Net of Lies (20 page)

‘And what are you going to do?’
She believed she had a right to ask. After all, she had been a part of his operation, however reluctant and hostile she’d been.

‘I
’ll take this proof to my office here in the city. I don’t intend to deal with Marc myself. Instead, my partner will call him, advising him to consider putting a total halt to his newest acquisitions, mine included.’ He lifted the little rectangular box triumphantly. ‘Given the evidence we are holding right here, it shouldn’t take a lot of persuading. People like Marc are avid players, and they know when to fold if the hand they are holding isn’t promising. The one he’s holding right now is quite awful, and he will understand that, no doubt.’

‘You think he will just drop everything
, just like that?’ She had difficulty imagining that Marc would actually go down without putting up one hell of a fight.

‘We will have to wait and see
.’ Unfazed, he watched her with a speculative glance, before adding, ‘But you shouldn’t worry about any of that, Kate. You have done really well, and for that, I’m extremely grateful. What’s your plan for now?’

His question surprised her. She hadn’t actually thought
about the next twenty-four hours, and that realization dawned on her with an adrenaline-induced rush.

‘I… think I will start packing
,’ she managed awkwardly, hoping that he didn’t think she had expected him to plan her time for her. She could only take so much humiliation. ‘And while I’m at it, maybe think where to apply for a new job.’ She tried to turn her last statement into a joke, smiling weakly as she turned around, hoping that he would leave.
Didn’t he already get what he wanted? Or is he still hanging around, hoping for a repeat of yesterday in more comfortable conditions?

It turned out
to be neither.

‘Have you forgotten about my aunt’s invitation for tonight?
’ he asked, stunning her into silence. ‘If I remember correctly, you accepted, right?’

Damn,
I had forgotten about it,
she thought resentfully as she struggled to find the right words. ‘Well, I remember promising her to take a look at some pieces, true. But… I can do it on my way to the airport, can’t I? I certainly don’t see why I should come to dinner, do you?’

‘Actually, I can think of more than one reason for you to
.’ He was smiling again, and something in his face made her uneasy—as if he knew a secret and was enjoying her ignorance.

‘Name one
,’ she challenged, feeling as though she’d lost the confrontation even before it had truly started. But she was damned if she would go down without a fight.

‘For one, there will be quite a few artists and gallery owners there
.’ He sounded as patient as an adult explaining things to a stubborn child, and it was driving her absolutely crazy. ‘I think that it would be good for you to meet new people and explore any possibilities for new employment, right? If I remember correctly, you always considered working in Spain. Or at least making it a part of your job, once you were back on your feet. Contacts are everything, don’t you agree?’

He was right, of course. She was upset and angry, but she couldn’t question the logic behind his words. I
f she were to rebuild her career after this unavoidable flop, knowing the right people would make it so much easier. And if anyone knew the right people, Rosa would. Established, respected, and knowledgeable, she had plenty of important connections in the world of art. And Rosa was eager to help her, probably out of a mix of pity and gratitude, she suspected, remembering the way the old woman’s dark eyes had studied her face more than once during their visit. She acted as if she knew Kate better than their short acquaintance had allowed. But working in Spain wasn’t something she would ever consider, and she was torn between her curiosity and the fear of getting too close to the flame that threatened to burn her to ashes if she wasn’t careful.

‘And also, I really don’t think you should return to England right away
,’ he continued, his dark eyes never leaving hers. ‘Marc isn’t as foolish as I would like him to be, and he will certainly ask himself how I stumbled upon this information. He might try making things difficult for you, out of pure spitefulness, if nothing else. So I think it would be better for you to stay here with me for a while, letting him believe that our romance heated up and that whatever you did, it was only out of your undying love for me.’

Her face must have displayed exactly what she was thinking about his offer, because he sighed, his voice
turning more persuasive. ‘Kate, you must see that it would make things easier. Why don’t we talk about it some more after my aunt’s dinner?’

She couldn’t really turn him down. She had wanted to come
to his aunt’s house, prolonging the short period when she could pretend things were different, even if the illusion of them together couldn’t last.

‘If I come,
I’m doing it only because I promised, nothing else,’ she warned, noticing his lips thinning in annoyance. But he didn’t say anything, and his restraint made her think that he’d figured a fight wasn’t worth his while.

‘We could have something to eat right now?’
he offered instead, his dark eyes insistent. ‘We could talk about it and have some wine?’

For a second
, she really believed he wanted to spend time with her and the thought of sharing a midday meal with him was very tempting. But she couldn’t avoid the suspicion he was doing it strictly to talk her into doing whatever he decided was the best choice. He liked to be in charge, after all.

When sh
e had politely rejected his offer to take her out to lunch, his lack of insistence confirmed her suspicion that he had done it mostly out of obligation and was probably relieved by her refusal. Expecting that Josh might come by to find out firsthand what role she had played in the setup, he warned her that she should try exploring the city instead of staying in her hotel room. He even offered her his car, should she want to be more flexible. They agreed on him picking her up at six, giving her more than five hours of freedom to enjoy her time in Madrid. Then he rushed off, his purposeful stride taking him on his quest to expose Marc. And for one unbelievable moment, she felt like running after him like a scared child and begging him not to leave her behind. She stopped herself just in time, her palms balled into fists as she watched him close the door, disappearing with a familiarity that was like the chorus of a bittersweet song in the melody of her life. And then she wept.

It was a mistake to come here
,
Kate thought desperately as she felt Raoul’s hand briefly touch her shoulder. He had stuck to the script she had provided; she had to grant him that much. As she asked, he didn’t so much as hint at their past, keeping his polite, friendly manner perfectly distant. From the moment he had picked her up from her hotel room, she hadn’t found the slightest glitch in his performance. His knock on the door liberated her from her uneasy pacing and the unnerving frequency with which her eyes had darted to the mantelpiece to check the clock.

