The Butterfly Box

by Santa Montefiore

  behind the glass cabinets displaying the china they had just moved, and wished she’d come to her aid. But Harriet felt too ugly to show herself and cowered lower until even Federica couldn’t see her.

  ‘What about one of those china pots, you could buy a plant and present them together?’

  ‘Would you like a plant?’ he asked.

  ‘Of course. All women like plants.’

  ‘I like your ideas, give me another one,’ he said, without taking his eyes off her.

  ‘A painting?’ she suggested, looking up at the patchwork of pictures on the wall.

  ‘I don’t know her taste,’ he said thoughtfully. ‘What about a silver photograph frame or something pretty that she can use?’

  ‘Oh, I know,’ she said, leading him through the shop to a locked glass case that contained exquisite ornate silver frames. ‘This one’s just come in, it’s from China. It’s so delicate, isn’t it? If you don’t know her very well, it’s perfect.’

  ‘You’re a good salesgirl,’ he said, taking the frame from her. ‘If a man gave this to you, would you like it?’

  ‘Of course. If anyone gave it to me, I’d like it.’

  ‘Good, wrap it up then. That was easy.’

  She began to wrap it up with an unsteady hand for his eyes watched her every move with undisguised fascination. ‘Would you like to take it now or shall I have it delivered?’

  ‘I’ll take it now,’ he replied, disarming her with another wide smile.

  ‘Is there anything else you want?’

  ‘I’m not in the mood any more. I’ll come back another time, that will also give me an opportunity to see you again,’ he said in a low voice. Federica frantically searched for something to say, but nothing came. She stood mutely staring back at him. When he left the department a large vacuum remained into which Federica stared as if she were seeing something that no one else could see. Then she breathed again and realized that she had hardly dared breathe at all while Torquil had been beside her.

  The rest of the day passed in an exquisitely somnambulant haze. When she returned to the flat she couldn’t recall a single thing that had happened after Torquil Jensen had left, but she remembered every word of their conversation

  as if she had learnt it all by heart. As she sat enjoying a glass of wine with Hester and Molly, the doorbell rang. Hester answered it to find a delivery boy with two packages for Federica. When Federica saw the size of the second package she began to tremble. It was a large plant in a blue and white china pot, like the one she had recommended to Torquil that morning.

  ‘Who’s this all from?’ Hester gasped in amazement.

  ‘This will look divine in the flat,’ said Molly, taking it from Federica and placing it in the sitting room where she proceeded to unwrap it. ‘What’s in the other package?’

  ‘I imagine it’s a silver photograph frame,’ said Federica in amazement.

  ‘How do you know?’ Hester asked.

  ‘I just do.’

  ‘Well, come on,’ said Molly impatiently, flicking ash into the gas fire. ‘It won’t open by you staring at it.’

  Federica carefully peeled off the paper and pulled out the delicate frame imported from China. ‘It’s stunning,’ Hester gasped in admiration. ‘Look, it’s got birds carved into it,’ she added, running her hand over it in wonder.

  ‘That would look good in the sitting room too,’ said Molly, dragging on her

  cigarette.

  But Federica held it tightly. Til put the photograph of Papa in there.' she said firmly. ‘It’s going beside my bed.’

  ‘Goodie.' Hester exclaimed. ‘I can enjoy it too.'

  Federica hurried along the corridor to her bedroom and closed the door behind her. She could hear the whisperings of Molly and Hester who were curious to know who had bought her such expensive gifts. But she ignored them and sat on the bed to carefully exchange her father’s frame for the new one. She ran a fond finger over his handsome face and noticed how Torquil’s dark looks resembled Ramon’s. The same raven hair, the same olive skin and the same generous mouth. But their eyes were very different. Ramon’s were black and mysterious like the universe, whereas Torquil’s were light and shimmering like a shallow green pool. She set the photograph into the frame and placed it on the side table, then sat back and admired it. That was how Hester found her, gazing transfixed into her father’s hidden world.

  ‘I don’t want to disturb you,’ she said, waking her friend from her trance.

  ‘No, no, that’s fine.’ Federica pulled her eyes away.

