Sophie's Secret by Anne Weale

Author:Anne Weale [Anne Weale]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781459269811
Publisher: Harlequin

‘I’m feeling a bit below par. I think I’ll take the day off,’ Michael announced after breakfast.

‘Yes, why don’t you?’ Sophie agreed, trying not to show her concern.

For some time past she had suspected that her grandfather wasn’t well. His energy had diminished. He was often tired. Sometimes he was short of breath. But when she’d suggested a check-up he’d dismissed the idea and claimed to be perfectly well and just beginning to feel his age.

He had married late, and when Sophie had come into his care, at the age of three, was already in his sixties. For most of his life he had been one of the world’s top fashion artists, ranking with Eric, Bouché and Gruau, discovered by Vogue while he was still at art school and remaining a frequent contributor to their pages and those of other glossy magazines for several decades.

Three factors had contributed to his becoming a street artist in Venice. In the sixties drawings had lost favour with fashion editors, and then an accident had resulted in the loss of his arm. In the seventies his son and daughter-in-law had died in an Atlantic storm. He had been living in Venice at the time, with his boat in a nearby marina, and for the next few years he and his grandchild had moved from hotel to hotel, each one cheaper than the last. Eventually they had taken to living on the boat, their funds still steadily dwindling.

In competition with many local artists trying to eke a living selling picturesque views to the tourists, he augmented his income by drawing exaggerated portraits with his left hand.

Three times a week, throughout the steadily expanding tourist season, he spent all day on the Riva, taking Sophie with him. She did not go to school but was given lessons by Michael. By living abroad they escaped any intervention from what he called ‘interfering busybodies’, whether official or otherwise.

Michael spent the morning quietly, but soon after lunch could not hide his breathlessness. He admitted to having unpleasant sensations in his chest and went to lie down. Presently she heard him groan and went into his cabin to find him, grey-faced and sweating, with a pain shooting up his arm.

‘I think I’m having a heart attack.’ He began to shiver.

Sophie tucked a blanket round him and fetched the pillow from her cabin. ‘I’ll go and get help. Don’t move. Don’t exert yourself.’

Panic-stricken, but trying to keep calm, she hurried on deck and sprang ashore, scanning the channel in both directions in the hope of seeing a fast boat which could transport Michael to hospital. But there was nothing to be seen but the wide expanses of reed beds and skyreflecting water.

The only option was to run like a hare to the locanda and ask them to telephone for a water ambulance. Or, with luck, there might still be a motoscafo there—one of the expensive water taxis which brought tourists who could afford them to visit the island.

She was only a short way along the path leading to the locanda when she saw a motorboat coming towards her.

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.