have ! ’ she exclaimed.
Megan felt uncomfortable. ‘Only one suitcase is mine,’ she defended herself. ‘ The other two belong to Carlos.’
The Senora’s face brightened. ‘ It looks as though he means to stay a little while this time. You ’ ve no idea how lonely it is when I am all by myself !’
Megan was just about to say something comforting when she was interrupted by the arrival of two maids who came scurrying out of the house, scolding the Senora for not calling them immediately. They grasped the suitcases and hurried up the wide staircase, chattering to each other as they went.
‘ We ’ d better go inside too,’ the Senora said reluctantly. ‘Don’t worry about your things. Juana will unpack your clothes. She speaks a little English, by the way. She worked in one of the hotels until recen tl y, but she prefers to be in a proper home and I pay excellent wages.’
Megan followed her up the stairs, pausing at intervals to admire the carved intricacies of the stone banisters. At the top was a long picture gallery, full of sombre paintings of the various Vallori ancestors. Megan would have liked to have studied them more closely, but the shutters kept out any light that might have crept into the house, and all she could see was the occasional pale, aristocratic face amongst the shadows.
The gallery led direc tl y into a lofty salon, hung about with Flemish tapestries and full of Renaissance nailed seats, and a few chairs upholstered in leather. Megan was forced to agree that comfort had been sacrificed to the strict formality of the furnishings. It was hard to imagine anyone actually sitting in such a room, let alone relaxing.
‘Do you use this room much?’ she asked nervously.
The Senora screwed up her nose in horror. ‘Never !’
Megan was relieved. It was beautiful of course, there was no denying that, but she couldn’t feel at home there.
‘We sit here,’ the Senora went on, sweeping Megan into the next room. ‘Once you’ve got used to the red pine panelling and the draughts that haunt the marble floors, and the total lack of any proper heating, it’s just tolerable.’
Megan tried not to look as though she were too curious, but this room too was quite unlike any other sitting room she had ever seen. The few chairs were arranged in straight lines, facing each other, and there was a curious bronze contraption in the middle of the floor, held by a wooden frame, that had no possible use that she could see.
‘ When it’s cold, we put a fire in that,’ the Senora explained, her amusement getting the better of her apathy. ‘It smokes rather, and it gives out remarkably little heat, but we’re seldom here in the winter, so we never put in central heating like most of our neighbours.’ She thrust open a shutter, allowing a shaft of light into the darkened room. ‘Can you understand why I don’t want to be banished here?’
‘ Yes,’ Megan said flatly.
The dark eyes of the older woman met hers, a twinkle lurking in their depths. ‘I thought you would fall in love with the place?’ she said.
‘I have ! ’ Megan agreed. ‘But it is cold, and it is a little like a museum. Couldn’t we make it a little more comfortable, senora ? Then it would be a truly lovely place to live !’
‘It would be such a lot of trouble,’ the Senora objected.
‘Not really !’ Megan’s quick enthusiasm was now thoroughly aroused. ‘You could have an English style room for your own use! Think how much more comfortable you would be then !’
The Senora shrugged. ‘You can suggest it to Carlos if you like,’ she said with apparent indifference. ‘He wouldn’t like it if I were to suggest such a thing ! He’s never liked changes in anything connected with his family.’
‘ But that’s ridiculous ! ’ Megan exclaimed. ‘Most of the house would be just as it was ! Besides, one can’t live entirely in the past, no matter how beautiful ! I’m sure your son will see that !’
‘My
Megan felt uncomfortable. ‘Only one suitcase is mine,’ she defended herself. ‘ The other two belong to Carlos.’
The Senora’s face brightened. ‘ It looks as though he means to stay a little while this time. You ’ ve no idea how lonely it is when I am all by myself !’
Megan was just about to say something comforting when she was interrupted by the arrival of two maids who came scurrying out of the house, scolding the Senora for not calling them immediately. They grasped the suitcases and hurried up the wide staircase, chattering to each other as they went.
‘ We ’ d better go inside too,’ the Senora said reluctantly. ‘Don’t worry about your things. Juana will unpack your clothes. She speaks a little English, by the way. She worked in one of the hotels until recen tl y, but she prefers to be in a proper home and I pay excellent wages.’
Megan followed her up the stairs, pausing at intervals to admire the carved intricacies of the stone banisters. At the top was a long picture gallery, full of sombre paintings of the various Vallori ancestors. Megan would have liked to have studied them more closely, but the shutters kept out any light that might have crept into the house, and all she could see was the occasional pale, aristocratic face amongst the shadows.
The gallery led direc tl y into a lofty salon, hung about with Flemish tapestries and full of Renaissance nailed seats, and a few chairs upholstered in leather. Megan was forced to agree that comfort had been sacrificed to the strict formality of the furnishings. It was hard to imagine anyone actually sitting in such a room, let alone relaxing.
‘Do you use this room much?’ she asked nervously.
The Senora screwed up her nose in horror. ‘Never !’
Megan was relieved. It was beautiful of course, there was no denying that, but she couldn’t feel at home there.
‘We sit here,’ the Senora went on, sweeping Megan into the next room. ‘Once you’ve got used to the red pine panelling and the draughts that haunt the marble floors, and the total lack of any proper heating, it’s just tolerable.’
Megan tried not to look as though she were too curious, but this room too was quite unlike any other sitting room she had ever seen. The few chairs were arranged in straight lines, facing each other, and there was a curious bronze contraption in the middle of the floor, held by a wooden frame, that had no possible use that she could see.
‘ When it’s cold, we put a fire in that,’ the Senora explained, her amusement getting the better of her apathy. ‘It smokes rather, and it gives out remarkably little heat, but we’re seldom here in the winter, so we never put in central heating like most of our neighbours.’ She thrust open a shutter, allowing a shaft of light into the darkened room. ‘Can you understand why I don’t want to be banished here?’
‘ Yes,’ Megan said flatly.
The dark eyes of the older woman met hers, a twinkle lurking in their depths. ‘I thought you would fall in love with the place?’ she said.
‘I have ! ’ Megan agreed. ‘But it is cold, and it is a little like a museum. Couldn’t we make it a little more comfortable, senora ? Then it would be a truly lovely place to live !’
‘It would be such a lot of trouble,’ the Senora objected.
‘Not really !’ Megan’s quick enthusiasm was now thoroughly aroused. ‘You could have an English style room for your own use! Think how much more comfortable you would be then !’
The Senora shrugged. ‘You can suggest it to Carlos if you like,’ she said with apparent indifference. ‘He wouldn’t like it if I were to suggest such a thing ! He’s never liked changes in anything connected with his family.’
‘ But that’s ridiculous ! ’ Megan exclaimed. ‘Most of the house would be just as it was ! Besides, one can’t live entirely in the past, no matter how beautiful ! I’m sure your son will see that !’
‘My
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