followed and the little group was just about to sit down when Sophia clapped her forehead in a dramatic gesture, her eyes regretful.
‘ Dio mio , I am forgetful today. I have left my easel in the perennial gardens, of course.’ She tutted in self-disapproval, her full cheeks shaking. ‘When Roberto called me in, I completely forgot about that one piece. I usually paint one or two locations a day, you know.’ She turned to her guests, her voice as earnest as a little girl’s reciting her classes. ‘I like trying to capture the beauty of the blooms as they start unfurling in the morning. So I set up my easel there at first, watching the sun touch their petals. Daniel has been so understanding and got me a whole set of easels for my last birthday. That way, I don’t have to carry one with me everywhere, you see?’ She grinned mischievously, her face much prettier now. ‘Of course it makes me spoiled, and I tend to forget my things in the garden.’
‘ That sounds lovely.’ Melanie smiled back, her good mood restored. ‘I love flowers myself, signora. If your perennial gardens are anything like the path to your house, I am not surprised you like spending your time there.’
‘It’s even better .’ Obviously her pride of the gardens took a front seat to modesty because the older woman nodded enthusiastically, her brown eyes eager. ‘Say, if you want, you can have a look right now, signorina . It’s just a simple walk down from the back of the house. I would be happy to show you around while the men bore each other to death here.’
A round of laughter followed, and Daniel warned Melanie that the invitation was nothing but his wife’s evil plan to have her help retrieve the easel.
The moment they exited the large, French style back door, Melanie gasped with delight. The view laid out in front of her left her speechless. If Monet came back to life and decided to paint something, he’d certainly pay the Spitieris a visit. She allowed her gaze to travel past the expanse of the manicured lawn, down to the azure blue rectangular pool, and finally to the stone gate leading to the lower gardens, patches of yellow, red, pink, orange, and violet meeting her enchanted eyes.
‘Come on .’ The older woman took her by the elbow, her rough fingertips making it clear she didn’t shy away from getting her hands dirty in the garden. ‘I love showing our guests around. Daniel gets so preoccupied with his work he forgets there are other things outside the room’s walls.’
They walked across the lawn, Melanie’s simple, dark blue sandals sinking into the lush, green grass. She was happy she’d picked the most comfortable pair of shoes she had packed for her trip for this initial visit. Not only did they match her simple, dark blue dress and go with the little pearl grey jacket, but they allowed her to walk freely on grass or the cobblestone path.
‘There it is, sitting just where I left it .’ Sophia smiled again, pointing at her easel. It stood just in front of a huge rose bush. A gazillion pale pink double-flowers covered every inch of the wiry branches, and the glossy dark green leaves barely managed to sneak out here and there to reach the sun.
‘That’s very good, really .’ Melanie eyed the picture, admiring the dreamy quality of the watercolor. Obviously Daniel Spitieri wasn’t the only one with talent, and her respect for the older woman grew with each passing second. Not only did she come across as unpretentious and kind, but she was talented too. Melanie would have to mention it to Pete. Hopefully it would soften his absurd stance against the Spitieris’ lifestyle. She couldn’t tell why she felt so protective of people she barely knew, but she wanted him to approve of them, period.
‘That’s nothing .’ Sophia made a rather poor job of trying to act indifferent. Her pleasure at being praised was evident in the way her eyes shone in the setting sun. ‘But thank you, dear. I do enjoy my painting
‘ Dio mio , I am forgetful today. I have left my easel in the perennial gardens, of course.’ She tutted in self-disapproval, her full cheeks shaking. ‘When Roberto called me in, I completely forgot about that one piece. I usually paint one or two locations a day, you know.’ She turned to her guests, her voice as earnest as a little girl’s reciting her classes. ‘I like trying to capture the beauty of the blooms as they start unfurling in the morning. So I set up my easel there at first, watching the sun touch their petals. Daniel has been so understanding and got me a whole set of easels for my last birthday. That way, I don’t have to carry one with me everywhere, you see?’ She grinned mischievously, her face much prettier now. ‘Of course it makes me spoiled, and I tend to forget my things in the garden.’
‘ That sounds lovely.’ Melanie smiled back, her good mood restored. ‘I love flowers myself, signora. If your perennial gardens are anything like the path to your house, I am not surprised you like spending your time there.’
‘It’s even better .’ Obviously her pride of the gardens took a front seat to modesty because the older woman nodded enthusiastically, her brown eyes eager. ‘Say, if you want, you can have a look right now, signorina . It’s just a simple walk down from the back of the house. I would be happy to show you around while the men bore each other to death here.’
A round of laughter followed, and Daniel warned Melanie that the invitation was nothing but his wife’s evil plan to have her help retrieve the easel.
The moment they exited the large, French style back door, Melanie gasped with delight. The view laid out in front of her left her speechless. If Monet came back to life and decided to paint something, he’d certainly pay the Spitieris a visit. She allowed her gaze to travel past the expanse of the manicured lawn, down to the azure blue rectangular pool, and finally to the stone gate leading to the lower gardens, patches of yellow, red, pink, orange, and violet meeting her enchanted eyes.
‘Come on .’ The older woman took her by the elbow, her rough fingertips making it clear she didn’t shy away from getting her hands dirty in the garden. ‘I love showing our guests around. Daniel gets so preoccupied with his work he forgets there are other things outside the room’s walls.’
They walked across the lawn, Melanie’s simple, dark blue sandals sinking into the lush, green grass. She was happy she’d picked the most comfortable pair of shoes she had packed for her trip for this initial visit. Not only did they match her simple, dark blue dress and go with the little pearl grey jacket, but they allowed her to walk freely on grass or the cobblestone path.
‘There it is, sitting just where I left it .’ Sophia smiled again, pointing at her easel. It stood just in front of a huge rose bush. A gazillion pale pink double-flowers covered every inch of the wiry branches, and the glossy dark green leaves barely managed to sneak out here and there to reach the sun.
‘That’s very good, really .’ Melanie eyed the picture, admiring the dreamy quality of the watercolor. Obviously Daniel Spitieri wasn’t the only one with talent, and her respect for the older woman grew with each passing second. Not only did she come across as unpretentious and kind, but she was talented too. Melanie would have to mention it to Pete. Hopefully it would soften his absurd stance against the Spitieris’ lifestyle. She couldn’t tell why she felt so protective of people she barely knew, but she wanted him to approve of them, period.
‘That’s nothing .’ Sophia made a rather poor job of trying to act indifferent. Her pleasure at being praised was evident in the way her eyes shone in the setting sun. ‘But thank you, dear. I do enjoy my painting
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