The Spanish Uncle

by Jane Corrie

  Flushed and slightly embarrassed, Mary walked into the room where her hosts awaited her, and her embarrassment heightened when she saw that both the men were impeccably dressed in evening wear, Don Emilio favouring a closefitting jacket and frilled shirt front, while his son Rafael looked resplendent in the more conventional Western styled suit with a plain but expensive white silk shirt.

  She felt bad enough without encountering Rafael's disparaging eyes. 'I do apologise,' she began hesitantly, 'I didn't know ...' although she ought to have known that they would have dressed for dinner, she told herself disparagingly, and if she hadn't overslept, no doubt the idea would have occurred to her; as it was, she had only just been able to make her appearance at the appointed time.

  'Please,' soothed Don Emilio, as he ushered her to her seat at the beautifully polished table now set with , gleaming silver and sparkling glasses, 'don't distress yourself. I must say that white becomes you.'

  Mary sat down and felt a surge of gratitude towards Don Emilio, and the smile she gave, him clearly spoke her thoughts, but her smile froze on her lips when she found that she was' placed opposite Rafael Alvarados, with Don Emilio at the head of the large table. She only wanted to spill her soup or use the wrong cutlery and her disgrace would be complete, she told herself miserably, and she fervently wished that Rafael Alvarados could find some' reason for absenting himself from the villa until their departure. It was obvious that he did not spend much time at his home in Seville being too

  busy running the business side of affairs, as his father had intimated.

  The food, she noticed, with another little spurt of

  gratitude towards Don Emilio, was more on the lines of an English meal, and she was sure that this consideration was due to his intervention, since she knew that the Spaniards were fond of spicy concoctions. She had tasted the faintest suggestion of garlic in the main course and surmised that the idea was to gently break her into the seasoned culinary arts of the household kitchen.

  Quite apart from the fact that she had little appetite, the forbidding presence of the man opposite her completely erased any hope that she would enjoy the dinner, in spite of Don Emilio's determined efforts to put her at her ease. By the time the dinner had ended Mary was certain of one thing, and that was that if Rafael Alvarados intended to make a long stay at home, wild horses would not prevent her from leaving at the earliest given opportunity!

  She was very sorry to disappoint Don Emilio, but there were limits, and she had no intention of leaving Paul with the Alvarados family, inheritance or no inheritance! she thought as she accepted a delicately engraved cup and saucer from Rafael, when they had retired to the salon for coffee.

  The following hour seemed ...to drag for Mary, although Don Emilio kept her busy with questions on one topic or another, with little or no help from his son, who appeared to be in a world of his own and only replied to direct questions put to him by his father in an abortive effort to draw him into whatever subject they were discussing.

  The only reason for his continued presence during that time, Mary discovered, was to keep an eye on his father and make certain that he did not overtire himself, and she knew a surge of relief when he called a

  halt to the proceedings shortly after eleven, remarking in a light but firm voice that it was time that he retired.

  There was no doubt that Don Emilio was tired, although he made a valiant effort to disguise this fact from Mary, but she saw how drawn he was and added her persuasion, saying that she, too, would shortly be going to bed.

  Before he left, Don Emilio mentioned the arrangement that Rafael should take Mary on a tour of the estate, but judging from the frown this produced from Rafael,. Mary assumed that he had not been advised of this. 'I'm sorry, Father,' he said in clipped tones, 'but you must have forgotten that I am due to see the overseer about that extra shipment we require, and I had planned,' he added autocratically, 'to spend most of the day there. There would not be a great deal for Miss Allis to see apart from the wine vats and the bottling operations.' He turned an icy eye on Mary. 'I'm Sure you will forgive me for not complying with my father's suggestion. Had I known of the arrangement ...'

  Mary, .hastily intervened here; she no more wanted his company than he wanted hers, and if he had been going to say that he might have been able to make other arrangements, she knew it would have been a downright lie. As if he would. allow someone like her to forestall his plans 'Please, don't worry about it,' she said sweetly, although. her sparkling eyes belied. her tone, 'there'll be plenty of time for me to see the estate— Paul can show me around.'

  'I had thought of taking Enrique with me,' answered Rafael, swiftly answering the unspoken challenge in Mary's eyes. He looked back at his father standing watching this little interchange with a mixture of exasperation and annoyance at his son's deliberately

  provocative attitude towards Mary. 'Pedro's son is much the same age as Enrique, I thought perhaps they should get acquainted.'

  It appeared to be a suggestion put to his father for his approval at which Don Emilio gave a shrug that plainly said, 'You 'will do as you want, as usual', but there was something in the look that he gave his son that told Mary that he was displeased with him, then he looked back at Mary in an apologetic manner.

