Sweet Revenge (2 page)

Toni shook her head. 'No, not amusing,
senhor.'

He concentrated on his driving, and Toni saw the sign for the
Rua S. Henriques
with a sense of regret which she could not understand. Then the car halted at the door of the
pensao
and she slid out quickly, not waiting for his assistance which he had walked round politely to offer.

'Th - thank you,
senhor,
' she murmured awkwardly. 'I'm sorry for being such a nuisance!'

He shook his head. 'It was nothing,
senhorita.
However, I would suggest you should not encourage our youths too freely.'

Toni stared at him. Had he been aware of what had happened all along? He gave a lazy smile, and with a slight bow he slid back into the automobile, leaving Toni with the feeling of his having amused himself at her expense.

Clenching her fists, she turned, and walked angrily into the
pensao.
It was too late to make arrangements to leave now. She would have to wait until the morning when she might feel more normal. Just now, she felt upset and unhappy, and not a little disturbed.

An hour later, showered and changed into a slim-fitting suit of blue poplin, she left the
pensao
again in search of a meal. The evening air was warm and sweet- smelling, coffee blending with the more subtle scents of the flowers. She refused to admit that she was loath to make any definite arrangements to leave Lisbon. There was something about the place that had enchanted her, and she hated the idea of returning to the drab greys of London's suburbs. Here there was so much life and colour, so much to interest one who found history so enthralling.

Leaving the
Rua S. Henriques
she walked towards the river down a street lined with coloured houses, looking like boxes of candy set in flower beds. Where- ever she walked in Lisbon she found something new to delight her, up and down its ancient hills where church spires stood like sentinels against the skyline. Staying with the de Calles, she had taken the children everywhere, visiting the quays and public squares, the parks and museums. Julia, who was only four, had soon tired of sightseeing, but Pedro, with his active, intelligent mind, had shared her interest and she had enjoying sharing it with him.

She entered a small park, in the centre of which was a tinkling fountain, sparkling, the sun casting the drops in a thousand different shades of colour. She sat on its rim, watching the young mothers and nannies parading their children, some in perambulators, others walking, tiny tots in frilly dresses with ribbons in their hair. She wondered whether there was any chance of her getting another job in Portugal. It did not seem likely when the de Calles refused to give her a reference.

A young man came and sat near her on the rim of the fountain, and Toni hunched her shoulders irritatedly. Surely she was not going to have to contend with yet another awkward situation? She rose to go, but the young man rose simultaneously and they faced one another.

'Toni!'

'Paul!'

Toni stared at Paul Craig with more warmth than she would have normally shown, but it was so nice to see a familiar face. Not that Paul's face looked particularly English, for he was dark-haired and dark-skinned, though not so dark as the man she had met that afternoon she had to concede, but at least he was a friend. Meanwhile Paul was smiling at her. 'Toni Morley!' he was saying. 'What are you doing in Portugal?'

'I
was
working,' said Toni ruefully.

'Was? Why? What's happened? Have you lost your job?'

'Something like that,' remarked Toni dryly,, without enlarging on it. She thought Paul's smile was rather forced, and said: 'Are you on holiday?'

'Sort of.' Paul shook his head. 'It's a long story. Look, why don't we have a drink together? I mean, for old times' sake. It's good to see you again, Toni.'

Toni was reluctant. 'Oh, I don't know, Paul—' Her association with Paul Craig had been short-lived, and she had no desire to revive it.

'Oh, come on, Toni. Ships that pass in the night, and all that sort of jazz. Strangers in a foreign city. Come on — no strings, honestly.'

Toni shrugged. 'Okay, Paul. Just one, then. How have you been?'

'Fine. How about you?'

'Oh, fine.' Toni glanced his way thoughtfully as they walked out of the park and across the road to a bar. Paul didn't change much. He had always seemed rather boyish, and Toni had soon tired of being treated like one of his rugger chums. He liked sport, and nights out with the 'boys' and Toni had never taken him seriously, much to his disgust.

They sat at a long dimly lit bar, on high stools, drinking martini cocktails. Paul offered her a cigarette, and after they were lit, he said:

'Did you know I was engaged?'

'No!' Toni half-smiled. 'Who's the lucky girl?'

Paul grimaced. 'Janet West, as was. We broke it off today.' 'What!'

'Yes. We were here together. We were going to see my grandmother. But - well - Janet's damn extravagant, she's always wanting money for something or other, and then yesterday she went and spent over two thousand escudos on an evening dress!'

