Buenos Aires, Argentina
1320 10 April 1943
Clete walked to the door to greet the Mallin family.
Enrico Mallin was forty-three years old, six feet two inches tall, and wore a full mustache. "Henry" met and married his wife, the former Pamela Holworth-Talley, while taking a degree at the London School of Economics. And they had two children: blond, fair-skinned, lanky "Little Enrico," their fif-teen-year-old son; and Dorotea. In her black dress and veiled hat, Clete thought, she looked more beautiful than any female he had ever seen.
Clete was aware that Enrico Mallin believed his daughter had shown an in-terest in Clete that was inappropriate for one of her tender years, purity, and standing in the community.
If you could, Henry, you'd have paid pro forma respects to Beatrice and Humberto and taken your family out of here as quickly as possible. The only reason you're up here to smile at me is because your business is dependent on the crude and refined petroleum products it gets from Howell Petroleum, and you don't want to risk offending the Old Man's grandson.
What the hell, if I was in your shoes, I'd probably feel the same way about me. Me being too old for your innocent nineteen-year-old daughter-which is true-isn't one tenth of what's wrong with Cletus H. Frade as a suitor. After what they tried to do to me-what they did to my father-only a lunatic would want his daughter-or any member of his family-within five miles of me.
"Good afternoon, Se¤or Mallin. How good of you to call," he said politely.
"Our sympathy for your loss should go without speaking, Cletus. Your fa-ther was a magnificent man, who will be sorely missed."
"Thank you."
"Mrs. Mallin," Clete went on. "How are you, Ma'am?"
"For the fifty-fifth time, Clete, please call me 'Pamela,'" Se¤ora Mallin said, and gave him her cheek to kiss. "I'm so sorry about el Coronel."
"Thank you," Clete said.
"What do you say, Enrico?" Clete said, and punched Little Enrico, man-to--man, on the arm.
"I am very sorry about your father, Cletus," Little Enrico said.
And then Clete turned to Dorotea.
"And the lovely Se¤orita Mallin," he said, putting out his hand. "How have you been, Dorotea?"
"Very well, thank you, all things considered," Dorotea said. "I'm very sorry about your loss, Clete."
"Thank you."
"And how is your grandfather, Cletus?" Henry Mallin asked.
"Mean as a rattlesnake, as usual," Clete said, immediately regretting it. The Argentine-and particularly the Anglo-Argentine-sense of humor was markedly different from that of Texas and Louisiana.
Little Henry made a noise somewhere between a chuckle and a giggle.
His father glared at him, then moved the glare to Clete.
Clete smiled at the man who was blissfully unaware he was about to be-come both a grandfather and a father-in-law.
"My grandfather asked me to extend his best regards to you and your fam-ily, Se¤or Mallin," he said.
"How kind of him."
"May I offer you some refreshment?"
"No, thank you. We must be going. We wished to pay our respects."
"It was very kind of you."
"Clete, you come to see us, lunch, dinner, or just to visit, just as soon as you find time," Se¤ora Mallin said, to her husband's discomfiture.