Black was a small man. Paula was behind her desk when he was shown in, and she was surprised to find that he was a head shorter than she was. She had expected someone tall. But Black was thin and small-boned; he took off a dark felt hat and his hair was completely white, brushed back from a wide forehead. It was a Slavic face, high cheek-boned, with heavy-lidded grey eyes and a narrow mouth. Paula held out her hand and he made a little bow and kissed it. It was not a real kiss, just an upper-class German gesture where the lips never made contact. ‘How do you do, Mr. Black,’ she said. ‘Please come and sit down.’ ‘How do you do, Mrs. Stanley. Thank you. Over here?’ She pointed to one of the two modern armchairs which furnished her office. It was a cheerful room, the walls covered with Paula’s own fabric designs. This room and what it represented was a very important part of her life. During the latter part of her marriage to James, her career as a designer had provided self-respect.
What do You think about The Poellenberg Inheritance?