  ‘Who is he?’ she asked. ‘I imagine he’s a “he”,’ she giggled.

  ‘My God, Hester. You should see him. He’s the most beautiful man I’ve ever laid eyes on,’ she said emphatically, lying back against the pillows. ‘He’s tall and dark with the palest green eyes. When he smiles my stomach turns over. I feel I’ve been hit by a lorry.’

  ‘More like one of Cupid’s arrows.’ She chuckled, settling onto her own bed. ‘Where did you meet him?’

  ‘He’s the nephew of the man who owns St John and Smithe. Thankfully, he’s not short and bald like his uncle.’

  ‘So, he just came into the shop?’

  ‘Yes, I thought he was a shoplifter because he wore a biker helmet, so I called Nigel Dalby down to check him out, it was really embarrassing.’

  ‘Well, he obviously didn’t take offence.’

  ‘No, he was amused.’ She smiled, recalling the moment.

  ‘Very amused, I can see,’ said Hester, admiring the frame. ‘He’s smitten too.’

  ‘I think he’s smitten by a lot of women.’

  ‘How old is he?’

  ‘Old,’ Federica replied and blushed.

  ‘Okay, how old. Fifty?’

  ‘No, more like late thirties.’

  ‘Hmm, that’s old,’ Flester agreed, but she couldn’t hide her admiration.

  ‘But mature, confident, settled,’ Federica breathed and bit her lip anxiously.

  ‘You mean, rich and secure. Someone who will look after you and take away all your troubles with one twinkle of an engagement ring.’ She laughed.

  ‘No, just more grown up than the boys I usually meet.’

  ‘God, how exciting. I can’t believe it,’ Hester enthused, clasping her hands together.

  ‘Neither can I.’

  ‘What are you going to do?’

  ‘I don’t know.’ Federica sighed and a shudder of excitement momentarily debilitated her whole body. ‘I don’t think I’ll get much sleep tonight.’

  ‘Oh, your fickle heart,’ Hester laughed, getting up slowly.

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘To think you were in love with Sam,’ she said, smiling at her friend. ‘I was rather hoping he’d make you into a proper member of our family.’

  ‘Oh, really, Hester,’ Federica replied dismissively, shaking her head. ‘That childhood crush was over long ago.’

  ‘Well, it’s certainly over now, isn’t it?’ she said. Then she shrugged her shoulders in resignation before leaving Federica alone with her thoughts.

  The following day Federica arrived at the shop with her cheeks aflame, fearing that everyone would know Torquil had sent her those gifts the night before. But Greta demanded a department meeting and gave them all an angry lecture about how to behave on the shop floor and how not to stand in huddles gossiping when there were customers to be looked after. No one noticed Federica’s furtive eyes as they shifted from one face to the next before settling on the carpet where they relaxed their focus and hovered in the space between the floor and the vivid images of Torquil that she caressed secretly in her mind.

  When the doors opened at ten Federica received a telephone call. She picked up the receiver with a thumping heart.

  ‘Good morning,’ said Torquil in a buoyant voice. ‘Did you receive my gifts?’ ‘Yes,’ Federica replied, trying to sound calm. ‘You shouldn’t have.’

  ‘Of course not. But it gave me pleasure,’ he
replied, touched by her obvious

  nervousness.

  Thank you.’

  ‘I know it’s a little hasty, but I couldn’t help myself. Will you forgive me?’

  Federica laughed to cover her embarrassment. ‘Of course.’

  ‘I know this is also a bit hasty, but will you allow me to take you out tonight?’

  ‘Oh, I ..

  ‘Please don’t say no, you’ll break my heart,’ he pleaded.

  ‘Well ..

  ‘It’s the only way I can get to know you. I can’t keep coming into the shop, can I?’

  Federica giggled. ‘Okay, that would be lovely,’ she agreed, fanning her face with the pad of order forms.

  ‘I’ll pick you up at eight at your flat. I’ve something special planned for you,’ he said. ‘Wear something warm.’

  ‘Okay,’ she replied, curious to know the nature of a surprise that required her to wear ‘something warm’.

  ‘I’ll see you then,’ he added.

  Federica put down the telephone and stood staring about her as if the world

  suddenly looked different. It frightened her.

