Lovescape

Chapter 2

Early dawn sunlight filtered through the windows, accompanied by a cool, sweet waft of air. Vidal awakened to find himself holding a sleeping naked woman in his arms. Carmen? No, Rosalind.

Carmen? No, RosalindFor a moment, he wondered at her being there, and then all the events of the previous day came back in a rush. Finally, he recognized the great gift she had given him. On a day of extraordinary turmoil, she had been there, comforting him in the most primal way. In the future, whenever he remembered Carmen’s desertion, he would also remember making love to Rosalind. Only a joy this intense could temper the memory of such pain.

He looked idly out the window at the autumn-golden trees outside as he thought back to their first meeting three years ago. His business ventures in Spain had been quite successful, but he wanted to expand. He planned to export produce grown on his estate to other countries. England, hungering for exotic treasures and long cut off due to their endless wars with France, seemed a good place to start.

He had attempted to sell there, starting with fine sherry made from the grapes grown in his vineyard, but he had run into a problem. Although Vidal’s education was extensive, he couldn’t read English. Only Spanish, Portuguese, and a little bit of Italian. He’d bought a translation book and attempted to decipher the letter sent from a distributor in London. He would never forget the day…

* * *

“¡Ay, Dios mío!” Vidal hurled the book against the wall in disgust.

“Señor?” His clerk looked at him, startled.

“This book is no help. It’s hopeless.” He threw his hands in the air. “I can’t read this document. Is there no one in all of Andalucía who can read English?”

“I don’t know, Don Vidal. Perhaps in Seville?” the clerk suggested.

“Too far away,” Vidal snarled. “I want to read this today! I’ve been looking at it for a week.”

today“Señor?” A soft voice from the doorway disrupted his ruminations. He looked up to see Juana, a serving woman, with a tray of glasses and a bottle of sherry.

“Sí?”

“I think there may be someone here that can help you,” the maid replied.

“Who?”

The elderly woman shrugged. “There’s a girl. She works in the kitchen. She is English, I think. I don’t know if she can read, but maybe you can read to her and she can tell you what it says.”

“An English girl works in my kitchen?”

“Sí. She’s been there about two years. Her Spanish is not very good, but she tries hard. I know she would help you if she is able.”

“Bring her to me,” Vidal ordered.

Moments later, Vidal faced a tiny creature, skinny and very shy, looking at the floor. Her hair was as black as any Spanish maiden, but her skin was milky white.

“Señorita.”

She looked up at him, startling him with the biggest, greenest eyes he had ever seen, in a pale heart-shaped face with rosy lips of remarkable shapeliness. His first thought was how pretty she was, but very young, certainly not a day over twenty. She has worked for me for two years without me noticing?

She has worked for me for two years without me noticing?“Cómo te llamas?” he asked.

“Rosalind Carlisle, Señor,” was the almost inaudible reply.

“Rosalind?” The name didn’t make sense to him.

“Sí. Rosalinda en Español.”

He couldn’t help but smile. Her accent was abysmal.

“Ah, Rosalinda Car… lie?”

A grin creased her lips. “Yes, something like that.”

“Pleased to meet you,” he continued in Spanish, deliberately using simple words an immigrant would understand.

“Juana tell me I maybe can to help you,” she fumbled, communicating, but clumsily. “What I can do?” Her tone sounded confident, but her hands trembled worse than mere shyness, and he realized she was terrified.

“Don’t be afraid, chica. I won’t harm you. I promise.” He made no move to touch her but instead indicated his office with a wave. She flinched away from the movement and walked in nervously.

He moved the chair from the clerk’s desk that was set up along the interior wall, and placed it across from his own chair, he urged her to sit down. Keeping the massive wooden piece of furniture between them seemed to put her more at ease.

“I hear that you are English. Is this true?” he began.

“Sí. I am from England. Why?” she replied.

“Can you read English?”

“Yes. I can read.”

