Mountains of Dawn

"How do you express loneliness?" Kevin asked.

"With a still, quiet ocean empty of life, the sky and mountains grey and remote." She glanced up at Kevin, shyly. His expression was soft, gentle. "You know what you're talking about, don't you?" He gestured at the ocean, the mountains beyond. "Is this one of you favorite places?"

She nodded. "I love this place, especially in the mornings. Very early, dark clouds hang around the cliffs making them look like gigantic mountains. I call them 'Mountains of Dawn.' "

"Did you know Claude Monet portrayed these very same hills?" he asked.

Her brow furrowed in concentration. "Yes. I've seen one of his pictures-contorted olive trees in the foreground and a village at the bottom of the hill-"

"That painting is called 'Bordighera.' Bordighera is a town only a few miles away from here," Kevin said. "Perhaps someday we'll visit it, if you'd like."

He bent to lift her portable drawing board. "Finished already?" He grinned.

"Ah, yes. A sex object interrupted my concentration," she replied with a laugh.

"Come have lunch with me," he said.

"Eating? Is that all you ever think of? Is that all you have to offer?" She giggled.

"Yes. Exactly. I traveled all night just to have lunch with you," he replied, and started down the hill.

Lunch was served in the dining room, far more formal than Tanya's first lunch with Kevin. Marta placed platters heaped with salads and breads, along with small bowls of a rich peasant stock. Kevin pulled a chunk of dark bread from a loaf and smeared it with sweet butter, then dipped it into his soup. He seemed distracted, quiet. Tanya chattered nervously. Medallions of veal in a wine sauce, mushrooms and pearl onions followed, along with thin homemade pasta.

Kevin ate little and seemed to listen to an inner voice. After a few attempts at conversation, Tanya gave up and did justice to Marta's meal. "Marta, that was wonderful," she said as she and Kevin moved to the study for coffee and pralines. Marta ducked her head and smiled in appreciation, then left for the day.

Tanya curled on an ottoman and reached for a handful of chocolates.

"Don't," Kevin said. "You'll get fat." He glowered at her.

"What's wrong?" she asked. "Why are you angry with me?"

"I'm not. I'm angry with myself. Come here." She rose, crossed the room to him. "Take off your clothes."