allowed Signora Carriera to infer that we were some kind of distant cousins.
The old lady picked up her heavy black handbag, vintage Chanel if I knew anything about accessories. ‘I will be in touch early next week with my suggestions. It is too long since I have held a party at my house.’
Her house! Wow and double-wow! Take that, Xav Benedict: you might bid water sports; I’m going to raise the stakes with an invitation to the most exclusive estate in Venice!
I beamed at her. ‘ Grazie mille , that is so kind of you. I know that Diamond will be over the moon.’
Contessa Nicoletta gathered up her scarf and handbag. ‘Ladies only, naturally. Maria, I hope you will be there.’
Signora Carriera glanced at me. ‘Oh, I’m not sure. These young girls won’t want an old bird like me.’
‘Nonsense. Who else will supply the costumes?’
Costumes too? Diamond was just going to die when she heard all this. I hurried to secure the deal. ‘Of course you must come—my sister wouldn’t dream of having a party without you. Besides, her fiancé’s mother will be there. I’m sure Karla will love to meet you.’
My boss smiled, genuinely pleased to receive the invitation. ‘Then I’d be delighted.’
Contessa Nicoletta reached the door. I hastened to open it for her. She paused to admire the display of masks we had in the window, her face taking on a keen expression. ‘Such skill,’ she sighed in appreciation. ‘I do love those who use their gifts as God intended. Goodbye, Crystal.’ She tottered off on the arm of her manservant and over one of the little hump-backed bridges that spanned the canal outside.
‘Hey, Cupcake of Complete Equality. We found you.’
I turned round. ‘Hello, Xav.’
‘Missed me?’ Xav let Rocco pull him over the threshold into the shop.
‘Yeah, like I miss having toothache.’
He grinned, let the dog off the lead and began rummaging through the masks on display. Everywhere you looked in this shop you were met with the blank-eyed gaze of carnival masks—feathered, plumed, and sequinned. They had not lost their sinister air even though I’d worked here a few weeks. I preferred not to be the last person to lock up. Xav picked up one with a big curved beak—the plague doctor theme. ‘What do you think?’ His brown eyes twinkled through the holes.
‘Huge improvement.’
He passed me a lacy affair with diamanté and pearl fringe. ‘Go on.’
‘I can’t—I work here, remember.’
‘Aw, you’ve no sense of fun.’
I slapped the mask over my eyes. ‘Satisfied?’
He pulled my hand away then put it back, head to one side like an expert judging a painting. ‘Nope, I like the original better.’
Was that a compliment? I began to soften a little towards him.
‘With a mask on, you seem all fairylike, none of the lion Crystal swatting me away with a few cutting words. Rr-rarr.’ He aped slashing the air with curved claws.
I dropped the mask back in the basket he had taken it from. ‘Well, thanks, kind sir.’
He bumped my forehead with his beak. ‘Don’t mention it.’
Rocco had unearthed Signora Carriera from her workroom and she emerged to find out who had brought him.
‘Ah, so this must be one of Diamond’s new family!’ she exclaimed in Italian. She held out her hand and switched into English. ‘Please to meet you.’
Xav whipped off the mask and bent to kiss her wrist. ‘I’m Xavier Benedict—or Xav if you prefer. You must be Signora Carriera; I have heard so much about you from Diamond.’
My boss positively melted under the warmth of his smile. Was I the only one who felt like spitting when Xav turned on his charm? ‘How sweet of her! And thank you for bringing Rocco over for his walk. I hope he behaved?’
‘Not at all: he was extremely ungentlemanly, chasing all the lady dogs with no discrimination in the slightest.’ He leaned closer. ‘I fear he is a rogue and a heartbreaker.’
Rocco cocked his head, gazing up at Xav with eyes of pure
The old lady picked up her heavy black handbag, vintage Chanel if I knew anything about accessories. ‘I will be in touch early next week with my suggestions. It is too long since I have held a party at my house.’
Her house! Wow and double-wow! Take that, Xav Benedict: you might bid water sports; I’m going to raise the stakes with an invitation to the most exclusive estate in Venice!
I beamed at her. ‘ Grazie mille , that is so kind of you. I know that Diamond will be over the moon.’
Contessa Nicoletta gathered up her scarf and handbag. ‘Ladies only, naturally. Maria, I hope you will be there.’
Signora Carriera glanced at me. ‘Oh, I’m not sure. These young girls won’t want an old bird like me.’
‘Nonsense. Who else will supply the costumes?’
Costumes too? Diamond was just going to die when she heard all this. I hurried to secure the deal. ‘Of course you must come—my sister wouldn’t dream of having a party without you. Besides, her fiancé’s mother will be there. I’m sure Karla will love to meet you.’
My boss smiled, genuinely pleased to receive the invitation. ‘Then I’d be delighted.’
Contessa Nicoletta reached the door. I hastened to open it for her. She paused to admire the display of masks we had in the window, her face taking on a keen expression. ‘Such skill,’ she sighed in appreciation. ‘I do love those who use their gifts as God intended. Goodbye, Crystal.’ She tottered off on the arm of her manservant and over one of the little hump-backed bridges that spanned the canal outside.
‘Hey, Cupcake of Complete Equality. We found you.’
I turned round. ‘Hello, Xav.’
‘Missed me?’ Xav let Rocco pull him over the threshold into the shop.
‘Yeah, like I miss having toothache.’
He grinned, let the dog off the lead and began rummaging through the masks on display. Everywhere you looked in this shop you were met with the blank-eyed gaze of carnival masks—feathered, plumed, and sequinned. They had not lost their sinister air even though I’d worked here a few weeks. I preferred not to be the last person to lock up. Xav picked up one with a big curved beak—the plague doctor theme. ‘What do you think?’ His brown eyes twinkled through the holes.
‘Huge improvement.’
He passed me a lacy affair with diamanté and pearl fringe. ‘Go on.’
‘I can’t—I work here, remember.’
‘Aw, you’ve no sense of fun.’
I slapped the mask over my eyes. ‘Satisfied?’
He pulled my hand away then put it back, head to one side like an expert judging a painting. ‘Nope, I like the original better.’
Was that a compliment? I began to soften a little towards him.
‘With a mask on, you seem all fairylike, none of the lion Crystal swatting me away with a few cutting words. Rr-rarr.’ He aped slashing the air with curved claws.
I dropped the mask back in the basket he had taken it from. ‘Well, thanks, kind sir.’
He bumped my forehead with his beak. ‘Don’t mention it.’
Rocco had unearthed Signora Carriera from her workroom and she emerged to find out who had brought him.
‘Ah, so this must be one of Diamond’s new family!’ she exclaimed in Italian. She held out her hand and switched into English. ‘Please to meet you.’
Xav whipped off the mask and bent to kiss her wrist. ‘I’m Xavier Benedict—or Xav if you prefer. You must be Signora Carriera; I have heard so much about you from Diamond.’
My boss positively melted under the warmth of his smile. Was I the only one who felt like spitting when Xav turned on his charm? ‘How sweet of her! And thank you for bringing Rocco over for his walk. I hope he behaved?’
‘Not at all: he was extremely ungentlemanly, chasing all the lady dogs with no discrimination in the slightest.’ He leaned closer. ‘I fear he is a rogue and a heartbreaker.’
Rocco cocked his head, gazing up at Xav with eyes of pure
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