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him in my arms and after smelling his nappy and confirming that for once there were no nasty surprises, I did what every new father with any sense would do: whisper some silly nonsense and dance about the room with ridiculous little jumps. I was in the middle of doing just that when I realised Bea was staring at me disapprovingly from the doorway.
    ‘Give him to me. You’re going to unsettle him even more.’
    ‘He’s not complaining,’ I protested, handing her the baby.
    Bea took him in her arms and murmured a melody in his ear as she gently rocked him. Five seconds later Julián had stopped crying and was giving that enchanted half-smile his mother always managed to elicit from him.
    ‘Go on,’ said Bea, softly. ‘I’ll be along in a second.’
    Having been thrown out of the room, my incompetence at handling babies at the crawling stage clearly proven, I went back to our bedroom and lay down, knowing I wouldn’t be able to sleep a wink the rest of the night. A while later, Bea appeared round the door and lay down next to me with a sigh.
    ‘I’m dead tired.’
    I put my arms around her and we lay there quietly for a few minutes.
    ‘I’ve been thinking,’ said Bea.
    Tremble, Daniel, I thought. Bea sat up and then crouched down on the bed facing me.
    ‘When Julián is a bit older and my mother is able to look after him for a few hours a day, I think I’m going to work.’
    I nodded.
    ‘Where?’
    ‘In the bookshop.’
    I thought it best to keep quiet.
    ‘I think it would do you all good,’ she added. ‘Your father is getting too old to put in all those hours and, don’t be offended, but I think I’m better at dealing with customers than you, not to mention Fermín, who recently seems to scare business away.’
    ‘I won’t argue with that.’
    ‘What’s the matter with him, anyway? The other day I bumped into Bernarda in the street and she burst out crying. I took her to one of the milk bars on Calle Petritxol and after I’d plied her with cups of hot chocolate and whipped cream she told me that Fermín is behaving really oddly. For some days now, it seems he’s been refusing to fill in the parish church papers for the wedding. I have a feeling Fermín isn’t getting married. Has he said anything to you?’
    ‘Yes, I’ve noticed it too,’ I lied. ‘Perhaps Bernarda is pushing him too hard …’
    Bea looked at me but didn’t say anything.
    ‘What?’ I asked finally.
    ‘Bernarda asked me not to tell anyone.’
    ‘Not to tell what?’
    Bea fixed her eyes on mine.
    ‘She’s late this month.’
    ‘Late? She’s got behind with her work?’
    Bea looked at me as if I were stupid and then the penny dropped.
    ‘ Bernarda is pregnant? ’
    ‘Don’t speak so loudly, you’ll wake Julián.’
    ‘Is she pregnant or isn’t she?’ I repeated, in a tiny voice.
    ‘Looks like it.’
    ‘And does Fermín know?’
    ‘She hasn’t wanted to tell him yet. She’s scared he’ll make a quick exit.’
    ‘Fermín would never do that.’
    ‘All you men would do that, given a chance.’
    I was surprised by the harshness of her tone, which she quickly sweetened with an unconvincingly meek smile.
    ‘How little you know us.’
    She sat up in the dark and without saying a word lifted off her nightdress and let it fall to one side of the bed. She let me gaze at her for a few seconds and then, slowly, leaned over me and licked my lips unhurriedly.
    ‘How little I know you,’ she whispered.

10
    The following day the attraction of the illuminated manger was proving its worth and I saw my father smile to himself for the first time in weeks as he entered a few sales in the ledger. From early morning some old customers who hadn’t set foot in the bookshop for a while began to drop by, together with new readers who were visiting us for the first time. I let my father deal with them all with his expert hand and enjoyed watching him as he recommended titles, roused their curiosity and guessed at their tastes