  The ball, it appeared, was in Mary's court, and she wanted to throw it out of play with the contempt that she felt at having been put in such a position. However, for Don Emilio's' sake, she decided to give way and with her head held high, she said mildly, 'Very well; it will be nice for Paul to meet someone of his own age,' fervently wanting to add, 'Game, set and match to Rafael Alvarados '

  The following morning Paul was collected shortly after eight by the same elderly servant who appeared to be a cross between a housekeeper and a personal' attendant, and to Mary's surprise he made no objection at being whisked out of her room where he had gone to join her an hour earlier, and bundled into the ad join big bathroom.. A still sleepy Mary had lain listening to the splashing sound of activity emanating from the bathroom, interspersed with Paul's high childish queries on this and that, not a bit put out, Mary thought with a sense of wonder, at the fact that a stranger was seeing to his ablutions. She could hear the old woman's deep voice answering him in English, but every now and again would break into her native tongue, in what sounded like light scolding alternated with endearments.

  Ten minutes later a well scrubbed and anxious to

  be off Paul presented himself for Mary's inspection before being taken down to breakfast, and with a happy,. `Uncle Rafael is going to teach me to ride,' he dashed out of the room as if afraid to be late for this very important occasion, leaving Mary to her own devices.

  She had just finished dressing when she heard the sound of horse's hoofs close by and opened the window shutters and looked out. The sight that net her eyes made her hold her breath in a wonderment that was tinged with sadness that her sister was not there to witness the sight of her son sitting proudly in front of the stiffly erect figure of Rafael Alvarados seated on a magnificent black stallion. A hat had been found for him, Mary saw, not unlike the sombrero type of hat worn by his uncle.

  As Mary's eyes lingered on them taking in again the amazing likeness between uncle and nephew, they both glanced up at her window as if sensing her surveillance, and she stepped back quickly out of sight feeling as if, she had been caught spying on them—and that was ridiculous, she told herself crossly. Why shouldn't she be waiting to see them off? It was a natural thing for any mother to do, wasn't it?

  The memory of, those two upturned laces remained with her for the rest of the morning, Paul's hopeful one, eager to show off, and Rafael's haughty one that clearly said, 'Go about your business, woman, the boy is where he belongs, and the sooner you realise it the better.'

  Mary ate a solitary breakfast laid out on the terrace adjoining the dining room, and she wondered if Don Emilio would request her presence that morning, or whether she would be left to amuse herself. The latter was th
e most agreeable to her in her present mood that

  was one of infinite sadness, for she knew that she had no choice but to do exactly as Don Emilio had asked her to do and stay in Seville.

  It was Paul that mattered, not her, and she knew now that her fears that he would be unhappy were groundless, since it would be she who would make him unhappy should she insist on their returning to England. Not that that would make any difference now to him, he would go where she went because they belonged to each other, but the time would come when he would have to learn that she had deliberately turned her back on his people—not only that, but his inheritance.

  She stared ahead of her at the sweeping lawns and immaculate flower borders on which sprinklers were being trained before the sun's fierce heat penetrated through. Of course they could go back home, and maybe arrange to visit again in the not too distant future, she thought musingly, but was that fair? What would Paul remember of his grandfather? Wouldn't it be harder each time? Links made, then severed; and Paul would find himself torn between two homes.

  If the question were put to him at this moment in time whether he wanted to stay here or go back, Mary knew which he would choose. It wasn't only the excitement of discovery, or of the fact that he was going tb learn to ride. It went much deeper than that. There was a saying, she thought, that summed it up nicely, and that was `to the manner born'. He had instinctively known that he belonged here. Look at the way that he had accepted the old servant's administrations that morning. The old Paul would have had no truck with such goings on and would have been highly indignant, not to mention furious, at what he considered an intrusion on his privacy. Mary was in no doubt that the

  old retainer had been Rafael's and Enrique's nurse all those years ago, and intended to carry on in the same capacity with Enrique's son.

  Last but not least was the undeniable fact that Sheila would have wanted her son to live in the environment in which he belonged. Mary gave a deep sigh. As for herself, it wasn't going to be so easy; she couldn't see herself as a lady of leisure for one .thing, and she certainly couldn't see an amicable relationship blossoming between herself and Rafael Alvarados for another. All she could hope for at that moment was that he would take himself off in the near future and attend to the Alvarados's business ties in London where apparently he had been working when Mary had literally bumped into him.

  As for the future, perhaps she could get herself a job teaching English? At this thought she frowned, and then slowly shook her head. That would not do at all, for quite apart from what she was sure would be Rafael Alvarados's opinion on such a move since his attitude, she was certain, would be one of, 'a mother's place was in the home', particularly as from his point of view there would be no need for her to exert herself in this direction, there was Don Emilio to consider, and his pride, she was also sure, would not countenance her seeking work of any description.

  Having reached, that conclusion Mary saw no point in pursuing that train of thought; she was on that plane again suspended in midair and waiting to alight at some unknown destination. The thought that Rafael Alvarados was the pilot of the plane gave her little comfort. In a sense, she mused; even Don Emilio was a passenger, as was Paul, and neither of them had any control over the chosen route, and it was a chilling

  thought. At least Don Emilio and Paul had nothing to fear, but the same could not be said of her position. She would be dropped off at the first available point, be it desert or jungle, and left to fend for herself.

