When Summer Fades Page 3

  ‘Hello!’ he called, deeply irritated. ‘This is Carlos Martins. I wish to speak with Miss Sheffield about my cousin Rosa Ramirez.’

  Disregarding the urgency in the caller’s voice, Doreen Sheffield expressed surprise, ‘Ooh, she’s not here, dear, not any more. Celia’s taken her to Sophie’s. We’re away for the weekend, you see … but don’t worry.’

  Don’t worry! Carlos thought, angrily. How could this woman say, don’t worry!

  ‘Like I said, don’t you go worrying about your little cousin,’ Doreen reiterated. ‘Only she’s not so little is she? In fact, she reminds me of that lovely Italian actress. Now … what is her name? Though I don’t suppose you’d know who I was talking about, especially with you coming from Portugal. Wait a minute! Wasn’t she a Sophie too?’

  Carlos didn’t want to wait a minute. He couldn’t afford to. His flight was already boarding. ‘Please!’ he begged, realising it would do no good to lose his temper. ‘If you could give me this – er – Sophie’s telephone number? I have to catch my plane.’

  ‘Then you’d better go Mr Martini. I’ll tell Celia you called and I expect Rosa will ring you from Sophie’s, she’s a pretty little girl too. Such a shame about her father’s business and that dreadful accident…’ In her bewilderment Doreen studied the handset of the phone. How very peculiar, the line had gone suddenly dead.

  With an exasperated sigh Carlos switched off his mobile and hurried for the departure gate.

  *

  ‘So you see Rosa, you’ll be perfectly safe here. It’s only for the weekend and Sophie will take good care of you. I’ll collect you after lessons on Monday. Is that clear?’

  ‘Sim.’ A none too confident voice replied, ‘I stay here with Sophie.’

  Breathing an enormous sigh of relief Celia kissed Rosa on both cheeks before turning to Sophie. Hugging her warmly, she whispered. ‘You’re an angel. Thanks for coming to the rescue. Of course I realize it’s completely ruined your weekend.’

  Trying to remain composed, Sophie’s eyes briefly registered disapproval.

  ‘Look at it from the bright side,’ Celia suggested, cautiously moving to the door before Sophie changed her mind. ‘You’ve only got Rosa for two days. She’ll be my responsibility until next July. This time next week you’ll have forgotten all about her.’

  Pausing on the landing Celia cast a furtive glance in the direction of Lottie and Pearl’s flat. ‘By the way,’ she whispered, ‘I was sorry to hear about you and Gavin. I’d hoped he’d take you away from all this. Mother thought he was charming. Which reminds me I must go. Oh! Before I forget, please tell Rosa to ring Carlos?’

  Waving goodbye, Sophie turned to find Rosa looking anxiously about the tiny flat.

  ‘Gavin? Who eez Gavin who come to take you away? He not take you away and leave Rosa on her own?’

  ‘No,’ Sophie reassured. ‘You’re quite safe here Rosa. But I expect you’ll find my humble abode far removed from your own home in Portugal.’

  With Rosa pondering the words humble, abode and removed, Sophie filled the kettle. ‘Shall we have a cup of tea? Then perhaps you can tell me what you’d like to eat. I expect you must be hungry.’

  Rosa relaxed and gave a beaming smile. ‘Sim, I am very starved. And if you have the Earl Grey, I would be really happy. Celia’s mother make tea the colour of soup!’

  Suppressing a smile, Sophie reached for the tea caddy. ‘Yes, I have the Earl Grey … so if you’d like to slice that lemon? And while I prepare supper, perhaps you can lay the table and tell me what you’d like to do this weekend?’

  Rosa looked up mortified. She’d never laid a table in her life! She’d never had to. Augustina or one of the other maids always did that.

  Misinterpreting her reaction, Sophie thought it quicker to do things herself. Rosa meanwhile could make her phone call. ‘Is Carlos your brother?’ she asked.

  Rosa shook her head and picked up the receiver. ‘No he eez my cousin.’

  ‘He not in office and mobile is sweetch off so I ring secretary,’ Rosa explained moments later with a shrug of her shoulders. ‘She say Carlos go to Milan. She leave message at hotel.’

  *

  Arriving in Milan, Carlos threw his briefcase on the bed and struggled to decipher his assorted messages. What did they all mean? And why had Rosa left the Hamiltons? Whatever the reason he concluded looking at his watch, it was far too late to ring now.

