him do it.’
But Netta said no more, unwilling to confide her suspicion that Minnie knew nothing about Signor Cayman’s interesting activities that day.
At last the door opened and Minnie swept in, a mass of files under her arm, the picture of efficiency. To their disappointment, she was alone.
‘All right, everyone,’ she said crisply. ‘We have a lot to talk about tonight. Things have changed, but we can turn this to our advantage-’
She stopped as the door opened, and her face showed her dismay.
‘Sorry I’m late,’ Luke said.
‘What are you doing here?’ The words were out before Minnie could stop them.
Luke’s face assumed a look of diffidence. ‘I thought this was the meeting of the Tenants’ Association,’ he said meekly. ‘Did I come to the wrong place?’
He was drowned out by a chorus of welcome. Arms reached out to him. At first he seemed inclined to hold back, as if unsure, but then he let himself be drawn in.
And it was all an act, Minnie thought indignantly. If you believed this man was shy, you’d believe anything.
‘Yes, this is the tenants’ meeting,’ she said, ‘but I hardly think it’s appropriate for you to be here.’
‘But I’m a tenant,’ he said, hurt. ‘Haven’t I the same rights as anyone else?’
She drew a long, careful breath. ‘You are also the landlord-’
‘Then I should be here, and you can tell me what you think of me,’ he said with a winning smile.
‘Signor Cayman, if you’ve been reading my letters you know very well what your tenants think of you.’
‘But you were writing to me as landlord,’ he pointed out. ‘I’m here as a tenant, and I have several suggestions for dealing with the shady character who owns this building. I know his weaknesses, you see.’ He added confidingly, ‘There’s nothing like inside information.’
This produced a ripple of laughter. Minnie had to respect these clever tactics, although she couldn’t help feeling excluded. She was their friend and defender, yet he was taking over, make her superfluous. Suddenly she was shivering inside. It was a feeling she hadn’t known since she’d returned to Italy, fourteen years earlier.
She knew what he was up to, pretending friendship only to turn on them later. But she wouldn’t let him get away with it.
‘You’re quite right,’ she said, giving him a cool smile to let him know that battle had commenced. ‘But the really valuable inside information is held by me-information about this building and what it needs, what your tenants need. Without that, you know nothing. And if you really want to be well informed,
That should show him that she had regained the initiative.
Then Enrico Talli spoke up.
‘But Signor Cayman is already doing that. He inspected my place this morning, and Guiseppe’s home this afternoon. He was most interested in what he saw, and has promised to take care of things.’
Minnie drew a long, slow breath.
‘That is excellent news,’ she said, hoping that her confusion and dismay weren’t obvious.
‘But what about me?’ an elderly woman piped up, incensed that Enrico had received favoured treatment. ‘When do you look at my place?’
‘This is Signora Teresa Danto,’ Minnie explained.
Luke smiled at the old lady. ‘And what is wrong with your apartment,
‘It’s in the wrong place,’ she said. ‘I want you to move it.’
‘That might be a little beyond my powers,’ he admitted.
‘It’s on the top floor,’ Minnie explained. ‘And it’s too large for her. Teresa needs something smaller and lower, so that she doesn’t have to climb so many stairs.’
‘Then perhaps I should take a look now,’ Luke said, rising and offering Teresa his arm.
This brought a cheer from the assembled company, who all seemed to consider themselves invited. In a procession they left the room and followed Luke up the stairs to the top floor.
CHAPTER FIVE
TERESA’S flat was in reasonable condition, but too large for one person. As soon as they entered Luke’s eyes were drawn to a low table on which stood a photograph of an elderly man.
‘My husband, Antonio,’ Teresa said with pride. ‘This is where we lived together. Now he is gone, and this place is too big for Tiberius and me.’
Tiberius turned out to be an imposing black cat, sitting on a window sill, washing his face and observing proceedings with the indifference of one who knew that he would be all right, whoever else wasn’t.
‘Please move us on to a lower floor,’ Teresa pleaded. ‘I’m too old for those stairs, and Tiberius doesn’t like heights.’
‘In that case,’ Luke said at once, ‘you must take my flat, and I’ll move into yours.’
There was a cheer of approval from the residents, and they all trooped downstairs to Luke’s flat.
‘We can start on the exchange tomorrow,’ he said. ‘It’ll need redecorating-’
‘Oh, no,’ Teresa said quickly. ‘It’s lovely as it is.’
‘It’s not,’ he said, surprised. ‘It’s a dump.’
‘But redecorating will be expensive,’ she said anxiously.
‘Only to me, not to you. And, since it’s so small, the rent will be lower than you’re paying now.’
Teresa was ecstatic. ‘Lower rent? Then Tiberius can have fish every day.’
‘I guess he can,’ Luke said, amused.
The old lady was as excited as a child who’d been promised a treat. She insisted that everyone must return to her home to celebrate and, since the tenants of the Residenza were always ready for a party, it was only a moment before the procession was making its way upstairs again.
Luke was the hero of the hour. Minnie, watching him cynically, could only wonder at the ease with which he was winning everyone over. His clever stunt with Teresa did nothing for the rest of them, but they didn’t seem to notice that.
He made his way across the room to her. ‘Aren’t you pleased that I’m doing the right thing?’
‘Never mind me. It’s them I want you to please.’
‘The truth is that hell will freeze over before you concede that I might have one good point.’
‘Well-’ she floundered.
Then she saw him looking at her with one eyebrow cocked and something on his face that might have been real humour.
‘Maybe just one,’ she conceded.
He grinned. ‘That really had to be dragged out of you with pincers, didn’t it?’
‘Of course it did. I’m a dragon, remember?’ She held out her hand. ‘Goodnight.’
‘You’re not going?’ he asked, scandalised.
‘I ought to do some work-’
‘Work won’t do your headache any good,’ he said shrewdly.
She stared. ‘How do you know I have a headache?’
‘Something in the way you keep closing your eyes. It’s true, isn’t it?’
‘Yes, but it’s just a little one.’
‘It’ll grow into a big one if you don’t take care of it. No work. Come with me.’
‘Why?’
‘We’re going to have a civilised coffee and a civilised talk, and celebrate our truce.’
‘Haven’t we already done that?’
As she spoke he was curving his arm around her, not touching her but shepherding her in the direction he wanted to go. She smiled and went with him, content to get out of the noise and glare.
