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I couldn’t help it, I looked at Salvador again, and Bella followed my gaze, her own eyes narrowing. “Who’s he? Your guardian angel?”
“You might say so. Come up to my room when you’re ready to talk.” Without another word, I turned and walk away, knowing, just knowing, the fury with which she watched me.
Chapter Twenty-One
She didn’t come to my room, and I didn’t leave it. They all had luncheon on the terrace by the pool, but I remained in my room, eating there, waiting for her, waiting for Ian, waiting for something as I paced the floor. I couldn’t imagine what Bella thought she’d gain by showing up here, but since she didn’t appear to be in a confiding mood, I was left to guess, and none of it was good.
When I finally couldn’t stand my self-imposed exile any longer, I went downstairs, only to find that Marcus and Bella had gone out, while Mary Alice was crushing Valerie in some card game so arcane I suspected Mary Alice had made up the rules simply to trounce her younger sister. Valerie went along meekly enough, sparing a smile for me when I reclaimed the disputed lounge, while Mary Alice shot daggers at me.
“I never would have thought Marcus would see anything in Podge,” she said casually. “Aren’t you two engaged? If I were you, I wouldn’t like anyone stealing my thunder, particularly Podge.”
That was one thing unlikely to happen, I thought. “Marcus and I weren’t truly engaged—we agreed to it for Granda’s sake. He wanted to see his dynasty continue.” I sat down in one of the overstuffed chairs, tucking my legs underneath me. I would have preferred a fast exit, but I couldn’t think of an excuse.
“How did he think that would happen when he left all his money to Podge? Trust Marcus to know which side the bread is buttered on. I suppose Granda’s so-called dynasty could continue just as well with him and Podge. Though I can’t really see the two of them together—he’s always been drawn to style and flash. Podge grew up just I expected her to—fat and plain and boring.”
I considered throwing something at her but there was nothing close at hand, so I reached for one of the glossy fashion magazines that littered the tile-topped coffee table. I was mortally tired of anorexic child-women posing in impractical clothes, but for the time being, I was still Bella, and I would play the part till the end.
An endless hour passed, followed by a second one, and I was ready to climb the walls when Maldonado made his appearance with the tea tray, thankfully supplied with coffee. “Mister Marcus has called, and regrets that he and Miss Whitehead will be eating dinner out.”
“Did Ian call?” I asked a little too eagerly, then could have bitten my tongue. The last thing I wanted to be was obvious. Where the hell had he gone, and did the real Bella’s sudden appearance have anything to do with it? Most likely, but I just wished I knew what was going on.
“No, Miss Bella.”
“That’s fine,” Mary Alice said in her best grande dame manner. “We’ll have dinner early, then, Maldonado. With the funeral and reception, we’ll have a long day tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?” I echoed with horror. “Why so soon?”
“Ian arranged it. I don’t know why he’s acting like he’s in charge—he’s out on his ass like the rest of us.”
“I still don’t see why we don’t have the reception here,” Valerie was bold enough to volunteer in her soft voice.
“We do what Ian says was,” her sister said, disgruntled. “Apparently, he doesn’t want hundreds of strangers crawling all over the place and disrupting his precious farm. Not his for much longer unless Podge does something about it.”
“We can’t have it tomorrow—it’s too soon,” I said. “I’m not ready.” Not ready to say goodbye to the difficult old man I’d loved with all my heart.
“Well, get ready,” Malice snapped. “If you didn’t spend all your time primping in your room, you’d be more on top of things. I certainly hope you have something black to wear.”
“I’m afraid the closest I can come is dark blue,” I admitted.
Mary Alice sniffed. “It will have to do. I want the family to present a united front, dignified in our grief. And we must make certain no one has any idea of the contents of the will until it is settled.”
“No one would be rude enough to ask, Mary Alice,” Valerie said softly.
“I would,” her sister said.
Yes, you would, I thought unkindly. “And what has Kitty said about the will?” I asked instead. “She’s going to break it, isn’t she?”
There was an uncomfortable moment of silence. “Of course she will,” Mary Alice said finally. “She’s already alluded to it.”
Alluded to it? I knew Bella better than anyone else, better now than ever. Why wouldn’t she come right out and say she was giving up the money that wasn’t even hers in the first place? It was the only way she was going to end up with anything from Granda, and she should have been the first to contest it.
Unless she had some other plan. Paranoia swept over me and I shook off the sudden flash of fear. Bella had some plan, all right, but I couldn’t believe it would involve hurting anyone. I had that much faith in her. She could always expose me as an imposter, but there was no reason that would invalidate the will, and I couldn’t even begin to imagine what was going on with her.
Would Marcus recognize her beneath her disguise? I doubted it—he hadn’t been able to tell the difference between me and the woman he’d spent his life devoted to. I’d never been fool enough to think Marcus was a man of great depth, and he must simply rely on appearances. Though something must have drawn him to Bella beneath her frumpy disguise.
I needed Bella back here, to talk to me, to tell me what was going on in her Byzantine mind. I needed Ian back, to take me in his arms, to tell me everything was going to be all right. Instead, I was stuck with the cousins and their interminable card game and no hint of what was going on.
“You’re awfully quiet today.” Mary Alice fixed her cold blue gaze on me over her prescribed early dinner. “Is something wrong?”
