LITMIR.BIZ

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      Shaking her head, she looked about her, unwillingly aware that Magnolia Hill was even more beautiful than she had imagined. A huge antebellum-style mansion, its whitewashed facade was faced by a row of Doric columns that blended with the ornate pediment at the roofline.

      Tall windows, some with iron-railed balconies on the upper floor, framed a porticoed doorway. Shallow steps stretched along the front of the building, leading up to a marble-paved veranda.

      And, within the shadows of the veranda, a handful of cushioned iron chairs and a pair of bistro tables offered a relaxing place to escape the late-afternoon sun.

      It was all quite overwhelming. The breathtaking views she’d seen on the short journey from the small airport had hardly prepared her for so much beauty and elegance. Magnolia Hill was quite simply the most beautiful house she’d ever seen.

      The house’s name was appropriate, too, she decided. It stood on a rise overlooking the land that surrounded it. A cluster of outbuildings, including cabins and barns and an enormous garage were set back among trees, while across palm-strewn dunes she could see the pink-white sands of an exquisite coral beach.

      But the shadows were drifting over the island as the sun sank lower in the west and Cleo hoped it wasn’t an omen. Despite her admiration for her surroundings, she hadn’t forgotten how she came to be here.

      She steeled herself with the thought that, in a matter of days, it would all be over and she’d be going home…

      ‘Put the boy down, Lily.’

      The gruff command enabled Dominic to free himself from his mother’s clinging embrace and stride up the shallow steps to greet the elderly man who had appeared in the porticoed doorway of the house.

      ‘Hey, Grandpa,’ he said, shaking the man’s hand and allowing him to place a frail, but possessive, arm about his shoulders. ‘How are you?’

      ‘Better now that you’re here,’ Jacob Montoya assured him roughly, affection thick in his voice. He looked beyond his grandson to where the three women stood together. His eyes flicked swiftly over his daughter and daughter-in-law before settling finally on Cleo. ‘You brought her, then?’

      ‘Did you think I wouldn’t?’ Dominic’s tone was wry. ‘I know an order when I hear one.’

      ‘It wasn’t an order,’ his grandfather protested fiercely. But then he let go of the younger man to move along the veranda. ‘Cleopatra?’ he said, his voice quavering a little. ‘You’re the image of your mother, do you know that?’

      ‘It’s Cleo,’ she murmured uncomfortably, aware that he’d said nothing to his daughter yet. ‘How—how do you do?’

      Jacob shook his head. He still had a shock of grey hair and despite the fact that there was no blood connection, he looked not unlike his grandson. They possessed the same air of power and determination.

      They were both big men, too. In his youth, Jacob must have been as tall as Dominic. But now age, and his illness, had rounded his shoulders and attenuated the muscled strength that his grandson had in spades.

      Still, his eyes glittered with a sharp intelligence that no physical weakness could impair. And, although his stature was a little uncertain, the hand he held out to Cleo was as steady as a rock.

      ‘Come here…Cleo,’ he said, ignoring Serena when she hurried up the steps to take his arm.

      ‘Where’s your stick?’ she hissed, but Jacob only gave her an impatient look.

      ‘I’m not an invalid, Rena,’ he muttered. ‘Leave me be.’

      Cleo went up the steps rather timidly, which annoyed her a little, but she couldn’t deny it. She couldn’t help being in timidated by this man who was, incredibly, her grandfather.

      She was also aware that both Serena and Lily Montoya were watching her. Probably hoping she’d fall flat on her face, she thought bitterly. It was becoming more and more obvious that neither of them really wanted her here.

      Jacob was still holding out his hand and, with a feeling of trepidation, Cleo put her hand into it and felt the dry brown fingers close about her moist skin.

      ‘My granddaughter,’ Jacob said, and she was almost sure there was a lump in his throat as he spoke the words. ‘My God, girl, you’re beautiful!’

      Cleo didn’t know what to say. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Dominic propped against one of the pillars. He’d taken off his jacket and folded his arms, watching their exchange with narrowed green eyes.

      What was he thinking? she wondered. And why, at this most significant moment in her life, did she feel as if he was the only friend she had?

      Which was ridiculous really. She hardly knew him, for heaven’s sake. Oh, sure, there’d been that moment in the cocktail lounge of the hotel back in England when she’d sensed he was attracted to her. But that had just been a brief aberration, brought on, no doubt, by the fact that he hadn’t seen his girlfriend for a week at least.

      Nevertheless, almost unconsciously, she’d begun to depend on him, and it was only now that she realised she didn’t even know where he lived. She knew he didn’t live at Magnolia Hill. Serena had said as much. But was he going to leave her here at the mercy of his aunt and his mother?

      ‘This must all be very strange for you.’ Jacob was speaking again and Cleo had to concentrate hard to understand what he was saying. ‘I want you to know, I’ve anticipated this day with great excitement and emotion.’

      Cleo didn’t know how to answer him. How did you speak to a man you’d never met before, but who was as closely related to you as any man alive?

      ‘I—I didn’t believe it,’ she offered at last, flashing Dominic a glance of pure desperation.

      This had been such an incredibly long and nerve-racking day, and exhaustion was causing a tension headache to tighten all the skin at her temples.

      ‘But Dominic must have told you what happened?’ Jacob persisted, drawing her hand through his arm and turning towards the door into the house. ‘I’m sure he explained—’

      ‘Give her a break, old man.’

      Dominic himself had stepped into their path, his jacket slung carelessly over one shoulder, and Cleo felt an immense sense of relief that he’d understood her panic.

      ‘What do you mean?’

      Jacob’s tone was confrontational, but Dominic only exchanged a challenging look with Serena before saying smoothly, ‘Can’t you see she’s tired? This has been a long day for her and I dare say what she’d really appreciate is a little time to herself. Why don’t you let Serena show her to her room? Then she can have a shower and rest. She’ll feel far more like answering your questions when she’s not dropping on her feet.’

      Jacob scowled, but he turned to Cleo with reluctant concern. ‘Is this true, my dear?’ he asked, and Cleo wet her lips before replying.

      ‘I would like a chance to freshen up,’ she agreed weakly. ‘If you don’t mind?’

      ‘If I don’t mind?’ Jacob snorted. ‘You must do whatever you feel like doing, my dear. I’m hoping you’ll consider Magnolia Hill your home; that you’ll regard Dominic, Serena and myself as your family.’ His lips tightened as he glanced back along the veranda. ‘And Lily, of course.’

      Dominic’s mother looked as if the last thing she wanted to do was welcome her husband’s illegitimate daughter into the family. But it was obvious from the tight smile that touched her lips, and from the fact that she didn’t contradict him, that even she didn’t fly in the face of her father-in-law’s commands.

      ‘Good.’ Dominic sounded pleased. ‘Now that’s settled, perhaps Sam can fetch Cleo’s bags from the car?’

      

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