Free The Brazilian Millionaire's Love-Child by Anne Mather Page A

needed was anything too alcoholic to confuse her already tired brain.
    ‘Muito bem.’ Anita snapped her fingers. ‘Some wine for the senhora , Ruis, por favor .’
    ‘Sim, senhora.’
    Ruis sprang into action, and a moment later Isobel had a glass of white wine in her hand. ‘Thank you,’ she said as the young man resumed his position by the cabinet. ‘This is very nice.’
    Ruis bowed his head, and as he did so Isobel heard other footsteps crossing the room next door. They were slow footsteps, slightly halting, but Anita turned with evident pleasure towards the door.
    ‘Ah, here is my son-in-law,’ she said, startling Isobel, who hadn’t known her daughter was married. ‘Come and greet our guest, Alex. We have been waiting for you.’
    Isobel expelled a sigh. She had wondered if Anita intended to start the interview tonight, and now she didn’t know whether to be glad or sorry this wasn’t so. Despite the hospitality she’d been offered, she couldn’t deny she’d be glad when this particular assignment was over. And meeting members of Anita’s family hadn’t been part of the deal.
    And then her legs weakened under her. The man who joined them was regarding her with a cool, sardonic gaze. Anita might know him as Alex, but Isobel was more familiar with Alejandro. It might have been three years and God knew how many miles since they’d last seen one another, but the man who stepped rather unevenly onto the terrace was undeniably her daughter’s father.

CHAPTER SIX
    I SOBEL badly wanted to sit down, but of course she couldn’t. Not without drawing attention to her shocked expression anyway, and that was the last thing she wanted to do. Instead, she had to stand there with a stupid smile freezing on her lips while Alejandro crossed to where Anita was waiting.
    She noticed, almost unconsciously, that he dragged one of his legs as he did so, and when he bent to bestow the expected kiss on each of Anita’s cheeks, she caught her breath at the sight of the scar that scored a path from his right eyebrow to his mouth.
    If Alejandro heard her gasp, he gave no indication of it as he greeted his mother-in-law. ‘Ola, cara,’ he said, his voice just as low and disturbing as Isobel remembered. ‘I see our guest has arrived.’
    Our guest?
    Isobel swallowed. What was she supposed to say now? Did she mention their previous acquaintance? In normal circumstances, she wouldn’t have hesitated. But these were not normal circumstances, and she knew it. There was Emma to consider. Did he know about the baby? Or was this just an awful coincidence, as unexpected to him as it was to her?
    Anita was speaking, and Isobel struggled to understand what she was saying. ‘ Sim , this is Ms Jameson,’ she heard the other woman say, stretching out a hand towards her. ‘Come and meet my son-in-law, Ms Jameson—Alex Cabral. He is joining us for dinner.’
    Before Isobel could say anything, Alejandro held out his hand in greeting. ‘ Bem vindo a Brazil, Ms Jameson,’ he said, which she knew from her phrasebook meant ‘welcome’. ‘It is a pleasure to meet you, senhora .’
    So obviously he had no intention of acknowledging that he knew her. Isobel moistened her lips, wishing she could be as blasé about the situation as he was. Unless he didn’t remember her, of course. She could be fooling herself that their relationship had been that memorable. He’d probably slept with any number of English girls on his visits to London. Remembering his reaction after they’d made love did not encourage her to believe it mattered either way.
    And he’d evidently come back to Brazil and got married fairly quickly. Her fingers tightened on her glass. So, not memorable at all. But it was another fact to file away for the article she was going to write, she reminded herself tightly. Although she’d known Anita’s daughter had died in her early twenties, she was fairly sure her uncle had never mentioned her having been married at the