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We climbed onto the cramped boat. There weren’t enough seats, so I pulled Indy into my lap. She protested at first but as we sped off, she clung to me, her arms wrapped around my neck. The wind whipped around us blowing her hair around us like a banner, and I wrapped my bomber jacket as best I could around her.

I let my nose graze her hair, the familiar scent of her orange-blossom shampoo. I closed my eyes for a moment, breathing her in, feeling her warm and settled in my arms. It was oddly the safest I’d felt in years. Her fingers played with the collar of my sweater.

“You still use the same shampoo,” I said.

She nodded, tickling my nose again with her hair. “You still wear the same cologne.”

“Yeah, someone special bought it for me, and well, it’s just me, isn’t it? It reminds me of better days.”

She lifted her head, a line between her eyebrows. “Levi, I have to tell you something. Ashleigh didn’t buy that cologne for you. I did.”

“I know,” I said. How did she not know that? “You always made a beeline for the men’s perfume counter in Macy’s whenever we went to the mall and came back smelling like you’d upturned all the bottles.”

She gaped at me. “You always knew? And you still wear it?”

“I told you it smells like me.” And it reminds me of you.

Chapter 18

Diana

We docked at the small island in the middle of the lake. A path twisted through trees, a shaft of golden light trickling through the branches. Levi took my hand as we caught up with the other guests and made our way to the magnificent cream-colored building—another palazzo—with sculpted columns wrapped with vines.

Once inside, Levi continued to play the part of the doting fiancé. It was confusing and embarrassingly pleasurable pretending like this. He’d never explained what he’d gotten up to in the time he’d gone missing. I was careful not to bring it up.

We went through the rooms in a daze. The place really was a museum. From the Villanovan temple replica to the frescoed walls of the orangery, it was like walking back in time. At last we made it to the Laboratorio—a modern white space divided in two distinct parts: a gallery and a research laboratory. The gallery was filled with priceless artifacts behind glass cases and statuary that had only been a rumor.

“Whoa, D . . . is that the Chimera of Arezzo?” Sabrina nudged me, pointing to the statue with lion head on goat body, snakes coiling out of its back.

Before I could take it all in, we’d moved into the lab where Professor Marcangeli described the state-of-the-art equipment. “As you know, Giancarlo graciously loaned my team the laboratory for our research. His generosity has allowed us for the first time ever to prove that wine residue in the amphoras discovered in the Adriatic were from a grape variety only found on several islands of the Dodecanese.”

I gasped because this information supported my own theory of Etruscan presence in the Aegean. I squeezed Levi’s hand.

Professor Harris, who had been standing off to the side feigning boredom interjected. “My team most recently used the lab in dating an object that turned out to be an elaborate fake.” He turned toward Marcangeli. “You’ll learn more about that in my new documentary series for the History Channel.”

His eyes fell to mine, and I wanted to disappear into the floor until I felt Levi’s strong arm wind around me and pull me closer. I stood straighter, confident that he had my back.

The tour ended with an aperitivo in the orangery, a gorgeous glass-paned building with an indoor oasis. As guests milled about among the citrus trees, I searched the crowd for Signore Visconti. Levi spotted him first and pushed me toward him. “Now’s your chance . . .”

But how could I talk to him after that humiliation? He had to know about my doomed discovery of the fake bucchero. I hesitated just long enough for him to be whisked away by—who else?—Professor Harris.

Defeated, I turned looking for Levi, but instead I ran straight into Professor Marcangeli. I’d met him briefly at a conference and was surprised that he remembered me. “I heard about your discovery in Greece. Very interesting.”

I almost choked on my drink. “How did you hear about it?”

He nodded at Sabrina. “Your friend was telling me about it. We have something in common. I, too, have a special interest in the Etruscan and Greek trade. If you’re ever interested in a second opinion about your discovery”—he slid his card out from his pocket—“I would be delighted to look at it.”

“Oh.” I had no idea what to say and glanced nervously around for Levi, who was chatting with more ladies by the buffet.

“Diana,” came Professor Harris’s voice behind me. “I need you to help Peter and Savannah distribute the flyers.” He placed a hand under my elbow and practically dragged me from Marcangeli’s side.

“That’s unfortunate, Reginald. I was just speaking to Miss Russo about her discovery in Greece.” Professor Marcangeli studied Harris with a gleam in his dark eyes.

“Unfortunately, we had several labs examine it. It’s not authentic,” Professor Harris said in a clipped tone that put an end to the conversation and nearly shoved me in the direction of the table where Pete was sitting.

A shadowy look of vindication passed over Pete’s features, and he blinked from behind his thick glasses at me then proceeded to divide up the flyers we’d made about our project.

“Go ahead,” I grumbled at him, “say it.”