Read Online The Butterfly Box by Santa Montefiore - Free Book Online
Authors: Santa Montefiore
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drifted off into the world of princesses and magic butterflies. Her long lashes caught the light that entered from the corridor, giving her a celestial beauty. Her face was long and noble, generous and honest. He felt his throat tighten with emotion at the thought of leaving her and while it didn’t weaken his resolve it just made it a little harder to accept. He bent down and kissed her forehead again, feeling her velvet skin against his dry lips. He smelt the fragrance of her soap and the clean scent of her hair. He wanted to wrap her up in his arms and protect her from the harsh reality of a world that would only disappoint her.
Before he went to bed he crept into Hal’s room to watch him as he slept. He didn’t feel so close to his son. The child was only four and barely knew him. He was more attached to his mother and gave his father little attention. Hal didn’t need him like Federica did. He watched the little boy suck on his thumb and cuddle his toy rabbit as he slept. Hal looked as if he embodied the qualities of an angel, as though he had been dropped into bed by God himself. His skin was flawless, his expression serene and contented. Ramon ran his rough hand over the boy’s hair. Hal stirred and changed position but he didn’t wake up. Ramon left as quietly as he had come.
The bed was cold in spite of the warm night. Helena slept curled up at one side, almost falling off the edge in her effort to avoid him. Ramon lay on his back staring up at the icy moonlight that crept across the ceiling. Neither recalled the fevered interlude of the afternoon. They didn’t want to. Helena wished it hadn’t happened and flushed with shame when she thought of it. So she pretended it simply hadn’t happened. She felt him next to her, not because he moved, he didn’t, but because the atmosphere was so heavy it was as if a third person occupied the space between them. She felt afraid to move or make a sound so she breathed shallow breaths and lay as rigid as a corpse. When sleep finally overcame them it was tortured and fragile. Helena dreamed of arriving in Cornwall but not being able to find Polperro. Ramon dreamed of standing on the beach while Federica drowned out to sea. He did nothing to save her.
Chapter 5
When Federica awoke she was disappointed to see the sea mist swirling dense and grey outside her window, obscuring the morning sunshine and silencing the birds. It was chilly and damp. Her mother always told her that the sea mist was sucked into the coast by the heat in Santiago. If it was really hot in the capital, Viña was misty. Federica hated the mist. It was depressing. Then she forgot all about the dreary skies and pulled her butterfly box onto her lap. She opened it, moved it about, ran her fingers over the stones, pleased that the light was still there causing the iridescent wings to shudder and tremble. That was how her mother found her, absorbed in Ramon’s magic world of make-believe, somewhere amongst the mountains of Peru.
Helena had barely slept at all. Or at least she felt she hadn’t slept. Her head was heavy and pressured. She had taken painkillers and hoped they’d be quick to take effect. She padded into Federica’s room in her dressing gown, followed by Hal who was already dressed and playing with his new train. When Federica saw her, pale faced and grey around the eyes, she noticed immediately and asked if she was all right.
‘I’m fine, thank you, sweetie,’ Helena replied, forcing a thin smile. But her eyes didn’t smile. They remained dull and expressionless. Federica frowned and closed the lid of the box.
‘You don’t look very well, Mama. Shall I make you breakfast? Where’s Papa?’ she asked, jumping off the bed.
‘Papa’s still asleep, so best not to wake him. Why don’t you put on your dressing gown and we can make breakfast together?’ she suggested, patting Hal on his shiny head as he passed her making train noises. Federica scrambled into her dressing gown
Before he went to bed he crept into Hal’s room to watch him as he slept. He didn’t feel so close to his son. The child was only four and barely knew him. He was more attached to his mother and gave his father little attention. Hal didn’t need him like Federica did. He watched the little boy suck on his thumb and cuddle his toy rabbit as he slept. Hal looked as if he embodied the qualities of an angel, as though he had been dropped into bed by God himself. His skin was flawless, his expression serene and contented. Ramon ran his rough hand over the boy’s hair. Hal stirred and changed position but he didn’t wake up. Ramon left as quietly as he had come.
The bed was cold in spite of the warm night. Helena slept curled up at one side, almost falling off the edge in her effort to avoid him. Ramon lay on his back staring up at the icy moonlight that crept across the ceiling. Neither recalled the fevered interlude of the afternoon. They didn’t want to. Helena wished it hadn’t happened and flushed with shame when she thought of it. So she pretended it simply hadn’t happened. She felt him next to her, not because he moved, he didn’t, but because the atmosphere was so heavy it was as if a third person occupied the space between them. She felt afraid to move or make a sound so she breathed shallow breaths and lay as rigid as a corpse. When sleep finally overcame them it was tortured and fragile. Helena dreamed of arriving in Cornwall but not being able to find Polperro. Ramon dreamed of standing on the beach while Federica drowned out to sea. He did nothing to save her.
Chapter 5
When Federica awoke she was disappointed to see the sea mist swirling dense and grey outside her window, obscuring the morning sunshine and silencing the birds. It was chilly and damp. Her mother always told her that the sea mist was sucked into the coast by the heat in Santiago. If it was really hot in the capital, Viña was misty. Federica hated the mist. It was depressing. Then she forgot all about the dreary skies and pulled her butterfly box onto her lap. She opened it, moved it about, ran her fingers over the stones, pleased that the light was still there causing the iridescent wings to shudder and tremble. That was how her mother found her, absorbed in Ramon’s magic world of make-believe, somewhere amongst the mountains of Peru.
Helena had barely slept at all. Or at least she felt she hadn’t slept. Her head was heavy and pressured. She had taken painkillers and hoped they’d be quick to take effect. She padded into Federica’s room in her dressing gown, followed by Hal who was already dressed and playing with his new train. When Federica saw her, pale faced and grey around the eyes, she noticed immediately and asked if she was all right.
‘I’m fine, thank you, sweetie,’ Helena replied, forcing a thin smile. But her eyes didn’t smile. They remained dull and expressionless. Federica frowned and closed the lid of the box.
‘You don’t look very well, Mama. Shall I make you breakfast? Where’s Papa?’ she asked, jumping off the bed.
‘Papa’s still asleep, so best not to wake him. Why don’t you put on your dressing gown and we can make breakfast together?’ she suggested, patting Hal on his shiny head as he passed her making train noises. Federica scrambled into her dressing gown
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