Page 163 of The Seven Sisters
‘It’s a beautiful parting gift to give his daughters. Your father sounds as if he was an interesting man,’ Floriano said, sitting down again next to me.
‘He was, even though since his death I’ve realised we girls knew so little about him. He was an enigma,’ I shrugged. ‘And admittedly, I keep asking myself what he was doing in Brazil when I was born. And why it wasmehe chose.’
‘That’s a little like asking why a soul chooses its parents, or why it was you who was chosen to translate my book, which is where it all began for us. Life is random, Maia, a lottery.’
‘Maybe it is, but do you believe in fate?’ I asked him.
‘A month ago, I’d almost certainly have said no. But I’ll let you into a little secret,’ he said, taking my hand. ‘Just before I met you, it was the anniversary of my wife’s death and I was feeling very low. Remember, like you, I’d been alone for a long time. I remember standing on the edge of my roof terrace, and gazing up at theCristoand the stars above it. I called out to Andrea and asked her to send someone to me who would give me a reason to go on. A day later, my publisher passed on your email, asking me to take care of you while you were in Rio. So yes, Maia, I believe youweresent to me. And I to you.’ He squeezed my hand, then in the way he always did when a moment had become too serious, lightened the mood by saying, ‘Although having seen the way you live, I’m not expecting you back at my tiny apartment any time soon.’
Eventually, we walked back and Marina, even though I’d told her not to bother with supper, intercepted us on the way up to the Pavilion.
‘Claudia has made a bouillabaisse which is on the warmer in the kitchen if either of you are hungry.’
‘I am,’ Floriano said eagerly. ‘Thank you, Marina. Will you join us?’ he asked her in stilted French.
‘No thank you, Floriano, I’ve already eaten.’
We sat in the kitchen eating the delicious bouillabaisse, both suddenly aware that this would be our last supper together. As he had already extended his time in Europe, with Valentina’s grandparents kindly agreeing to have her a little longer, I knew he must return home to his daughter. And I . . . well, I didn’t know.
After supper, I took him into Pa’s study to show him what I’d always thought was the best photograph of him and us six girls. And I named all my sisters for him.
‘You’re all so very different,’ he commented. ‘And your father was an attractive man too, wasn’t he?’ Floriano added as he replaced the photograph on the shelf. As he did so, something caught his attention. He stood for a few seconds staring at it intently. ‘Maia, have you seen this?’ He beckoned me over and pointed to the statuette sitting on the shelf amongst Pa Salt’s collected personal treasures. I stared at it, realising why he had asked me.
‘Yes, many times, but it’s just a copy of theCristo.’
‘I’m not so sure . . . May I take it down?’
‘Of course,’ I said, wondering why he seemed so interested in a statuette that was sold by the thousand for a few reais in any tourist shop in Rio.
‘Look how finely this is sculpted,’ he said, his fingers brushing the grooves of theCristo’s robe. ‘And look here.’ He pointed to the base, which I could see had an inscription on it.
Landowski
‘Maia,’ he said, his eyes full of genuine wonder. ‘This isn’t any old mass-produced copy. It’s signed by the sculptor himself! Don’t you remember in Bel’s letters to Loen that she talked of the miniature versions Heitor da Silva Costa had Landowski make before they settled on the final design? Here,’ he said as he passed it to me and I took it into my hands carefully, surprised at its heaviness. My own fingers traced the delicately sculpted features of theCristo’s face and hands. And I knew Floriano was right, that this was the work of a master craftsman.
‘But how on earth would Pa have got hold of it? Maybe he bought it at auction? Or maybe it was a gift from a friend? Or . . . I really don’t know,’ I said as I lapsed into a frustrated silence.
‘Those might be possibilities. But apart from those owned by the Landowski family, the only other two known surviving statuettes are owned by Heitor da Silva Costa’s relatives. It would have to be authenticated, of course, but what a find!’
I saw the excitement brimming in Floriano’s eyes. I understood he was seeing this through an historian’s eyes, whereas I was merely trying to work out how my father had come across it in the first place. ‘I’m sorry, Maia, I’m getting carried away,’ Floriano apologised, ‘and I’m sure you’ll want to keep it anyway. Would anyone mind if we took it with us into your Pavilion just for tonight? I’d like the privilege of staring at it for at least a while longer.’
‘Of course we can. Everything in this house belongs to us sisters now, and I doubt the others would mind.’
‘Then let’s go to bed,’ he whispered, reaching out to stroke one of my cheeks gently with his fingers.
*
I slept badly that night, a pall falling over me at the thought of Floriano leaving tomorrow. Even though I’d told myself firmly to take our relationship one moment at a time, as the hours ticked past towards morning, I found I could not. I turned over and watched Floriano sleeping peacefully next to me. And then thought of how, when he left Atlantis, my life here would revert to exactly how it had been before I left for Rio.
Floriano and I had barely talked of the future, and certainly not in terms of concrete plans. Even though I knew hedidfeel something for me, as he’d told me so many times when he’d made love to me, it was very early days in our relationship. And given we lived on opposite sides of the world, I had to accept that the chances were that it would simply peter out and become no more than a fond memory.
I thanked God when the alarm went off and the long night was finally over. I jumped out of bed immediately and went to shower as Floriano dozed on, frightened of any postmortem or meaningless conciliatory words he might speak to me on the imminent parting of our ways. Dressing quickly, I announced to him that I was off to the kitchen to make breakfast, as Christian would be waiting at the launch in twenty minutes. Then, as he appeared in the kitchen a few minutes later, I left the room hurriedly, telling him I had to go up to the main house and that I’d see him down by the pier in ten minutes.
‘Maia, please . . .’ I heard him call, but I was already out of the front door and walking fast along the path towards the house. When I got there, unable to face Marina or Claudia, I locked myself in the downstairs cloakroom, willing the minutes on my watch to pass so that the moment he left would be over soon. With only a few seconds to spare until the launch left, I emerged, opened the front door and walked down across the lawns, seeing Floriano was already there talking to Marina.
‘Where have you been,chérie? Your friend has to board the launch immediately or he will miss his flight.’ Marina gave me a quizzical stare before turning her attention to Floriano. ‘It’s been a pleasure to meet you and I hope we’ll be seeing you back at Atlantis soon. Now, I’ll leave you two to say goodbye.’
‘Maia,’ Floriano said as Marina left us. ‘What is it? What’s wrong?’
