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Chapter Thirteen
Shelene stared at Antonio while he fed. His beautiful dark curls tufted at his ears and fell over his forehead. She caressed his earlobe. A few hours ago, he’d slept through a shocking, scary and unprovoked attack. Her heart still beat erratically, but she kept a stern face, as if she wasn’t completely disoriented and upset by the ordeal.
When she heard the knock on the door, she knew it was Roman, coming to berate her for leaving Las Colinas in the first place.And how dare she leave without him or his approval? There had been no brigands around the valley. No terror at night. No reason to think she wasn’t safe, even though she’d taken precautions.
“Come in. Oh, Papa, it’s you. I was expecting Roman.”
“He is still interrogating the riders and the coachman.” He found a chair and pulled it next to her, in a modest position where he didn’t have to watch his daughter breast-feed his grandson. Papa didn’t realize he was such a proper Englishman. He saw himself as an adventurer, a man who ruled the seas and tamed the storms.
A smile tried to form. She had never seen her father in command of one of his ships. Maybe he was all those things when he was free of the responsibilities which plague a man on land. Family, especially.
“I’m sorry, Papa, to have worried you.”
“It seems we will have to be more careful for the time being.”
“You are home now. Safe, when I thought you were dead. And now Spain is turning dark again with all those who think they know best. I would be very upset if something happened to you now.”
“Me?” Her father laughed. “Spain has been full of trouble for so long, it is easy to believe that all is well. We will manage. Of course, there is another option.”
“Oh, Papa, I am not going back to England. Spain is my home. I am Spanish. My son’s blood will be full of Spain, too!”
“Your son is mostly English. Don’t fool yourself into thinking he will have only one love. But who knows? Maybe he will be one of those who can lead Spain with new blood, new vision?” her father said. “But we have to speak about today. It is one thing to be robbed along the road, by a thief. It is another to be shot at with no specific motive.”
“A miscreant. Nothing more.”
“You don’t believe that. I am very skeptical. And I know Roman definitely doesn’t believe it.”
Roman walked in through the door between her room and Tono’s. “No,hedoesn’t believe it,” he said. “The question is whether the shooter was incompetent or was only sending a warning shot.”
“That’s absurd. A warning shot for what?” Shelene stood and went to Antonio’s bed. He was drowsy and accepted his blanket. “Besides, no one knew I would be on that road. I came home early and no one but those with me could know that. There was no warning shot.” She patted Antonio because she could not face Roman or her father’s denunciations.
“You came straight home, stopping overnight in Las Cabezas?”
“Yes. And I stopped in Arco de la Frontera to speak with Father Etienne also. But it could not have been more than an hour or so.”
Roman turned and paced across the room. “So, we can assume someone saw you there and had the wherewithal and the ability to act quickly to waylay your carriage.”
“I wasn’t waylaid.”
“Shelene, this isn’t your fault and I’m not criticizing you.”
“Well, it feels that way.”
“Every possibility must be considered.” He approached her and took her hand. “I would prefer you didn’t see how I work but I will be ruthless with anyone who tries to hurt you and my son. You don’t want to admit it, but it is Belgrano.”
“That doesn’t sound like you are considering every possibility. Just one.”
“Sometimes the simplest reason is the right reason. What’s changed recently? I’ve returned and Belgrano… He still can’t be trusted.”
“He does have a point, Shelene,” her father said.
“And how do you propose we find out the whole truth? Las Colinas and Tía Ana-María are all the family he has left. I can’t just send him away if he has truly repented of his horrible ways. I won’t accept anything but the truth about him.”
“I will find out. I will find out everything. But you must promise me, that when I present the truth, you will accept it.”
She hesitated. Roman was brilliant at his job according to her father, according to Oliver. Anyone who knew him said the same.
“And the truth will be incontrovertible.” He was still holding her hand. “Shelene, trust me to do what is right. I promise I will be careful. Antonio will not be harmed. You will not be harmed.”
