AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"I'll let you talk," Jasmine's granddaughter said."Seems like she remembers Tomas after all."
He moved further into the room, sitting down on the side of the bed across from Jasmine while Isabella hovered nearby.
"Hello, Jasmine," he said.
"I never thought I would see you again," she said in a distant voice."I look out the window every day, wondering if you might come.I was told you were dead.But you're not dead, are you?"
He wasn't sure how to answer that question.He looked to Isabella.She handed him the letter Tomas had written toJ."Why don't you read that to her?"
"You look familiar," Jasmine said, her gaze moving to Isabella."Is that you, Lucinda?"
"I'm her great-granddaughter," she said."And you were her best friend, weren't you?"
"I was.A long time ago.She helped me achieve my dream of being an artist.My husband didn't want me to paint.He wanted me to stay home with my children, but they were older; they didn't need me anymore.I would go down to the square and paint, and that's where I met Lucinda.She told me to come to the studio.She and Tomas would teach me.So I went, and they didn't just teach me about art, they showed me another world.But it wasn't a world I could have."She turned back to him."I'm sorry, Tomas.Sorry I couldn't leave him or my children."
"I understand," he said, not sure how to handle the complexity of this moment.She seemed to accept that Isabella was Lucinda's great-granddaughter, but still thought he was Tomas."This was a letter that came back undeliverable."He handed it to her.
Her hand shook as she pulled the paper out of the envelope."I didn't think you wrote me back.I waited for a long time, but then we moved.My husband suspected something was going on, so he took me and the kids out of the country.We moved to Washington DC, and we lived there for many years.When he died, I finally came back to Italy, but the studio was gone, and so was your shop, your home.I was told you and Lucinda were dead.My heart broke again.I wished I hadn't waited so long."
As Jasmine read the note that Tomas had penned her a long time ago, his gaze met Isabella's.She sent him silent encouragement to keep going.
"You figured out David was going to betray you," Jasmine said, looking up at him."I wasn't sure if it was true, but I wanted to warn you.You had such big dreams of saving art for Italy, slyly replacing originals that were targeted to be stolen byLa Mano Nerawith the copies we all created in the studio late at night.And then you would hide the originals away for safekeeping.You thought everyone was with you, but David was working withLa Mano Nera.He was playing both sides to make money.I was afraid to put his name down in my notes to you, but you figured it out."
"Yes," he said, shocked to hear exactly what had happened.Jasmine had just confirmed they were counterfeiters, but she'd also stated the reason why.
"David ruined it all," she continued."He told Juliette what we were doing.I knew we couldn't trust her.Juliette was too submissive to her husband and her brothers.We all wanted to believe that she didn't like what they were doing, that she was turning on them and was loyal to us.But it was she who turned David into a traitor.What happened to David?"
"He's dead now."
"Is it wrong to say I am happy about that?"
"No, it's not."He paused as he heard Isabella gasp.
She was standing by the dresser, and she had a silver ring in her hand.She brought it over to them."Is this your ring, Jasmine?"
"Yes.I usually have it on, but it's gotten so big now, it slips off my finger."She took the ring from Isabella and traced thePwith her finger."It was so long ago that we were theProtettori."
"Protettori?"Isabella echoed."What does that mean?"
"Protectors," he said, answering for Jasmine.
"We were protecting our national art from thieves.It was the most important thing I ever did in my life."Jasmine closed her eyes for a moment.
He looked at Isabella.She made a gesture for him to keep Jasmine talking while she looked around the bedroom.As she closed the closet door, she paused, and then her gaze flew to his.On the wall behind the door was a painting.
His heart skipped a beat.This painting looked very much like the others, the focus on one single object, this time a castle on a distant hill, the edges blurred with colors."Jasmine," he said."Is that my painting?"
She opened her eyes and looked from him to the art on the wall."I hid it away for a long time, Tomas, just as you asked.But then I missed you so much I took it out so I could feel closer to you.You inspired me so much."
He barely heard her words.They'd found the missing painting.They had the final clue."Can I have the painting back?Can Isabella take it off the wall?"
She hesitated, then nodded."Yes.It is yours, after all.Is it time now?Time to bring them all together?I didn't know where the others were after all these years.I didn't know how to use the paintings to get the others."
"Get the others?"he echoed.
"The originals.You remember, don't you?Or is your mind going, too?"
"I remember," he lied."What did I tell you about the paintings?"
