‘Nacho who?’ she asked, having no idea who or what he was talking about.
‘Never mind,’ he said with a laugh. ‘You will have polo fever like the rest of us before you know it. Our firm will take you as our guest to the Argentine Open while you’re here, and you will see for yourself why we are obsessed with the sport, why the love of polo spread across the pampas so easily when it was first played here.’
Rose nodded politely, feeling foolish as she realised whom he’d been referring to. Nacho Figueras was the gorgeous polo player Jessica had been googling back in London. ‘I’m only planning on staying for a couple of days, but I do appreciate the invitation. It would have been lovely.’
The lawyer frowned. ‘But that is not anywhere near long enough. And you have a property to care for now, a name to uphold, you have?—’
‘You’re expecting me to stay?’ Rose asked, unable to hide the surprise in her tone. ‘For longer than it takes us to settle any paperwork? Is that a condition of the inheritance?’
‘Look around you,señorita. See the land you are standing on, open your eyes to what has been preserved for you. Who would inherit a property such as this and not stay to enjoy it?’ Luis paused. ‘This is home to you now. This, this is where you belong.’
Rose nodded politely, not wanting to offend him, but as beautiful as the estate was, it wasn’t home to her. Home was the flat she’d shared with her mum in London; home was the city of her birth, where she’d spent her whole life up until now. Home was…she turned her face away, not wanting him to see her tears.
Home was with you, Mum.
‘Señorita?’
Rose quickly brushed away her tears and turned back to the lawyer. ‘What am I expected to do next?’ she asked. ‘There must be some formalities to attend to.’
‘I would like to give you some time to look around the property for yourself, so that I can answer any questions you might have, and then I will accompany you back to the city so we can sign the requisite paperwork in my office. We have arranged a hotel for you to stay in tonight, but you can return here once everything is settled.’
‘Oh, I can arrange my own accommodation, I?—’
‘Everything is taken care of,’ he assured her, and she presumed that he understood her hesitation, because he was quick to allay her worries. ‘SeñoraSantiago made certain that there was a plan in place for every eventuality, so you don’t need to worry about anything. She’d been planning this for decades.’
‘She had?’
‘Yes, she had. She was determined to ensure her family inherited her estate, and that there were no roadblocks to seeing that her wishes were followed.’
‘You said I could take a look around before we go?’ Rose asked, surprised at how meticulously everything had been organised and needing a moment with her own thoughts.
‘Of course. I’ll be here should you have any questions.’
Rose thanked him and then began to walk. She wanted to look inside the house, but it felt too personal somehow to walk inside, especially when none of this felt real to her yet, so instead she walked towards the other buildings she’d seen when they’d first arrived. It didn’t take long for her to realise they were stables, and she passed a few horses who blinked back at her, their noble heads over the half-doors, looking at her as if she was the most exciting thing they’d seen all day. She resisted theurge to go over and pat one of them, not even knowing how to approach a horse, and instead stood back and admired them. Despite Jessica telling her they were like oversized dogs, she wasn’t convinced.
Rose took her phone from her pocket then, needing to hear her friend’s voice. Jessica answered on the second ring.
‘Tell me it’s all real and you’re a bona fide heiress,’ she said.
‘Oh, it’s real,’ Rose replied, keeping her voice low even though she was certain there was no one around. Although she presumed that there must be groundspeople employed to work on the property, to look after the horses and keep it all so well maintained. ‘I’m at the estate now.’
‘Is it as amazing in real life as it looked in the photos? Or has it become run-down since? I had horrible thoughts that it might be in a complete state of disrepair and need millions spent on it.’
‘I don’t even know how to describe it, Jess. It’s like something from another world,’ Rose told her. ‘It’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been to, but it’s like there’s been some mistake. I mean, it doesn’t seem real. It’s easily as stunning as the images online.’
‘Send me some photos, and stop saying that it’s not real, because it is,’ Jessica said, before groaning. ‘I’m so sorry but I have to go, I’m heading into a meeting. Can we talk later?’
‘Before you go…’
There was silence on the other end of the line as Jessica waited.
‘Thanks for making me come here. I would never have booked that flight if you hadn’t pushed me, and then I never would have seen this place with my own eyes.’This place that feels magical, it’s so stunning.
‘You’re welcome. Talk soon.’
Rose put the phone back in her pocket, but before she turned to walk away from the stables, she saw someone tall with broadshoulders, wearing a large cowboy-style hat, leading a horse beside him. She watched until she couldn’t see him anymore, wondering who he might be as she heard the lawyer call out her name from afar.
‘I saw a man by the stables just now,’ Rose said when she got back to him. ‘Does he work here?’
