Part 23 (1/2)

'Really better.'

Aimee, in a plain red dress that she and Signora Bardini had bought together, took up a position in the centre of the room. Otmar leaned against the pillar of an archway. The fear was still in his eyes, but it had calmed a little.

'Feel like that long journey soon?' Mr Riversmith was asking Aimee in the artificial voice some people put on for children. 'Tiring, you know, being up in the air like that.'

'You want to rest?' She stumbled slightly over the words, and then repeated them. 'You want to rest, Uncle?'

'It's just that we mustn't hurry your uncle,' I quietly interjected. 'He needs a little breathing s.p.a.ce before turning round to go all that way back again.'

The conversation became ordinary then, the General in his courteous way continuing to ask our visitor the conventional questions that such an occasion calls for: where it was he lived in the United States, if he had children of his own? You'd never have guessed from the way he kept the chat going with Mr Riversmith that the General's courage had deserted him, that he could not bring himself to visit an empty house or even to expose himself to the talk of solicitors.

'Virginsville,' Mr Riversmith responded, giving the name of the town where he resided. 'Pennsylvania.'

He supplied the name of the nearby university where he conducted his research with the creatures he'd mentioned. I was right in my surmise that no children had been born to Francine and himself.

'Nor to my daughter,' the General said.

In response to further politeness, Mr Riversmith revealed that his wife had children, now grown up, by a previous marriage. I asked if he'd been married before himself, and he said he had. Then he went silent again, and the General saved the situation by telling him about the garden that was planned. In a corner Otmar and Aimee were whispering together, playing their game with torn-up pieces of paper. The General mentioned the names of various plants moss phlox, I remember, and magnolia campbellii magnolia campbellii. He wondered if tree peonies, another favourite of his wife's, would thrive in Umbrian soil. Trial and error he supposed it would have to be. Enthusiastically, he added that Quinty had discovered a motorized plough could be hired locally, with a man to operate it.

'I have little knowledge of horticultural matters,' Mr Riversmith stated.

As he spoke, for some reason I imagined 5 May in Virginsville, Pennsylvania. I imagined Mr Riversmith entering his residence, and Francine saying: 'One of those bomb attacks in Italy.' Easily, still, I visualize that scene. She is drinking orange juice. On the television screen there is a wrecked train. 'How was your day?' she asks when he has embraced her, as mechanically as he always does when he returns from his day's research. 'Oh, it was adequate,' he replies. (I'm certain he chose that word.) 'They're colonizing quite remarkably at the moment.' Her Her day has been exhausting, Francine says. She had difficulty with the hood of the Toyota, which jammed again, the way it has been doing lately. No terrorist group claimed responsibility, the television newscaster is saying. day has been exhausting, Francine says. She had difficulty with the hood of the Toyota, which jammed again, the way it has been doing lately. No terrorist group claimed responsibility, the television newscaster is saying.

'Does your wife research into ants too, Mr Riversmith?' I asked because another lull hung heavily and because, just then, I felt curious.

Before he replied he drew his lips together stifling a sigh, it might have been, or some kind of nervous twitch. 'My wife shares my discipline,' he managed eventually. 'Yes, that is so.'

Weeks later, it would have been the local police in Virginsville who supplied the information that those television pictures concerned him more than either he or Francine had thought. That scene came clearly to me also, still does: the officers declining to sit down, sunlight glittering on their metal badges. 'Italy?' The staccato tightness of Thomas Riversmith's voice seems strained to the policemen, and even to himself. 'The little girl's out of hospital, sir,' one of the men informs him. 'She's being looked after in a local house.' Still numbed, Mr Riversmith mumbles questions. Why had the explosion occurred? Had it in any way to do with Americans being on the train? Had those responsible been apprehended? 'My G.o.d!' Francine exclaims, entering the room just then. 'My G.o.d! G.o.d!'

We had dinner on the terrace. Mr Riversmith stirred himself and with an effort admired the view.

The next morning Dr Innocenti went through for Mr Riversmith his lengthy account of Aimee's progress. From the doctor's tone and from Mr Riversmith's responses, it was clear that much of what had already been said on the telephone was being repeated. Patiently, Dr Innocenti confirmed and elucidated, expanding when he considered it necessary. In the end he said he saw no reason why the return journey should not be made as soon as Mr Riversmith felt ready for it. He himself had done all he could for the child. Making what for him was quite a little speech, Mr Riversmith thanked him.