  When Greta summoned Federica into her office, she knew her boss had found out about the call and began to apologize, anxious not to lose her job. But Greta silenced her with a single slice of her cold blue eyes. ‘It must not happen again. You know all the telephone calls are monitored in this company. It is for your own good that I tell you.’

  ‘I’m sorry,' said Federica.

  ‘If you want to receive a personal call you must tell them to telephone you at lunchtime in the staff quarters. If it is urgent they can call my office and I will pass on a message. If everyone in the company received personal calls no one would be on the floor. Do I make myself clear?’

  ‘Yes, Greta.’

  ‘Good. I don’t want to have this conversation again.’

  Federica was too afraid of upsetting Harriet to tell her about Torquil. So she went about her day as normal, hiding the churnings of a stomach turned to liquid and the rapid pumping of her heart that gave her twice as much energy as

  everyone else. By the afternoon she could barely concentrate on even the simplest task and was relieved when she was finally able to calm her nerves in the scented water of a deep aromatherapy bath.

  Molly cancelled the drinks she had planned with a couple of friends from university and hovered with her sister by the window to catch a glimpse of the dark stranger who was courting their friend.

  Federica had nothing glamorous to wear. Her wardrobe consisted of sensible work suits. So Molly leant her a cream cashmere polo neck to go with black jeans and Hester offered her the new sheepskin coat she had bought in Harvey Nichols. But when the shiny Porsche drew up outside the flat and the immaculately dressed Torquil stepped out in a pair of black suede trousers, which he wore over boots, Molly knew someone would have to take Federica in hand.

  ‘Christ, he’s a knock-out,’ Molly exclaimed, her mouth agape.

  Hester rushed to her sister’s side. ‘Wow, Fede, is it really him?’ she squealed in amazement. ‘You lucky thing.’

  Federica stalled by the door, trembling. ‘I’m so nervous, I feel sick,’ she said hoarsely. ‘I won’t know what to say.’

  ‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ said Molly sharply. ‘Of course you’ll know what to say. Just because he’s handsome doesn’t mean he’s different from everyone else. He’s probably just as nervous.’

  ‘Enjoy it, Fede,’ said Hester encouragingly. ‘Let him entertain you, that’s what Mummy always says.’

  ‘He’s bloody gorgeous,’ Molly sighed, lighting a cigarette and wishing he had seen her first. ‘Just don’t be innocent. He’ll be expecting a sophisticate.’ ‘Oh, God, Molly,’ she wailed. ‘You’re making me even more nervous.’

  ‘Well, if you don’t go out now he’ll drive off and that’ll be that,’ Molly added bossily. ‘Go on!’

  When Federica descended the steps onto the street, her pale face and anxious eyes were illuminated by the incandescence of the street lamps and Torquil felt as if his stomach was floating inside his belly, lifting him off the ground. She walked up to him with the same shy smile that had made his spirits soar the day before. He greeted her with a kiss and smelt the sweet scent of ylang-ylang that she had put into her bath. ‘You look beautiful,’ he breathed and noticed the colour sting her cheeks with pleasure. Then he opened the door and

  watched her settle onto the tanned leather seat. As he closed it and walked around to the other side of the car he cast his eyes up to the window where the faces of Molly and Hester were pressed up against the glass and waved. To his amusement the faces disappeared like a couple of apparitions.

  ‘I’m glad you dressed warmly,’ he said, turning the key in the ignition and pulling out into the road.

  ‘Where are we going?’ she asked.

  ‘Surprise,’ he replied and she watched his profile as he grinned with satisfaction.

  ‘You like surprises, don’t you?’ she said.

  ‘As long as I’m the one doing the surprising. Don’t ever think about surprising me. I won’t like it.’

  ‘I’ll remember that.’

  They drove along the Embankment towards Parliament Square. It was a cold, dry night. The sky sparkled above the hazy glow of a city that is never dark and the crescent of the moon floated on the surface of the Thames like the ghost of a sunken ship. Federica could not have hoped for a more romantic night. She

  opened the window and let the cool air brush away her nervousness. Torquil parked the car and pulled a wicker basket and rug out of the trunk.

