Page 46 of Her Spanish Scandal

“Ms. deMontaine has asked not to be disturbed for the rest of the evening. I believe she has gone to bed.”

“Did anything happen I need to know of?”

“Not that I’m aware of.”

“Very well. I will go to the Countess.”

Gui didn’t understand women. And after tonight, he doubted he’d be any closer to that.

He rapped on Elvira’s door. Her voice, soft and weak, called out to him. He opened the door and walked inside. It was as dark as his den had been earlier, but this room didn’t feel welcoming. He could see Elvira from the light she’d left on in the adjoining bathroom. She was reclining on the chaise longue and had a box of tissues at her side.

Even though she’d been crying all evening, she still looked incredibly beautiful.

“Oh, Guillermo. Thank you for coming back. I’m not sure I can sleep tonight.”

He had no idea what to say to her. “I misjudged your relationship with Juan all these years.”

“Many people did. It was true that I flirted a lot, but that kept Juan on his toes. And he always made me the center of his world.”

Gui could understand that, because it mirrored the relationship they had had years before. Jealousy and passion, the two things that Elvira inspired in all men. “I’m not sure how I’m going to survive without him.”

“You will make it. You’re a strong woman.”

“Yes, I am. Everyone always compliments me on that.”

There was nothing wrong with her ego even now, when she was clearly upset. He had a new respect for Elvira, seeing the depth of her grief for Juan. “You really did love him.”

She was startled by his comment. Hell, so was he. He hadn’t intended to speak out loud.

“Yes, I did.” She sat up and patted the chaise next to her. “At first I did turn to him to make you jealous, but he understood me in ways you never tried to.”

Gui sat down next to her. “I didn’t love you, Elvira.”

“I know that. I always have known it. Juan treated me like a queen.”

“Exactly as you deserve.”

“Every woman deserves that, Gui. Don’t you forget it. I haven’t been that kind to you over the years…A part of me wanted you to feel the same kind of pain I did when you left me.”

“I did,” he said.

She shook her head. “No you didn’t. You were too full of yourself, and, to be fair, I was, too. We both thought the other would bend. I figured Juan would make you offer marriage. You thought that I’d back off of my demands when you came back.”

He shrugged. As he’d said to Kara, this was ancient history. “We weren’t meant to be a couple. I think we would have killed each other if we’d tried to live together.”

“That’s true. I owe your fiancée an apology.”

“Why?”

“I haven’t made things easy for her. Juan told me to leave it alone but I…I was so jealous that you’d marry her and never even offered for me. I know that I had no right to that. You aren’t the right man for me, but I couldn’t stand that.”

“Why are you telling me this now?”

“Because it caused a row between Juan and me, and now he’s gone, Gui.” Elvira started to cry again. “And I’m not going to be able to apologize and make up with him. But you still have your lover, and I don’t want my actions to hurt another relationship.”

Her words made him realize what she was saying. That life was way too short to fight over the unimportant things. She had loved Juan, and Juan had loved her back. That was what mattered.

But he had never believed in love and had the feeling that love was the only thing that was going to make things right between him and Kara.