"Sorry to disturb your beauty sleep." His tone was sarcastic. "But do you think we might put this silent treatment to one side long enough for you to navigate me into the town centre and find somewhere to park?"
Laura glared at him, and with the minimum of words she could get away with, directed him close to the old part of town and a suitable parking place. Still feeling groggy after her nap, she scrambled out of the car as soon as it stopped and stretched slowly, then looked around her.
Heading towards the walls of the old fortress town without waiting for him, she scrambled up a nearby slope to gaze out over the surrounding countryside—a calming view of green fields with the darker green of wooded hills in the distance. She watched as a train rumbled across the railway bridge spanning the Minho River. The backdrop of white buildings with red tile roofs was appealing in the bright sunshine. It was peaceful and quiet here, away from the bustle they would find in the town, and Laura flopped down on the grass to take it all in, grateful to be out of the oppressive confines of the car. Daniel kept his distance, wandering along the granite ramparts a little way to look at the view.
Laura hugged her knees to her chest and heaved a sigh as the warm breeze blew strands of hair across her face. What a dreadful day this was going to be if they both carried on like this! Less than twenty-four hours ago, Daniel had been so furious with her when she accused him of trying to seduce Teresa. And yet here he was, accusing her of something equally unpalatable. Did he expect her to be any less upset than he'd been? At least she'd apologised for her accusations. Why should she be the one to break the ice now, after the way he'd behaved?
Daniel walked back to her with that long, confident stride of his. He stood towering above her, and when she glanced up at his face, she saw the harshness had gone. Perhaps the beauty of the view had calmed him as well.
"What would you like to do now we're here?" he asked.
"You were the one who wanted to come," she said flatly. Knowing she sounded sulky, and mindful that Paulo, if not herself, might have a lot to lose by her actions, she added quickly, "What I mean is, you're the one who hasn't been here before. I'll go along with whatever you want to do." She left unspoken the fact that he'd made it quite clear she had no choice—not if she wanted Paulo to get a fair crack at doing business with the mighty Stone Brothers.
Daniel looked at her in exasperation. He seemed about to say something, but closed his mouth and paused before he finally spoke. "My guidebook says it's a good place for shopping, and I have some gifts to buy. Perhaps we could walk around the town and then have a late lunch?"
Laura nodded. If they concentrated on shopping, they wouldn't have to talk too much. She got to her feet and set off, leaving Daniel to follow. The old town was already busy, as she had expected it would be on a Sunday. As well as foreign tourists and the Portuguese who were out for the day, quite a number of Spanish often came across the border from Tui. Laura watched the happy faces as they milled past. She doubted anyone had been dragged here against their will except her.
"How about a coffee? You look as though you could do with one," Daniel said, interrupting her thoughts.
Thank goodness! Laura nodded and sat at a table outside a nearby café. The day was warming up and she was glad she'd chosen to wear a long, flowing skirt and cotton blouse, her hair tied back loosely with a ribbon. The café was in an old square, the buildings around it crumbling a little but brightly tiled and with decorative wrought iron balconies covered with pots of riotous flowers. An ancient stone fountain sent a cooling mist their way. The place was full of lazy charm, and she was lost in her own thoughts as she sipped her much-needed coffee and watched the crowds go by.
Feeling calmer now, she sneaked a glance across at Daniel, but he'd beaten her to it and was already watching her intently. She bristled under the scrutiny of his gaze.
"I'm sorry," he said gruffly, then paused, waiting. Laura wondered if he was expecting her to reciprocate, but she baulked at the idea. She knew she'd been unforgivably impolite with him this morning, well before she had good reason to be, but a little impoliteness was nothing compared to what he'd accused her of.
"If you're waiting for me to say the same, then I'm afraid you'll be disappointed, since I have nothing to apologise for," she said pointedly.
The corners of his mouth twitched. He shook his head. "Do you have any idea how stubborn you are, Laura Matheson?"
She scowled. "If we held a contest for stubbornness, I think you'd win hands down," she replied tartly.
"I'm not the one who's refusing to speak," he pointed out.
Laura was indignant. "You've hardly said a word all morning!"
"That's because I knew whatever I said, I would be likely to have my head bitten off. And I was right." He raised an eyebrow.
"Well, I'm sure you deserve it," she mumbled.
Daniel ran his hands across his eyes, reminding Laura he must be as exhausted as she was. After all, he'd been awake nearly all night too, and then he was up early enough to drive Mrs. Hurst to the hospital. But if he expected any sympathy, he wasn't going to get it from her. He was the one who wanted to drive up here instead of catching up on his sleep.
"Do you expect me to be happy about this?" she
