control.
‘Enough, both of you,’ snapped their mother. ‘Stay away from Salvador, Claudia. His family may have money, but they are of no importance. It’s Bastian Donato you should be concerning yourself with.’
‘I have no interest in Salvador or Bastian!’
‘Oh, is it two lovers now?’ said Marco. ‘You are a busy girl.’
Claudia wanted to disappear. Surely, Filippo knew her better than to believe what he was hearing.
‘Enough, Marco,’ said her mother. Looking out of window of the felze, she added, ‘Finally, we’re here.’
Her mother’s relief didn’t compare to the relief Claudia felt until she saw the queue of gondolas waiting to unload passengers. Claudia settled back into the awkwardness, silently begging Marco to keep his mouth closed. He did, though it had nothing to do with Claudia and everything to do with the women he was watching rising out of their gondolas.
Finally, their gondola pulled up alongside the water steps that spanned the length of the opera house’s facade. Light from the chandeliers inside spilled out onto the canal through the row of arched entryways.
Even from the gondola, Claudia saw that the passage leading through to the foyer was crowded with people from the highest ranks in society. Already, she could feel them pressing around her, suffocating her.
Marco got up first, followed by her mother while Claudia made a show of rearranging the bottom of her gown. When her mother’s back was to her, Claudia took off her black silk gloves and placed them on the seat next to her.
Filippo was standing on the water steps when Claudia rose out of the felze. His elbow was extended to help her out of the gondola onto the land, just as other gondoliers were doing for their passengers on either side of them. His eyes would not meet hers. Instead, he stared down at the dark water between the gondola and the steps.
Desperately, Claudia tried to whisper an apology, but she was standing in front of the opera house before the words left her mouth. When she turned around, Filippo had already leapt into the gondola and was busying himself with the oar.
‘Hurry up,’ said her mother, as she walked ahead through the entryway.
‘I think I see your Salvador up ahead,’ whispered Marco in her ear, before breaking away and disappearing into the crowd.
Her brother’s teasing had no effect on her. All Claudia could think was that she had to go back and explain the misunderstanding to Filippo. She hurried to catch up with her mother. When she was only a step behind, she gasped loudly.
Her mother turned around. ‘What is it now?’
‘I left my gloves in the gondola.’
Her mother exhaled sharply. ‘You better go collect them. Your bare hands make you look like a kitchen maid.’
Without responding to her mother’s remark, Claudia turned around. It took all her self-control to walk calmly. If she caused a scene by running from the building like a damsel, she would never hear the end of it. It wasn’t just her mother she was worried about. All around were the eyes of gossips that visited the Lion’s Mouth as often as they visited the mirror.
When Claudia emerged at the water’s edge, her eyes frantically searched the black vessels for Filippo. Finally, she saw him steering the gondola away from La Fenice. She opened her mouth to call out his name, but no sound came out. Her chest ached. Around her, people moved about without a care. She watched the gondola get further and further away. Just before it completely disappeared into the darkness, Filippo looked over his shoulder and their eyes met.
Claudia put all her love into her gaze.
Filippo turned around and did not look back.
Claudia sank into a settee at the far end of the sitting room. She squeezed her eyes shut to fight back tears, but behind her closed eyes she saw Filippo’s face as he looked back at her with such disappointment. Their relationship seemed to be one misunderstanding after another. Claudia didn’t know
‘Enough, both of you,’ snapped their mother. ‘Stay away from Salvador, Claudia. His family may have money, but they are of no importance. It’s Bastian Donato you should be concerning yourself with.’
‘I have no interest in Salvador or Bastian!’
‘Oh, is it two lovers now?’ said Marco. ‘You are a busy girl.’
Claudia wanted to disappear. Surely, Filippo knew her better than to believe what he was hearing.
‘Enough, Marco,’ said her mother. Looking out of window of the felze, she added, ‘Finally, we’re here.’
Her mother’s relief didn’t compare to the relief Claudia felt until she saw the queue of gondolas waiting to unload passengers. Claudia settled back into the awkwardness, silently begging Marco to keep his mouth closed. He did, though it had nothing to do with Claudia and everything to do with the women he was watching rising out of their gondolas.
Finally, their gondola pulled up alongside the water steps that spanned the length of the opera house’s facade. Light from the chandeliers inside spilled out onto the canal through the row of arched entryways.
Even from the gondola, Claudia saw that the passage leading through to the foyer was crowded with people from the highest ranks in society. Already, she could feel them pressing around her, suffocating her.
Marco got up first, followed by her mother while Claudia made a show of rearranging the bottom of her gown. When her mother’s back was to her, Claudia took off her black silk gloves and placed them on the seat next to her.
Filippo was standing on the water steps when Claudia rose out of the felze. His elbow was extended to help her out of the gondola onto the land, just as other gondoliers were doing for their passengers on either side of them. His eyes would not meet hers. Instead, he stared down at the dark water between the gondola and the steps.
Desperately, Claudia tried to whisper an apology, but she was standing in front of the opera house before the words left her mouth. When she turned around, Filippo had already leapt into the gondola and was busying himself with the oar.
‘Hurry up,’ said her mother, as she walked ahead through the entryway.
‘I think I see your Salvador up ahead,’ whispered Marco in her ear, before breaking away and disappearing into the crowd.
Her brother’s teasing had no effect on her. All Claudia could think was that she had to go back and explain the misunderstanding to Filippo. She hurried to catch up with her mother. When she was only a step behind, she gasped loudly.
Her mother turned around. ‘What is it now?’
‘I left my gloves in the gondola.’
Her mother exhaled sharply. ‘You better go collect them. Your bare hands make you look like a kitchen maid.’
Without responding to her mother’s remark, Claudia turned around. It took all her self-control to walk calmly. If she caused a scene by running from the building like a damsel, she would never hear the end of it. It wasn’t just her mother she was worried about. All around were the eyes of gossips that visited the Lion’s Mouth as often as they visited the mirror.
When Claudia emerged at the water’s edge, her eyes frantically searched the black vessels for Filippo. Finally, she saw him steering the gondola away from La Fenice. She opened her mouth to call out his name, but no sound came out. Her chest ached. Around her, people moved about without a care. She watched the gondola get further and further away. Just before it completely disappeared into the darkness, Filippo looked over his shoulder and their eyes met.
Claudia put all her love into her gaze.
Filippo turned around and did not look back.
Claudia sank into a settee at the far end of the sitting room. She squeezed her eyes shut to fight back tears, but behind her closed eyes she saw Filippo’s face as he looked back at her with such disappointment. Their relationship seemed to be one misunderstanding after another. Claudia didn’t know
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