'I see. And you objected.'

'You're damn right I objected!' He drew on his cigarette angrily. 'Then she just blew it all in. This morning I got back the ring.'

'That's a shame, Paul.' Toni sipped her drink. 'Are you completely broken-hearted?'

Paul snorted. 'Not likely! I've had enough of her for some considerable time!'

'Oh, come on! You're only mad now. You'll come round.' Toni smiled.

Paul shook his head. 'I doubt it. Anyway, what gives with you? What are you doing wandering alone about a foreign city at night?'

'It's hardly night yet.' Toni shrugged. 'Oh, it's rather complicated, Paul. You wouldn't be interested.'

'I might be.'

'Well—' Toni ran the tips of her fingers round the rim of her glass. 'Well - I came out to act as governess to two young children, Pedro and Julia de Calle.'

'Did you say
de Calle?'

'Yes. Why? Do you know them?'

'My grandmother does. But go on. I'm sorry I interrupted you.'

Toni sipped her cocktail. 'Perhaps as you know the de Calles it would be better if I stopped right here.'

'They're my grandmother's friends, not mine. Do go on, Toni.'

'All right. Well, everything was going swimmingly, until Miguel de Calle came back from his business trip. Then I guess he took a fancy to me. Don't ask me why, I didn't encourage him.'

'Honey, with your looks, men don't need encouragement,' remarked Paul fervently.

Toni gave him an old-fashioned look, and then continued: 'Naturally, I wasn't aware of it until he cornered me one night in the corridor outside my bedroom. Lord, I really thought I was to suffer a fate worse than death, and I was practically tearing his hair out when Senhora de Calle came upon us. Of course she thought the opposite to the truth: that I had been trying to seduce Miguel. I denied it all, of course, but to no avail, and this morning I found myself out on my ear, bluntly speaking. That pig, Miguel, I could murder him! He stood by and let Estelle rant and rave at me, looking like the wounded soldier!' Her angry young voice was filled with hurt and resentment, and Paul slid an arm across her shoulders. 'Poor you! So what are you going to do now?'

'Do? Well, return to London, I guess. There's nothing else I can do. The de Calles haven't even paid me, let alone given me a reference!'

'I see.' Paul nodded, studying his drink. 'I'm not sure what I'm doing either.'

'But I thought you were going to visit your grandmother.'

'I said Janet and I were going to visit her,' amended Paul.

'So?'

'So I can't go alone.' Toni looked exasperated. 'Why?' 'Well, because so far I've been classed as the black sheep of the family, the only one unmarried and so forth. When she heard of my engagement to Janet she was overjoyed, 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 confidence. 'She'll expect me to run after her, as I usually do. Only this time I've had it, right up to here.' He raised his hand to the level of his chin.

Toni glanced at her watch. 'It's no good, Paul. I've got to go.'

Toni,
please!
Won't you change your mind?'

'How can I? I'm not the type for intrigue.'

'But what intrigue is there going to be? I mean, heavens, even if we are found out, it's not the end of the world.'

Toni sighed, looking at him thoughtfully. Just why was she refusing such an opportunity? What had she got to lose, after all? If Paul wanted to pretend she was his fiancee and it was the means to a marvellous extension of her brief stay in Portugal why should she object? She shook her head. In spite of her natural revulsion at playing at being Paul's fiancee there was much to commend the scheme. Only some inner sense of perception warned her that the situation might not be as simple as he would have her believe.

But despite all these doubts, the temptation was there. The way Paul put it, his fiancee could be anybody, and so long as she could get used to being called Janet, and let Paul make all the leading moves, she could not see that anything could go wrong.

'You make it sound so easy,' she exclaimed.

'It is easy,' he insisted. 'What have you got to look forward to back in London? Probably the usual wet summer weather English people come abroad to escape. You've not got another job waiting, so you're not losing any money. This will be a free holiday before you need to start looking for another job. I don't know of any other girl who would turn it down.'

'Nor do I,' murmured Toni, finishing her drink.

Paul beckoned the barman and ordered two more drinks, and then said:

'Where are you staying?'

'A
pensao
in the
Rua S. Henriques,'
said Toni slowly.

'Good. That's not far from where I'm staying. I could pick you up in the morning—'

'Hold on, hold on,' she exclaimed. 'I haven't said I'll come yet.'

'But you will, won't you?'

Toni studied him. 'If - and I say only
if -
I decide to come, you won't at any time attempt to turn this mild deception into the real thing, will you?'