  Early next morning and refreshed from sleep, Carlos peered into the semi-gloom. Spying the discarded messages on his bedside table, he reached for the phone. For his own peace of mind he had to speak to Rosa.

  Sophie stirred sleepily and lifted the receiver. Please, God it wasn’t Gavin ringing at such an unearthly hour?

  ‘Good morning. This is Carlos Martins. I wish to speak with Rosa Ramirez,’ came a deep, self-assured voice. ‘I understand she is staying with your family?’

  ‘Yes, she is,’ Sophie replied, puzzled by the word family, yet at the same time relieved. At least it wasn’t Gavin. ‘Rosa’s still asleep. It is rather early. Do you want me to wake her?’

  Carlos fumbled for his watch. Until now he hadn’t even considered the time.

  ‘No. Don’t do that. I’ll try again in half an hour.’

  ‘Half an hour!’ Sophie groaned, eyes screwed in the direction of the alarm clock. Desperate for sleep she had a horrid feeling that last night when she’d waved goodbye to Celia, she’d also waved goodbye to her long hoped-for, lazy weekend.

  Half an hour later when Carlos rang again Rosa slept through Sophie’s gentle tapping on the bedroom door, and half an hour after that she was taking a bath. Discovering she was still in the bathroom when he made his third, fourth and fifth phone calls, Carlos began to despair.

  ‘Perhaps Rosa could ring you when she’s finished in the bathroom?’

  ‘It will be too late,’ he snapped, deeply irritated, ‘I have a lunch appointment.’

  Lunch! Carlos Martins was already talking about lunch, when as yet – thanks to Rosa – Sophie still hadn’t cleared away the breakfast dishes or had the bathroom to herself.

  ‘Your cousin Carlos has phoned. Five times, in fact,’ Sophie announced coolly, when Rosa eventually appeared, swathed in towels and smelling of Sophie’s favourite perfume. ‘He’s certainly very persistent and also seemed extremely worried.’

  Making a mental note to add the word persistent to her dictionary list, Rosa smiled knowingly. ‘Yes. Of course Carlos worry about me. Before I come to England Grandmother make him promise to look after me.’

  Sophie looked up bemused.

  ‘We are to be married,’ Rosa replied. ‘Next year, Grandmother will announce our engagement to the family.’ In response to Sophie’s raised eyebrows, Rosa began matter of factly. ‘Later we have the marriage and after that the babies and everyone in the family eez happy. Carlos is very generous man. He buy me many presents.’

  ‘I thought you said Carlos was … how can you marry your cousin?

  Rosa laughed, tossing her mane of long, straight hair. ‘I marry Carlos because we are not of the blood. His father eez my uncle – but my mother eez not really my mother – she is stepmother. That makes it OK. It eez seemple.’

  Seemple? Sophie thought. It sounded anything but! In fact it was more like the calypso-style song her father used to sing years ago. If her memory served her correctly it concerned bizarre family relationships. She frowned trying to remember the words.

  Nonchalantly securing the bath towels about her naked torso, Rosa walked to the dining table and picked up the pad and Biro used for all her cousin’s messages.

  ‘I show you the Martins-Ramirez family,’ she said and, hurriedly scribbling a list of names, she joined them together with lines before extending the pad in Sophie’s direction.

  ‘You see, very seemple.’ At the head of the family eez grandmother – grandfather he is dead – and below eez my father and mother. Only my mother is dead also. So I have stepmother. She eez seester to my
uncle and my uncle is father to Carlos and Cristovao. Cristovao is the young, and Carlos the old. They have no mother, she leave!’ Rosa spat angrily. ‘There! Now you know my family.’

  Watching Rosa walk back to the bathroom, wet towels trailing behind her, Sophie studied the sheet of paper in complete bewilderment. The Martins-Ramirez family, she concluded, were most definitely not simple!

  Sitting at the table, Sophie scanned the various names and tried to make sense of it all. Heading the page was Maria-Clara, the grandmother. Below that was her daughter Elisabete (presumably Rosa’s step-mother) and Maria-Clara’s son, Eduardo. Eduardo being Rosa’s uncle, described as "father to Carlos" and Carlos being the cousin who’d spent most of the morning on the phone!

  Totally confused, Sophie began tracing lines with her fingers until she reached the names Rosa and Carlos. She shook her head in disbelief and looked towards the bathroom where Rosa was singing at the top of her voice. Pushing the notepad to one side Sophie gave a derisive snort, convinced she wouldn’t be sounding quite so happy if her dear, departed Grandma Fuller had decided to marry her off to some ancient cousin!

