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‘To rig the sale, you mean?’ Annalisa guessed.
‘I wouldn’t put anything past her,’ Margarita agreed. ‘Claudia knows all the interested parties, so fixing the price shouldn’t be too difficult for her. You’ll come, of course?’
‘I wouldn’t miss it for the world.’
‘I hope Ramon will be there for you,’ Margarita said gently.
Annalisa’s stress levels rocketed. She ached to see him again, particularly now, after everything Margarita had told her. But setting things straight between them was sure to be difficult. Just thinking about him leaving the island for destinations unknown at the controls of his own private jet showed how little she really knew about him.
Ramon was not at Claudia Montoya’s home that evening. And at first Annalisa thought she knew no one—until she spotted Don Alfonso. He hid his surprise well when he saw her—almost as well as Claudia Montoya had managed to do…
‘I can’t imagine why you’re surprised to see Don Alfonso, dear,’ Claudia exclaimed, towing her across the patio by the arm. ‘He was your father’s most trusted lieutenant…and I was married to your father for a good many years.’
Good had nothing to do with it, Annalisa thought as she made a sound of acknowledgement and forced a smile. What on earth had possessed her to walk into the lion’s den? But it was too late now. Don Alfonso was already stepping forward to greet her.
‘Annalisa! You have decided not to leave us after all. How fortuitous it is to find you here.’
‘Really?’
‘But of course,’ he said, directing a glance at Claudia Montoya. ‘We have gathered to discuss the purchase of the finca—’
‘Don’t you mean the sale of the finca?’ Annalisa suggested acerbically. ‘You are still acting for me, as far as I am aware.’
‘Of course, of course,’ Don Alfonso agreed. ‘A mere slip of the tongue.’
‘The family as well as all the other interested parties wanted a meeting to discuss the matter,’ Claudia confided as her glance darted between the two of them.
‘The family?’ Annalisa queried. ‘I don’t see Ramon Perez here, or his brother Luis. And I don’t believe I received an invitation either,’ she added pointedly. ‘Yet I think I can safely call myself an interested party.’
Claudia’s voice was stiff with affront. ‘But I called round—don’t you remember?’
‘I don’t remember you mentioning anything about this.’
Her stepmother’s rapidly diminishing smile dissolved completely. ‘How was I supposed to know you would change your mind and decide to stay? Oh, look!’ she said, her voice suddenly brimful with syrup. ‘Here’s Margarita!’
‘Where’s Ramon, Claudia?’ Margarita demanded, cutting straight through the bull. ‘Didn’t you tell him about this evening?’
Annalisa looked at her new friend with renewed interest. Margarita was shaping up to be a lot more than a pretty face. Suddenly Claudia Montoya seemed suspiciously uncomfortable.
‘Snacks anyone?’ she called, snatching a tray of canapés from one of her uniformed maids.
Don Alfonso took her place, sidling up to Annalisa as if he had private matters to discuss. Taking the hint, Margarita made herself scarce with a half-wave to suggest she would be around if needed.
‘I have to confess I am surprised to see you here,’ Don Alfonso said as soon as Margarita was out of earshot.
‘But surely you must be glad that I decided to stay,’ Annalisa countered smoothly. ‘I would have been completely unaware of this meeting, for one thing. And as it has been called to discuss the disposal of Finca Fuego Montoya…’ She looked at him pointedly.
‘Yes, yes,’ Don Alfonso agreed, studying the amber liquid in his cut crystal glass. ‘But I am afraid I have some very bad news for you.’
‘Really?’ she said, finding it increasingly difficult to hide her poor opinion of him.
‘You can’t imagine how relieved I am to be able to explain this to you in person—’
‘Get on with it, Don Alfonso,’ Annalisa suggested. Her patience with him was running out. Why hadn’t she seen through his artificial old world charm before? Keeping her so badly informed could not be construed as acting in her best interests. He was either totally incompetent or heavily embroiled in some form of shady deal with Claudia Montoya. She watched as he settled his glass on the top of an ornate console table.
‘The finca has accumulated many debts over many years, Señorita Wilson.’
‘But my father had money—’
