A Scandalous Midnight in Madrid Read online

  ‘His sister would be dead if the Duke hadn’t been such a hero,’ a waiter added. ‘Apparently, he barely had time to free her before the car exploded.’

  ‘Sadie, are you okay?’ a colleague asked with concern. ‘Shall I get you a drink of water?’

  ‘It’s fortunate the Duke drank water last night, unlike the Prince and his friends,’ one of the waitresses chipped in. ‘Don Alegon drank one beer, and then he was on water for the rest of the night.’

  ‘It says so here in the report,’ Sadie confirmed as she read the screen over her fellow chef’s shoulder. ‘The police have confirmed that Don Alegon had not been drinking to excess and was in no way responsible for the crash.’

  ‘Look, here’s a picture of the party,’ one of Sadie’s colleagues exclaimed excitedly, holding up her phone. ‘There’s a picture of you, Sadie, when you came out of the kitchen and everyone applauded. What great publicity for the restaurant. Chef Sorollo will be thrilled.’

  ‘Yes,’ Sadie murmured as the phone was pushed under her nose. She blushed to see Alejandro’s black gaze fixed on her face. ‘Maybe we could send him some food from the kitchen,’ she murmured distractedly, hoping no one else had noticed Don Alegon devouring her with his eyes.

  When her colleagues chorused, ‘What a good idea,’ she progressed the thought. ‘Some delicacies,’ Sadie mused out loud, already working out a menu in her head. ‘Something to tempt the invalid.’ A voice in her head suggested Don Alegon would not be a typical invalid but would rail against his enforced confinement.

  However bad a mood he was in, he’d saved his sister, and that was good enough for Sadie. She would prepare a feast that even Alejandro at his angriest would find impossible to resist.

  * * *

  ‘What the hell is this?’ Lifting the red-and-white gingham cloth that had been so carefully arranged over the wicker basket, Alejandro lost no time in firing the contents into the bin.

  ‘You ungrateful brute!’ his sister railed at him, eyes blazing with fury. ‘How could you?’

  ‘Whoever sent this must think I’m not capable of ordering in!’

  ‘Chef Sadie sent it,’ Annalisa fired back. ‘It was a very kind thought. You should be ashamed of yourself,’ his sister finished with an angry gesture worthy of any great actress.

  Sadie had sent this? He scanned the delicacies in the bin, regretting now that he’d been so hasty. His customary good manners had utterly deserted him, thanks to this enforced stay in hospital. It didn’t help his temper one bit—having imagined himself invincible—that Annalisa had been discharged from hospital before him.

  ‘If you weren’t my brother and you hadn’t saved my life, I’d be ashamed of you,’ Annalisa now assured him. ‘I am ashamed of you. How dare you throw this kindness back in Sadie’s face? Who else would send you food?’ Shoving a stiff white card under his nose, she commanded, ‘Read this. She’s signed it and so has every member of staff at El Gato Feroz. I hope it makes you feel as bad as you should, you monster.’

  ‘Back in bed!’ The sharp voice from the doorway startled them both. It was the ward sister making her rounds. ‘You breathed in a lot of smoke, Don Alegon,’ she told him, ‘and what you need now is rest.’

  ‘What I need now is to get out of here,’ he argued tensely. ‘And what about my sister? She was in the accident too. Shouldn’t she be resting?’

  ‘I managed to keep my head out of the window,’ Annalisa piped up, ‘so I was breathing fresh air. Braving the smoke to save me forced you to breathe in a lot of smoke, so do as the ward sister says and get back into bed.’

  ‘Am I a caged beast now?’ he grumbled, only to be greeted by peals of laughter from both women.

  ‘You’re an ungrateful beast,’ Annalisa confirmed, and as the ward sister left them to continue her rounds she began to forage in the bin. ‘What if I had wanted to eat some of this?’

  Fortunately most of it was boxed and, having salvaged a container of freshly baked macarrones, Annalisa was cramming her favourites into her mouth before offering the rest to him. He refused, of course.

  ‘You don’t deserve anyone to be kind to you,’ she flashed. ‘The least you can do is write a thank-you note to Sadie for preparing all this lovely food.’

