were covered by more wrought iron, shaped
into a matching scroll design.
Though Juliet had seen it all before, she looked around
again with a certain amount of awe. Then she caught a glance of sharp
jet black eyes sweeping over her denim skirt and casual yet neat pale
blue knit shirt but she pretended not to notice the slight distaste
those eyes conveyed. "You have such a beautiful home, señora," she said
instead. "I've always admired it."
Alicia Valaquez acknowledged the compliment with only a
curt nod. "Now, señorita, I will show you to your room. It is upstairs."
"Oh, but I thought I'd be close to Uncle Will," Juliet
blurted out, then gestured apologetically. "I mean, since his room is
on the first floor, shouldn't mine be too?"
"I thought that too," Señora Valaquez informed her coolly.
"But Raul insisted that you would be more comfortable upstairs. He said
your uncle would be fine with the maid and the nurse."
"Nurse?" Juliet exclaimed softly. "I didn't realize Raul
intended to hire a nurse for Uncle Will. Was that really necessary?"
The señora stroked her thick silver hair which was coiled
into a smooth coronet on her crown and stared down her thin
aristocratic nose at Juliet. "If my grandson did not think a nurse was
necessary, I am certain he would not have hired one. If you do not
agree with his decision, then you should speak to him."
"Could I? I mean, it's not that I
disagree
,
exactly. I just think I should discuss the matter with him. Is he here
right now? Could I speak to him?"
"He is here, yes, but he is very busy in his office. I
would suggest you wait until dinner tonight to speak with him. He is
working now and you would not wish to disturb him, would you?"
"That's the last thing I wish to do, I assure you," Juliet
answered with a wry smile that unfortunately wasn't returned. Heaving a
silent sigh then, she followed the señora up the marble stairs and
along a wide carpeted hall into the north wing of the house.
Raul's grandmother stopped at last and opened double doors
to the most beautiful bedroom Juliet had ever seen. As she stepped
inside, her espadrilles sinking down in thick white carpet, her eyes
widened in pleasant surprise. Though the furniture was heavy and dark,
typically Spanish, the room's overall decor was light and airy.
Aquamarine silk drapes billowed in the breeze that drifted through the
French windows that led to the flower-bedecked balcony and they matched
the quilted satin coverlet that covered the high wide bed. Cut-glass
vases containing fresh red rosebuds graced the gleaming tops of the
bureau and ivory-inlaid vanity.
"How lovely," Juliet said softly. "It is magnificent,
señora."
"I am pleased you like it," Alicia Valaquez responded with
another of her stiff unenthusiastic smiles. "Now, I will leave you.
Fernando will be up with your luggage in a moment and I will send your
maid to help you unpack."
Juliet nodded, then sighed with relief as Señora Valaquez
went out and closed the double doors behind her. Without her dampening
presence, Juliet felt free to explore her new accommodations and after
a quick look at the original painting of an orange grove that hung on
one wall, she wandered out onto the balcony which overlooked another
larger courtyard. Potted palms lined the tiled apron of a huge swimming
pool, with its azure waters sparkling invitingly in the sunlight.
"Is nice here, eh,
niña
?" Rosita
asked as she stepped onto the balcony to join Juliet. "You like to
swim, si? Maybe you wear a teeny little bikini and catch Señor Raul's
eye, eh?"
As Rosita cackled gleefully, Juliet dodged the elbow that
tried to poke her ribs, then shook her head admonishingly. "You're
impossible, Rosita. I don't have a teeny little bikini and even if I
did, I wouldn't wear it to catch any man's eye, especially Raul's."
"But you would like for him to see you as a woman, eh,
niña
?"
Rosita persisted too perceptively. "If you do not wish to wear the
teeny bikini, then you will have
into a matching scroll design.
Though Juliet had seen it all before, she looked around
again with a certain amount of awe. Then she caught a glance of sharp
jet black eyes sweeping over her denim skirt and casual yet neat pale
blue knit shirt but she pretended not to notice the slight distaste
those eyes conveyed. "You have such a beautiful home, señora," she said
instead. "I've always admired it."
Alicia Valaquez acknowledged the compliment with only a
curt nod. "Now, señorita, I will show you to your room. It is upstairs."
"Oh, but I thought I'd be close to Uncle Will," Juliet
blurted out, then gestured apologetically. "I mean, since his room is
on the first floor, shouldn't mine be too?"
"I thought that too," Señora Valaquez informed her coolly.
"But Raul insisted that you would be more comfortable upstairs. He said
your uncle would be fine with the maid and the nurse."
"Nurse?" Juliet exclaimed softly. "I didn't realize Raul
intended to hire a nurse for Uncle Will. Was that really necessary?"
The señora stroked her thick silver hair which was coiled
into a smooth coronet on her crown and stared down her thin
aristocratic nose at Juliet. "If my grandson did not think a nurse was
necessary, I am certain he would not have hired one. If you do not
agree with his decision, then you should speak to him."
"Could I? I mean, it's not that I
disagree
,
exactly. I just think I should discuss the matter with him. Is he here
right now? Could I speak to him?"
"He is here, yes, but he is very busy in his office. I
would suggest you wait until dinner tonight to speak with him. He is
working now and you would not wish to disturb him, would you?"
"That's the last thing I wish to do, I assure you," Juliet
answered with a wry smile that unfortunately wasn't returned. Heaving a
silent sigh then, she followed the señora up the marble stairs and
along a wide carpeted hall into the north wing of the house.
Raul's grandmother stopped at last and opened double doors
to the most beautiful bedroom Juliet had ever seen. As she stepped
inside, her espadrilles sinking down in thick white carpet, her eyes
widened in pleasant surprise. Though the furniture was heavy and dark,
typically Spanish, the room's overall decor was light and airy.
Aquamarine silk drapes billowed in the breeze that drifted through the
French windows that led to the flower-bedecked balcony and they matched
the quilted satin coverlet that covered the high wide bed. Cut-glass
vases containing fresh red rosebuds graced the gleaming tops of the
bureau and ivory-inlaid vanity.
"How lovely," Juliet said softly. "It is magnificent,
señora."
"I am pleased you like it," Alicia Valaquez responded with
another of her stiff unenthusiastic smiles. "Now, I will leave you.
Fernando will be up with your luggage in a moment and I will send your
maid to help you unpack."
Juliet nodded, then sighed with relief as Señora Valaquez
went out and closed the double doors behind her. Without her dampening
presence, Juliet felt free to explore her new accommodations and after
a quick look at the original painting of an orange grove that hung on
one wall, she wandered out onto the balcony which overlooked another
larger courtyard. Potted palms lined the tiled apron of a huge swimming
pool, with its azure waters sparkling invitingly in the sunlight.
"Is nice here, eh,
niña
?" Rosita
asked as she stepped onto the balcony to join Juliet. "You like to
swim, si? Maybe you wear a teeny little bikini and catch Señor Raul's
eye, eh?"
As Rosita cackled gleefully, Juliet dodged the elbow that
tried to poke her ribs, then shook her head admonishingly. "You're
impossible, Rosita. I don't have a teeny little bikini and even if I
did, I wouldn't wear it to catch any man's eye, especially Raul's."
"But you would like for him to see you as a woman, eh,
niña
?"
Rosita persisted too perceptively. "If you do not wish to wear the
teeny bikini, then you will have
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