and that's how we got this invitation. She'll be furious when she finds out it's all over.' 'Well, it wasn't your fault!' said Toni reasonably. 'You try telling her that!' Paul looked disgruntled. 'She's been trying to marry me off for years.'
Well, maybe you'll make it up with Janet after all.'
'I doubt it. She won't even speak to me.'
'I see.' Toni smiled gently. 'I guess we'd better make that a double booking back to London!'
Paul chewed at his lip. 'I was looking forward to the break. Estrada, that's where my grandmother lives, is a beautiful place, on the coast. It's an estate, actually.'
'How come your grandmother is Portuguese?' asked Toni curiously.
'My mother was Portuguese,' said Paul. 'She ran away with my father when she was just eighteen, and for a while the rest of her family ignored her. They were scandalized. They had a nice arranged marriage lined up for her. Anyway, when my grandfather died, my grandmother had second thoughts and she forgave my mother. There was a grand reconciliation, you know the sort of thing, and then I was produced for their inspection, and I guess my grandmother thought she would try and run my life as she failed with my mother's.'
'Sounds pretty old-fashioned,' said Toni, frowning.
'Well, I guess it is. Things go on the same here for hundreds of years.'
'Well, thank goodness I'm not Portuguese, then,' said Toni, with some enthusiasm.
'It can be pleasant, for a woman,' remarked Paul thoughtfully. 'I mean - what you gain on the roundabouts you lose on the swings, sort of thing. In England women have achieved independence, equality, and so on, but they've lost a lot of their femininity doing it.'
'Oh, come on!' Toni stared at him. 'What's all this leading up to?'
Paul gave a reluctant smile. 'Very little really. I wondered whether you'd agree to come to Estrada with me. As my fiancee.'
Toni stared at him. 'I could what?'
'Oh, in name only,' Paul hastened to add. 'Just as a favour to me, that's all. It would save a lot of explanations that I don't want to have to give. And you wouldn't have to return to England without having a holiday.'
'Oh, Paul! I couldn't do a thing like that!'
'Why? Why not? Where's the harm?'
'Well, I wouldn't like to deceive your grandmother like that.'
'Why?' Paul gave an exasperated shake of his head. 'I mean, there's nothing to harm anyone. You could be my fiancee, quite easily, if we hit it off together.' Then as Toni sought about for words to say, he went on: 'Oh, I know it's not on. Our engagement, I mean. But all I'm trying to show you is that it could be true, without any questions asked.'
Toni sighed. 'Yes, I can see that. But, Paul, it isn't so imperative that you produce a fiancee, is it? I mean, you could go alone and face the music.'
'I could,' he agreed, bending his head. 'But my grandmother is not a young woman, and I don't like disappointing her.'
Toni reserved judgment there. Pleasant though Paul might be, he didn't strike her as the kind of young man to # worry a great deal about his grandmother's feelings unless they directly concerned him.
'And what would happen if I agreed to your schemes and went with you to Estrada and we weren't found out? I mean, your family, in Portugal anyway, would expect you to marry me, and when you didn't it would be just as bad as breaking your engagement to Janet.'
'I know. But I'd arrange for that to be revealed - long after my return to England when I'd be many miles away from the storm.' Paul smiled. 'Look, Toni, I've looked forward to this holiday for a long time, and if I turn up there now, without Janet, I'll have to spend the whole holiday explaining my actions and trying to make amends.'
Toni grimaced. 'I'm sure you're exaggerating, Paul.'
He half-smiled. 'Not much, believe me! Anyway, what have you to lose?'
'Nothing. It's not that. It would probably be marvellous.'
'Well, then!'
'What if Janet does come back? What if she comes to the estate?'
'She won't,' said Paul, with some
Well, maybe you'll make it up with Janet after all.'
'I doubt it. She won't even speak to me.'
'I see.' Toni smiled gently. 'I guess we'd better make that a double booking back to London!'
Paul chewed at his lip. 'I was looking forward to the break. Estrada, that's where my grandmother lives, is a beautiful place, on the coast. It's an estate, actually.'
'How come your grandmother is Portuguese?' asked Toni curiously.
'My mother was Portuguese,' said Paul. 'She ran away with my father when she was just eighteen, and for a while the rest of her family ignored her. They were scandalized. They had a nice arranged marriage lined up for her. Anyway, when my grandfather died, my grandmother had second thoughts and she forgave my mother. There was a grand reconciliation, you know the sort of thing, and then I was produced for their inspection, and I guess my grandmother thought she would try and run my life as she failed with my mother's.'
'Sounds pretty old-fashioned,' said Toni, frowning.
'Well, I guess it is. Things go on the same here for hundreds of years.'
'Well, thank goodness I'm not Portuguese, then,' said Toni, with some enthusiasm.
'It can be pleasant, for a woman,' remarked Paul thoughtfully. 'I mean - what you gain on the roundabouts you lose on the swings, sort of thing. In England women have achieved independence, equality, and so on, but they've lost a lot of their femininity doing it.'
'Oh, come on!' Toni stared at him. 'What's all this leading up to?'
Paul gave a reluctant smile. 'Very little really. I wondered whether you'd agree to come to Estrada with me. As my fiancee.'
Toni stared at him. 'I could what?'
'Oh, in name only,' Paul hastened to add. 'Just as a favour to me, that's all. It would save a lot of explanations that I don't want to have to give. And you wouldn't have to return to England without having a holiday.'
'Oh, Paul! I couldn't do a thing like that!'
'Why? Why not? Where's the harm?'
'Well, I wouldn't like to deceive your grandmother like that.'
'Why?' Paul gave an exasperated shake of his head. 'I mean, there's nothing to harm anyone. You could be my fiancee, quite easily, if we hit it off together.' Then as Toni sought about for words to say, he went on: 'Oh, I know it's not on. Our engagement, I mean. But all I'm trying to show you is that it could be true, without any questions asked.'
Toni sighed. 'Yes, I can see that. But, Paul, it isn't so imperative that you produce a fiancee, is it? I mean, you could go alone and face the music.'
'I could,' he agreed, bending his head. 'But my grandmother is not a young woman, and I don't like disappointing her.'
Toni reserved judgment there. Pleasant though Paul might be, he didn't strike her as the kind of young man to # worry a great deal about his grandmother's feelings unless they directly concerned him.
'And what would happen if I agreed to your schemes and went with you to Estrada and we weren't found out? I mean, your family, in Portugal anyway, would expect you to marry me, and when you didn't it would be just as bad as breaking your engagement to Janet.'
'I know. But I'd arrange for that to be revealed - long after my return to England when I'd be many miles away from the storm.' Paul smiled. 'Look, Toni, I've looked forward to this holiday for a long time, and if I turn up there now, without Janet, I'll have to spend the whole holiday explaining my actions and trying to make amends.'
Toni grimaced. 'I'm sure you're exaggerating, Paul.'
He half-smiled. 'Not much, believe me! Anyway, what have you to lose?'
'Nothing. It's not that. It would probably be marvellous.'
'Well, then!'
'What if Janet does come back? What if she comes to the estate?'
'She won't,' said Paul, with some
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