life. The
baroque-style architecture was designed to look like a theatre. At
the centre of the theatre, musicians played, while all around
people mingled. It was lit by thousands of candles, hooked up in
sconces around the walls, high up to the third story, and by dozens
of huge black wrought-iron standard candelabra. It was surreal.
“Some hotel this,” she whispered to
Alessandro while she ran her hand around the bas reliefs that
decorated the walls.
He dropped his head to hers. “It’s a private
residence, Emily.”
“Oh!” She could feel the heat of
embarrassment flooding her face. If this was a private home, it
wasn’t like any she’d been in before. But, then, that was the
difference between them, wasn’t it?
“Darling Alex!”
Emily smelt the tall blonde’s expensive
perfume before she heard her. “How has it been slumming it in
Naples, darling, mixing with all those tradespeople?”
“Carisma, I’d like you to meet Emily.”
Carisma turned to her for the first time.
“Emily,” she said uncertainly. “Welcome.”
If only the tone of her voice and her body
language echoed the sentiment, Emily reckoned she might have felt
welcome.
“Hello. I’m one of those tradespeople.”
Carisma’s polite smile, widened stiffly
before she turned once more to Alessandro. “So glad you came,
darling. Come back to us as soon as you can. You must be missing
your crowd.” She glanced briefly towards Emily as if she were some
strange memento from a parallel universe and walked away.
“Nice friends,” Emily said curtly.
“Give them a chance, Emily. Carisma’s led a
sheltered life. You have to make allowances.”
“Why should I make allowances for someone
who’s had a privileged life?”
“You don’t, of course. Not, unless, that is,
you want to get on with her. Which might be nice, don’t you
think.”
It wasn’t a question. It was a directive and
Emily could feel her heels digging in, particularly easy as she had
her highest heels on that night: black, patent with very, very thin
spikes.
They walked further into the courtyard,
Alessandro greeting people here and there. Emily took a glass from
the waiter, along with a handful of nibbles while a group of
beautiful people clustered around Alessandro.
“Alex!”
Alessandro introduced them, leaving the most
beautiful until last.
“And this, Emily, is Ursula.”
Ursula smiled with a warmth that made Emily
forget, for just a moment, that she was an outsider.
As the others dominated Alessandro in
conversation, Ursula drew Emily aside. She was a tall, statuesque,
Swedish blonde.
“So, you’re the reason for his
disappearance,” she said in a disarmingly accented English.
“Me? No. His work, his father…” Emily
blustered and felt even more embarrassed when Ursula laughed.
“No. I think you are. You’re different to his
usual sort.”
“That’s not exactly a news flash, you
know.”
Ursula laughed. “Interesting, very
interesting. I hope he sees what he has with you. I think he
must.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Because he usually comes alone to
Paris.”
“Really?”
“It is one of the rare times that we are able
to meet. Our schedules are busy.”
“Oh!” How could she have been so dumb? Ursula
and Alessandro. Obviously. They were two beautiful people who no
doubt had some kind of beautiful thing going on.
Ursula laughed. “Don’t worry. It’s not like
that. I’d hoped it would be once. But now, it’s just friendship. A
close friendship.”
Emily was trying to figure out how to
establish exactly how close their friendship was when Ursula
abruptly changed the subject.
“Now, tell me Emily, has Alessandro yet told
you all about himself and about—”
Whatever Ursula was going to say was lost
under the smothering bonhomie of a large group of people who had
just arrived. They seemed to swallow Ursula whole and whisk her
away with Ursula only able to wave. “Good luck, Emily, you’re going
to need
baroque-style architecture was designed to look like a theatre. At
the centre of the theatre, musicians played, while all around
people mingled. It was lit by thousands of candles, hooked up in
sconces around the walls, high up to the third story, and by dozens
of huge black wrought-iron standard candelabra. It was surreal.
“Some hotel this,” she whispered to
Alessandro while she ran her hand around the bas reliefs that
decorated the walls.
He dropped his head to hers. “It’s a private
residence, Emily.”
“Oh!” She could feel the heat of
embarrassment flooding her face. If this was a private home, it
wasn’t like any she’d been in before. But, then, that was the
difference between them, wasn’t it?
“Darling Alex!”
Emily smelt the tall blonde’s expensive
perfume before she heard her. “How has it been slumming it in
Naples, darling, mixing with all those tradespeople?”
“Carisma, I’d like you to meet Emily.”
Carisma turned to her for the first time.
“Emily,” she said uncertainly. “Welcome.”
If only the tone of her voice and her body
language echoed the sentiment, Emily reckoned she might have felt
welcome.
“Hello. I’m one of those tradespeople.”
Carisma’s polite smile, widened stiffly
before she turned once more to Alessandro. “So glad you came,
darling. Come back to us as soon as you can. You must be missing
your crowd.” She glanced briefly towards Emily as if she were some
strange memento from a parallel universe and walked away.
“Nice friends,” Emily said curtly.
“Give them a chance, Emily. Carisma’s led a
sheltered life. You have to make allowances.”
“Why should I make allowances for someone
who’s had a privileged life?”
“You don’t, of course. Not, unless, that is,
you want to get on with her. Which might be nice, don’t you
think.”
It wasn’t a question. It was a directive and
Emily could feel her heels digging in, particularly easy as she had
her highest heels on that night: black, patent with very, very thin
spikes.
They walked further into the courtyard,
Alessandro greeting people here and there. Emily took a glass from
the waiter, along with a handful of nibbles while a group of
beautiful people clustered around Alessandro.
“Alex!”
Alessandro introduced them, leaving the most
beautiful until last.
“And this, Emily, is Ursula.”
Ursula smiled with a warmth that made Emily
forget, for just a moment, that she was an outsider.
As the others dominated Alessandro in
conversation, Ursula drew Emily aside. She was a tall, statuesque,
Swedish blonde.
“So, you’re the reason for his
disappearance,” she said in a disarmingly accented English.
“Me? No. His work, his father…” Emily
blustered and felt even more embarrassed when Ursula laughed.
“No. I think you are. You’re different to his
usual sort.”
“That’s not exactly a news flash, you
know.”
Ursula laughed. “Interesting, very
interesting. I hope he sees what he has with you. I think he
must.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Because he usually comes alone to
Paris.”
“Really?”
“It is one of the rare times that we are able
to meet. Our schedules are busy.”
“Oh!” How could she have been so dumb? Ursula
and Alessandro. Obviously. They were two beautiful people who no
doubt had some kind of beautiful thing going on.
Ursula laughed. “Don’t worry. It’s not like
that. I’d hoped it would be once. But now, it’s just friendship. A
close friendship.”
Emily was trying to figure out how to
establish exactly how close their friendship was when Ursula
abruptly changed the subject.
“Now, tell me Emily, has Alessandro yet told
you all about himself and about—”
Whatever Ursula was going to say was lost
under the smothering bonhomie of a large group of people who had
just arrived. They seemed to swallow Ursula whole and whisk her
away with Ursula only able to wave. “Good luck, Emily, you’re going
to need
Similar Books
