page56 (1/2)

A head pushed itself out from under the bedclothes by his elbow and a tiny hand landed plu the weight of his inclining torso A gurgle of infant laughter burst out of Benji as he crowed at his achieve place

Rafaello sat back, wry resignation in his face There would be no love, he could tell I hoiftly he could convey Benji into Maria’s care, so that he could get Magda to hiain

But not yet, it see new addition toplaytime He crawled across to Rafaello and deposited hi e him

‘He wants you to bounce hi her voice at last At least talking about Benji was possible—he was a safe, neutral subject, and nothing, nothing whatsoever to do hat Rafaello had been talking to her about—which, right now, she couldn’t cope with—not at all, not in the slightest

‘Like this?’ enquired Rafaello, and twisted round so that he was sitting at right angles, with his feet on the floor again

‘Yes You hold hida helpfully

She ran through the ga how the lady rode very tientlee and exaggerated buhter

And Rafaello, too Magda watched hiame at least five times for Benji, and her heart simply turned over and over in her chest He looked so beautiful, with his s ar Benji firmly but with such care, and oh, his face, his face, with its sculpted planes and laughingat the corners, and his dark, silky hair flopping over his forehead…

Her heart went on turning and turning and turning…

She felt so happy she thought she must die

But not so happy that she wasn’t still filled to the brim with total, absolute shyness about what had happened

Thank goodness Benji was there! After the fifth repetition she lifted hireat pains not to actually touch the ht, terrified that if she did it would iht noas for hiain