stepson,’ the Senora corrected her automatically.
‘It makes no difference !’ Megan said warmly.
‘What makes no difference?’ Carlos asked from the doorway. He looked very much at home in the rich, formal room. He might even, Megan thought, sit upright in the uncomfortable chairs and think nothing of it. He shared the same elegance, the same richness as the ancient house.
‘Megan wishes to make this room more habitable,’ his stepmother drawled. ‘She agrees with me that it is not very comfortable as it is.’
Carlos looked about him in surprise. ‘ What’s wrong with it?’ he demanded.
For an instant Megan thought he was angry, but the lift of his eyebrows reassured her. ‘It doesn’t look as though anyone ever sat in here in their lives,’ she told him frankly. ‘It’s—it’s like a museum !’
‘ I suppose it is,’ he agreed, looking amused. ‘It is certainly very different from your parents’ house ! But I am not sure that you can make this room look the same as theirs?’
‘ I wouldn ’ t try !’ she exclaimed. ‘My parents’ room is comfortable, but it isn’t—’ She broke off, blushing uncontrollably.
‘ You wouldn’t choose it?’ the Senora put in helpfully .
‘N-no,’ Megan agreed quickly. ‘It isn’t elegant .’
Carlos gave her an interested look. ‘I agree with you. It is warm and comfortable, but there are pieces of furniture that I should not care to live with myself.’ He hesitated. ‘Very well, Megan, I give you a free hand to do what you will with this room. But the rest of the house shall be kept as it is for the time being.’
‘But your stepmother—’
Carlos stiffened. ‘Margot cannot be bothered with domestic matters,’ he said tersely.
The Senora shrugged her shoulders. ‘Why should I?’ she said. ‘I prefer that other people should do these things for me.’
Megan looked from one to the other of them. ‘I’ll do my best,’ she promised. ‘But it might cost a bit of money.’
‘Undoubtedly,’ Carlos agreed dryly. ‘ English type furniture is expensive anywhere but in England.’
‘And you don’t mind?’ Megan pressed him.
‘Not if the results are satisfactory,’ he confirmed. ‘Have you seen your room?’ He waited for her to shake her head. ‘I suppose Juana is unpacking for you. Meanwhile, you may as well see the rest of the house.’
He took her consent for granted, pushing open the door at the far end of t he salon. ‘In the old days,’ he told her, ‘when we held dances here, we would open all the doors and make use of the whole floor. But that was a long time ago. These doors have become stiff with lack of use since then.’
‘It would make a magnificent setting for a dance,’ Megan said dreamily.
‘You like it?’ Somehow the question seemed important to him and she considered it carefully before answering.
‘Yes,’ she said at last, ‘I love it ! ’
‘You love easily ! ’ he taunted her.
Megan stepped through the open door ahead of him, embarrassed. He had a knack of making her feel gauche and peculiarly naive.
‘I don’t think I do,’ she said seriously. ‘I like easily—but loving is a different matter !’
‘ So it is ! ’ he agreed laconically.
The room was so dark that she could only make out dim shapes that she took to be bookcases. Carlos opened the shutters and turned to face her.
‘This is my particular sanctuary. The rest of the family doesn’t often come in here.’
And never without his permission, Megan thought wryly. She was surprised, though, at his choice of room to make his own. This had originally been the library, and books still lined the walls, but it was now a study-cum-workroom, with a huge, elaborate desk at one end, a couple of easy chairs placed negligently before the carved stone fireplace, and a huge heraldic emblem covering the far wall, as aggressively arrogant as Megan felt Carlos to be himself.
‘The Va l lori arms?’ she asked, keeping her voice as
‘It makes no difference !’ Megan said warmly.
‘What makes no difference?’ Carlos asked from the doorway. He looked very much at home in the rich, formal room. He might even, Megan thought, sit upright in the uncomfortable chairs and think nothing of it. He shared the same elegance, the same richness as the ancient house.
‘Megan wishes to make this room more habitable,’ his stepmother drawled. ‘She agrees with me that it is not very comfortable as it is.’
Carlos looked about him in surprise. ‘ What’s wrong with it?’ he demanded.
For an instant Megan thought he was angry, but the lift of his eyebrows reassured her. ‘It doesn’t look as though anyone ever sat in here in their lives,’ she told him frankly. ‘It’s—it’s like a museum !’
‘ I suppose it is,’ he agreed, looking amused. ‘It is certainly very different from your parents’ house ! But I am not sure that you can make this room look the same as theirs?’
‘ I wouldn ’ t try !’ she exclaimed. ‘My parents’ room is comfortable, but it isn’t—’ She broke off, blushing uncontrollably.
‘ You wouldn’t choose it?’ the Senora put in helpfully .
‘N-no,’ Megan agreed quickly. ‘It isn’t elegant .’
Carlos gave her an interested look. ‘I agree with you. It is warm and comfortable, but there are pieces of furniture that I should not care to live with myself.’ He hesitated. ‘Very well, Megan, I give you a free hand to do what you will with this room. But the rest of the house shall be kept as it is for the time being.’
‘But your stepmother—’
Carlos stiffened. ‘Margot cannot be bothered with domestic matters,’ he said tersely.
The Senora shrugged her shoulders. ‘Why should I?’ she said. ‘I prefer that other people should do these things for me.’
Megan looked from one to the other of them. ‘I’ll do my best,’ she promised. ‘But it might cost a bit of money.’
‘Undoubtedly,’ Carlos agreed dryly. ‘ English type furniture is expensive anywhere but in England.’
‘And you don’t mind?’ Megan pressed him.
‘Not if the results are satisfactory,’ he confirmed. ‘Have you seen your room?’ He waited for her to shake her head. ‘I suppose Juana is unpacking for you. Meanwhile, you may as well see the rest of the house.’
He took her consent for granted, pushing open the door at the far end of t he salon. ‘In the old days,’ he told her, ‘when we held dances here, we would open all the doors and make use of the whole floor. But that was a long time ago. These doors have become stiff with lack of use since then.’
‘It would make a magnificent setting for a dance,’ Megan said dreamily.
‘You like it?’ Somehow the question seemed important to him and she considered it carefully before answering.
‘Yes,’ she said at last, ‘I love it ! ’
‘You love easily ! ’ he taunted her.
Megan stepped through the open door ahead of him, embarrassed. He had a knack of making her feel gauche and peculiarly naive.
‘I don’t think I do,’ she said seriously. ‘I like easily—but loving is a different matter !’
‘ So it is ! ’ he agreed laconically.
The room was so dark that she could only make out dim shapes that she took to be bookcases. Carlos opened the shutters and turned to face her.
‘This is my particular sanctuary. The rest of the family doesn’t often come in here.’
And never without his permission, Megan thought wryly. She was surprised, though, at his choice of room to make his own. This had originally been the library, and books still lined the walls, but it was now a study-cum-workroom, with a huge, elaborate desk at one end, a couple of easy chairs placed negligently before the carved stone fireplace, and a huge heraldic emblem covering the far wall, as aggressively arrogant as Megan felt Carlos to be himself.
‘The Va l lori arms?’ she asked, keeping her voice as
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