“Surprised by what?” I had to know.
“Well, she was a girl.”
I blushed at that––my necessary deception.
“And then the hair.” He circled his own head with a hand.
“In America, that color is not unusual.”
“Oh, in Europe too,” he conceded. “Anyway, now Ama thinks Gregorio has come out of his shell because of Lexi. ‘Lexi takes chances.’ That’s what Ama said.”
While I sat there, feeling pretty proud of my daughter, Marco seemed to be turning this over. Did he like a woman who took chances?
When he turned, I felt pulled into the depths of his brown eyes. “Of course, she is like you. A strong woman.”
Then his eyes clouded. Did he have concerns about them? “Don’t worry about them, Marco. Your Majesty. Lexi assures me that they are just friends. And I think that is the case. They will never do anything inappropriate.”
Was he sunburned or was that a flush? “Please, I was out of line there too.”
Now, this was getting interesting. “In what way?”
Slinging one ankle on his other knee, he played with the leather tie on his deck shoe. Admitting he’d been wrong must not come easy. “Gregorio will choose his companions himself. And your daughter is very sweet, very lively. As I said, my mother likes her. Still, I am glad that for now, they are just friends.”
As I sat there wondering what that meant, Marco jumped up and stretched. The muscles of his washboard abs rippled. “Would you like a tour?”
“Sure.” Eager to break the tension, I pushed myself off the cushion. “I’d love it.”
Following him into a corridor, I grasped the discreet wooden railing along the wall. The yacht was like a series of hotel rooms put together. “How many staff people do you have?”
He pursed his lips “I think only fifteen.”
“Only?” I snorted, not sounding very ladylike.
He opened a door for me. “Aristotle had thirty-eight. He went overboard.” Marco paused, mischievous eyes finding mine. “I know he didn’t actually go over the side of one of his yachts, Profesora.”
“I realize that, Your Majesty.”
The hallway was so narrow. His shoulder brushed mine. The scent of his recent coffee teased me as we walked. He pointed out a dining room and the hallway leading to the kitchen. “A wonderful chef, of course.”
“Of course.” Now, this could have been my opportunity to bring up Gregorio. Instead, I almost stumbled, thinking of all the famous people who’d walked this very corridor while they smelled the sea air.
After the fifth stateroom, I lost count. “How many are there?”
“Seventeen. And then the master suite, which is here.” He threw open a door. When I poked my head inside, there was no bed. Only a sitting area with a TV and a small bar. The closed door at the end of the room must lead to the bedroom. Unlike the modernized deck above, this decor seemed charmingly dated. All rust brown and deep ochre, much like the castle. I did not sit down. This was far too removed and private. I couldn’t trust myself. Marco seemed to sense my unease.
“Let’s go up to the entertainment area. You will like the movie screen.”
On the floor above was a large gathering room set up with multiple pits. I collapsed in one, trying to pull my wits together. Gregorio was counting on me and so was his grandmother.
Marco joined me. “Comfortable, right? Arms out to each side, he gazed around, looking pretty pleased with himself. I couldn’t blame him. Obviously, this yacht hadn’t been passed down for generations. Purchasing the yacht had been his achievement. Although sometimes Marco could frustrate me, he also filled me with admiration. Although his father passed away when he was relatively young, he’d worked hard to take on this responsibility and then he’d lost his wife. Yet, he’d pulled himself from grief to raise Gregorio and he’d done a pretty good job of it.
No one else was in the area. No servers lurked. Lexi and Gregorio were laughing and shouting to each other at the front of the ship. This was my chance to talk to him or I would never do it.
I cleared my throat. A breeze had kicked up, whisking across the water and under the sun drapes. I felt encouraged by the perfect setting. This was the moment. It was now or never. “Marco, I’ve been wanting to talk to you…”
Marco turned. Ah, I had his full attention now. “…about Gregorio.”
He nodded. “About Gregorio and Harvard. Good.”
