Based on his reaction alone, Meredith could tell that no, he had not hidden it. In fact, the sudden widening of his eyes almost certainly indicated that he wasn’t even aware of the garment’s absence. He lifted his leg into the air as though to give Meredith a proper look, “Miss Meyer, my stocking!”
Meredith smiled, “I know, dear. It’s missing, that’s what I’ve been trying to ask you about. How did you not notice it was missing? Isn’t that foot exceptionally cold? At any rate, this is why we wear ourshoes, otherwise your stockings will get left behind.”
The boy gasped.
He’s so criminally adorable!
Meredith smiled and scooped him up in her arms.
“Right, I think we need to get you a fresh pair of stockings. I’ll hunt for the other one while you nap. Now where did you put your shoes?”
* * *
After dinner, and with the boys fast asleep, Mrs. Venturi handed Meredith a soothing cup of tea, “Here you go, dear. Are you warm enough?”
“Oh! Yes, Mrs. Venturi, thank you. I wish that you had told me that you wanted tea. I would have gladly made it for us.”
She waved a dismissive hand, “Nonsense, Miss Meyer! I also could have asked Gianna to make it, but I’m not exactly royalty, am I?” she inched her chair a bit closer to the fireplace. “Oh, I was under the impression that the winters would be gentler here in Italy; but sitting here wrapped up as we are and sipping tea makes me feel as though we’re back in England.”
Meredith chuckled, “You’re right, Mrs. Venturi. It feels just like home. However, your initial assumptions about Italian winters are quite understandable since, in fact, the southern part of Italy can be quite a bit warmer than what we’re experiencing here in Florence.”
Mrs. Venturi responded quite positively to what many would consider to be a lackluster statement of fact.
“Miss Meyer, you are, indeed, quite knowledgeable about a good many things! It’s no surprise at all that you come so highly recommended by the Duke of Sherriden.”
Meredith blushed, partly because she was being complimented, and partly because an image of Anthony had suddenly appeared in her mind.
“Oh, it’s nothing, Mrs. Venturi. It’s just that as governess in my last post, I was mostly focused on teaching history. They had an amazing library filled with—amongst other things—dozens of historical references.”
Mrs. Venturi listened eagerly. “It sounds like heaven on earth. I hope Luca also picks up your love of reading. Think of how much energy we would save if we could just plop him down with some books for a few hours a day.”
Grinning widely, Meredith replied, “Yes, he would be like a wild horse tamed.”
“Yes! I love him with all my heart and soul, but sometimes my soul needs a break from all of the running around. I’m glad that you’re here now, though, Miss Meyer. I can tell that he has really taken to you.”
Meredith finished the last of her tea and grinned, “I’m very fond of him myself, Mrs. Venturi. It would be impossible to not love a child who is so delightfully curious about everything.”
Mrs. Venturi swelled with pride.
“Yes, he gets it from Carlo. Always asking, ‘What’s this? ‘What’s that? May I have it?’” she shook her head. “It is exactly that curiosity that caused Carlo’s interest to switch from handmade fabrics and textiles to machine-made ones.”
Meredith genuinely enjoyed hearing about Mr. Venturi’s work, everything about him was intriguing and impressive. He had moved to England about eight or nine years ago with nothing but two cases of Italian fabrics and an air of confidence. By the time he returned to Italy, he had a beautiful family, a flourishing business, and that same air of confidence.
And the confident man found himself a confident wife in the booming town of East Brentmoor. Meredith wondered whether she would ever have the luxury of being so confident herself.
“If it’s not impertinent, may I ask how you knew that Mr. Venturi was ‘the one’?”
Mrs. Venturi carefully considered her answer.
“Hmm… Well, obviously, there were many factors that I had to consider. But I think what helped was shutting all of those voices out.”
Meredith raised her eyebrows—this wasn’t the answer she was expecting. “Do you mean that in the sense of ignoring what people said, Mrs. Venturi?”
“Well, yes and no. Obviously, one must always be ready to take advice and listen to the concerns that our families or trusted friends raise. But ultimately, it wasmylife at stake.”
“After all, they may advise you all they want, but if you decide to get married, it isyouwho will have to worry about fulfilling your responsibilities for the rest of your life. So I asked myself whether I would be willing and capable of becoming the wife that Carlo needed, and thankfully, I was!” she finished with a smile.
Meredith nodded. Mrs. Venturi was making quite a lot of sense. What she said was, in fact, very similar to Meredith’s own anxiety about becoming worthy of Anthony and becoming the wife that he needed.
