity when you’re around. Perhaps you should blame yourself for that. Why do you incite me if you have nothing to give?’
‘Don’t try to blame me! I don’t incite you.’
‘You incite me just by living and breathing. You incite me when you walk in the room, when I see you-’
‘Then the sooner you see me no more, the better.’
She walked away from him quickly. As she went she listened for his footsteps coming after her, but there was only the silence and she managed to reach the building. She was shaking with the violence of what had happened to her, not what he had done, but what she had felt. Her heart was thundering and her whole body shook with the force of the sensations he had aroused. Everything he said was true. She was no girl but a woman who had learned the secrets of desire and couldn’t forget them. She’d forced them back, tried to deny what she knew, but they were there, waiting for the wrong man to bring them back to life.
She hurried to her room, longing to get out of sight, but suddenly Catalina appeared, smiling at the sight of her. Now was her chance, Maggie thought. She’d wanted to stop this wedding, and if she told the girl the truth about her future husband, that was all it would take.
Or would it? Catalina probably didn’t expect perfect behaviour from Sebastian, but she would expect it from her friend. Her revelations might cause pain without doing any good.
‘I thought you were in bed and asleep,’ she said.
‘I can’t sleep. I think and think about my lovely dress. I shall be the most beautiful bride.’
‘And after? Will he be a good husband?’
The girl shrugged. ‘He will take care of me, and I shall have lots of lovely new clothes.’
This was so nearly what Sebastian had said that Maggie was startled. There was something about Catalina’s prosaic attitude to her marriage that made the dreadful words die before they could be spoken. The next moment, she knew they would never be said. Catalina put her arms around Maggie’s neck and kissed her softly on the cheek. ‘I’m so happy you’re here,’ she said. ‘Nobody has ever been as good to me as you.’
She drifted away down the corridor. At her door, she stopped, blew Maggie a kiss, and slipped inside.
‘Oh, heavens!’ Maggie said to the silence.
‘Thank you.’
She whirled at the sound of Sebastian’s voice as he reached the top of the stair. ‘How long have you been there?’
‘Long enough to know that you might have betrayed me, and didn’t.’
‘For her sake, not for yours.’
‘I know that.’ In the dusky light of the corridor she could see that his face was gaunt and strained. ‘I behaved badly tonight. You are living under my roof-I forgot my honour, the honour of my house. If you will consent to remain, I give you my word that such a thing will not occur again.’ She hesitated and he said, ‘You will be safe, on my sacred word!’
‘Very well, I’ll stay. But hear this, Sebastian. I couldn’t give you away tonight, but I’ll still use every chance I have to undermine you in her eyes. Do you understand me? If I can talk her out of this wedding-I’ll do it.’
He inclined his head. ‘At least I can see the battle lines. I have no complaints.’
‘You may have if she jilts you.’
‘She won’t jilt me, because you’re too honourable to use your strongest weapon. I thank you, for that and for declaring war openly.’
‘As long as you remember that war is what it is.’
CHAPTER FIVE
‘OH, MAGGIE, it’s wonderful up here. I’m so glad we came!’
Laughing, Catalina flopped down into a seat on the terrace cafe and looked out over the snow. An energetic session on the piste had left her with bright eyes and glowing cheeks.
They had been three days in Sol y Nieve, the chief ski resort of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Here, surrounded by snow, they could be carefree for just a little time, and it was almost possible to forget Sebastian and all the turbulent emotions below. By day there was skiing and shopping, and in the evening there was good food, wine, and music.
A waiter brought them coffee and cream cakes. Watching the girl tuck in, Maggie said, ‘If you’re not careful, you won’t be able to get into your wedding dress.’
‘I eat anything and I never put on weight,’ Catalina said with a giggle. ‘It makes other women so mad.’ She leaned back with her eyes closed, letting the sun play on her face. She looked prettier than ever.
‘How did you ever persuade Sebastian to let me out of the cage?’ she asked, keeping her eyes closed.
Maggie regarded her wryly, no longer impressed by talk of cages. She knew now that this was Catalina’s ‘line’, and it would be dropped the next time she was enjoying being the star attraction in a big, glamorous, set piece.
‘There was no problem,’ she said. ‘He agreed to my suggestion at once.’
That was true, but there had been a silent subtext. She had gone to Sebastian the morning after their fierce encounter in the garden and told him flatly that she wanted to take Catalina away for a few days.
‘Is this really necessary?’ he’d asked mildly. ‘There’s much to do-and I gave you my word-’
‘I want to get out of this house for at least a week,’ she’d replied. When he still hesitated, she said quietly, ‘It is a question of honour.’
She knew those words had revealed something that would have been better kept secret. He would guess now that she wasn’t as immune to him as she’d claimed. But at the word ‘honour’ he’d nodded and agreed without further argument.
While she was getting ready to leave there was a phone call for her. It was Jose, to thank her for her help yesterday, and to ask her to meet him for coffee.