  ‘What’s that for?’ she asked in amusement.

  ‘All part of the surprise,’ he said, raising an eyebrow. ‘Follow me and you’ll find out.’ She followed him to a gap in the wall beside the Thames and descended the damp steps towards a pretty red boat that bobbed up and down on the swell. An old skipper waited with the same philosophical patience as the men of the sea that Federica had grown up with in Polperro and she felt a breath of nostalgia. He nodded to her without smiling and extended his rough hand to help her down onto the deck. She accepted his assistance and stepped onto the boat. Torquil climbed up to the front and threw the rug down.

  ‘There, come on up, we’re going for a long ride,’ he said, watching her smile in delight. He took her hand to steady her. ‘It’s much more fun over here, we can see where we’re going for a start,’ he said, moving the picnic basket.

  ‘I can’t believe you’ve organized this for me,’ she exclaimed, sitting down.

  ‘I want to impress you,’ he replied truthfully. ‘Okay, Jack, we’re ready to roll,’ he shouted to the skipper who tapped his cap and disappeared behind the controls. The engine roared before settling into a gentle rattle and they made their

  way down the moonlit Thames.

  Torquil settled down beside her and opened the basket. ‘Let’s start with a glass of champagne, shall we?’ he said, handing her a crystal glass. ‘Have you ever been on the Thames?’

  ‘Only in the car along the Embankment.’ She laughed.

  ‘Good. I’m glad this is a first,’ he said, pouring the champagne into her glass.

  ‘It’s such a stunning night, did you organize that too?’

  ‘I did my best.’

  ‘You did well.’

  ‘I did well finding you,’ he said softly, tapping her glass with his. ‘Here’s to us.’

  Federica sipped the champagne and swallowed her reservations. ‘I gather you met my uncle,’ he said, raising an eyebrow.

  ‘Yes,’ she replied carefully, not wishing to comment on the toad-like man who stalked the shop with an inflated self-importance that was both unnecessary and absurd.

  ‘He liked you.’

  ‘Oh?’

  ‘He has very good taste. He’s perceptive about people. That quality runs in the family.’ Then he looked at her with predatory eyes, admiring her lack of sophistication. ‘You’re too innocent to have bee
n brought up in London. Were you raised in Chile?’

  ‘Only until I was seven, then I was brought up in Cornwall.’

  ‘From the sublime to the ridiculous,’ he chuckled. ‘That’s why you’re different. A bit Latin, a bit Cornish. Something of a mongrel,’ he joked. ‘I like mongrels,’ he added, draining his glass. ‘I’m not a mongrel. I hope you like pure-blooded Englishmen.’

  ‘Of course I like Englishmen. I don’t know many Latin men. I left when I was young,’ she explained.

  ‘And now you’re old,’ he smirked. ‘I’d hazard a guess that you’re eighteen,’ he said, taking the bottle out of the basket and refilling their glasses.

  ‘You’re right,’ she replied in surprise. ‘Do you know everything?’

  ‘Like I said, I’m a perceptive old devil.’ He put on a cockney accent.

  Federica laughed. ‘Then, I guess you’re about thirty-five,’ she said and sipped the champagne.

  ‘Wrong, I’m afraid, I’m much older than that. I’m thirty-eight. Far too old for you.’

  Federica felt her stomach plummet with disappointment. She wondered what he meant by that and if he really felt he was too old for her, why had he asked her out in the first place?

  ‘Let’s have something to eat,’ he suggested, pulling out a couple of plates of toast, foie gras and caviar.

  The boat moved slowly down the Thames, under bridges which cast ominous shadows over the water, past the Tower of London and on into the darkness. They ate the picnic and opened another bottle of champagne. ‘I was brought up by my father and stepmother, my natural mother died when I was a little boy,’ Torquil said casually.

  ‘I’m so sorry,’ said Federica, feeling the full extent of his loss. Although her father hadn’t died he had barely shown much sign of life in the last ten years.

  ‘Oh, I was too small to understand and then Cynthia came along. She’s been a good mother to me. You see, she was unable to bear children so she adored me to compensate. Being an only child I’ve been spoilt all my life.’ He said this