  In spite of the heat now beginning to make itself felt Mary shivered, and gave herself a mental shake. She was delving into the realms of fantasy, and surely things were not as bad as all that. Perhaps, as Don Emilio had said, their acquaintance would improve in time, however dim the prospect appeared to be right then.

  It was at this point that she received a message from Don Emilio to the effect that he would be gratified if she would take lunch with him at midday, and she sent back her thanks and acceptance.

  As she now had the rest of the morning at her disposal, her thoughts turned towards the fountain that she had seen from her bedroom window, and she went in search of it.

  She eventually found it, as she had noticed earlier, behind a screen of high shrubbery that formed a dark green shaded area for its setting. The area directly around the fountain was paved in pastel tinted tiles of a blue and rose colouring, and directly behind the fountain and shaded by the tall shrubbery was a garden seat that Mary settled herself down on, and watched the cascade of water that spouted out in a high plume of sparkling droplets from a torch held high by a marble figurine carved in the classical style.

  She sat entranced, almost feeling the light spray of the water as it fell in. curtain like droplets over .the still and beautifully carved figure.

  It was a scene that she felt that she would never tire of, and she was quite content to stay there for as long as time permitted, but after a while her thoughts re

  turned to her earlier ruminations on the future. There would be a lot she would have to do now that she had made her mind up about staying. She would have to write to the school and send in her notice. No problem. there, she thought wryly, but plenty of jubilation on a certain person's part!

  Of course, she would have to go back and see to the packing at home, and what was she to do about the house? What if things didn't work out? Where would she be then? Accommodation was not all that easy to find, but if Paul was not going to return with her she would not want a place as large as their present home. Besides, she bit her lower lip, she could not envisage herself living there without him; it would bring back too many memories.

  She felt suddenly breathless as she realised where her thoughts were taking her. It was as if she knew what was going to happen. Paul would stay—and she would go. Not as yet, of course, but at some time in the future. She would have to face up to that fact sooner or later. She had no right to hold on to him any longer than was necessary. Her influence on him would lessen in time, and this was how it should be. It was a lesson that every mother had to learn—how to let go, and Mary had no intention of clinging on to the bitter end. Her hands clenched into small fists by her side. When that time came she would tell Paul that she was not his mother but his aunt, and by that time he would be so immersed in his family background that it would not cause him any heartache.

  As if to avert the inevitable, Mary decided not to do anything about the problem of the house until it was really necessary. If she gave up the lease, she would have to find somewhere to store their furniture, and

  that would be costly. Although, she thought ironically, she would only have to mention this to Don Emilio and he would undoubtedly offer to cover this expense for her, and she did not want this to happen.

  This was not the only reason why she decided, to leave things in abeyance. She might not have a job when she got back, but at least she would have somewhere to live while she sorted herself out. When she did manage to get a job she would probably find a flat for herself near her work, perhaps even be able to find a post that provided living in accommodation with it.

  Beyond that, she refused to contemplate. It was going to be hard for her to start again, to learn to think singularly and not plurally—not to mention the loneliness that this state of being was likely to bring about.

  She got up abruptly and moved away from the fountain, as if by this action alone she could stave off the inevitable. She moved on through the landscaped gardens with a heavy heart, scarcely able to appreciate the bright vista around her.

  As the time neared for her lunch appointment with Don Emilio, she made her way back to the house in a kind of semicircle and discovered a swimming pool, and wondered if Paul had learned of its existence.

  It was surrounded by the same kind of tiling as that around the fountain, and its clear pale blue coloured base was reflected in the water and looked inviting, particularly as the heat of the morning had now reached a high temperature. She ought to have remembered to bring a hat, Mary
thought as she followed a paved path through an avenue of what looked like poplar trees, that provided a screen fox the pool, and led directly to the back entrance of the villa.

  After she had made herself presentable, she went

  receiving

  down to the dining room and found Don Emilio waiting for her on the patio. There was now a large parasol over the table that gave ample protection from the sun's fierce rays.

  At her approach Don Emilio rose out of the cane chair that he had been reclining on while he awaited her arrival, and Mary was again reminded of the difference between father and son. She simply could not see Rafael carrying out such precise courtesy, not where She was concerned anyway, she thought, as she took his hand that was held out to her in greeting.

  Lunch consisted of a large dish of tempting looking prawns and various tiny sandwiches, filled either with some kind of sausage, or shrimp and crayfish, whichever appealed to the palate. Afterwards coffee was served, and Mary could not remember tasting such a delicious beverage, particularly when she thought of the concoction that steamed out of the machine that the school had had installed, and that went by the same name.

  After enquiring after Don Emilio's health and

  the smiling reply that he was feeling better than he had for some time, Mary was reminded of a remark of Rafael's in which he had intimated that his father desperately needed a reason for his recovery and how he was sure that his grandchild's presence would provide that reason.

  It appeared to Mary as she watched the way Don Emilio's eyes lit up at the very mention of his grandson that Rafael's diagnosis had been correct, for already she could see an improvement in him.

  Under these circumstances it was just as well that she had decided to accept Don Emilio's invitation to stay with them. She did not look on it as a subtle kind of