[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
wanted? Then I'll see you at nine tomorrow.'
She was dismissed courteously. Flushed and feeling
like a schoolgirl leaving the headmaster's study, she left
HAWK IN A BLUE SKY
57
the room. Behind her his voice spoke in mellifluous
Italian, charm in every syllable. Who was on the re-
ceiving end of the honeyed talk? she wondered.
Before dinner that evening she had a chance to talk to
Piero alone. He came hurrying to meet her, freshly
showered, fragrant with after shave, his dark eyes eager.
'Cara mia, I've been looking forward to this all day ...'
He reached for her and she melted into his arms.
As he drew back from the long kiss, he sighed. 'Was it
worth waiting for?'
`What do you think, Piero?' She hugged him. 'It has
been a very long day, though.'
Tor me, too, angel! My mind was not on my work.
Half a dozen times Cesare roared at me like a lion.'
Cesare ... The name dampened her spirits. She drew a
deep breath. 'Piero, did you know Cesare is organising
some sort of celebration for the five hundredth year since
the Beatrice was painted?'
Piero looked bored. 'There has been talk of it.'
`He ... he wants me to help him organise it,' she said
nervously. 'I'm not sure what sort of work it will be.
Translating letters of one kind or another, I suppose.'
A frown darkened the boyish face. 'What? Did he ask
you to do this? He can pay someone ! My wife-to-be is
not his servant!'
Uurriedly she explained. 'No, you see, I asked him if I
could work down at the vineyard, to be near you, you
understand. I meant I would do some translating down
there. We could see each other more often, then.'
Piero kissed her. 'Little foolish girl ...'
58 HAWK IN A BLUE SKY
`Unfortunately Cesare misunderstood. He ... offered
me this other job, at the castle, working for him.' Her
voice faltered. 'I didn't like to refuse I was afraid I
would offend him. I would hate to cause trouble in the
family.'
Piero gazed thoughtfully at her. 'I see what you mean,
of course, and you are quite right. If you help Cesare
with this project of his it may soften him. He will be
grateful. He will forget his anger.' He became suddenly
enthusiastic, his dark eyes dancing. 'Yes, yes, I am sure it
will alter his attitudes. Cesare loves the Beatrice portrait
more than anything else the family owns. That is why he
is organising this pageant of celebration. Nothing else
could touch him as this will do.'
The family heard the news at dinner. The Contessa
looked sharply at her eldest son, frowned, but was silent
for a moment. Aunt Teresa was cheerfully delighted.
She would welcome anything she took to be a sign of
Cesare's relenting towards Piero and Amanda. After a
while the Contessa said quietly, 'It will be good for
Amanda to be busy, perhaps.' But her eyes were anxious
as they rested on Cesare.
Tina was not at dinner with the family, but Amanda
passed her that evening on the stairs, and the girl gave
her an insolent look. 'So you are to be alone with the
Conte all day, eh? Going to London has taught you a
few tricks.'
Amanda ignored her. She was learning how to deal
with the other girl's spite. Rising to the bait was fatal;
it was best to ignore her darts.
HAWK IN A BLUE SKY
59
Aunt Teresa, however, was more vulnerable. Some-
how or other Tina managed to arouse the older woman's
anxiety. Next morning she followed Amanda upstairs to
the office, gently murmuring, 'I have been thinking ...
perhaps unwise for you ... Tina says such things ... not
that anyone would believe them! But your poor mother !
Ah, what would she say, how would she advise you? Do
you really think you should do this, dearest child? Not
that Cesare ... no, he would not, I am sure ! Head of the
family betray the trust in him? I said to that bad girl, no,
Tina ...'
At the door of Cesare's office Amanda turned and took
Aunt Teresa's face in her two hands, kissing her firmly
on her small nose, the nose which looked so oddly comic
in the centre of that sun-baked old face. 'Darling Aunt,
stop clucking like an old hen ! Cesare is not an ogre, and
I am not Snow White ...'
Aunt Teresa looked baffled. 'Eh?'
Cesare flung open the door. 'What is going on?'
Aunt Teresa squawked, unhappily, and fled.
Cesare grinned wickedly at Amanda. 'You have con-
fused her, with your ogres and Snow Whites ...'
`You were eavesdropping!'
`This is my office, remember! How could I help
overhearing that very audible conversation?'
She flushed and went into the room. A small table and
chair had appeared in it since her last visit. On the table
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]