The Spaniard's Love-Child Read Free Page A

his brother, though lean, possessed broad shoulders and the long legs of a natural athlete.
    â€˜Friends and family only are invited back to the house.’ And you are neither. Though the words were not said it was obvious that was what he meant. As put-downs went this was masterful.
    A shocked and hurt Nell was left staring after his retreating back.

CHAPTER TWO
    W ITH difficulty Nell dragged her thoughts back from the cold place they had taken her to. She covered the receiver with her hand and sent Katerina a pained look of appeal.
    â€˜Hush,’ she pleaded. ‘It’s a terrible line. I won’t be able to hear what they’re saying, Kate.’
    â€˜I’m afraid Mrs Carreras is not available. Would you like to speak to Mr Carreras?’
    Since when were Spanish billionaires so damned conveniently accessible? Just my luck! Nell sighed and applied herself to the unenviable task in hand.
    â€˜I suppose I’ll have to.’ A frown furrowed her smooth brow as it occurred to her that they hadn’t even asked her to identify herself.
    â€˜This is Raul Carreras.’
    The voice, deep and slightly accented, was just as she recalled. She rubbed her bare forearms where a rash of goose-bumps had unaccountably broken out.
    â€˜Mr Carreras, you probably don’t remember who I am…The thing is, you might not have noticed yet, but the children, Antonio and Katerina…’ She closed her eyes— as if he doesn’t know their names! She took a deep breath. ‘They’re not there, but,’ she added hastily, ‘I have them and they’re perfectly safe.’
    â€˜Perhaps I should speak to them to confirm that for myself…?’
    Nell, who had been expecting a lot of hows and whys, was actually quite relieved by what seemed like a pretty moderate response under the circumstances. She held thephone out to Katerina and pointed at the receiver mouthing, Speak to him. The girl, with a mulish expression, shook her pretty head negatively in response and folded her arms across her chest.
    â€˜I’m sorry, Mr Carreras, but now might not be a good time.’
    â€˜And when might be a good time?’
    Even the other side of the city the voice had enough chill in it to freeze flesh. Perhaps Katerina hadn’t exaggerated about her uncle’s callous temperament? Perhaps his behaviour was prompted not by ignorance of how to respond to the needs of the orphaned children, but a genuine cold and unfeeling nature.
    â€˜Well, that depends…’
    â€˜I’m never going to see him— never !’ Katerina declared dramatically.
    â€˜Katerina, I thought we decided you were going to be sensible. I’m sorry about that,’ she added down the phone where for several seconds she could only hear the sound of heavy breathing. ‘Are you still there?’
    â€˜I’m still here. What do you want me to do?’
    The abrupt question surprised Nell. Raul Carreras was the last man in the world she could imagine asking for advice. Perhaps she had done the man an injustice? she mused.
    Perhaps he was finding the adjustment just as hard to make as the children were? It couldn’t be easy finding yourself landed with two children you barely knew.
    â€˜Tell me what you want and it is yours.’
    â€˜What I want?’ she echoed, bewildered by the harsh statement. ‘It’s not a question of what I want.’
    â€˜Then let me talk to the person who decides such matters.’
    Nell took the harsh request to be ironic—the sort of request for divine intervention that a man who didn’t know what to do might make.
    â€˜You have to appreciate, Mr Carreras, the children feel very vulnerable at the moment,’ she began tentatively. ‘They’ve had such a lot of upheaval and changes in their lives.’ God, talk about platitudes! ‘Their father’s death was so awfully sudden and…listen,’ she added in a