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He made a hearty er bowl of pasta and sauce was placed in front of Magda

‘Eat,’ the wo him expertly on her own hip, she turned to fill a cup with soave it to hily, Benji seele

The woda caught only one word—bae earthenware pot on theledge, the woerly—and sat herself down opposite Magda

‘Eat,’ she repeated, as Magda paused in her own consu it down as eagerly as Benji had

‘Thank you,’ she rateful

The wo Benji, as in no way disda watched covertly, between mouthfuls The woman was obviously very experienced with children, and knew exactly what Benji found entertaining—which was largely banging the wooden stirrer on the table and trying to knock over the pepperpot

Magda scraped the last of the toh The woman looked across at her

‘So,’ she announced ‘Noe talk’ She hefted Benji from one side of her lap to the other ‘You tell lish ‘Is Rafaello the father?’

A look of total stupefaction filled Magda’s face Her mouth fell open in shock Her reaction seemed to please the woman

‘Well, that is one relief at least,’ she announced The snap was back in her voice, and Magda, finally over-wrought by all the events of the day, found her throat tightening

‘So,’ went on the woman relentlessly, ‘he has ry Idiota!’

Magda stared helplessly She didn’t knohat to say Didn’t knohat she could say She had had no idea that she would be walking into such a volatile situation But evidently it did not surprise the housekeeper—or so she assumed this woman must be

‘Is he mad, finally to do this to his father?’ the woht like…like the men of sheep…their heads—so!’ She slid one hand past Benji and ether with the other, and clashed the knuckles together, like ra ‘But this—this is the worst’