Andrew recognised potatoes, maize, carrots, onions and bananas. A swell of ground topped by cacao trees hid them from the house, and Teresa slackened her headlong pace to a canter.
"There, that has shaken the fidgets out of them," she said with satisfaction as Sir Andrew reined in beside her.
He looked at her with misgiving.
"Miss Danville, I am sure that this expedition must be frowned upon by your parents. Apart from any other consideration, it is not at all the thing for you to be without a chaperon. It would be highly improper in England, and I know that the Spanish have still stricter rules governing the behaviour of young ladies."
"We are not in England, nor in Spain," she answered, irritated. "Papa lets me ride about the hacienda on my own."
"But you mean to leave the hacienda, do you not, and besides, you are not on your own."
She laughed at him. "Are you warning me to beware of you, Sir Andrew? You must know that I have brought two chaperons."
She drew a pistol, waved it at him and declaimed, "Sirrah, if you do not immediately cease your unwanted attentions, I shall put a bullet through your blackguardly heart!"
Recalling her brilliant shooting of the deadly snake, Sir Andrew suppressed his instinctive nervousness at the sight of the waving gun. Despite his disapproval, he was forced to smile. "A potent argument," he said drily.
"Do you not want to see the volcano?"
"Very much, but I do not care to be subjected to your father's reproaches for leading you astray."
"Papa will know very well that it was I who led you astray. Ah, I have the answer: I shall kidnap you at gunpoint and force you to accompany me. Will that ease your tender conscience?"
"I give way to superior force. You are incorrigible, ma'am!"
Teresa was not at all sure she liked being called incorrigible, but in view of her victory she decided to overlook it. As they cantered along, she pointed out the various crops and answered his questions as best she could.
The way grew steeper and the horses' gait dropped to a walk.
The field crops and fruit trees gave way to cattle pasture, which was in turn supplanted by rows of small coffee trees hung with clusters of green, yellow and red berries.
"Don Eduardo is planting more and more coffee," Teresa informed her companion. "When we win our independence, we shall be able to export our products all over the world instead of just to Spain, and he expects to make a fortune. Did you mean it when you said it is the best coffee you ever drank?"
"The Blue Mountains in Jamaica grow an excellent variety, but yours is as good if not better. I daresay Lord Edward will make his fortune. He seems to me to be doing very well already." Sir Andrew was most impressed by the vast acreage cleared from the inhospitable jungle. "How did an English nobleman come to settle in such an out of the way corner of the world?"
"He did not tell you? It is his favourite story. We were all brought up on it."
"Perhaps he did not want it told to a stranger. When I met him I quickly discovered that he was English, but it took all my diplomacy to elicit the information that he was the fourth son of the late Duke of Stafford."
"It was the Duke who forced him to leave England. Papa says he was a cold and unnatural father, who cared for nothing but appearances. Otherwise he will not talk of him. Papa fought a duel, you see, and killed a very important marquis whose wife was his mistress."
"Miss Danville!"
"Oh dear, have I shocked you again? Papa did warn me not to mention that word in company, but I thought that was just because the Spanish ladies like to pretend their husbands do not have amantes , which is quite untrue." She sighed. "In general Papa does not like me to be mealy-mouthed, but I can see that I must watch my tongue when I am with you." She cast him a sidelong glance and was pleased to see that he flushed.
"I beg your pardon, ma'am," he said stiffly. "It is not my place to criticise your speech."
"Nor
"There, that has shaken the fidgets out of them," she said with satisfaction as Sir Andrew reined in beside her.
He looked at her with misgiving.
"Miss Danville, I am sure that this expedition must be frowned upon by your parents. Apart from any other consideration, it is not at all the thing for you to be without a chaperon. It would be highly improper in England, and I know that the Spanish have still stricter rules governing the behaviour of young ladies."
"We are not in England, nor in Spain," she answered, irritated. "Papa lets me ride about the hacienda on my own."
"But you mean to leave the hacienda, do you not, and besides, you are not on your own."
She laughed at him. "Are you warning me to beware of you, Sir Andrew? You must know that I have brought two chaperons."
She drew a pistol, waved it at him and declaimed, "Sirrah, if you do not immediately cease your unwanted attentions, I shall put a bullet through your blackguardly heart!"
Recalling her brilliant shooting of the deadly snake, Sir Andrew suppressed his instinctive nervousness at the sight of the waving gun. Despite his disapproval, he was forced to smile. "A potent argument," he said drily.
"Do you not want to see the volcano?"
"Very much, but I do not care to be subjected to your father's reproaches for leading you astray."
"Papa will know very well that it was I who led you astray. Ah, I have the answer: I shall kidnap you at gunpoint and force you to accompany me. Will that ease your tender conscience?"
"I give way to superior force. You are incorrigible, ma'am!"
Teresa was not at all sure she liked being called incorrigible, but in view of her victory she decided to overlook it. As they cantered along, she pointed out the various crops and answered his questions as best she could.
The way grew steeper and the horses' gait dropped to a walk.
The field crops and fruit trees gave way to cattle pasture, which was in turn supplanted by rows of small coffee trees hung with clusters of green, yellow and red berries.
"Don Eduardo is planting more and more coffee," Teresa informed her companion. "When we win our independence, we shall be able to export our products all over the world instead of just to Spain, and he expects to make a fortune. Did you mean it when you said it is the best coffee you ever drank?"
"The Blue Mountains in Jamaica grow an excellent variety, but yours is as good if not better. I daresay Lord Edward will make his fortune. He seems to me to be doing very well already." Sir Andrew was most impressed by the vast acreage cleared from the inhospitable jungle. "How did an English nobleman come to settle in such an out of the way corner of the world?"
"He did not tell you? It is his favourite story. We were all brought up on it."
"Perhaps he did not want it told to a stranger. When I met him I quickly discovered that he was English, but it took all my diplomacy to elicit the information that he was the fourth son of the late Duke of Stafford."
"It was the Duke who forced him to leave England. Papa says he was a cold and unnatural father, who cared for nothing but appearances. Otherwise he will not talk of him. Papa fought a duel, you see, and killed a very important marquis whose wife was his mistress."
"Miss Danville!"
"Oh dear, have I shocked you again? Papa did warn me not to mention that word in company, but I thought that was just because the Spanish ladies like to pretend their husbands do not have amantes , which is quite untrue." She sighed. "In general Papa does not like me to be mealy-mouthed, but I can see that I must watch my tongue when I am with you." She cast him a sidelong glance and was pleased to see that he flushed.
"I beg your pardon, ma'am," he said stiffly. "It is not my place to criticise your speech."
"Nor
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