He beamed. “Good. I have a document here which I cannot read. I do not know how to read English or speak it, but I want to establish business in England. Can you help me?”

She met his gaze with worried eyes. “Of course. What I can do?”

“First, tell me what this says.” He pulled out the letter and handed it to her. “Then, you can teach me to speak and read English so I can move forward with this. Are you willing?”

“Sí.”

* * *

That had been the beginning. Without her help, he didn’t know how he would have made the venture the wild success it had become. After a week, he had given her a permanent position in his office, three hours each day. First, she taught him to read English. Eventually, she read and wrote the documents for him. After a couple of months, he had begun thinking of her as a friend.

In exchange for her help, he had tutored her in Spanish and found her to be a quick and intelligent student. He had also found her oddly appealing. That is, before he had met Carmen Flores, whose overpowering beauty had so entranced him that Rosalinda had faded from his mind.

Until now. Now, his little friend—his constant—slept beside him, well-bedded, content, and more relaxed than he had ever seen her. Perhaps I should feel guilty over the way I used her, but I don’t. It was a wonderful night, and I know I pleased her well. I hope this will be as lovely a memory for her as it is for me.

Perhaps I should feel guilty over the way I used her, but I don’t. It was a wonderful night, and I know I pleased her well. I hope this will be as lovely a memory for her as it is for me.It is time for her to leave, however. Her reputation will be ruined if she were to be caught in my bed. He stroked her cheek gently until he saw her eyelids begin to flutter.

It is time for her to leave, however. Her reputation will be ruined if she were to be caught in my bed.She yawned, and then rolled over, settling more comfortably in his embrace.

“Wake up, querida,” he said gently.

She opened her eyes. He kissed her gently on the lips. “We have a few things to discuss, and then you need to go back to your own room before someone catches you here.”

“What things?” she asked, suddenly looking worried. Her body tensed in his arms.

“Where do we go from here?” I don’t know the answer, so I hope you do.

I don’t know the answer, so I hope you do.She shook her head a few times. “I don’t know, but it’s not something we should decide today.”

“You know what I should do, what the honorable thing would be,” he said, not sure if it was a comment or an offer.

Her eyes filled with the sweetest sadness. “Yes, I know, but we both know this would not be the right time. You still love Carmen. Just as you could not marry her, since she loved someone else, I could not marry you. Your heart needs time to heal, to decide whether you want to marry someone, whether I could be that someone. Last night was beautiful. I won’t ask you to pretend it didn’t happen, but we cannot let it make bad decisions for us.”

“Do you have any regrets?” Please let her not grow to hate me for using her. It was beautiful.

Please let her not grow to hate me for using her. It beautiful.She met his eyes boldly. “None. You?”

“A few. I feel like such a cad.” He smiled wryly, with only one corner of his mouth.

She stroked his cheek. “You aren’t. I offered. I knew what I was doing.”

“You are so sweet to me.” He touched his lips to her forehead.

That enticed a sweet smile. “You deserve it, Vidal. You are the best of men.”

“So, where do we go from here?” he asked again, still not knowing what he wanted.

“We go on,” she replied. “We work. You put your life back together, and hopefully, this will not affect our friendship negatively.”

After this, I owe her a good deal more than my friendship. He owed her his hand, but he understood her reason for not taking it. Just as she deserved to be the lover of a man who could not resist her, she deserved to be the wife of a man who loved her without reservation. “I’ll make sure of that. I don’t think I have another friend like you. I would hate to lose you. I will never understand why you treat me so well.”

After this, I owe her a good deal more than my friendship. She took his face in her hands and looked deeply into his eyes.

“In time, when you feel with confidence that your heart is free, ask me that question again. I will tell you the real reason. I don’t believe you are ready to hear it now.” She kissed his lips gently, then gathered her scattered clothing and pulled it on as best she could. Just as she slipped through the door, she said quietly, “Thank you, Vidal, this has been the best night of my life.”