She gathered up her nail polish and towel and stepped back inside through the French doors without waiting for an answer.

I stood on the quiet patio, holding the folded tablecloth while the shadow of the house stretched across the lawn.

I wondered whether Doña Victoria really believed that six years of silence meant an estate had vanished from the face of the earth.

At half past nine that night, Alejandro came into the upstairs guest bedroom where I was working on my restoration notes.

He set his briefcase on the armchair and adjusted his gold watch strap with two quick tugs.