The Mountains of Spring Read Free

position to take charge of you, I did so. You may remember my telling you that I was acquainted with your brother .’
    ‘ Yes, but I ’ m not your responsibility. And I—I really think I ’ m all right now. ’ She tried lifting her head again, and this time she felt slightly less dizzy. A little stiffly, she said: ‘ I don ’ t even know your name, senor .’
    The dark man beside the chauffeur replied without even turning his head. ‘ My name is Diego Rivel. The good Doctor Valentes assured you, I think, that I was perfectly respectable, and that you would be quite safe with me—or at least, with my grandmother. It is with my grandmother that you will stay until you are completely recovered. ’
    ‘ But, ’ Caroline protested, ‘ I don ’ t know your grandmother. And although of course it ’ s very kind of you to bother about me, I couldn ’ t possibly take advantage of your hospitality, or hers. Just because you ’ re a friend of Peter ’ s— ’
    ‘ I did not say, Miss Ashley, that I was a friend of your brother ’ s. However, I did say that I was acquainted with him, and I think it would be a little callous of me to let his sister collapse in the street in Mexico City, for want of a little timely assistance from myself—and my grandmother, of course. ’ The car began to slow down, and he added: ‘ Besides, senorita, when you have considered the matter you may not wish to travel on to Toluca. We shall see. ’ They were turning in beneath a lantern-hung archway, and Caroline saw that a pair of very elaborate wrought-iron gates had been flung wide to admit them. Her nostrils caught the scent of bougainvillea, and she sensed that somewhere near at hand there was an exotic garden. The car came to rest before a rather handsome carved front door, approached by a flight of stone steps, and Senor Rivel got out and rang some sort of doorbell.
    Within rather less than thirty seconds the door was opened by a smartly dressed manservant, and there was a brief exchange in Spanish, at the end of which the cha u ffeur pulled Caroline ’ s door open, and his employer came back and bent down to look in at her.
    ‘ You are ready to alight, senorita ? ’
    She opened her mouth to protest again, and then decided that at this particular moment there was very little point in protesting. For one thing, she knew perfectly well that if she was going to be honest with herself she would have to admit that she had never in her life felt less capable of looking after herself. Diego Rivel ’ s, strong hand was being held out to her, and after hesitating for just a moment longer she accepted it gratefully, and allowed herself to be helped out of the car. To her relief, she found that she could now stand on her feet without feeling too extraordinary, and she boldly took a step forward. But that was just a little too much for her just then, and the ground started to reel beneath her, causing her to stumble against her companion. Fortunately, his hand had never left her arm, and she was in no danger of falling , but, almost as if annoyed with himself, he uttered a sharp exclamation in Spanish, and before she knew quite what was happening he had swung her up into his arms, and was carrying her up the steps.
    She was borne past the impassive manservant, and into a brightly lit entrance hall, where vivid multicoloured rugs glowed warmly against the cool green tiles of the floor, and the white walls seemed lined with antique chests and cabinets made of mellowed Spanish oak. Almost in the middle of the floor, close to the foot of a curling staircase, there was a handsome brocade-covered couch, and on this Caroline was set down, while further discussions were entered into with the manservant, and finally Senor Rivel sketched her a small bow, and disappeared through a curtained doorway. Minutes later he reappeared, and this time he w as accompanied by one of the most minute elderly ladies Caroline had ever seen in her life.
    Senora Rivel