sugar from Roseanna?
“Yes.”
“The sooner she reads through it all, the sooner they can stop paying her salary,” Roseanna observed in a dead level voice entirely free of irony or sarcasm. Time is money, she was Venetian: that’s the way things are.
Ignoring Roseanna’s comment, he asked Caterina, “Do you have any objection to beginning so soon, Dottoressa?”
She smiled. “Quite the opposite, Dottore. I’m very eager to begin and discover what treasures . . .” she began, giving the briefest pause, “. . . await us in those chests.”
His glance was sudden, and he turned it immediately into a smile. “I compliment you for your energy and eagerness, Dottoressa. I’m sure we all look forward to the results of your research.”
“That can’t be all those two want,” Roseanna said. Dottor Moretti gave her a long assessing look, as if surprised at this unwonted frankness in front of the researcher who, like him, was meant to be entirely neutral. Saying nothing, he bent down and snapped open his briefcase. He pulled out some papers and handed one to Caterina, keeping one for himself. “I’ve spoken to the two . . .”—here he gave a pause even more infinitesimal than Caterina’s had been—“. . . gentlemen, about the procedure for the research.”
“Procedure?” Roseanna asked before Caterina could speak.
“If you’ll take a look,” he said, raising the paper and peering over the top of his glasses to speak to Caterina, “you’ll see written what I’ve already told you, that they want written reports.” He glanced back at the paper and read aloud, “‘. . . With a summary of the documents read and translations of any that might refer to our deceased relative’s desires regarding the disposition of his worldly assets.’”
Caterina decided to enjoy the words, which the cousins must have learned from Dottor Moretti: “deceased relative”; “disposition of his worldly assets.” Ah, what a marvel language was, and blessed they who respected it.
“The Dottoressa is not to have private or personal contact with either of the two . . .”—again that pause—“. . . gentlemen. In the event that she has information to convey or in response to any request from either of the two parties that she provide further information about the documents, it must be provided to me and the two parties at the same time. Further, all emails must go through me.” He glanced at Caterina, who nodded in understanding and acceptance, deciding to wait before asking about the computer on which she was meant to send these emails. Before leaving Manchester, she had returned to the university the laptop it had provided to each researcher and had now only her own desktop, which she had no intention of bringing from her apartment.
“And,” he went on, looking up and through the lenses of his glasses as he said this, “in the event that either of them should request a meeting to explain any of the documents, they must both agree to the time and place, and I’m afraid I must be present at any such meeting.”
With a small smile, Caterina said, “I hope your fear does not result from the thought of my presence, Dottore.”
This earned her one of his smiles. “Only from the thought that my presence might not be as enjoyable as theirs is sure to be,” he replied.
Caterina returned her attention to the paper he had given her. Was a lawyer supposed to speak of his clients this way, she wondered? The cousins might have enough money to pay a man wearing a suit like his, but they seemed to lack the price of his respect. They must be very sure of Dottor Moretti’s ability to find the best person to lead them to whatever treasure there might be, but then she remembered what Roseanna had told her about her being the only person interviewed, and she wondered how concerned the cousins were about anything except price. Further, was she meant to be complimented or flattered by the slighting way he spoke of them, as if
“Yes.”
“The sooner she reads through it all, the sooner they can stop paying her salary,” Roseanna observed in a dead level voice entirely free of irony or sarcasm. Time is money, she was Venetian: that’s the way things are.
Ignoring Roseanna’s comment, he asked Caterina, “Do you have any objection to beginning so soon, Dottoressa?”
She smiled. “Quite the opposite, Dottore. I’m very eager to begin and discover what treasures . . .” she began, giving the briefest pause, “. . . await us in those chests.”
His glance was sudden, and he turned it immediately into a smile. “I compliment you for your energy and eagerness, Dottoressa. I’m sure we all look forward to the results of your research.”
“That can’t be all those two want,” Roseanna said. Dottor Moretti gave her a long assessing look, as if surprised at this unwonted frankness in front of the researcher who, like him, was meant to be entirely neutral. Saying nothing, he bent down and snapped open his briefcase. He pulled out some papers and handed one to Caterina, keeping one for himself. “I’ve spoken to the two . . .”—here he gave a pause even more infinitesimal than Caterina’s had been—“. . . gentlemen, about the procedure for the research.”
“Procedure?” Roseanna asked before Caterina could speak.
“If you’ll take a look,” he said, raising the paper and peering over the top of his glasses to speak to Caterina, “you’ll see written what I’ve already told you, that they want written reports.” He glanced back at the paper and read aloud, “‘. . . With a summary of the documents read and translations of any that might refer to our deceased relative’s desires regarding the disposition of his worldly assets.’”
Caterina decided to enjoy the words, which the cousins must have learned from Dottor Moretti: “deceased relative”; “disposition of his worldly assets.” Ah, what a marvel language was, and blessed they who respected it.
“The Dottoressa is not to have private or personal contact with either of the two . . .”—again that pause—“. . . gentlemen. In the event that she has information to convey or in response to any request from either of the two parties that she provide further information about the documents, it must be provided to me and the two parties at the same time. Further, all emails must go through me.” He glanced at Caterina, who nodded in understanding and acceptance, deciding to wait before asking about the computer on which she was meant to send these emails. Before leaving Manchester, she had returned to the university the laptop it had provided to each researcher and had now only her own desktop, which she had no intention of bringing from her apartment.
“And,” he went on, looking up and through the lenses of his glasses as he said this, “in the event that either of them should request a meeting to explain any of the documents, they must both agree to the time and place, and I’m afraid I must be present at any such meeting.”
With a small smile, Caterina said, “I hope your fear does not result from the thought of my presence, Dottore.”
This earned her one of his smiles. “Only from the thought that my presence might not be as enjoyable as theirs is sure to be,” he replied.
Caterina returned her attention to the paper he had given her. Was a lawyer supposed to speak of his clients this way, she wondered? The cousins might have enough money to pay a man wearing a suit like his, but they seemed to lack the price of his respect. They must be very sure of Dottor Moretti’s ability to find the best person to lead them to whatever treasure there might be, but then she remembered what Roseanna had told her about her being the only person interviewed, and she wondered how concerned the cousins were about anything except price. Further, was she meant to be complimented or flattered by the slighting way he spoke of them, as if
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