  He growled but found he couldn’t summon up any anger. Quite a different emotion was plaguing him at the thought of Sadie going to all this trouble, and it was one that ensured that as soon as he was discharged, he would thank Sadie in person.

  ‘You’re still my responsibility,’ he informed Annalisa, ‘and you’ll do as I say.’

  ‘Oh?’ she queried. ‘Am I not in the charge of my soon-to-be husband?’

  ‘That puny excuse for a man,’ he bit out, no longer able to hide his true feelings for his sister’s fiancé in his present state of mind. Annalisa wouldn’t even have been in the car accident if her fiancé had done what he was supposed to have done and taken care of her, escorting her home. ‘Tell me you sent him packing?’ Hope rose inside him when his sister hesitated before answering.

  ‘Take a note, Don Alejandro,’ Annalisa retorted, smashing his hopes into the ground. ‘I’m all grown up, and I’ll make my own decisions without consulting you first.’

  ‘Is it over?’ he pressed.

  ‘None of your business. And you can stay in bed,’ she added sharply. ‘I won’t have you towering over me and attempting to bend me to your will.’

  As if, he thought, trying not to smile. ‘Where are you going now?’ he demanded as Annalisa made for the door.

  ‘To El Gato Feroz,’ she fired back. ‘One of us has to thank Chef Sadie, if only to prove that not all the Alegons are arrogant, ungrateful brutes.’

  ‘Come back here!’

  ‘No,’ she flashed. ‘If you can’t do anything to help yourself, then it’s up to me to do something to help you.’ Leaving him with that disturbing thought, his sister stormed out.

  The spartan hospital room was unbearably quiet when Annalisa left. Was she right? Was Annalisa ready to take charge of her life, and was he guilty of interfering? Caring for his sister had been such an overwhelming force inside him for so long, he didn’t know how to let it go. The thought that Annalisa might need space from him had never occurred to him before, and would take some getting used to.

  Where better to do that than in the mountains he loved, where his lungs would soon heal? He would discharge himself. The accident had put life in perspective, proving how fragile it was, and allowing him to see that he had never examined his grief of losing his parents. There hadn’t been chance with the weight of responsibility eating up every minute of every day. Annalisa and the business had always taken priority over personal concerns, but he couldn’t carry out his duties effectively with such an unreasonably short fuse. The time had come to heal his soul as well as his body.

  CHAPTER THREE

  SADIE EXCLAIMED WITH happy surprise when Annalisa Alegon turned up at the restaurant. ‘Señorita de Alegon! How lovely to see you again, and what a relief to see you looking so well!’

  Annalisa looked gorgeous in a simple, flower-patterned summer dress that showed off her bronzed limbs to best advantage. She had teamed the sky-blue confection with delicate strappy sandals, huge sunglasses, and a beribboned straw hat with a wide brim on top of her flowing black hair.

  ‘And your brother?’ Sadie held her breath as she waited for the answer.

  ‘First off, I am, and always will be, Annalisa to you,’ Annalisa insisted as she enveloped Sadie in a hug. ‘As for my brother? Predictably, he’s grouchy. Confinement doesn’t suit him.’ She shrugged. ‘Our heritage, I suppose. But let’s not talk about him. I’m here to thank you for last night. It was such a wonderful occasion. And, of course, for the delicious treats you sent to the hospital.’

  At the mention of the word hospital, Sadie paled. ‘Was your brother able to enjoy the food I sent over?’<
br />
  Annalisa slanted an amused look at Sadie. ‘He was most appreciative.’

  Her face remained carefully expressionless, leaving Sadie free to guess the rest. ‘All I care about is that you’re both safe. It was such a shock to hear about the accident.’

  ‘I’d have been burnt to a crisp without Alejandro,’ Annalisa stated bluntly. ‘He’s the best of men, you know.’

  ‘I’m sure he is,’ Sadie agreed politely.

  ‘Are you all right?’ she asked suddenly, with concern, keen to divert attention away from how she felt about Alejandro.

  ‘A little delayed shock, I think,’ Annalisa admitted with a dismissive shrug. ‘Inevitable, I suppose. An accident like that really shakes you up and proves how vulnerable we all are. I keep thinking, what would I do without Alejandro?’

