Counterfeit Bride by Sara Craven Page A

glinted as he looked down at her. 'I promise that I had no such intention. I believed that she was as—resigned to the idea of our marriage as myself.' He paused. 'But I had not allowed for the influences which would be brought to bear on her once she had left the convent.'
    Nicola gasped. 'Then—you knew about that?'
    'Naturally I knew,' he returned impatiently. 'She was my ward, therefore it was my business to know when she left the shelter of the accommodation I had provided for her. However, I was assured by the general manager of Trans-Chem that you and the other girl were respectable, and that Teresita would only benefit from your company. How wrong he was!'
    'Then you also knew we'd met Teresita at Trans-Chem?' Nicola sank back on the mattress, utterly chagrined.
    'Of course. I arranged for her to work there on a temporary basis at one time, because she was insistent that she wished to have a job like other girls.' A wintry smile touched the corners of his mouth. 'I imagine you know how that worked out. She was given the job as a favour to me because I was on the board of the company for which Trans-Chem were acting as consultants. I imagine it was only out of respect for me that she was not ignominiously sacked on the first day.'
    'How well informed you are,' Nicola said bitterly. 'It was lucky for Teresita that your informant slipped up over Cliff.'
    'If you refer to Clifford Arnold, I knew about his visits from the beginning, but I did not take them seriously.' His mouth twisted cynically. 'I did not grudge the child a flirtation. Knowing her, I was sure it would go no further than that.'
    'Then you're wrong.' Nicola lifted her chin defiantly. 'Cliff is Teresita's husband by now.'
    'I would not be too sure of that,' he said coolly. 'There are lengthy formalities before any marriage can take place between a Mexican national and a foreigner.'
    She heard him with dismay. The legal aspect of the situation had not really occurred to her. She'd heard so much about the ease of divorce and marriage in Mexico that she had not realised there could be any snags where the bridal couple were of mixed nationalities.
    So it had all been for nothing, she thought miserably, and a little sob escaped her.
    'Don't think you will escape the penalties of your actions by such abject behaviour,' he said crushingly. 'What happened to the spirit you showed over the past two days?'
    'I'm not crying for myself,' she choked, 'but for Teresita.'
    'Then I would save your tears,' he said caustically. 'She seems in little need of them.'
    'No?' She stared up at him accusingly. 'When you're going to go to Mexico City, and drag her away from the man she loves? When you're going to ruin her life?'
    He shrugged. 'Teresita has taken her future into her own hands. Whether or not her life is ruined would seem to depend on herself and this man she has chosen. However, she is of age, so legally no concern of mine. I shall not interfere.'
    Nicola digested this in some bewilderment. 'But don't you even care?'
    'Oh yes, chica,' he said silkily. 'I care that I have been made a fool of. I care that Teresita allowed the arrangements for our marriage to go ahead without informing me that she no longer wished to become my wife. I care that a stranger has forced her way into my life, throwing my plans into chaos.'
    'But what does that matter? You never really wanted Teresita. You can't have done!'
    'The match was made between our families,' he said bleakly. 'Perhaps neither of us was overjoyed at the prospect, but we could have expected to be reasonably happy—eventually. It is time I was married. I have a number of houses, but no real home. I need a son to whom I can pass on the inheritance I have built for him. I need some grace and serenity in my life. I felt Teresita could give me these things.'
    Nicola's eyes flashed. 'It sounds a very one-sided bargain to me. What would Teresita be getting in return for bearing your children and surrounding you with 'grace