She had been ready ahead of time, even though d
eciding what to wear had been torture. Her desire to look presentable clashed with her obstinate fear of appearing as if she were trying to get Raoul’s attention.

Don’t be a fool,
she had whispered to herself as she finally decided on a simple, cream-colored dress with cap sleeves. It was simple and stylish, and the narrow belt with a matte-gold buckle added just the right amount of wow factor to save it from being bland.

He’s seen it all anyway
. You won’t be surprising him,
she thought sadly, as she combed her long hair, leaving it loose around her shoulders.

Judging by his impassive expression
, her worry about looking overly done up was premature. His eyes barely grazed her body before he prompted her to hurry. She followed him to his car, casting cautious glances at his tall, distinguished frame. He had changed into a pale-blue shirt and charcoal pants that brought out the warm hues of his olive-toned skin. She could tell he had taken a shower, because the dark hair at the nape of his neck was still damp and slightly curled against the solid column of his neck. It was hard to stop herself from imagining him in the shower with rivulets of water trickling down his perfect body. She didn’t even have to close her eyes. Her stubborn memory filled in any gaps with detailed flashes from the past.

They didn’t talk much on the way to his aunt’s house. It was becoming a pattern in their new relationship,
and Kate was eager to occupy herself with anything just to keep from thinking about the future. But after a few unsuccessful attempts at starting a conversation, she gave up, realizing the futility of her efforts. Raoul seemed preoccupied. His brows were drawn into a line as he stared ahead, offering halfhearted answers that further damaged her fragile self-confidence. So she averted her face to the window, her eyes carelessly gliding over the kaleidoscope of colors on the street without really seeing any of it. The weather had improved dramatically. The greyness and drizzle had given way to blue skies, and the sun played hide-and-seek with the few white billowy clouds that still remained on the horizon. Unfortunately, her mood didn’t match the weather. Her personal barometer was set to a violent thunderstorm with tons of precipitation.

Raoul’s mood didn’t improve
even when they arrived at the house. His eyes darkened when he looked over at the few cars in the interlock driveway, settling on a small glossy red BMW that stood out with its black, convertible roof. He swore softly under his breath, his hands shaking lightly as he turned off the ignition.

‘What’s wrong?’
She was mystified, because she wasn’t quite used to seeing him lose his self-control like that.

‘Nothing
.’ The lines around his mouth were etched deeper, giving him an air of inapproachability that stopped her from pressing any further. ‘Nothing of importance, really…’

Whatever it was
, it would have to wait, because the heavy carved door opened, and Rosa appeared on the doorstep, her black lace dress and lavender shawl wrapped around her slim shoulders, reminding Kate of the portraits she’d seen in the Prado Gallery. She imagined Rosa as a young girl, gracious and hauntingly beautiful. Her large black eyes and delicate smile hadn’t changed as the decades passed.

‘
I’m so glad you’re here, my dear.’ Rosa smiled at them, but a quick flicker of uneasiness passed through her eyes, disappearing as fast as it had come, making Kate doubt she had seen it at all. Warm arms wrapped around her, and she inhaled the bittersweet fragrance of the old woman’s perfume, only partially aware of something Raoul said, his rapid Spanish sounding rough and raw. It was all too fast for her to understand, especially with the sound of piano music, which she recognized as Ravel’s
Bolero
, spilling from the salon.

‘Come in, come in
.’ Pulling away slightly, Rosa guided her in, melting Kate’s trepidation with her warm arms.

Raoul follow
ed them, his steps surprisingly reluctant. She was dying to turn around and see his face, knowing that she knew him well enough that she might be able to tell what was bothering him, but slowing down Rosa was virtually impossible. Their short walk brought them to the open french door, which offered her the first glimpse of the large room.

‘
It’s the official salon,’ Rosa explained with a little smile. Wistfully, she told her about the parties they used to throw nearly every weekend. When Luis was still alive, their villa was always teeming with life and the vibrant energy of many artists.

As t
hey arrived at the door, Kate’s nerves calmed when she realized with relief that there were enough people there for her to be able to find a quiet, secluded niche if she wished to do so. Her experience had taught her that a certain number of guests was crucial to fill the room with conversation and distractions. If there were enough of them to chat, laugh, and fill the silence, then nobody would mind if she retreated to some peaceful corner and kept her distance. And this was exactly what she planned to do. She let her eyes wander the colorful groups clustered around the large, rather dark room.

It was impossible to see everyone
; the shadows that lingered around the corners and the large piano created a natural partition, offering plenty of privacy. A large dark table, obviously set for the dinner that was soon to come, stood in the middle of the room. A cut-crystal chandelier hung over it, and the candlelight reflected in the facets of the countless tiny crystals that sparkled like jewels. Like a glowing orb, it lured the visitors to the table, where delicate china settings, crisp white napkins, and silver cutlery made her think of the glory of the days long gone by.

Two five
-armed candelabras adorned its dark, immaculately polished surface, the tiny flickers of the flames carrying over the warm, yellowy glow. And the flowers! She couldn’t hide her delight at the sight of the elaborate arrangements, her thoughts going once more to the paintings of the seventeenth century artists. Opulent, gorgeous, and spilling over the rims of the large bronze vases were masses of roses in every hue imaginable, their heavy heads bending toward the table with the gracefulness of a dancer finishing his performance and waiting for a verdict and an ovation. Pink, cream, orange, and scarlet, the blooms filled the room with their sweet fragrance, intoxicating her nostrils with the seductive notes that wove themselves through the warm, evening air.