A moment of unease filtered through him. He wished he could tell her the truth, make her understand that the land belonged to his family, had for generations, and he intended to do everything in his power to see it returned. But the man he opposed was her uncle. He couldn’t be certain how she would feel if she knew.
“Perhaps when I come back.” He pulled her against him, took her mouth in a hard, possessive kiss that said she was his and that she shouldn’t forget it. “Hasta mañana,my lovely wife. I will return as quickly as I can.”
“Good luck, Ramon.”
The unease returned. Her uncle was a subject they hadn’t discussed since their days in the stronghold. It was as if each of them was afraid to broach a topic that was bound to set them at odds. He wondered if she would still wish him luck if she understood what it was that he planned to do.
“Gracias, querida.Take care of yourself until my return.”
CHAPTERSIXTEEN
She meant to stay in the hotel, she really did, but the day was so lovely and she had never been to Monterey.
Determined she would take only a short walk around, get a look at the sleepy little village Ramon had promised to show her, she wandered down the main street, looking through the tiny panes of glass in the shop windows. From there she strolled down to the harbor, stopping to watch a small, twin-masted brig whose white canvas sails lufted out as it arrived in the bay.
“That ship that’s coming in,” she said to a craggy old fisherman with long gray hair and a foot-long pointed beard who sat on a rocky edge of the bay, holding a willow branch fishing pole, “it looks like they’re towing something. What are they doing?” Beside him a stringer of carp flashed silver in the sunlight, their bodies half in, half out of the water.
“That’s a Boston whaler, lassie. They be bringin’ in their cargo—’bout an eighty-foot gray, I’d say. She’ll give up nearly a hundred barrels of oil.”
“They bring whales into Monterey?”
“Aye, that they do. Once they’re done wi’ ’em, they tow ’em out into the bay. Beach southeast o’ here is white with hundreds o’ dry, bleached bones.”
“I see.” She watched the ship for a while, then her gaze swung away, focused on a different section of the water. Not too distant from the shore, a small brown, fur-covered animal drifted on its back atop the waves.
“Sea otter, lassie. Cute little devil, ain’t he?”
“What’s he doing?”
“Crackin’ open his dinner. They eat oysters, ya see. Use an empty shell to bust ’em open. They float on their back like that and sun themselves. Got a damned fine life, ya ask me.” A flush rose into his ruddy, bearded cheeks. “Beg pardon, lass. Haven’t done much talkin’ to a lady, not since I left Aberdeen.”
“That’s all right, mister…?”
“MacDugal. Most folks just call me Mac.”
Carly smiled. “It’s nice to meet you, Mac. I’m Carly de la Guerra.”
“Pleasure, Miss… de la Guerra, ya say?”
“That’s right. Why? Do you know my husband?”
“His name Angel? Real handsome lad, lanky built with curly black hair?”
“My husband’s name is Ramon.”
“Different fellow.” He shook his head, waving his long gray beard. “Can’t say as I’m sorry to hear it. That one was drinkin’ and whorin’ over to Conchita’s Cantina all night. Not the kinda man a lassie like you needs for a husband.”
Definitely not. Still, Carly wondered if Angel and Ramon were related. He had said his cousins were in town, though he hadn’t mentioned anyone but Maria and her daughter.
“It’s getting kind of late,” Carly said. “I suppose I should be going. I really enjoyed our conversation, Mac.”
“So did I, lassie. You take care now, ya hear?”
Carly nodded and started back toward the hotel, still wondering about Angel de la Guerra, but mostly thinking of Ramon and how lonely the evening would be without him.
***
Leaning against the side of a building beneath a covered porch, his knee bent and propped against the wall, Angelo de la Guerra watched the pretty Americana walk away. He had been followingher all afternoon, been watching the hotel since he had seen his cousin leave then ride out from the stable. Angel had been curious about his cousin’s new wife from the moment he had overheard him talking to his sister about her last night.
