Free The Mountains of Spring by Rosemary Pollock

Mexico City, meet your brother, and have dinner there. ’ He placed a hand on the shoulder of the girl in the wheelchair. ‘ Would you mind, Isabelita? ’
    Senorita Dominguez shrugged. ‘ Not I. We would not have so far to travel home, Mother and I, and in this heat I am exhausted already. ’
    Her mother, on being appealed to, expressed considerable enthusiasm for the plan, and only Caroline was silent. She knew how much happier she would feel if only it were possible for her to see Peter tonight, but she hated the idea of being under any sort of obligation to his employer. Why did he suddenly have to torment her by being kind? At last she looked up at him uncertainly.
    ‘ I can ’ t let you change your plans ... ’
    ‘ Nevertheless, Miss Ashley, I have already changed them. Clearly, the idea of going straight back to Mexico City appeals to everyone. We shall go, even if it is necessary for me to return you to your hotel first. ’
    ‘ In that case ... it ’ s very kind of you, and I would like to go. ’
    ‘ Excellent. ’
    They came to the cars—his own sleek white one, now smothered in dust, and the ponderous American limousine which was the property of the two women. Caroline discovered that she and Senora Dominguez were to travel in the latter vehicle—which was driven by a uniformed chauffeur—while Isabel, who had begun to look rather more fretful than usual, was to occupy the passenger seat of the sports car. The business of transferring her from her wheelchair to the car was quite an operation in itself, but Diego managed it effortlessly, declining all offers of assistance from the chauffeur, and by the time she had been deposited with the utmost care on the scarlet leather seat she was looking considerably less ruffled, Caroline followed the oldest lady present into the back of the limousine, and with the minimum of noise and manoeuvring the two cars followed one another out on to the dusty brown roadway.
    An hour and a half later they were running into Mexico City, and as the dominating shape of the Latin-American Tower came into view against the intense dark blueness of the afternoon sky Caroline blinked and gave herself a little shake, for she had very nearly been asleep. The events of the day had tired her, and her companion ’ s conversational resources had dried up at a very early stage. Several times they had lost sight of Diego ’ s car, which was travelling ahead of them, but just as she roused herself it became visible again, and in fact it seemed to be slowing down.
    After a few moments it pulled into the side of the road and stopped, and in obedience to some sort of signal the Dominguez ’ chauffeur also began to slow down, and finally came to a halt a short distance behind. Diego climbed out into the road, and the Senora wound down her window to speak to him. He was looking at his watch.
    ‘ It is now five o ’ clock, ’ he observed, peering into the big car ’ s shadowy interior. ‘ Miss Ashley, it will be best if we go first to the house of Senora Dominguez, where she and her daughter will leave us for a while. I shall then drive you to my grandmother ’ s house. There, you will be able to rest and prepare yourself for the evening. At half past seven I will return to collect you. ’
    Caroline began to feel slightly alarmed. ‘ It sounds rather—well, formal, ’ she ventured hesitantly. ‘ I—I shan ’ t be able to dress, or anything like that. ’
    He raised his eyebrows a little, and she had the feeling that he wondered why it should have occurred to her to bother him with such an irritating triviality. But she noticed that he didn ’ t advise her not to worry about it, as an Englishman in such circumstances would almost certainly have done.
    ‘ My grandmother will arrange something, ’ he said vaguely. He hesitated for a moment longer, then straightened himself, bowed to the Senora, and returned to his own car.
    They pulled out again into the mainstream of traffic