Benjamin took her hand, turning her palm over in his. ‘Have you thought any more about the polo match next weekend?’ he asked.
She laughed. ‘Please tell me that’s not why you kissed me.’
‘It was onlyoneof the reasons I kissed you.’
Rose swatted at him but he caught her hand again before she could connect. ‘I thought I’d already said yes.’
‘So, I can send out the invitations tomorrow?’
When he held her fingers up and kissed her knuckles, she knew it was possible that she would agree to anything he asked in that moment.
‘You can.’
Benjamin kept hold of her hand and walked her the rest of the way to the car, opening the door for her and waiting until she started the engine and put the window down. When she did, he leaned in and brushed one last kiss to her lips.
‘You taste like paella,’ she whispered.
‘And you taste like wine,’ he whispered back. ‘Are you sure you should be driving?’
‘I only had one, and I’ll be home in less than a minute.’
‘Until tomorrow, then,’ he said, taking a step back from the vehicle so she could pull away.
‘Until tomorrow.’
And as she drove away, Rose’s cheeks hurt from smiling so hard, and she realised that the last time she’d been so happy had been when she, Jessica and her mum had enjoyed a long weekend away. But unlike every other time she’d thought of her mother, this time her smile didn’t fade. Somehow, here, after the night she’d had, she didn’t want to cry.
For the very first time, Rose only wanted to smile.
Benjamin made her feel as if she was alive again, and although she fully expected to burst into tears the next time she thought about her mum, right now she was okay with being happy. She just hoped the feeling would last.
17
SANTIAGO FAMILY ESTATE, ARGENTINA, 1939
Valentina lay in Felipe’s arms, tucked into him like a small child as he wrapped himself around her, his strong arms locked across her body. They were in one of the empty stables, curled up against a hay bale, as she cried against his chest.
Felipe released his hold on her as he began to stroke the hair from her forehead, and Valentina did her best to catch her breath, listening to the steady, constant beat of his heart.
‘I can’t believe he’s gone,’ Valentina whispered.
Felipe’s mouth pressed to the top of her head, and she nestled even closer to him. He didn’t say anything, but he didn’t need to—his touch was enough. She realised then why she’d been drawn to him for so many years—he might not be a wealthy man like her father had been, but he had the same quiet strength he’d had; the same calm, strong demeanour, and she knew in that moment that her father would have approved. If he could have seen them together, if he’d had the chance to spend time with the two of them, he would have given his blessing, and her deepest regret was not telling him while she had the chance.
‘What are we going to do?’ Valentina asked, whispering against his chest. ‘If my mother forces me into a marriage?—’
‘She won’t,’ Felipe said, his voice vibrating through his chest. ‘We will leave if we have to. We’ll find a way to be together.’
Valentina looked up at him, at the worry etched on his face. ‘But we have no money and nowhere to go.’
‘Then we will go to Spain,’ he said. ‘I have extended family there, and your family has business interests there, too. As soon as you turn eighteen, we can marry.’
Valentina stared down at Felipe’s hand and linked her fingers through his, imagining them both wearing simple gold bands to acknowledge their union. If they ran away and married, they would have nothing, unless she managed to challenge her mother. But legally, she knew there would be little she could do until she turned eighteen, which was a year away.
‘What about your family?’ Valentina asked. ‘Could you really leave your parents?’
Felipe nodded with a confidence that she didn’t believe, because she knew how much he loved both his mother and father—he was used to working with his father every day.
‘If we don’t go, you’ll be taken from me,’ he said, pressing a kiss to her forehead. ‘We can reunite with my family later, but if you’re forced into a marriage…’
