AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter Fourteen
Shelene had promised Father Etienne the stained-glass window would be completed in the next week and she labored over it, angry at herself for being behind schedule. She bit at her lip, trying to suppress her agitation, and euphoria, about the reasons why.
A strange reality surrounded her since Roman had returned. Her mind was clear. Her heart was betraying her at every turn, though. Sleepless nights added to her incomprehensible elation.
Two weeks. The same amount of time she’d spent with Roman in France after their marriage. Two weeks and she felt herself giving in to his unique and relentless powers of persuasion.
In her rational moments, it was easy to ask the obvious question: When would his duty to England overcome his sense of duty to his family. To her?
How was it she could spend so little time with him yet know him so well?
She turned back to the glass frame window laying on her worktable. She’d cleaned and repainted the frame. She’d finished securing the shaky lead cames with new filler, a mixture she’d developed which included linseed oil.
Now for this last section. She blinked her eyes and refocused. The drawing on her right was the best she could do based on her instincts for how the finished glass should appear.
Maybe her procrastination had to do with the bag of blue glass she’d purchased in Seville. The shop owner had a wide array of broken stained-glass windows that no one had bothered to repair, opting to sell them for the scrap metal or actual glass. In some cases, the frames were still in perfect condition. She purchased three of those for her own work.
She opened the leather bag and emptied the contents on the table, separating the different shades of blue along with those that had serrations and might be used for shading between the different pieces. After all, a gown’s folds would not be one consistent color. Somehow, she would make that work, rather than taking apart the other robe. Poor Durra, she’d had to watch Antonio for four hours while Shelene had sifted through the best of the blue shards.
Taking a deep breath, she used her pliers to ease the broken glass away from the cames. Most of the lead was in place, only mangled. Each piece of glass was placed on her drawing, which would assist with not only finding the right colors to replace but putting the whole of it together again.
She was interrupted about four times, but she didn’t look up, only answering the question put to her and returning to her work.
“Shelene, my dear. How have you been? I have returned.”
Shelene straightened and looked over her shoulder. “Uncle Francisco,” she said, and moved toward him, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “How was your journey to Malaga?”
“Tiring, so you can imagine my relief at being home. And you? How is your reunion with your husband?”
Shelene glanced at his attire. He did not appear to have traveled a great distance. His hair was neatly combed, his shirt had the barest of wrinkles and his tie a perfect bow. “Well, I think you can imagine. It is not without its difficulties. Have you had something to drink? I am just at a point where I wish to tear my hair out and may join you.”
He looked around to view her table. “Still laboring over Joseph and Mary?”
“Yes, but with my last trip to Seville I think I found the perfect color to finish the glass replacement for her gown. Father Etienne will be happy, at last. He is going to say a mass for the family when I am done.”
“Is your soul not pure?”
“Once or twice a week, perhaps.” She wound her arm in his and led him back to the house. “The rest of the week requires penance.”
“It seems I am forgiven?” he asked.
“Uncle, you test my patience at times, but in regard to my husband, I think you ought to have care with how lightly, or heavily, you decide to tread. He is not so forgiving of men like you, including your past associates.”
He hmpfed.
“Do you expect me to lie to you under the circumstances? With Roman, it is best to be direct.”
“You mean, more accurately, it is better to have eyes in the back of my head.”
“Uncle, your stay at Las Colinas is tenuous. Please don’t upset anyone here, especially Papa or Roman.”
They walked up a flight of stairs to a veranda overlooking the valley. A servant followed them up.
“A bottle of wine, Paloma.”
“Sí, Señora.”
“Oh, and would you let my father know my uncle is home? Perhaps he would like to join us.”
