A Chat With Antonia

"Sit with me," Antonia called to her as she entered the room and looked around for Wang. "The boys are all out playing, so it will give us a chance to talk."

"Sure," Changying said with one last quick glance around at who else was in the room. Emily and Carmen sat on chaises reading magazines and talking quietly nearby. Rosanna and Bianca appeared to be dozing on comfortable couches enjoying the quiet reprieve from their husbands and children. None of the men were present, and she could see a few in the distance with several children through the large windows of the conservatory.

"It will be nice to have a new daughter, even better that you are not linked to any other table. I fear we are all becoming a little too close in our relationships," she laughed softly. "Joseph showed me your work on the family history. He's very impressed by you. In fact, you have made an impression on my whole family."

"Not always a good impression, I am afraid," Changying admitted quietly thinking of Baozhai and her absence from the family Christmas celebrations. "You must miss your daughter's when they can't be here for Christmas."

"From the time they were born I knew they would have to leave and be with their husband's family," Antonia smiled sadly. "I have spoken to them today, and they will come home for our big family celebration in April. It is Izabella I miss the most because she is so far from home, but I have eight sons and four new daughters, five now that Wang has brought you home." She said with genuine pleasure. "Who knows the other boys may one day find a girl to put up with them but I'm not going to hold my breath." This time, she let out a full throaty laugh.

"Dante may surprise you," Bianca murmured not bothering to open her eyes. Changying looked up noticing the other women had been listening to the conversation. "I think he is seeing one of your friends isn't he Changying?" Her voice was sleepy.

"I'm not sure it's very serious," Changying said thinking about her friend Louisa. "Louisa hasn't said anything to me about him. You never know though I have been a bit wrapped up in my life recently to notice much else."

"He's been in a better mood this holidays," Emily smiled. "Maybe he's finally getting over Cherry or whatever her name was and finding someone new to obsess over."

"Perhaps," Antonia mused but seemed to dismiss the mention of Louisa, not probing for more information. "My boys come from a long line of men who want only the best in life. Some are lucky to find it early, others will search and never find what they seek. Our history shows that," she smiled and picked up the book Changying had created on the founding table of this family. I would love to see one created for the Farnese table. I am sure Pierre Luigi was the most colourful and flamboyant of the original men."

"He was the illegitimate son of a Pope, wasn't he?" Changying asked remembering that she had been tempted to look into his life further when she had come across that snippet of information.

"Yes, so you have looked at that table?" Antonia seemed happy that Changying knew who the man was.

"Only enough to create the very first table, I haven't looked into his life much yet, but I imagine that each of the original men will deserve their own book as Giambattista did," She explained.

"My thoughts exactly," Antonia enthused. "I'm a bit of a history buff myself perhaps I could help, particularly with that table."

"I would like that," Changying agreed happily.

A woman came to the door and quietly waited before Antonia acknowledged her. She announced the time with a curtsy and left. The women all got up and started to move towards the door, as a siren sounded loudly through the house and out into the surrounding grounds. Changying followed the women through the house to the front yard where the Christmas tree stood proudly, the debris of the morning having been cleared away and the nannies stood to wait for their charges amongst a lavish picnic of childhood favourites.