Part 6 (1/2)
Did the slightest flicker cross his eyes then? Or was she as paranoid as Jared seemed to think she was?
”Ragnor wouldn't be at the contessa's,” Lynn said, pleased. ”He thinks she is obnoxious.”
”Lynn,” Anna Maria chastised wearily.
Ragnor was still staring at Jordan. With displeasure, she thought. Paranoia!?
”It is what you said, Ragnor, isn't it, when we ran into her at the cafe?” Lynn persisted.
She looked at Anna Maria. ”I am not divulging secrets-I am trying to make Jordan feel better about not liking her.”
”I never said that I didn't like her,” Jordan murmured.
”I would not be on the contessa's guest list,” Ragnor said simply. ”You were going somewhere; I should not keep you.”
”We're going back to the shop,” Anna Maria said. ”Our break has been too long. Were you coming to see me? You are going to the artist's ball tonight?”
”Yes, yes, of course. And I will be by.” He again kissed Anna Maria and Lynn on both cheeks, and offered Jordan a hand-American style. ”Nice to meet you, Miss Riley.”
”Thank you; you too,” she said. He hadn't been glad at all to meet her.
”You should come soon. We are trying to talk Jordan into vinyl for the fun tonight. You could give her a new perspective,” Lynn said.
”Perhaps,” he said politely, then indicated with a polite sweep of the hand that they should go on. They did so, Anna Maria and Lynn already into a discussion of what would be right for the artist's ball for a man of his height.
”Who is he?” Jordan asked as they walked, briskly now.
”Ragnor is ... a businessman,” Anna Maria explained.
”We have known him just a little time,” Lynn explained.
”You have known everyone here just a little time,” Anna Maria reminded her.
They had nearly reached the shop.
”He isn't Italian, is he?” Jordan persisted.
”No,” Anna Maria said.
That should have been followed by, ”He is German, Austrian, American, or so on.”
But Anna Maria said no more.
”He reminds me of someone I met last night.”
”That's quite impossible,” Lynn said. ”He is right; he would not be on the contessa's guest list. When what I call 'the old guard' are about, he is among them. That day, we were at the cafe . . . and the contessa arrived. They must have met elsewhere. When they were introduced, they were cordial, but you could see the hostility between them. He left. Do you know what I think?”
”I'm afraid we'll find out,” Anna Maria said.
”I think that she is jealous of him. He has no t.i.tle, no history here, but there is a rumor that he comes from an extraordinary family. He is not in the least showy or pretentious, but people want to be near him. He has a charisma, you know? Something compelling about him.”
Anna Maria sighed. ”He is a handsome man with a powerful appearance. And he is intelligent and interested in art and history-and Venice.”
Lynn grinned. ”And he's built like-as we say in America-a brick s.h.i.+thouse.”
Anna Maria rolled her eyes. ”Lynn speaks with such cla.s.s in her expressions.”
”I'm trying to teach you real English,” Lynn said with a sigh. ”I want you safe on the streets of Brooklyn, should you choose to go there on a trip to America.”
”Oh, really?” Anna Maria said. She paused directly in front of the door to the shop.
”What Lynn is trying to say is that she has the hots for this man big time, and that she would give an arm and a leg to get it up with him.”
”To get it on with him,” Lynn said with a mock sigh. Her eyes flashed as she giggled.
”He is the one who gets it up.”
Anna Maria gave a deep sigh. ”Come, Jordan, and try your vinyl outfit on again. Raphael is going to insist that you wear it, and you should. It's terrific on you.”
Despite the many people in the shop, Raphael saw her instantly and moved through the many groups of people looking at art pieces, masks, and costumes, to reach her. ”Vinyl, yes! We'll dress you up one more time!”
”Sure, vinyl, why not?” she agreed. ”And a really good mask, Raphael, so no one knows me!” She lowered her voice and smiled. ”They'll still be whispering about me enough!”
”Let them whisper-be outrageous!” he said. ”Come, come.”
CHAPTER 3.
Nari was tired, bored, hungry and restless. Last night, with the disaster at the party, she'd not been able to enjoy a thing.
She should be resting, and she should not be wandering through the streets so casually, even in a mask. She had a certain position to maintain. But she couldn't sleep, or even relax, and so she donned a mask and went out into the streets.
Um . .. she was definitely ...
Hungry.
She needed to find someone with whom to dine.
Not to mention the fact that she didn't want to be home.
She didn't want to be caught resting by uninvited visitors. Because he would come. Of course. He'd been watching her, waiting. He thought that he'd come in, make demands, and force her to change her ways.
Ah, but he didn't know the half of it.
He didn't know who was in Venice now and with whom she had been keeping company.