Chapter 23

"Domingo?"

"Ummhh?"

Domingo was sitting on the floor, playing with the marmalade cat. He was dragging a sprig of pampas grass slowly along the ground, giving it an occasional provocative twitch. The cat was pointedly looking the other way, pretending to have no interest, but every line of his body was tense, and his ears and tail twitched every time Domingo wiggled the grass.

"Domingo, are you listening to me?"

Domingo looked up and the cat pounced, and bounded off with the pampas grass held triumphantly between his teeth.

Domingo burst out laughing. "See how clever he is? He waited until I was distracted."

Angela was also laughing, her eyes bright, her hair streaming around her shoulders in a red cloud.

Domingo looked at her fondly. "What were you going to ask me?" he said.

She pulled herself together with an effort. "Domingo, did you know that Rosalba owned the big tower house in the square?"

"Of course," he said. "Everyone knows that. Her father was a hidalgo."