Page 92 of The Seven Sisters

‘At least we now know where she is.’

‘Yes. You see, Maia?’ he encouraged me. ‘When you trust your instincts, they’re often proved right.’

To distract myself while we waited, I walked outside and sat down on a bench which was placed at a vantage point giving a beautiful view of Rio below. Its hectic streets seemed like a distant dream up here, I mused, as the Angelus bell struck noon, calling the nuns to prayer. I felt the peaceful atmosphere calm me and thought that I too would be happy to spend my last days here. It was as if the convent was suspended somewhere between the earth below and heaven above.

A hand tapped me on the shoulder, making me jump out of my reverie. I turned round and saw Floriano with Yara next to him, looking distinctly agitated.

‘I’ll leave you two ladies alone for a while,’ Floriano said diplomatically, and walked away through the gardens.

I stood up. ‘Hello. Thank you for coming out to see me.’

‘How did you find us?’ Yara hissed, as if her mistress, far away inside the thick walls of the convent, might hear. ‘Senhora Carvalho would be very distressed if she knew you were here.’

‘Won’t you sit down?’ I gestured to the bench.

‘I can only stay a few minutes, for if Senhora Carvalho found out I was talking to you . . .’

‘I promise that I will leave you both in peace as soon as I can. But Yara, having read the letters you gave me, surely you can understand why I was desperate to speak to you again?’

Finally, she sank down onto the bench. ‘Yes,’ she said with a sigh. ‘I’ve regretted giving them to you ever since.’

‘Then why did you?’

‘Because . . .’ Yara shrugged her bony shoulders. ‘Something told me I should. What you must understand is that Senhora Carvalho knows very little of her mother’s past. Her father protected her from it after . . .’ She nervously smoothed her skirt with her thin hands.

‘After what?’ I persisted.

She shook her head. ‘I can’t speak to you here. Please, you don’t understand anything. Senhora Carvalho has come here to die. She is very sick and only has a short time left. She must be left in peace.’

‘I understand. But senhora, please tell me if you know what happened when Izabela Bonifacio returned from Paris?’

‘She married your great-grandfather, Gustavo Aires Cabral.’

‘I know that much, but what about Laurent Brouilly? I know for a fact he was here in Brazil. I’ve seen a photograph of him in Rio with theCristo. I—’

‘Hush!’ said Yara, glancing about her anxiously. ‘Please! We must not talk of these things here.’

‘Then where, and when?’ I urged her, seeing she was torn between loyalty to her mistress and her desire to speak further. ‘Please, Yara, I swear I’m not here to make trouble, I just want to know where I came from. Surely that’s the right of every human being? And if you do know, I beg you to tell me. Then I promise I’ll go away.’

I watched as she stared into the distance, her eyes falling on theCristo, his head and hands currently masked by a cloud.

‘All right. But not here. Tomorrow I must return to the Casa to collect some possessions Senhora Carvalho has asked me for. I will meet you there at two o’clock. Now please, leave!’

Yara was already standing and I followed suit.

‘Thank you,’ I called to her as she walked quickly away from me and disappeared inside the entrance to the convent. I saw Floriano leaning against his car and made my way towards him.

‘Success?’ he asked me.

‘She’ll meet me at the Casa tomorrow afternoon,’ I replied as he opened the passenger door for me and I climbed in.

‘That’s fantastic news, Maia,’ he said as he started the engine and we sped off.

As we approached the city, I realised I was on the verge of tears.

‘Are you okay?’ Floriano asked me as we came to a halt outside the hotel.

‘Yes, thank you,’ I replied abruptly, not trusting myself to say any more because I could hear the wobble in my own voice.