  With a wry smile she turned her attention to the breakfast dishes. Hardly likely in my case she concluded. With no grandmother and certainly no cousins it was her own family who were seemple. ‘No, Rosa dear,’ she grinned, addressing her reflection in the stainless steel butter dish, ‘With only me, Uncle Monty and Aunt Edna it couldn’t be any seempler!’

  ‘Desculpe?’

  Startled and embarrassed, Sophie discovered the newly dressed Rosa was standing in the doorway, examining a broken fingernail.’

  ‘Oh! I was – er – just talking to myself. Trying to think of something – um – simple to cook for lunch.’

  ‘Augustina always talk to herself when she eez cooking.’

  ‘Augustina?’ Sophie’s eyes darted in the direction of the hastily scribbled family tree. Though certainly confusing, she was sure she hadn’t seen the name Augustina. Rosa picked at her broken nail. ‘Augustina is family maid. She look like witch but eez very good cook and go everywhere with us.’

  Obviously not here, Sophie thought ruefully, eyeing assorted wet towels strewn across the floor. What had Celia said? “Only until Monday morning.”

  ‘Would you like an emery board?’ she enquired, resignedly.

  ‘What eez mammary board?’

  Suppressing a smile, Sophie filed her nails with an imaginary nail file. Rosa’s face lit up in understanding. ‘Ah! Yes. Please – if you have?’

  ‘You’ll find one on the dressing table in my bedroom.’

  Moments later, Rosa returned. In one hand she held an emery board and in the other an open ring box, ‘Desculpe, Sophie,’ she questioned, peering at the sapphire and diamond ring. ‘You are to be married also?’

  Completely taken aback, Sophie thought of a suitable reply. If she said no, Rosa would want to know why she had an engagement ring and no fiancé. If she said yes, there could be embarrassing questions about Gavin and when the marriage was going to take place. Her attempt at a reply died on her lips. Fortunately, Rosa had been doing some thinking of her own.

  ‘The man who Celia say come to take you away, he is man who give you ring?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘But you have no photo of young man in bedroom. Only old man. Like me, do you marry old man too?’

  Faintly amused by the assumption it was Gavin’s photo in the bedroom, yet at the same time momentarily annoyed Rosa had been through her possessions, Sophie reached for the ring box and snapped it shut. Pausing only briefly she returned to her bedroom with Rosa in pursuit.

  ‘That photo is of my father on his fiftieth birthday. And the other,’ she explained, sadly, ‘Is my mother when she was in her early twenties.’

  ‘That is you! Surely?’

  ‘No Rosa, it’s not, however, I’m told by my aunt I’m very much like my mother at that age.’

  Rosa picked up the double photo frame. ‘She was very pretty lady. Such kind eyes. You are very pretty and kind also. I tell Carlos when he ring again, he will be very grateful. Now I go shopping.’

  Sophie gaped, open mouthed, ‘Shopping? What about lunch, and what about Carlos? He said he would ring you after lunch.’

  ‘I know,’ Rosa replied, with a dismissive shrug. ‘But I see my friends for shopping, then we eat and go to movies. It eez good way to learn the Eenglish I think.’

  Watching Rosa walk past Lottie and Pearl’s flat where the curtains were still drawn, Sophie closed the door only too aware that Augustina – complete with duster and broomstick – hadn’t yet found her way to Beckford Heath!

  ‘It’s all right for some,’ she groaned, gathering up a collection of damp and soggy towels on her way to the bathroom, where she screwed lids on jars and caps on bottles.

  ‘Rosa Ramirez! I only hope your cousin Carlos knows what he's letting himself in for. Though quite possibly he’ll have an Augustina all of his very own.’

  Her thoughts winging away to the ubiquitous Augustina, she conjured up a picture of the young and vivacious Rosa with an elderly, yet adoring husband, proudly dangling a dark eyed infant on his knee. How the other half live.

  Suddenly catching sight of the kitchen clock Sophie did a double take. A whole hour, she’d spent a whole hour just clearing up the debris left in Rosa’s wake. And she still hadn’t had a bath! Pulling off her sweatshirt and stepping out of her jeans, she closed the bathroom door and turned on the taps. How was it Rosa had described her plans for the rest of the day? “shopping, eat and movies” In her current frame of mind Sophie supposed that was seemply perfect. At least she’d be able to have a long, leisurely soak before her tiresome and unwelcome guest returned.

