Free The Biographer by Virginia Duigan Page A

upstairs had a cumbersome latch but appeared
to be unlocked. Agnieszka threw it open and ushered him in. She tugged the
door shut behind them and shook her head.
    'That Giulia, she very naughty girl, she have two good boys in love with her.' She spoke in a low, confidential tone, although they were demonstrably out of anyone's hearing. 'Each boy think they get married, but she holding them on string. She not marry either of them, I think so, and Gigi think too.'
    'What does Mr Mischa think?'
    'He?' She gave a dismissive trill of amusement. 'He no think anything! He very famous man. He no very interest in people, interest only in painting.'
    'And in Gigi?'
    She nodded impatiently. 'He need her very much and he love her, oh yes of course, but he no understand proper talking, or communicate. He no nice young modern man like you.'
    Before he could ask what she meant by nice modern man, she was off on another tack, beckoning him through the sitting room.
    'You have all these bags, for the clothes?'
    'Just one for the clothes. The hard one's got all my research material.'
    She gave him a satisfied nod.'You are very good travelling, only one bag for
the clothes, but you stay long time. Easy for the man. He take one pair shoes,
do for everything. The woman need different shoes for each thing – jacket, evening, skirt, trouser. Swimming. Jeans. It not so easy travelling
for the woman, you don't believe me.'
    'Oh, I believe you all right. All those shoes. What a nightmare.'
    They laughed again. 'You are lucky boy, wine men all gone and you have nice big house for yourself.This is good big sitting room, fireplace here with wood, very comfortable for listen to music, or read magazine. Bedrooms up there.'
    She collected a jug of tulips the colour of fresh cream from the mantelpiece
of the living room and moved a yellow pottery vase of irises into the centre.'You
start writing your book in one room and sleeping in the other, and if you
have friend come there is still one more left over. I show you.' She darted
ahead
of him up three stairs.
    Antony listened to a running commentary on the pluses and minuses of the three bedrooms. Realising that a prompt but considered response was expected, he selected the one whose two wide-open windows overlooked the valley.
    'I'll take the middle-sized room with a view,' he said.
    Agnieszka deposited the shiny green jug of tulips on a chest of drawers. She looked pleased.
    'This one I like, good big bed, very nice, very good choice.Very warm today, you like it turn off heating?' He was about to answer, but there was no pause. 'I think better wait, it still cold in night and maybe rain again tomorrow. Now, you want it little time for unpack and shower before you like it meet Gigi?' She patted his luggage. 'You put on nice clean shirt after journey, no problem, and I wash tomorrow. Only five minutes for unpack – not many shoes.'
    When he came down twenty minutes later he saw a group of men in shirtsleeves emerging from the winery, stretching and moving slowly in the slanting, late afternoon light. Agnieszka was scurrying across the courtyard towards him, carrying a stack of folded white towels.
    'You have shave. Look better!' She eyed his sweatshirt in khaki cotton and olive
green chinos, and gave him an approving pat on the arm. 'Very nice trouser – no creased from packing.'
    'Ah, well, you see, I did a secret touch-up.'
    'You do iron yourself?'
    He grinned. 'Oh, yeah. I'm a nice modern man, remember? I do the iron real good.'
    Tony lay on his bed, arms folded behind his head. He was stripped to the waist, the dictaphone balanced on his pectorals.
    'Eleven pm. Day One: the names made flesh. Greer slash Gigi first. I am escorted into her presence by Agnieszka, one deeply bizarre and hyper Polish housekeeper. Early to mid forties, does for all of them, which is promising. Over-familiar and decidedly chatty – also promising. Complained about the number of shoes women have to pack – Polish