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Valentina frowned. “No. There is nothing for me in this city. Not anymore,” she added softly. Her mouth then twisted with the familiar expression of regret.
“But what about your sister, and little Nico?”
“They have the professor now. He will watch over them,” she said with a certainty that made Lottie tense.
I can take care of them.
Alec’s earlier assertion now echoed in her mind. It had been unexpectedly devastating. For years Lottie had wanted her independence, to belong to no one but herself. But in that moment she craved to know what it felt like to be under his care not at the behest of her uncle, but because he truly wished it. Lottie chewed her lip. Surely Valentina’s sister was as comely as she was, and Alec obviously doted on Nico. A fellow countrywoman—a fellowVenetian—could provide him with a kind of understanding that Lottie would never be able to match.
Valentina’s sharp gaze met hers in the mirror. Her eyebrows rose. “No, signorita. I did not mean—” She paused and shook her head. “My sister has the misfortune to only love Nico’s father.”
“And the professor?” Lottie heard herself ask.
Valentina shrugged and turned her attention back to her work. “I have never seen him with a woman. Until you.”
Lottie looked down at her hands. She had no wish to see the ridiculous blush that was spreading across her face. Still, it meant nothing. Why, she all butforcedAlec to bring her here in the first place.
And yet…
Any more talk of Alec ended as Stella, Nico’s mother, arrived to press Lottie’s gown. She was, indeed, a pretty woman but far more serious than Valentina. There was a hardness about her that likely came from shouldering a great deal of responsibility at a young age. Stella didn’t appear to know much English, or perhaps she was not as loquacious as her younger sister. She greeted Lottie and gave her sister a fond kiss on the cheek, then immediately set to work.
After Valentina had finished brushing out Lottie’s hair, she artfully pinned her mass of curls in a heavy knot at the back of her head. Then she teased a few long tendrils to spill gracefully over her shoulders. Once Valentina finished, the sisters helped Lottie dress. She had found the gown in a little shop in Florence run by a rather forward-thinking seamstress. A fine lady had it commissioned, but then she disappeared without paying. The gown was cleverly designed with a corset built into the bodice, but that didn’t stop Stella from fastening it within an inch of her life. Lottie pressed a hand against her waist and let out a breath. “Perhaps it could be loosened a bit?”
Despite the language barrier, Stella knew exactly what Lottie meant. She soundly shook her head and guided Lottie over to a floor-length gilt mirror. “See?”
“Oh my goodness,” Lottie murmured. She both looked, and felt, like an ethereal creature. A Botticelli goddess come to life. The Florentine gown was made of diaphanous ivory-colored silk and tulle with a daringly low bodice that fit like a second skin, enhancing her figure in all the right places before giving way to a fuller skirt tastefully embroidered with flowers that seemed to spring from the very dress itself. More gauzy fabric was generously draped along her shoulders, like fairy wings.
Even Stella nodded with approval. “Si, questa è una bellissima creazione.”
Lottie turned to Valentina. “I’ve no doubt you will make a wonderful lady’s maid,” she said, pressing several coins into the girl’s palm.
Valentina’s eyes widened at the amount and she gave Lottie a broad smile. “Grazie, signorita.”
“Do let me know if you need a reference.”
“But, the professor said I was to go to England with you.”
Lottie tilted her head. “What do you mean?”
“When you return tomorrow. He said you could not go by yourself.” Valentina gave her a worried frown. “Is—is that not right?”
I have to see to a few things.
You can trust her. With anything.
Alec had already planned their separation without one word to her. Again.
“Oh,” Lottie said softly as understanding washed over her. “Yes. Yes, of course. I—I wasn’t thinking.” She managed a tight smile and the girl relaxed.
The sisters spent a few more minutes cooing over her before they led Lottie into the parlor. Alec leaned against the doorframe of the balcony that looked out onto the Grand Canal; he cut a striking figure against the breathtaking view. The sun had just begun to set, and Lottie inhaled at the purple sky and deep gold clouds tinged with red. The dome of Basilica San Marco was visible in the distance. Alec turned at the sound of her entrance, but his face was cast in shadow against the brilliant light framing him. He had changed into a black evening suit with a white shirt and bow tie. Severe and elegant. The sight was nearly as breathtaking as the sunset. Lottie hadn’t seen him dressed so formally since…
…since the evening of her coming out ball.
When you fell in love with him. And then he broke your heart.
Without so much as a backward glance.
Lottie struggled to swallow past the lump in her throat while her scarred heart thundered in her chest. What was shedoinghere? She had been happy in her little Tuscan cottage. Perhaps a bit lonely at times, but one could be lonely anywhere. Even in a house full of people. And yet, after months of meticulous planning, after she had finally started making a new life for herself, she had given it all up as soon as Alec came calling. Because he was always unavoidable. Forever inescapable.
