Page 76 of A Summer of Castles

‘That depends on you.’ David said.

‘Me?’

‘Lora gifted them to you. She commissioned Joseph to paint a collection for you.’

‘Me,’ I repeated, aghast. ‘She always intended me to have them?’

‘Yes.’

Joseph drew me into his arms. ‘Yours. The crafty old gal. She always liked to play games.’

Tony laughed, picking up some meaning in Joseph’s remark.

‘What will you do with them?’ Joseph asked. ‘I wanted to give them to you. That’s why I wanted them back.’ The shadow of uneasiness continued to lift from his face, leaving behind an expression of relief and delight.

I opened and shut my mouth, my eyes unfocused and blurry. Words failed me. I had one idea; I wasn’t sure it was right, though.

David blew his nose on a handkerchief. ‘She was a bloody romantic, Lora. Couldn’t stop herself. Thought of herself as modern day Lorenzo de Medici, but really, she was more an idealist and philosopher with a good heart.’

‘And a …’ Tony chipped in an Italian word.

David nodded. ‘Yes, that’s true. She was a visionary.’

Joseph loosened his embrace. I lowered my arms from his shoulders. The choice of word was either deliberate or merely symbolic.

‘Visionary.’ I turned to the mild-mannered Tony. ‘She had visions?’

David translated.

‘Si,’ Tony said, nodding. ‘Like a dream. She dreamt of you, I think. She told me, I have seen a girl with …’

‘Honey,’ translated David. ‘Honey-coloured hair. And English eyes.’

‘English eyes?’ I asked.

‘Blue,’ said Joseph.

‘And where was I?’

Tony blushed and pointed at the paintings. He offered a diplomatic shrug of the shoulders. ‘In them. She dreamed many times of you. But…’ Tony’s face screwed up as he translated, ‘it was for my friend Joseph that she wished happiness.’

Something I already believed. ‘Of course, Joseph—’

‘Me?’

Our voices clashed.

Tony’s filled with tears. ‘She was very sad for you. She wanted you to be happy. You came and painted, and you told her a sad story. She thought that you needed a happy ending. So she gave you the girl with… honey hair.’

‘Me,’ Joseph said again. ‘She commissioned me to paint these as a gift for Robyn? But she couldn’t have known we would meet for sure, or that she was related. It’s too improbable, it doesn’t—’

I hushed him. ‘Don’t think too hard.’ I grinned. ‘Just go with it.’

Tony disappeared.

‘Is he okay?’ I asked David.

‘He has gone to fetch something.’ David said. ‘He’s been so excited at meeting you. Hard to imagine, I know, but he wanted to be sure you wouldn’t be angry with him.’

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