Indiscretion by Hannah Fielding Read Free Book Online

but don’t worry. My uncle’s going to deliver some wine to one of the big estates in Jerez tomorrow morning, so you may prefer to …’ he stopped, noticing Ramón. ‘Oh, I see you’ve found your party,’ he remarked, grinning broadly. ‘
Así que todo está bien
, so, all is well. Here, don’t forget your luggage,’ he added as he brought round the suitcases on a rusted luggage trolley. ‘Shall I help you take them to your car?’
    Ramón took hold of the trolley and pressed a tip into the station master’s palm. ‘No thank you,
amigo
,’ he said cheerfully. ‘I can manage.’ Alexandra thanked the man for his help and followed her cousin out of the station.
    Ramón settled her in his old Fiat, tucked the suitcases in the boot and returned the trolley to the station.
    ‘You must be tired as well as hungry,’ he said as he slid into the car beside her and paused, tapping his fingers on the dashboard. ‘Where shall I take you for supper?’ Ramón said, thinking aloud. ‘Ah, I know where …’ he announced. ‘There’s an excellent
taberna
that serves delicious Basque cooking. It’s not far from here.’
    Alexandra looked at her watch. Her brows knitted together anxiously. ‘What will they say at the house?’
    ‘Grandmother will be cross with me, no doubt. Meals are the only times when all the family can get together so she holds them as sacrosanct.’ He gave a mock frown. ‘Punctuality is inviolable. Whoever doesn’t keep to her daily schedule has no place at the dining table … with the exception of Salvador, of course.’ He laughed stiffly and pulled out into the wide cobbled street flanked by lines of bicycles and scooters.
    ‘That’s our cousin Salvador, I take it?’
    He grimaced. ‘Yes, Salvador. My very irritating, can-do-no-wrong “cousin”. He’s not actually a blood relative, of course. He and Esmeralda were adopted by our father’s cousin, Luis.’ There was an awkward pause, during which Alexandra wondered if this was perhaps the wrong time to ask more about the intriguingly controversial Salvador, and then Ramón changed the subject. ‘Anyway, as we’re not going to make dinner at El Pavón, I suggest we have a meal before setting out. The hacienda is only a few miles away, on the outskirts of Jerez.’
    Alexandra had not eaten properly since the night before. Her breakfast on the train that morning had consisted of watery coffee and a stale chorizo sandwich bought at the station before leaving La Linea. Ramón’s plan sounded appealing and she was relieved that she wouldn’t have to steel herself to face her Spanish family that night. After a good night’s rest and a warm bath, she would be in a much fitter state to meet them.
    ‘It sounds an excellent idea,’ she said enthusiastically. ‘I must admit, I didn’t get much of a chance to eat on the way here.’
    ‘So, how was your train journey?’
    Alexandra laughed. ‘It was interesting, that’s for sure. I feel a little black and blue but I survived.’
    He grinned at her. ‘Ah, yes, our trains are probably less civilized than those you’re used to, though I’m afraid that’s partly the legacy of Franco’s war. Spain’s damaged train system has never recovered and is rather antiquated, to say the least.’
    Ramón turned into a large, elegant plaza lined with palm trees and ornate buildings fronted by Moorish arches.
    ‘We’re nearly there. The views over the ocean at this restaurant are stunning. Tonight there’s such a beautiful moon, it would be a pity not to take advantage of it. Besides, you’ll have plenty of time to have stilted meals with “the herd”. I promise we’ll reach the hacienda before midnight.’
    Alexandra glanced briefly at him. ‘You don’t seem to think much of family gatherings,’ she observed.
    He raked his fingers through his black curls. ‘I sometimes find all their restrictions tedious,’ he admitted. ‘But you’ll see for yourself soon enough.’
    Ramón parked the