that supposed to mean, Francesca?' while Toni gave Paul a helpless glance.
'Senhorita West and my father had a little argument,' replied Francesca, in a smug way.
The Condessa looked at Toni. 'This is so?'
Toni moved awkwardly. 'It was nothing, Condessa. Merely a difference of opinion.'
'Indeed? And perhaps concerning myself?'
Toni gave Francesca an exasperated look. What was she supposed to say now? As though repenting a little, Francesca interposed: 'No, Avo, it was not to do with you.'
The Condessa looked relieved, and Toni looked down at her plate. It seemed that even Francesca had a streak of decency in her when it came to her grandmother.
After dinner, Paul and his grandmother were again esconced together on the long couch in the lounge, but Toni was restless. She looked thoughtfully at Francesca, and said:
'Do you want to go for a walk?'
Francesca looked at her grandmother, saw her expectant expression, and nodded abruptly. Toni collected a cardigan, and they left the castle by the door Toni had used that morning. Once outside the courtyard, Francesca turned away from the beach, and led Toni through the moonlit formal gardens flanking the castle on three sides. Here there were flower gardens, and herbal gardens, rose and vegetable gardens, arbours bright with flowering bougainvillea and dripping with magnolia petals. The sky above them was hung with stars, and even Francesca's uncommunicative presence could not prevent Toni's enjoyment of the night air. The scent of the pine trees was intoxicating, while the roar of the sea was a crescendo in their ears.
They halted in an arbour where a stone seat surrounded a marble fountain which spouted its unending stream of water unceasingly. Toni sat down on the seat, and looked up at Francesca reflectively.
'Why did you do it?' she asked.
Francesca shrugged. 'What?'
'You know - tell your grandmother that the argument I had with your father was not about her.'
Francesca shrugged. 'Whatever else I may do, I do not hurt my grandmother heedlessly,' she replied. 'Do not imagine I did it for you, senhorita. I do not care what happens to you!'
Toni sighed. 'I see. Well, thank you anyway. It got me out of an awkward situation, even if you were directly responsible for that situation.'
Francesca allowed her fingers to trail in the waters of the fountain. 'Tell me,' she said, surprisingly, 'do you love Paul?'
Toni was glad the night hid her blushes. 'I - yes, I suppose so.'
Francesca straightened, wiping her hand on the skirt of her dress. 'Aren't you sure?'
'All right, yes, I am.' Toni was irritated.
'Good.' Francesca looked at her piercingly. 'Just don't get any other ideas, will you, senhorita?'
'I don't know what you mean!'
'Yes, you do, I mean - my father!'
'What!'
Francesca looked a trifle mocking. 'Don't pretend you don't find him attractive!'
Toni stood up. 'Your mind appals me!' She shook her head. 'It's more devious than a maze!'
'Mas' I am usually right.' Francesca wrinkled her nose. 'But in any case I do not think I have to worry. You are not the type to appeal to my father. He already finds Laura Passamentes more than a distraction.'
Toni pulled out her cigarettes. 'And you don't mind that?' she asked curiously, extracting a cigarette.
'Who? Laura Passamentes? Of course not. My father is of the age where he is too young to remain a widower, and too old to fall in love. Laura Passamentes is herself a widow, with a boy only a little younger than me. If they marry, the situation will be ideal!'
Toni felt nauseated suddenly. To have this thirteen- year-old girl standing here, talking so callously about her father and his needs, his emotional needs moreover, was positively sickening.
Francesca looked scornfully at her. 'You find it distasteful, I can tell,' she said mockingly. 'Why? Are you English so adept at choosing your marriage partner that you cannot countenance a marriage of convenience?'
'I think you talk a lot of rubbish,' retorted Toni, with
'Senhorita West and my father had a little argument,' replied Francesca, in a smug way.
The Condessa looked at Toni. 'This is so?'
Toni moved awkwardly. 'It was nothing, Condessa. Merely a difference of opinion.'
'Indeed? And perhaps concerning myself?'
Toni gave Francesca an exasperated look. What was she supposed to say now? As though repenting a little, Francesca interposed: 'No, Avo, it was not to do with you.'
The Condessa looked relieved, and Toni looked down at her plate. It seemed that even Francesca had a streak of decency in her when it came to her grandmother.
After dinner, Paul and his grandmother were again esconced together on the long couch in the lounge, but Toni was restless. She looked thoughtfully at Francesca, and said:
'Do you want to go for a walk?'
Francesca looked at her grandmother, saw her expectant expression, and nodded abruptly. Toni collected a cardigan, and they left the castle by the door Toni had used that morning. Once outside the courtyard, Francesca turned away from the beach, and led Toni through the moonlit formal gardens flanking the castle on three sides. Here there were flower gardens, and herbal gardens, rose and vegetable gardens, arbours bright with flowering bougainvillea and dripping with magnolia petals. The sky above them was hung with stars, and even Francesca's uncommunicative presence could not prevent Toni's enjoyment of the night air. The scent of the pine trees was intoxicating, while the roar of the sea was a crescendo in their ears.
They halted in an arbour where a stone seat surrounded a marble fountain which spouted its unending stream of water unceasingly. Toni sat down on the seat, and looked up at Francesca reflectively.
'Why did you do it?' she asked.
Francesca shrugged. 'What?'
'You know - tell your grandmother that the argument I had with your father was not about her.'
Francesca shrugged. 'Whatever else I may do, I do not hurt my grandmother heedlessly,' she replied. 'Do not imagine I did it for you, senhorita. I do not care what happens to you!'
Toni sighed. 'I see. Well, thank you anyway. It got me out of an awkward situation, even if you were directly responsible for that situation.'
Francesca allowed her fingers to trail in the waters of the fountain. 'Tell me,' she said, surprisingly, 'do you love Paul?'
Toni was glad the night hid her blushes. 'I - yes, I suppose so.'
Francesca straightened, wiping her hand on the skirt of her dress. 'Aren't you sure?'
'All right, yes, I am.' Toni was irritated.
'Good.' Francesca looked at her piercingly. 'Just don't get any other ideas, will you, senhorita?'
'I don't know what you mean!'
'Yes, you do, I mean - my father!'
'What!'
Francesca looked a trifle mocking. 'Don't pretend you don't find him attractive!'
Toni stood up. 'Your mind appals me!' She shook her head. 'It's more devious than a maze!'
'Mas' I am usually right.' Francesca wrinkled her nose. 'But in any case I do not think I have to worry. You are not the type to appeal to my father. He already finds Laura Passamentes more than a distraction.'
Toni pulled out her cigarettes. 'And you don't mind that?' she asked curiously, extracting a cigarette.
'Who? Laura Passamentes? Of course not. My father is of the age where he is too young to remain a widower, and too old to fall in love. Laura Passamentes is herself a widow, with a boy only a little younger than me. If they marry, the situation will be ideal!'
Toni felt nauseated suddenly. To have this thirteen- year-old girl standing here, talking so callously about her father and his needs, his emotional needs moreover, was positively sickening.
Francesca looked scornfully at her. 'You find it distasteful, I can tell,' she said mockingly. 'Why? Are you English so adept at choosing your marriage partner that you cannot countenance a marriage of convenience?'
'I think you talk a lot of rubbish,' retorted Toni, with
Similar Books