  Sadie smiled. ‘I saw how close you are.’ It was on the tip of her tongue to ask if Annalisa’s fiancé had taken care of her too, but instinct kept her quiet. She hadn’t liked the Prince, or his friends. ‘So, your brother’s to remain in hospital?’ she asked instead.

  ‘And as stubborn as ever,’ Annalisa confirmed. ‘Though knowing Alejandro, I doubt they’ll be able to keep him there for long.’

  ‘Shouldn’t he give himself chance to recover? I heard he inhaled a lot of smoke.’

  ‘True, but Alejandro taking things slowly is never going to happen. And he has his own ideas when it comes to convalescing. Chopping logs, swimming in freezing cold lakes and riding flat out on the plateau above the mountains suits him better than a hospital bed. Quite literally anything that takes him away from the city for a while. You wouldn’t know him when he visits our mother’s people. He’s a different man. They regard him as a king, but Alejandro assures me that it’s only when he’s in the mountains that he’s pared down to the better man beneath all the hype and celebrity that status brings him in Madrid.’

  Fascinated, Sadie was desperate to learn more. ‘Can I offer you a coffee, or perhaps a cold drink?’

  ‘I’d love a coffee, if you’ve got time,’ Annalisa agreed.

  Sadie would make time, not just to learn more about a man who had affected her so profoundly, but because Annalisa looked a little lost, as if she needed a friend to confide in as much as Sadie. ‘Of course I’ve got time,’ she confirmed warmly as she indicated an empty table where they could sit.

  Annalisa’s opening gambit couldn’t have surprised Sadie more. ‘I don’t want to cause any trouble,’ she said as they sat down.

  ‘Drinking coffee?’ Sadie remarked lightly, wondering what was coming next. ‘I don’t think there’s too much risk in that. If there’s anything at all I can help you with...’ she added as Annalisa played with her coffee spoon.

  ‘There is something you could help me with,’ Annalisa blurted. ‘I’m worried about my brother. He’s far more important to me than anyone else.’

  ‘You’re worried about Don Alegon?’

  ‘Alejandro,’ Annalisa prompted.

  ‘Well, Alejandro seems tough enough to withstand whatever life throws at him.’ Unless his injuries were worse than the press had reported, Sadie thought with a stab of alarm. ‘His condition hasn’t deteriorated, has it?’

  ‘No,’ Annalisa exclaimed quickly, to reassure them both, Sadie thought.

  ‘His voice is still scratchy, and, of course, he could do with some fuss, as well as someone he’ll actually listen to when they tell him to slow down. It’s just a pity I can’t get up to the mountains at the moment, because I have other things to sort out.’

  ‘If there’s anything I can do—’

  ‘With my brother heading to Sierra Nevada—and I know he will once he leaves hospital—he’ll need someone to care for him—to make sure he eats his food—that sort of thing—someone he’ll listen to when they tell him not to overdo the exercise...’

  Annalisa was being a little optimistic, Sadie thought, and there was something suspiciously like a question in her eyes. ‘Oh, no, I can’t,’ Sadie said quickly.

  ‘Even slight damage to the lungs can be quite serious,’ Annalisa added, adopting a mournful look. ‘I really think he needs someone to supervise his recovery.’

  ‘I can imagine how that would go down,’ Sadie commented dryly.

  ‘But if anyone could do it, you could,’ Annalisa insisted, brightening as she continued to work on convincing Sadie.

  ‘You’re asking me to go there uninvited?’

  ‘I’d explain to my brother first,’ Annalisa assured her with eyes that were wide and appealing.

  ‘So, let me get this straight. You’re asking me to go to the Sierra Nevada mountains to look after your brother who doesn’t know I’m coming?’

  ‘Until I tell him,’ Annalisa exclaimed.

  ‘And you would tell him?’

  ‘Of course—and you’ll love it there,’ she added enthusiastically. ‘It might not be Madrid, but the mountains are very beautiful, and I’ve never seen my brother’s face light up as it does when he looks at you.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Obviously, your food is delicious,’ Annalisa said, backtracking fast. ‘But I know he likes you too. And with food being the way to a man’s heart...’

  The persuasive tactics continued, as Annalisa remained stubbornly oblivious to Sadie’s growing doubts as to the wisdom of her plan.