  ‘Long leisurely soak indeed,’ she muttered grimly, stepping from the bath, snatching a towel and hurrying to the phone. ‘It’s okay. I give up!’ she called, defeated.

  In his hotel room Carlos heard an exasperated female voice echo down the line.

  ‘Rosa’s not here. She’s gone to lunch, which is more than I’ll get today!’

  ‘Desculpe?’

  ‘Not only that – do you realize she’s used up every last drop of my bath oil and all the hot water!’

  ‘I’m very sorry,’ Carlos replied, startled. ‘Perhaps it would be better if I spoke with your parents instead?’

  ‘For your information my parents are dead,’ Sophie said, becoming increasingly more angry with Celia, Rosa and Carlos. ‘And if I don’t get some clothes on I shall probably end up dying of pneumonia!’

  Conscious of the soggy carpet beneath her feet, coupled with the unpleasant sensation of cold water trickling down her body, Sophie hung up the phone, pausing only briefly to consider what she’d just said.

  *

  Ringing Callie several hours later she was full of misgivings.

  ‘But I was so rude to him. It wasn’t Carlos’s fault there was no hot water and Rosa had used all my—’

  ‘Why worry about it,’ Callie broke in. ‘He probably deserved it anyway – if as you say he’d been annoying you all morning. Who did you say he was – Rosas fiancé?’

  ‘Sort of. Rosa mentioned something about her grandmother and an arranged marriage.’

  ‘Arranged marriages in Portugal? Jesus! You’ve got to be joking!’

  ‘Apparently not in Rosa’s case. She says Carlos is extremely kind and generous. It doesn’t seem to bother her that he’s quite old.’

  ‘Blimey! Then he must be loaded. Which means Rosa isn’t at all like you.’

  ‘Why do you say that?’

  Callie hesitated. ‘Well, by all accounts Rosa isn’t madly in love with this Carlos wots-his-name.’

  ‘Actually it’s spelt C-A-R-L-O-S M-A-R-T-I-N-S but pronounced Carlosh Martins as in house martin.’

  ‘So – though not in love with him,’ Callie continued, ‘Rosa’s obviously prepared to marry him and—’

  ‘And?’

  ‘Gavin’s family had pots of m
oney too. Despite that you didn’t let it influence you.’

  Unable to think of a suitable reply, Sophie found herself thinking of Gavin’s parents’ holiday cottage with its gleaming red Aga and cosy surroundings. At least there she’d never had to pick up damp, soggy towels or remove someone else’s hair from the wash basin and bath.

  ‘Sophie? Are you still there?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘So how about it?’

  ‘How about what?’

  ‘Coming round tonight cloth ears! Haven’t you been listening to a word I said? I suggested going to a club or the cinema.’

  ‘Sorry Callie. I think I’d better give it a miss. Something tells me as tomorrow is Sunday, Rosa will be expecting the full Augustina treatment.’

  ‘Augustina? Who the hell’s Augustina?’

  ‘Her grandmother’s maid who, I’m led to believe, waits on them all hand and foot.’

  ‘Great! So at least you’ll know what to do next time Rosa comes to stay. Tell her to bring Augustina too.’

  ‘No way!’ Sophie gasped in alarm. ‘There definitely won’t be a next time! One day spent in Rosa’s company is more than enough. Once she’s been delivered safely to school on Monday morning I intend to forget all about her!’

  Chapter 3

  Pulling up outside the modern, red brick building with its Regency facade, Sophie hid the relief on her face. Monday morning had dawned at last. Responsibility for Rosa was at an end. To her surprise, she saw Rosa reach for a handkerchief and dab at her eyes.

  ‘Thank you Sophie. You have been very kind to me. Like seester I do not have.’

  Embarrassed, Sophie brushed Rosa’s thanks aside. ‘I was – er – glad to help. Um –perhaps if you—?’

  ‘Yes?’ Rosa looked up, eyes wide with expectation.

  Warning bells rang in Sophie’s head. Take care Sophie, they cautioned, Oh, do take care! ‘I was going to say … if you’d like to come for tea one Sunday? Perhaps bring a friend?’

  Rosa followed Sophie’s gaze to where it alighted on a group of fellow students. ‘Ah! Sim. That would be lovely! I do that.’ Without further ado, she leaned forward and kissed Sophie on both cheeks before hurrying to join a trio of doe-eyed, designer clad beauties waiting on the pavement.