firmly. ‘Just borrowing.’
Ludo waited for Cinda at the bottom of the marble staircase. Dressed in navy pants and a white shirt, Tod’s loafers on his feet again, he should have felt as comfortable as ever. Instead he felt nervous, an unusual feeling for him.
‘Where are you off to?’ asked Gus as he wandered past.
‘Cinda and I are heading out to Andreini,’ he said in a tight voice.
He wanted Gus to leave him and Cinda alone. He knew his brother was here to try and stop whatever might happen between them, and he wished Gus would just go back to his boring life and stay out of Ludo’s.
Gus was about to say something when movement on the stairs caught their eye.
Cinda was walking carefully down the stairs, dressed in a white scoop-necked dress that highlighted her tan. It was just short enough to give Ludo a glimpse of her shapely legs. She had a thin silver belt around her waist. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail and her face glowed with shimmer. Her full lips were highlighted in pink gloss.
‘Wow,’ said Ludo, meeting Cinda at the bottom step. It didn’t really do her outfit justice. He noticed his brother staring at her, and a blush rose to her cheeks when he kissed her.
‘I’ll get the car,’ said Ludo, impatient to leave. ‘ Un momento .’ He skipped out the open front door and down the stone steps.
Cinda stood silently, her hands clasping her little silver bag.
‘You look very nice,’ Gus finally said.
‘Thank you,’ she answered, not looking at him.
‘Lucinda, I – ’ he started to say, but Ludo had pulled up, the car window down so he could call out to her.
‘Cinda! Let’s go!’
Cinda moved down the steps and around into the passenger’s seat, leaving Gus standing alone, watching the car drive away.
8
Jonas wandered around downstairs, a French Vogue tucked under his arm, looking for food.
He walked into the living area, where Gus was watching a soccer game on the huge TV.
‘Prince Gus, what’s new?’ he asked, perching on the arm of the plush sofa.
Gus looked up at him. ‘I’m watching the soccer,’ he said in a thin voice.
‘Obviously,’ said Jonas, rolling his eyes when Gus returned his gaze to the screen. ‘But what about dinner? Do you want to order a pizza or something?’
Gus looked at him as though he had just suggested they invade France.
‘We don’t “order pizza”,’ he said.
‘You’re crazy,’ said Jonas, standing up and moving to a comfy armchair. ‘I thought you guys invented pizza or something.’
‘You’re thinking of Italy,’ Gus said, not looking at Jonas.
‘That’s right, you invented sardines,’ Jonas laughed.
They sat in silence for a few minutes before Gus stood up and left the room. Deciding he wasn’t coming back, Jonas changed the channel to a game show. The male host was dressed in a bikini while people ran through a series of outdoor obstacles.
He was just laughing at a woman falling face-first into a wading pool of tiramisu when Gus walked back into the room.
‘I was watching the soccer,’ he said indignantly.
‘Yeah, sorry,’ said Jonas. ‘Feel free to change it back.’ He passed the remote to Gus, who took it but made no move to change the channel.
A man was now trying to climb over a fence that had been greased in olive oil. Despite himself, Gus laughed.
Jonas looked at him. ‘Your TV is the best,’ he said. ‘So tacky.’
Gus made a face. ‘This is Italian TV. Sometimes I think it’s an embarrassment, the way people behave.’
‘Nah, they’re just having fun,’ said Jonas. You should try it sometime , he added silently.
They were silent for a few minutes. ‘I asked Basil to get the chef to make us pizza,’ said Gus.
Jonas turned to him. ‘Nice one, Prince G,’ he smiled. ‘I like your style.’
Gus tried to smile but failed.
‘You don’t like Cinda and Ludo going out tonight, do you?’ Jonas said quietly.
Gus didn’t speak, just stared at the TV.
‘She’s a great girl,
Ludo waited for Cinda at the bottom of the marble staircase. Dressed in navy pants and a white shirt, Tod’s loafers on his feet again, he should have felt as comfortable as ever. Instead he felt nervous, an unusual feeling for him.
‘Where are you off to?’ asked Gus as he wandered past.
‘Cinda and I are heading out to Andreini,’ he said in a tight voice.
He wanted Gus to leave him and Cinda alone. He knew his brother was here to try and stop whatever might happen between them, and he wished Gus would just go back to his boring life and stay out of Ludo’s.
Gus was about to say something when movement on the stairs caught their eye.
Cinda was walking carefully down the stairs, dressed in a white scoop-necked dress that highlighted her tan. It was just short enough to give Ludo a glimpse of her shapely legs. She had a thin silver belt around her waist. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail and her face glowed with shimmer. Her full lips were highlighted in pink gloss.
‘Wow,’ said Ludo, meeting Cinda at the bottom step. It didn’t really do her outfit justice. He noticed his brother staring at her, and a blush rose to her cheeks when he kissed her.
‘I’ll get the car,’ said Ludo, impatient to leave. ‘ Un momento .’ He skipped out the open front door and down the stone steps.
Cinda stood silently, her hands clasping her little silver bag.
‘You look very nice,’ Gus finally said.
‘Thank you,’ she answered, not looking at him.
‘Lucinda, I – ’ he started to say, but Ludo had pulled up, the car window down so he could call out to her.
‘Cinda! Let’s go!’
Cinda moved down the steps and around into the passenger’s seat, leaving Gus standing alone, watching the car drive away.
8
Jonas wandered around downstairs, a French Vogue tucked under his arm, looking for food.
He walked into the living area, where Gus was watching a soccer game on the huge TV.
‘Prince Gus, what’s new?’ he asked, perching on the arm of the plush sofa.
Gus looked up at him. ‘I’m watching the soccer,’ he said in a thin voice.
‘Obviously,’ said Jonas, rolling his eyes when Gus returned his gaze to the screen. ‘But what about dinner? Do you want to order a pizza or something?’
Gus looked at him as though he had just suggested they invade France.
‘We don’t “order pizza”,’ he said.
‘You’re crazy,’ said Jonas, standing up and moving to a comfy armchair. ‘I thought you guys invented pizza or something.’
‘You’re thinking of Italy,’ Gus said, not looking at Jonas.
‘That’s right, you invented sardines,’ Jonas laughed.
They sat in silence for a few minutes before Gus stood up and left the room. Deciding he wasn’t coming back, Jonas changed the channel to a game show. The male host was dressed in a bikini while people ran through a series of outdoor obstacles.
He was just laughing at a woman falling face-first into a wading pool of tiramisu when Gus walked back into the room.
‘I was watching the soccer,’ he said indignantly.
‘Yeah, sorry,’ said Jonas. ‘Feel free to change it back.’ He passed the remote to Gus, who took it but made no move to change the channel.
A man was now trying to climb over a fence that had been greased in olive oil. Despite himself, Gus laughed.
Jonas looked at him. ‘Your TV is the best,’ he said. ‘So tacky.’
Gus made a face. ‘This is Italian TV. Sometimes I think it’s an embarrassment, the way people behave.’
‘Nah, they’re just having fun,’ said Jonas. You should try it sometime , he added silently.
They were silent for a few minutes. ‘I asked Basil to get the chef to make us pizza,’ said Gus.
Jonas turned to him. ‘Nice one, Prince G,’ he smiled. ‘I like your style.’
Gus tried to smile but failed.
‘You don’t like Cinda and Ludo going out tonight, do you?’ Jonas said quietly.
Gus didn’t speak, just stared at the TV.
‘She’s a great girl,
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