‘Apart from the servants, there is only Guido. But I will be away only a short time. It is better he stays here than endure the journey to Rome and back.’
Connah nodded absently, watching the boy dabbling his hands in the pool while Lowri looked on, telling him something he was listening to intently. ‘They seem to be getting on well enough now.’
Hester could see that. Andrea appeared to be nodding in enthusiastic agreement to something Lowri was saying, then the boy brushed the water from his hands and the pair ran up the garden together.
‘Daddy,’ said Lowri, ‘can Andrea have lunch here? I told him Flavia was making ravioli. He likes that.’
Hester could tell by the look on Connah’s face that he was desperate to laugh, but he nodded gravely. ‘We’d be delighted, Andrea. You too, of course, Luigi.’
‘Alas, I cannot, I must leave soon.’ Luigi beckoned his son close and, with a word of apology to the others, spoke to him at length in rapid Italian, which the boy responded to with much enthusiastic nodding.
‘Don’t worry, we’ll take good care of him, Luigi,’ said Connah.
‘I have no doubt of that. I was merely telling him to behave well and to make no argument when Guido comes for him later.’ Luigi bowed over Hester’s hand. ‘It was a great pleasure once more. I trust my son did not startle you too much.’
‘No, indeed.’ Hester smiled warmly at the boy, who responded in kind, his eyes sparkling. ‘We’ll be glad to have your company, Andrea.’
‘Grazie, signora.’
Lowri leaned against Hester’s shoulder as father and son took leave of each other, watching as Luigi hugged and kissed his son, then came to smile down at her. ‘Thank you for inviting Andrea, Miss Lowri. You are very kind.’
‘No problem,’ she said casually. ‘He can watch one of my DVDs with me after lunch, if he likes.’
Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.
Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».
Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.
Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.