sharply and exquisitely over her nerves.
“So I find you here in the porch, babies! And how are you after so many days?”
“All right, thank you,” said Tony, “but we’re not babies.”
“No? But you sleep here like babies in the long chairs. And how is the little Rina?”
“Very well, thank you, Don Ramiro,” came sedately from the little girl. “We haven’t seen you for ages.”
“Four long days,” he concurred. “I was kept in Cadiz on business. You must tell me what has happened since I left.”
“Well,” said Rina considering, “there hasn’t been much. Yesterday Juliet and I bathed while Tony went fishing with Juan—he’s Luisa’s son, you know.”
“Yes, I know him—he is a fine boatman and handsome.”
“And he wears earrings. The day before that we went to a birthday party—and do you know, Don Ramiro, all the girls wore white frocks with sashes and the boys wore sailor suits.”
“Ah, the latest fashion,” murmured Ramiro understandingly. “It was also the latest fashion when I was a little boy. Tia Inez tells me you have not been to see her.”
“No, we haven’t,” replied Rina candidly. “I told Juliet that we go to the Castillo often when Mummy’s here, and she said we must wait till Mummy comes, then. I don’t think Juliet likes the Castillo as much as we do.”
“I think,” said Tony pompously, not to be outdone, “that she doesn’t like Spain.”
“But you are quite wrong,” Ramiro said, with an inflection that Juliet could not quite place. “Your Juliet is more of a stranger than you are, that is all. She does not wish to deprive you of anything.”
“Oh, we know that,” said Rina quickly. “Juliet’s great fun.”
“Hush,” said Ramiro sternly. “One does not say such things! The parents are always first and best—in everything.”
“But they’re not,” contributed Tony, practically. “I do think I’ve got the best Daddy, though.”
Ramiro apparently decided to leave it there. “And what are you doing now—waiting for lunch?”
“Yes, we’ve been swimming again—Juliet gave me a lesson,” said Rina. “She says I’m going to be a good swimmer.”
“Not as good as me,” boasted Tony. “I shall be a man, and men always do everything better than girls.”
Ramiro laughed. “I should not be too sure about that, nino. Where is Juliet now?”
“Indoors, mending Tony’s shorts. He slipped down the dunes and caught them on a twig.”
“It is very sad, that. You will excuse me, senorita? I will find this mender of trousers!”
Rina giggled at being called senorita, and Tony guffawed at something else, and then Ramiro came into the hall and stood in the sitting-room doorway. Whatever of gaiety there had been in his expression while he talked to the children was gone now, but he did have a cool smile on his lips.
“Ah, Miss Darrell. No, do not get up. I will sit, if I may.”
“Please do.” She herself was placed with her back to the window, her hair cloudy about her face, which was in shadow. “Did you want to see me about something?”
“I was concerned because my sister told me she had not seen you for several days. It seems she expected you.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“There was a letter yesterday from your cousin with the news that she will not be coming here for some weeks. It is a great pity.”
Juliet looked down at the needle she still held. “Yes, it is. I’m not really a good substitute for the children’s parents.”
“I did not mean that; if they must have a substitute you are very much the best choice. It keeps you tied, that is all. Had Ruy and his wife decided to arrive when we expected them, you could have been free to make some excursions in the district.”
She shook her head. “I was going home.”
His smile had sharpened slightly. “We would have persuaded you to stay for a while, I think. However, there is no doubt about it now. Inez wishes me to tell you that she will be happy to
“So I find you here in the porch, babies! And how are you after so many days?”
“All right, thank you,” said Tony, “but we’re not babies.”
“No? But you sleep here like babies in the long chairs. And how is the little Rina?”
“Very well, thank you, Don Ramiro,” came sedately from the little girl. “We haven’t seen you for ages.”
“Four long days,” he concurred. “I was kept in Cadiz on business. You must tell me what has happened since I left.”
“Well,” said Rina considering, “there hasn’t been much. Yesterday Juliet and I bathed while Tony went fishing with Juan—he’s Luisa’s son, you know.”
“Yes, I know him—he is a fine boatman and handsome.”
“And he wears earrings. The day before that we went to a birthday party—and do you know, Don Ramiro, all the girls wore white frocks with sashes and the boys wore sailor suits.”
“Ah, the latest fashion,” murmured Ramiro understandingly. “It was also the latest fashion when I was a little boy. Tia Inez tells me you have not been to see her.”
“No, we haven’t,” replied Rina candidly. “I told Juliet that we go to the Castillo often when Mummy’s here, and she said we must wait till Mummy comes, then. I don’t think Juliet likes the Castillo as much as we do.”
“I think,” said Tony pompously, not to be outdone, “that she doesn’t like Spain.”
“But you are quite wrong,” Ramiro said, with an inflection that Juliet could not quite place. “Your Juliet is more of a stranger than you are, that is all. She does not wish to deprive you of anything.”
“Oh, we know that,” said Rina quickly. “Juliet’s great fun.”
“Hush,” said Ramiro sternly. “One does not say such things! The parents are always first and best—in everything.”
“But they’re not,” contributed Tony, practically. “I do think I’ve got the best Daddy, though.”
Ramiro apparently decided to leave it there. “And what are you doing now—waiting for lunch?”
“Yes, we’ve been swimming again—Juliet gave me a lesson,” said Rina. “She says I’m going to be a good swimmer.”
“Not as good as me,” boasted Tony. “I shall be a man, and men always do everything better than girls.”
Ramiro laughed. “I should not be too sure about that, nino. Where is Juliet now?”
“Indoors, mending Tony’s shorts. He slipped down the dunes and caught them on a twig.”
“It is very sad, that. You will excuse me, senorita? I will find this mender of trousers!”
Rina giggled at being called senorita, and Tony guffawed at something else, and then Ramiro came into the hall and stood in the sitting-room doorway. Whatever of gaiety there had been in his expression while he talked to the children was gone now, but he did have a cool smile on his lips.
“Ah, Miss Darrell. No, do not get up. I will sit, if I may.”
“Please do.” She herself was placed with her back to the window, her hair cloudy about her face, which was in shadow. “Did you want to see me about something?”
“I was concerned because my sister told me she had not seen you for several days. It seems she expected you.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“There was a letter yesterday from your cousin with the news that she will not be coming here for some weeks. It is a great pity.”
Juliet looked down at the needle she still held. “Yes, it is. I’m not really a good substitute for the children’s parents.”
“I did not mean that; if they must have a substitute you are very much the best choice. It keeps you tied, that is all. Had Ruy and his wife decided to arrive when we expected them, you could have been free to make some excursions in the district.”
She shook her head. “I was going home.”
His smile had sharpened slightly. “We would have persuaded you to stay for a while, I think. However, there is no doubt about it now. Inez wishes me to tell you that she will be happy to
Similar Books
