The Hawthorne Heritage by Teresa Crane

Author:Teresa Crane
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781788633598
Publisher: Canelo Digital Publishing Ltd
Published: 2019-01-09T05:00:00+00:00

* * *

Numero 3D, via Condotta, was a surprise, and a delightful one. Though now much-neglected it had once been the reception rooms of a small palace. Marble-floored, ornately-ceilinged, the rooms, though smaller, were as splendidly proportioned as any in New Hall. As the swarthy, ill-tempered-looking caretaker threw open the vast double-doors that led from a landing at the top of a wide, dark sweep of staircase that must once have seen the grandeur of palatial comings and goings Jessica gaped like a child.

‘Good Lord!’ Robert said.

Tall shuttered windows led to a balcony that overlooked the narrow street. Ornate, fly-specked mirrors reflected, floor to ceiling, the slatted golden shafts of the setting sun. The furniture was ramshackle and barely filled the place, and the sorry curtains hung in ragged holes. In the centre of the gracious but empty reception hall their trunks stood stacked, a small lonely island in a sea of smooth marble.

Robert turned to the man. ‘Thank you, Signor. This will do very well.’

The man grunted but made no move to go.

Jessica cocked an eye at Robert, who reached into his pocket. The gnarled fist closed over a small coin – a paoli – and without thanks the man turned and left.

Jessica, all tiredness forgotten, danced a few steps. ‘Robert – this is magnificent! And at such a rent! We can buy furniture, and curtains, and it will be truly beautiful! And Mama thinks we’re starving in a garret!’

Robert strode to the tall windows and flung them back with a clatter. Slanting golden sunlight streamed into the room. The walls were painted with idyllic hunting scenes, the hunting party in the gay clothes of 300 years before, a palace in the distance, pennants streaming gallantly from its towers. Amongst stylized trees and flowers the stag reared, unafraid, frozen in lordly defiance of the puny hounds that snapped at his heels. The cobweb-hung ceiling was ornately gilded. Jessica clapped her hands. ‘A palace! Our very own palace!’ She turned to him, laughing, and stopped, struck to stillness by the expression on his face.

He reached for her hand, smiling. ‘That’s the first real laughter I’ve heard since Vienna,’ he said.

She flushed. ‘Don’t. Don’t talk about it. We’re here. A new start. We don’t have to talk about it.’ He held her hand a moment longer, studying her face, his eyes serious, then stepped back, letting go her hand.

Jessica ran to the window and looked down into the street. Carts rolled by on the smooth, flat paving. A horseman, bravely dressed in red and blue glanced up, caught her eye and bowed gallantly from the saddle. In her excitement she smiled shyly back, and was rewarded by the gleaming flash of white teeth. Children shrieked along the road, playing some game of battle, the unknown liquid tongue of Tuscany echoing in her, rattling from the high walls and closed shutters of the narrow street. A spired church stood at the corner, ornate and graceful. Florence. She was in Florence at last.

Robert

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.