The House by the Sea by Louise Douglas

Author:Louise Douglas [Douglas, Louise]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Boldwood Books
Published: 2020-02-12T16:00:00+00:00

33

By the time we emerged from the tunnel of undergrowth, Signora Romano had walked into the villa gardens and was standing beside the derelict swimming pool, staring down into it.

‘Who’s that?’ Joe whispered, and I remembered that he hadn’t been there last time she came.

‘Matilde Romano, your mother’s one true childhood friend.’ I reached up to pull a leaf from his hair. ‘Grandma Mouse. Our potential buyer.’

‘She looks too old to be Anna’s friend.’

It was true that Signora Romano, in appearance, seemed old for a woman in her mid-sixties, which must be all she was, if she was the same age as Anna.

‘She has a hard life,’ I whispered. ‘She looks after her house-bound father.’

‘The puppet maker?’

‘Yes.’

Matilde Romano must have caught the sound of our voices, because she looked up. She trotted towards us, little girlish footsteps, her handbag hooked over her wrist in a way that reminded me of the mincing women in 1960s TV sitcoms. ‘The gates were open so I came in,’ she said, ‘but I was worried that nobody was home.’

‘Well, here we are,’ I said brightly. ‘Joe, this is Signora Romano. Signora Romano, this is Joe DeLuca, Anna’s son.’

The tiny woman beamed up at Joe. ‘Of course it’s you, Joe. I’d have known you anywhere. You still have the same look of your mother that you had when you were a little boy.’ She tilted her head, robin-like, to one side. ‘Look at you! You have her eyes! The same shape to your ears! I bet you’re like her in personality too. Fun loving? Easily swayed? Always think you know best?’ She said these things so teasingly and affectionately that I laughed. Joe smiled, but I could see he was embarrassed. Matilde Romano’s hand twitched as if she longed to reach out and touch him. ‘It’s uncanny,’ she said, her voice tender with emotion. ‘It’s almost as if Anna was standing here, looking at me from inside you.’

She turned to me then. ‘I texted you, Edith, several times, about the valuation and the agent, but I haven’t heard back from you.’

‘I’m sorry, I—’

‘Did you give me the wrong number?’

‘No, it was the right number.’

The older woman pushed her head forward towards me and frowned. ‘You didn’t reply.’

‘It’s because the villa’s not for sale… yet.’

‘No? Why not?’

Joe and I exchanged glances.

‘We’ve had things to sort out,’ I said.

‘But you told me you wanted to sell it quickly. “The sooner, the better,” you said, and I’m ready and waiting; the cash is in the bank. The whole sale could be arranged this week if we pushed for it.’

‘We’ll let you know when we’re ready,’ Joe said.

Matilde’s frown deepened. The previous friendliness vanished. ‘What am I supposed to do in the meantime? I’ve told my father that we’re coming here. He’s been looking forward to it. He’s old, you know, frail.’

‘I’m sorry…’ I began, but Joe put his hand on my arm.

‘We’ll let you know as soon as we’ve decided on a course of action.’ he said this gently but with conviction, in a way that brooked no further argument.

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