Page 91 of Midnight Surrender to the Spaniard

She was fragile, and she had not yet found out that the home she’d grown up in had been left to Maria. The land, the stables—all left to Maria too.

Sebastián would tell her tonight.

‘I was always sniping at him...’ his sister said now.

‘No,’ Sebastián said. ‘Carmen, think of the wedding, and dancing with him. Think of that last night and how you two laughed...’

Perhaps he should text Anna and ask for that photo she had mentioned...but he dared not contact her today.

The funeral procession from home was slow as it meandered past the vines, and he watched as Carmen leant on Alejandro and sobbed.

They had always been close.

Really, he had never been close to anyone. Perhaps he was more like his mother than he would like?

Incapable of love.

He looked at Maria’s black eyes and intact mascara and eyeliner. From knowing Anna, he found he actually understood his mother less.

Every night and morning Anna had called her daughter. She had spoken about her, thought about her, put her needs first...

And he wished, more than he dared admit, that she could be here today.

The hearse had stopped, so that the family could walk the last few steps to the church behind the coffin.

Sebastián checked that his sister was ready, that Maria was not fainting dramatically, and told his brother to get off the damn phone to his wife.

Then, as he watched the coffin being slid out of the hearse, he stood ramrod-straight.

He tried to do the right thing and took his mother’s elbow...

She brushed it off.

Maria de Luca would make her entrance solo.

More dramatic that way, he thought bitterly.

And then, on this, the darkest of days, he saw a blonde head, and the one face he needed to see was there in the crowd.

‘Anna?’ he whispered, frowning.

Sebastián stepped out of the line and walked over to her.

‘I thought you went home?’

‘I did. I had to. But you asked... I thought it might help...’

Her lips were as white as marble, and there were black rings under her eyes—no doubt from back-to-back flights.

‘If there’s anything I can do...? I think they’re calling for you.’

The procession into the church was about to start.

‘Why did you come?’ His brain was moving slowly. ‘In place of Emily?’

‘Foryou,’ Anna said. ‘I wanted to be here for you.’

That was it, he realised as he gave a slightly bewildered nod and headed back to join his siblings.

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