  Convinced she was being set up, Sadie finally interrupted. ‘Surely a man like Alejandro can employ any chef in the world?’

  ‘He loves your food best,’ Annalisa countered quickly. ‘And I’m sure he’d recover faster if you’re on hand.’

  On hand? Sadie queried silently. To do what? More than cooking? Annalisa might be a novice matchmaker, but she had made a great case, and Sadie was actually severely tempted to go to the mountains to discover if Alejandro really was a different man when he was there. Sensibly, she resisted the temptation and made her refusal as gentle as she could. ‘I don’t think I’m the right person for the job, but I might be able to find a private chef who I’m sure would be only too pleased to cook for your brother.’

  ‘He wants you—’ Annalisa blushed furiously. ‘I mean, he wants you to cook for him. It’s your food he likes. Please say you’ll do it. I don’t have time to interview any other applicants, and I’m afraid for his health.’

  ‘His scratchy voice?’ Sadie remarked dryly.

  ‘Busted,’ Annalisa conceded with a theatrical huff. Sitting back, she cocked her chin to share an amused look with Sadie. ‘But, honestly, he does need you, and as his sister I have a duty to tell you that. Come on, Sadie—what do you have to lose? If you hate him, you can take a look at the antiquated kitchen. You’d be doing both of us a favour if you could offer suggestions on its renovation.’

  ‘Doesn’t he have a housekeeper to do that?’

  ‘Yes, of course,’ Annalisa confirmed, ‘but it’s not her job to redesign the kitchen, and you have so much more experience...’

  ‘Please,’ she added after both women had been silent for a while. ‘Alejandro does so much for everyone, and I want to do something for him.’

  ‘I’m not sure he likes me as much as you think he does. We’ve only met once, though I’m very pleased to hear that he likes my cooking. But if he goes to the mountains for solitude, and to be himself, as you have explained, I can’t imagine he’ll want to see me.’

  ‘But you can handle him. You won’t let him boss you around. And, of course, you’ll make him eat all that delicious food you prepare.’

  ‘Spoon-feed him?’ Sadie suggested, tongue-in-cheek.

  ‘You can try,’ Annalisa agreed with a laugh. ‘Please...for me,’ she repeated as Sadie drained her coffee. ‘You’ve nothing to worry about. He prefers horses to people, and keeps his best mounts at his mountain retreat, so you’ll probably hardly ever see him.’

  Sadie pushed her cup and saucer to one
side, giving them a few moments of thinking space. ‘I’d really love to help,’ she admitted, staring Annalisa in the eyes, ‘but it’s impossible for me to leave the restaurant.’

  ‘Who says you can’t?’ Chef Sorollo demanded as he walked past.

  ‘You’re back,’ Sadie exclaimed with relief, springing up. ‘Is everything all right at home?’

  ‘Yes, thank you. False alarm. I was more concerned to hear about the car crash,’ he added, and, turning to Annalisa, he took both her hands in his. ‘How are you, Señorita Alegon, and how is your brother?’

  Explanations and expressions of relief were exchanged, before Chef Sorollo turned back to Sadie. ‘Did I just overhear you saying that you can’t take any time off work? I’m back, as you can see,’ he declared expansively, tapping his chest with both hands, ‘and no one deserves a break more than you. You’re no good to me exhausted, Sadie.’

  ‘Exactly what I was thinking,’ Annalisa exclaimed, brightening now that she had an ally and success within her grasp. ‘I’ve just explained to Sadie that if she could possibly go and cook for my brother for a little while, it would aid his recovery—’

  ‘Good thinking,’ Chef Sorollo cut in, and, carrying the baton forward, he added, ‘Your brother did ask me if I could visit his mountain retreat at some point, to advise on the renovation of the kitchen. Why, Sadie, that’s the perfect job for you!’

  Set-up! sounded loud in Sadie’s ears, but what could she do about it, when two of the nicest people she knew had decided to range their forces against her?

  ‘The mountain air will do you good,’ Chef Sorollo declared. ‘It will be so refreshing, and, apart from advising on the kitchen, you can source some new recipes for El Gato Feroz. Perfect!’ he enthused. ‘The cuisine in the mountain villages is said to be second to none. Good. I’m glad that’s settled,’ he added before Sadie had chance to say a word.