structure set in a
circle of shading cypress trees. To the side of the house, toward the
back, were the stables and Juliet smiled as she saw a lanky yellow dog
wriggle beneath the bottom rail of the paddock fence, then lope off
into the distance across the lush green grass. Twice before, she had
visited Raul's home, once with her uncle for dinner and once when Pablo
had dragged her out here one afternoon to go riding. Though the house
was lovely and the grounds exotic, she hadn't felt comfortable here on
those two occasions, mostly because Pablo had been driving her crazy
with his unwanted declarations of undying love and also because of
Señora Valaquez. Though Raul's grandmother had been polite, Juliet had
sensed a certain reservation in her manner and since she expected the
same sort of reception today, she certainly wasn't eager to move in
with a pile of luggage, as if she meant to put down roots here.
Staring at the house with great misgivings, Juliet gulped
as she parked the car on the circle drive. "I don't see why we had to
bring everything we own," she muttered to Rosita as she cut the engine.
"Señora Valaquez will probably faint when she sees all this luggage.
She'll think we've decided to spend the rest of our lives here."
"Is not so much," the housekeeper argued with a careless
wave of her hand. "Is just Señor Will's clothes and yours and mine. Why
you worry?"
"Who's worried?" Juliet retorted wryly, then shrugged.
"Well, I suppose we might as well get this over with. Why don't you go
knock on the door?"
As Rosita hopped spryly out of the car and disappeared
into the shadows beyond the fretted arch entrance, Juliet got out also
and began taking suitcases out of the back. She was halted in her task
by a manservant dressed all in black.
"Allow me, señorita," he murmured without smiling. "I will
see to your luggage. The señora awaits you inside."
Just my luck, Juliet thought with a wry smile as she
reluctantly walked across the mosaic tiled patio supported by fluted
columns festooned with trailing bougainvillaea vines laden with
fragrant scarlet blooms. Going on beneath the fretted arch, she entered
the inner courtyard and stopped for a moment to admire the central
stone fountain and the hanging baskets of brightly colored flowers that
decorated the wrought iron railing of the second floor balcony. An
orange tree in each corner of the courtyard provided shade and a sweet
citrus fragrance and Juliet appreciatively inhaled the faintly perfumed
air.
At that moment, paneled double doors that opened onto the
huge main hall of the house were opened and Señora Valaquez stepped
into the courtyard, forcing her patrician features into a stiff smile.
"Welcome to Casa Valaquez, Señorita McKay."
Juliet stepped forward hesitantly. "My uncle and I
appreciate your hospitality, señora."
"
De nada
," the señora said with a
grand, dismissive wave of her hand. "It is nothing.
Mi nieto
,
my grandson, thought that the fresh air here would hasten your uncle's
recuperation. I hope that it will prove so. Now, if you will come
inside, I will show you to your room."
Juliet gestured uncertainly. "Uh, our housekeeper,
Rosita…"
"She is being shown to her room by our house-keeper. We
have put her next to Señor McKay down here on the first floor, where he
can move around easily in his wheelchair."
"A good idea," Juliet agreed in a murmur as she stepped
past Raul's grandmother into the immense main hall. Marble tiles of
white and gold covered the floor and the white plastered walls were met
with intricately carved mahogany wainscoting. The ceiling was domed and
embellished with plaster moldings. Ancient brass lamps were mounted on
the walls beside huge gilt framed mirrors on each side of the hall that
reflected the foot of the marble staircase that curved upward to the
second floor. A tracery of delicate wrought iron comprised the
balustrade and banister and stepping up along the staircase, narrow
window embrasures in the wall
circle of shading cypress trees. To the side of the house, toward the
back, were the stables and Juliet smiled as she saw a lanky yellow dog
wriggle beneath the bottom rail of the paddock fence, then lope off
into the distance across the lush green grass. Twice before, she had
visited Raul's home, once with her uncle for dinner and once when Pablo
had dragged her out here one afternoon to go riding. Though the house
was lovely and the grounds exotic, she hadn't felt comfortable here on
those two occasions, mostly because Pablo had been driving her crazy
with his unwanted declarations of undying love and also because of
Señora Valaquez. Though Raul's grandmother had been polite, Juliet had
sensed a certain reservation in her manner and since she expected the
same sort of reception today, she certainly wasn't eager to move in
with a pile of luggage, as if she meant to put down roots here.
Staring at the house with great misgivings, Juliet gulped
as she parked the car on the circle drive. "I don't see why we had to
bring everything we own," she muttered to Rosita as she cut the engine.
"Señora Valaquez will probably faint when she sees all this luggage.
She'll think we've decided to spend the rest of our lives here."
"Is not so much," the housekeeper argued with a careless
wave of her hand. "Is just Señor Will's clothes and yours and mine. Why
you worry?"
"Who's worried?" Juliet retorted wryly, then shrugged.
"Well, I suppose we might as well get this over with. Why don't you go
knock on the door?"
As Rosita hopped spryly out of the car and disappeared
into the shadows beyond the fretted arch entrance, Juliet got out also
and began taking suitcases out of the back. She was halted in her task
by a manservant dressed all in black.
"Allow me, señorita," he murmured without smiling. "I will
see to your luggage. The señora awaits you inside."
Just my luck, Juliet thought with a wry smile as she
reluctantly walked across the mosaic tiled patio supported by fluted
columns festooned with trailing bougainvillaea vines laden with
fragrant scarlet blooms. Going on beneath the fretted arch, she entered
the inner courtyard and stopped for a moment to admire the central
stone fountain and the hanging baskets of brightly colored flowers that
decorated the wrought iron railing of the second floor balcony. An
orange tree in each corner of the courtyard provided shade and a sweet
citrus fragrance and Juliet appreciatively inhaled the faintly perfumed
air.
At that moment, paneled double doors that opened onto the
huge main hall of the house were opened and Señora Valaquez stepped
into the courtyard, forcing her patrician features into a stiff smile.
"Welcome to Casa Valaquez, Señorita McKay."
Juliet stepped forward hesitantly. "My uncle and I
appreciate your hospitality, señora."
"
De nada
," the señora said with a
grand, dismissive wave of her hand. "It is nothing.
Mi nieto
,
my grandson, thought that the fresh air here would hasten your uncle's
recuperation. I hope that it will prove so. Now, if you will come
inside, I will show you to your room."
Juliet gestured uncertainly. "Uh, our housekeeper,
Rosita…"
"She is being shown to her room by our house-keeper. We
have put her next to Señor McKay down here on the first floor, where he
can move around easily in his wheelchair."
"A good idea," Juliet agreed in a murmur as she stepped
past Raul's grandmother into the immense main hall. Marble tiles of
white and gold covered the floor and the white plastered walls were met
with intricately carved mahogany wainscoting. The ceiling was domed and
embellished with plaster moldings. Ancient brass lamps were mounted on
the walls beside huge gilt framed mirrors on each side of the hall that
reflected the foot of the marble staircase that curved upward to the
second floor. A tracery of delicate wrought iron comprised the
balustrade and banister and stepping up along the staircase, narrow
window embrasures in the wall
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