Gregorio and Lexi took off, quickly swallowed up by the guests.
“I think I should go up and change.” Even my pearls felt pathetic. All around us, women sparkled with what were surely real rubies, sapphires and diamonds.
“What?” His square jaw moved with impatience. “Nonsense. Now I will introduce them to you, one by one. My sister-in-law Sofia has come up with a list.”
“What list?” My head was whirling. The lights above me seemed to swim. “You have a sister-in-law?”
“Yes, Bianca’s older sister.” When Marco drew closer, I thought I might faint. He was wearing that cologne again. The kind that could turn a woman’s bones to cooked pasta. I was becoming noodleized. When he leaned toward me, I could see each bristle on his rugged chin, although he was more clean-shaven than usual.
“The prospects,” he whispered, as if this were an undercover operation.
As his warm breath bathed my neck, I tried to bring order to my thoughts. “Right. Of course.”Buck up, Christina. He needs some help. You have a mission to accomplish.
“Ah, here you are.” And with that, a lovely looking woman dressed in a fashionable moss green dress appeared at his side. Compared to many of the pencil slim women tonight, this woman looked comfortable––as if she enjoyed dinner and didn’t give a fig what anyone thought. She gave me a broad, accepting smile. I liked her immediately.
“Sofia, I want you to meet Gregorio’s tutor, Christina.”
I began a quick attempt at a curtesy, but her hand squeezed my elbow. “None of that for me. I’m just a peasant.” Her sparkling eyes swung to Marco and a brow lifted. “Has she been spending too much time with your mother?”
Either Marco did not catch the comment about Ama or he decided to ignore it. He produced a slip of paper from an inner pocket. “Christina, this is the list Sofia has prepared. Elena, Chiara and Izabella. Do you think we have time for more?” His eyes flitted between Sofia and me.
Sofia’s laughter bubbled into the warm night air. “The evening is young, Marco. We’ll do what we can.” Thank goodness one of us understood what this was about.
Oh my. I followed the direction of Marco’s eyes. Gabriella was making her way toward us. Her silver lame gown shimmered on her skeletal frame like liquid foil. At her neck was a collar of pearls. Had Elizabeth Taylor worn that inCleopatra?
Gabriella didn’t look happy. “Marco. Marco?” Her peeved voice raked across my nerves. I tried not to stare at that necklace that made my mother’s pearls look paltry. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”
Marco’s face froze but not before I noted the twitch in his right temple. Had she been hounding him? “Gabriella, so glad you could come. Nice to see you again.” The words were polite and distancing, as if she were an old friend he hadn’t seen in years. He did a quick European air kiss.
“But, but Marco…”
Taking Gabriella’s elbow, Sofia steered her away from Marco. “Has your mother come with you tonight, dear?”
“Well yes, she’s here somewhere.” Gabriella’s smoky lavender eyes did a sweep of the crowd before circling back to Marco.
“She probably needs some food,” Sofia said. I had to hand it to her. She sounded really concerned. “Your Majesty, are the food stations open?”
“Oh, yes, of course.” He swept a hand toward the long tables where waiters had arranged colorful platters of tenderloin, lobster and enough roasted vegetables to make Julia Child happy. “Have a wonderful time, Gabriella.”
Feeling sorry for the girl, I was stunned into silence. She hadn’t even made the list.
Gabriella slinked off to find her parents. And the games began. Teaming up, Sofia and Marco made their way through the guests, with me trailing behind. I felt very much like the caboose behind the royal train but I didn’t mind. Sofia had a teasing way with Marco. I liked watching the two of them play off each other. She was fun.
Sofia waved to another dark-haired beauty who wasn’t a day over twenty-five, if that.
“Ah, Chiara!” The woman with dark wavy hair and brown eyes turned. Of course she was delighted to find the host next to her. Although I tried to tuck myself behind Sofia, she drew aside. “I’d like you to meet Signora Newhart. She is Gregorio’s tutor.”
“How nice.” Chiara fingered her champagne flute nervously.
“With her help, Gregorio will go to Harvard,” Marco announced.
Oh no, oh no. Not that again. Alarm jolted me forward. I narrowly missed stepping on Chiara’s silver sandal. “Oh, Your Majesty, we are preparing him for the tests that could make him eligible for Harvard. The admission process is very competitive.”
“Yes,” Sofia broke in, her eyes dancing. “Many things in life are competitive.” Did she throw a coquettish look my way?
I was still reeling from Marco’s announcement. His expectations were high and they made me uncomfortable.
As Chiara spoke with Marco, the conversation was polite but lackluster. The girl actually talked about the weather. Young and uncertain, she waited for him to take the lead, with Sofia prodding the poor young woman.
