“Sure, ma’am. You don’t have to worry.”
But still she wasn’t satisfied.
“But didn’t Ron want to know how you were helping me?”
He rubbed his mouth with the back of his hand am could see he was uneasy.
“Yeah, he did ask. I told him we were getting the photos back.”
Her hands turned into fists.
“Did you tell him how… about Max?”
He shifted about in his chair, then he said, “Well, ma’am, I had to. I did tell him Maxie was helping. But that’s okay, ma’am, Maxie and Ron are good friends. Ron was pleased Maxie was helping.”
Helga got stiffly to her feet and walked over to an occasional table. She picked up a lighter and lit her cigarette.
“Didn’t he ask how Max was helping.”
“No, ma’am… he wasn’t interested. He had other things on his mind.”
“What things?”
Harry looked blankly at her.
“He didn’t tell me, ma’am.”
Helga pressed her hands to her face. Her whole future life was in the hands of these men. This magnificent- looking boy could have been an idiot for all the help she could get from him!
After a long pause, Larry said, “There’s a fat guy out there clearing the snow. As soon as he’s through I’ll bring up the car.”
Relieved to do something, Helga went to the window. Below her fat road sweeper friend shovelling the snow from the drive. A wheelbarrow full of grit stood nearby.
“I’ll bring the car up, Larry,” she said. “You must keep out of sight. Village people talk. I don’t want him to see you.”
“Yeah… there’s that. Have you finished?”
“Yes… thank you. It was beautifully cooked.”
He picked up the tray and took it into the kitchen.
She stood by the window watching the road sweeper and when she saw he was finishing, she went into the bedroom took a fifty franc note from her bag, put on her coat, snow shoes and hat and went down the drive. The road sweeper lifted his cap when he saw her. She spent a few minutes chatting with him. He asked respectfully after her husband. He told her there would be no more snow but she didn’t believe him. The village people always told foreigners that better weather was coming. She gave him the fifty franc note and he jerked off his cap, his face wreathed in smiles, then she went down to the car and drove it up to the garage.
She returned to the villa. As she shut the front door, hearing Larry in the kitchen, the telephone bell began to ring. Stripping off her coat and dropping it on the chest, she started for the sitting-room as Larry appeared in the kitchen doorway.
“It’s all right,” she said curtly. “I’ll handle it.”
“Sure, ma’am,” and he went back into the kitchen.
She reached the telephone and picked up the receiver.
“Mrs. Rolfe?”
“Yes… who is it?”
“A call from New York. Mr. Rolfe. A moment, please.”
She drew in a breath of exasperation, sat down and reached for a cigarette. As she was lighting, Rolfe’s querulous voice came on the line.
“Helga?”
“Yes. Did you get my telex.”
“I did… what’s going on? I called the Eden and they told me you had checked out.”
“My dear man, the only way to get this goddamn villa ready for you is to be here,” Helga said, her voice shrill. “I’m wearing my fur coat if that interests you and it is bloody cold! Why are you calling?”
“Helga! You don’t have to use such language!”
“Don’t tempt me, Herman. I’m cold and fed up. I can use a lot worse!”
“I do wish you wouldn’t talk like this. Now listen to me, I want you to come back to New York at once. I’m not coming to Castagnola. I have sudden business in the Bahamas. The Eden tells me it is snowing in Lugano. You know I don’t like the snow. I’ve decided to go to Nassau. You’ll join me. You’ll enjoy the sun. There is a flight from Milan at four o’clock this afternoon to New York. We’ll fly together to Nassau tomorrow.”
Helga gripped the telephone receiver so hard her nail turned white.
“That’s impossible,” she said. “I have the cleaning women here and I can’t and won’t pack in a minute!”
She heard her husband snort.
“Oh, nonsense! You have plenty of time. Now don’t start making difficulties.”
“I intend to make difficulties! I have things to do here. Besides, it is snowing and I’m not driving to Milan in this goddamn snowstorm just to please your whim! If you can’t wait for me, then go ahead and I’ll join you at the end of the week. Where will you be staying?”
“I don’t see why you should get so worked up,” Herman complained. “I insist you moderate your language when you talk to me.”
“Where will you he staying?” Helga said, raising her voice.
“The Emerald Beach hotel for two days, then I hope Hinkle will find us a furnished bungalow.” Herman’s voice had turned sulky. “I don’t see why you can’t come at once. You’re always making difficulties, Helga.”
She wanted to scream at him to go to hell, but she bit that back.
“That’s a charming remark, Herman, considering I have been freezing in this damned place so you could arrive in comfort!”
She heard him snort impatiently.
“I don’t see why you should even be there. You just don’t know how to get things organized.”
“I’ll fly to New York on Saturday and not before!”
“I’m not going to wait for you. I’m leaving for Nassau tomorrow morning.”
“I’ll join you when I’m ready.” She paused, took hold of herself and softening her voice, she asked, “How are you?”
They spent a few more minutes talking indifferently to each other, then she hung up.
Well, at least now, she wouldn’t have to worry about Herman and that was a relief.
The sun was shining and the countryside from the picture window looked clean, white and sparkling.
She went into the kitchen where Larry was finishing the washing-up.
“You don’t have to do that. There’s a dishwasher.”
“Yeah… I see that, but it foxes me. I’ve never used one.”
Helga realized she had never used a dishwasher either and she laughed. “There’s a book of instructions somewhere.”
“I don’t mind doing the washing-up,” Larry said. “That’s all I did in the Army.”
Then she remembered what Archer had said: that Larry was an Army deserter.
“You were in the Army?”
He looked at her, his face expressionless.
“You know that, ma’am… Archer told you.”
She nodded.
“He told me you are a deserter.”
“That’s it… AWOL. That’s me.” He dried his hands and leaned against the double sink. “I had enough of the Army so I walked out.”
She studied him, then she hoisted herself on the kitchen table, swinging her shapely legs.
“So all that talk about your father sending you to Europe was so much talk?”
He ran his fingers through his blond hair.
“Excuse me, ma’am. I didn’t mean to snow you, but you asked and I guess I said the first thing that came into my head.”
“That’s all right, Larry. I understand.”