'One thing I'd like to raise, doctor. Aimee insists she didn't paint those pictures.'

'She doesn't know she did, signore.'

'The German '

'It's good that Otmar helps.'

'Aimee and Otmar have become friends,' I said.

Mr Riversmith frowned. Impatience flitted through his features. It was that, I realized then, that made him seem cross from time to time. Impatience was his problem, not nerves. He held his seriousness to him, as though protectively, as though to cover his impatience. But sometimes it was not up to the task and a kind of irritated fustiness resulted.

'Non importa, signore,' Dr Innocenti a.s.sured him. 'The pictures are only pictures. Colour on paper.'

'Mr Riversmith does not perhaps understand,' I suggested, 'because he has not observed his niece's recovery.'

'Yes,' Dr Innocenti agreed. For once uncharacteristically vague, he added: 'We must hope.'

That afternoon Mr Riversmith wrote the necessary cheques, for the hospital and for Dr Innocenti. He made arrangements for a gravestone, and paid for it in advance.

Then there was an unexpected development. In one of his many conversations with Aimee Dr Innocenti had described to her the city of Siena, of which he is a native. He had called it the proudest of all Italian cities, full of mysterious corners, sombre and startling in turn: before she returned to America she must certainly visit it. 'You haven't yet?' he'd chided her in mock disappointment that morning. 'Won't you please your old friend, Aimee?'

Later Otmar brought the subject up in the salotto salotto. Aimee had promised Dr Innocenti, he reported, but was too shy to ask.

'Siena?' her uncle said.

It wasn't far, I explained. An excursion could easily be arranged. 'It's a pity not to visit Siena.'

Quinty would drive us. The General would accompany us in the hope of purchasing some gardening books that Quinty might translate for him.

'Would you object to an early start,' I questioned Mr River-smith, 'in order to avoid the worst of the heat?'

He agreed quite readily to that, though briefly, without elaborating on his sleeping habits as another person might. I couldn't help wondering if Francine was like that too.

'Quinty'll wake you with a cup of tea at half-past six.' I lowered my voice and glanced about me, for this was something I didn't wish the others to overhear. It would be the first time we had all done something together, I confided. 'Since the outrage we haven't had the confidence for much.'

I don't know whether Mr Riversmith heard or not. He simply looked at me, and again I had the impression that he stifled a sigh. It surprised me that Francine, or his previous wife, hadn't ever told him that this habit of his seemed rude.

9.

Soon after seven the next morning I observed the General pointing out to Mr Riversmith the features of the motor-car that Quinty has a habit of referring to as his, although, of course, it belongs to me. The old man drew attention to the huge headlights, the chromium fastenings of the luggage-box and of the canvas hood, now folded down. I heard him say that motor-cars were no longer manufactured with such panache and pride. Mr Riversmith no doubt considered it antique. He said something I did not catch.

I had chosen for our excursion a wide-brimmed white hat and a plain white dress, with black and white high-heeled shoes, black belt and handbag. On the gravel expanse in front of my house I greeted the two men, and in a moment Otmar and Aimee appeared, Aimee in the red dress she'd been wearing the evening her uncle arrived. To my amazement, Rosa Crevelli came out of the house also, clearly attired for the outing, in a flowered green outfit with lacy green stockings to match.

'Look here,' I began, drawing Quinty aside, but he interrupted before I'd even mentioned the girl's name.

'You agreed it was OK,' he said. 'When we asked you last night you said the more the merrier.'

'I said no such thing, Quinty.'

'You did, you know. I remarked it would make an outing for the girl. I remarked she was looking peaky these days.'

I firmly shook my head. No such conversation had taken place.

'You had a drink in at the time, signora.'

'Quinty '

'I'm sorry.'

He hung his head the way only Quinty can do. He protested that neither he nor the girl would offend me for the world; he'd maybe misheard when he thought I'd said the more the merrier.

'You're coming with us in order to drive the car,' I pointed out. 'It's different altogether for a maid to tag along. There's neither rhyme nor reason in it.'