Read Online temptation in florence 04 - expected in death by Beate Boeker - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Beate Boeker
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hair was slightly ruffled. For some reason, he seemed much older and more vulnerable than ever before. “I'm all right, Carlina.” His voice was flat.
“Where's Olga?” Carlina looked over his shoulder into the apartment.
“She's gone out.” He took a step back. “Do you want to come in?”
“Yes, please.” Carlina was grateful for the chance to speak to him without anybody else present. She had been willing to ask Olga point-blank to leave them alone for a confidential talk, but was happy to reach the same result without confrontation. She followed him to the living room, her fingers twisted around each other. She was nervous. It was incredible, but she was nervous to face her trusted great-uncle about his love affair.
“Was there anything you wanted to discuss with me?” Uncle Teo took a careful seat on the sofa and pulled at the crease in his trousers so they wouldn't be stretched out of form.
“Yes.” Carlina lowered herself onto the edge of Uncle Teo's old sofa and aligned her feet. This isn't going to be easy. She took a deep breath. “It's about Olga.”
“I thought as much.” His voice was dry.
“Recently, a friend of mine came to Temptation. Her name's Francesca. I'm not sure if you remember her? She's a glass-blower. Tiny woman.”
Uncle Teo shook his head.
“Well, anyway, she came to Temptation, and we got to talk about-- things. I happened to mention Olga's name, and she told me that she's works for the Finanza .” She kept her gaze fixed on Uncle Teo, to see his reaction to that most dreaded institution.
He only inclined his head. “I'm aware of that.”
Madonna. I'll have to be brutal. “Francesca also said that Olga more or less ruined her family by reporting income from a holiday home they had kept secret. As a result, Francesca's family had to pay more taxes than ever before and had to sell the holiday home.”
Uncle Teo looked at her, his face wooden.
Carlina labored on. “It appeared that she insinuated herself into the family by becoming a friend of Francesca's mother. She only disclosed her true nature after she had found proof enough – and after she had reported them.”
Uncle Teo met her gaze with chilling hauteur. “What are you saying, Carlina?”
She gulped. “I'm . . . I'm afraid that Olga is using you only to sniff around.”
His mouth hardened. “Is it so unbelievable that she should be interested in me as a person?”
“Oh, no!” Carlina jumped from the sofa and went onto her knees, her hand on Uncle Teo's arm. “Of course not. And if it were anybody but Olga, I would be so happy for you. In fact, I was happy when I first saw you dancing with her. But everything I've learned in the meantime repels me. She's . . .mean. I mean, really nasty. She says things to hurt, and she knows where to hit.”
“She's never said a nasty thing in my hearing.”
“I know!” Carlina shook his arm. “I know. She's very clever. But you can't have failed to notice everybody's reaction to her. Even Benedetta doesn't like her, and you know that Benedetta is the sweetest woman in this house.”
“You all begrudge me my happiness.” His voice sounded brittle, and it was obvious that he was quoting Olga.
“Oh, no, we don't!” Carlina shook her head so hard that one curl slid into her eye. She pushed her hair away. “We want you to be happy! But Olga isn't the right person to make you happy.”
He looked at her. “How do you know? Why don't you give her a chance? I don't understand this fierce opposition at all.”
Carlina shrugged. “How can we give her a chance if she spits nails every time we see her? She's doing her utmost to hurt us.”
Uncle Teo pulled his bushy eyebrows together. “How so?”
Carlina took a deep breath, trying to bring across Olga's exact words. “She's . . . it's as if she were possessed. She doesn't even try to get along. Instead, she constantly says nasty things, right into our faces. It's malicious. I don't understand why she's
“Where's Olga?” Carlina looked over his shoulder into the apartment.
“She's gone out.” He took a step back. “Do you want to come in?”
“Yes, please.” Carlina was grateful for the chance to speak to him without anybody else present. She had been willing to ask Olga point-blank to leave them alone for a confidential talk, but was happy to reach the same result without confrontation. She followed him to the living room, her fingers twisted around each other. She was nervous. It was incredible, but she was nervous to face her trusted great-uncle about his love affair.
“Was there anything you wanted to discuss with me?” Uncle Teo took a careful seat on the sofa and pulled at the crease in his trousers so they wouldn't be stretched out of form.
“Yes.” Carlina lowered herself onto the edge of Uncle Teo's old sofa and aligned her feet. This isn't going to be easy. She took a deep breath. “It's about Olga.”
“I thought as much.” His voice was dry.
“Recently, a friend of mine came to Temptation. Her name's Francesca. I'm not sure if you remember her? She's a glass-blower. Tiny woman.”
Uncle Teo shook his head.
“Well, anyway, she came to Temptation, and we got to talk about-- things. I happened to mention Olga's name, and she told me that she's works for the Finanza .” She kept her gaze fixed on Uncle Teo, to see his reaction to that most dreaded institution.
He only inclined his head. “I'm aware of that.”
Madonna. I'll have to be brutal. “Francesca also said that Olga more or less ruined her family by reporting income from a holiday home they had kept secret. As a result, Francesca's family had to pay more taxes than ever before and had to sell the holiday home.”
Uncle Teo looked at her, his face wooden.
Carlina labored on. “It appeared that she insinuated herself into the family by becoming a friend of Francesca's mother. She only disclosed her true nature after she had found proof enough – and after she had reported them.”
Uncle Teo met her gaze with chilling hauteur. “What are you saying, Carlina?”
She gulped. “I'm . . . I'm afraid that Olga is using you only to sniff around.”
His mouth hardened. “Is it so unbelievable that she should be interested in me as a person?”
“Oh, no!” Carlina jumped from the sofa and went onto her knees, her hand on Uncle Teo's arm. “Of course not. And if it were anybody but Olga, I would be so happy for you. In fact, I was happy when I first saw you dancing with her. But everything I've learned in the meantime repels me. She's . . .mean. I mean, really nasty. She says things to hurt, and she knows where to hit.”
“She's never said a nasty thing in my hearing.”
“I know!” Carlina shook his arm. “I know. She's very clever. But you can't have failed to notice everybody's reaction to her. Even Benedetta doesn't like her, and you know that Benedetta is the sweetest woman in this house.”
“You all begrudge me my happiness.” His voice sounded brittle, and it was obvious that he was quoting Olga.
“Oh, no, we don't!” Carlina shook her head so hard that one curl slid into her eye. She pushed her hair away. “We want you to be happy! But Olga isn't the right person to make you happy.”
He looked at her. “How do you know? Why don't you give her a chance? I don't understand this fierce opposition at all.”
Carlina shrugged. “How can we give her a chance if she spits nails every time we see her? She's doing her utmost to hurt us.”
Uncle Teo pulled his bushy eyebrows together. “How so?”
Carlina took a deep breath, trying to bring across Olga's exact words. “She's . . . it's as if she were possessed. She doesn't even try to get along. Instead, she constantly says nasty things, right into our faces. It's malicious. I don't understand why she's
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