Chapter 35

D espite her anger at Alessandro and her declaration to her reflection in the mirror that she hoped never to see nor hear from him again, nevertheless, Melody's disappointment became more pronounced with every day that passed without any word from the conte.

When Rat had first told her the details of his revealing conversation with Alessandro, a little, ridiculously hopeful voice in Melody's head whispered that he would call later that day to apologise to her. Yes, she might have hoped that he would do so immediately after confessing his true objectives to Rat. However, she also recognised that Alessandro might want Rat to explain his role on his behalf before he followed up with his mea culpa.

When that first afternoon had passed and then another, Melody began to accept that not only would she not be receiving the expressions of regret she so longed for, but she would also not be able to vent her very justifiable anger to Alessandro at his treatment of her.

Finally, after two days of moping around at home just in case he visited or sent a note, Melody shook herself out of her doldrums. She decided that she was wasting her time in Venice mourning the loss of a man who had never been hers, not even as slightly as she had once believed.

Given her emotional state during that time, it was probably for the best that Melody had no idea that Rat had been spending most of his days during that time in Alessandro's company. Once their shared profession was revealed and Rat had managed to get somewhat over his feelings of inadequacy, or at least to tamp them down, he had been keen to spend time with the more seasoned bureau agent.

Actually, Rat wasn't entirely sure what Conte Foscari's role was. Lord Langley's involvement with the intelligence agencies of the British Government had always been somewhat nebulous. Was the conte's role similarly vague? Regardless, Rat recognised that the man had slipped into a persona and ingratiated himself with them in a manner that Rat could learn from. Of course, if he considered the nature of that ingratiating, he would have to acknowledge that it had come at his sister's expense. Perhaps if Rat had realised how far Alessandro's flirtation with his sister had gone and how hurt she was by what she saw as his betrayal, Rat might not have so reversed his initial opinion of the man.

On the morning that Melody awoke, determined to put everything about the investigation and Alessandro behind her, she received an invitation to join Luisa for lunch.

Mia cara amica, I apologise for the short notice, but I have been quite melancholy for some days and woke this morning with a determination to shake off my gloom. If you do not already have plans, please join me at one o'clock to eat only the finest delicacies and wash it down with champagne. Per sempre tua, Luisa.

Lunch with Luisa was exactly what Melody needed to raise her spirits. They would laugh and gossip, and perhaps she would muster up the courage to stroke the cheetah. Melody was determined to drink too much champagne and to put all thoughts of the handsome conte aside for good.

Melody was always conscious of Luisa's sense of style, even if it did tend towards the eccentric. That morning, she rejected dress after dress as too mundane until Mary finally said in exasperation, "Miss Melody, unless you are planning to visit the palazzo as naked as the day you were born, you must choose an outfit." Mary was not generally given to such outbursts, and this one made Melody smile. As she did so, she realised that she hadn't smiled or laughed for days.

Mary knew and loved Melody too well to have not realised that she had not been her usual exuberant self for days, even if she didn't know its cause. She hadn't been told any of the details of the dramatic conclusion to the investigation or, indeed, that Melody had embarked on an investigation at all. Still, she was observant enough to realise that this gloom was romantic in nature. Now, happy to see her charge break into the radiant smile that she so loved, Mary said, "I believe that your pink dress, edged with white flowers, is just the thing for an informal summer lunch."

On her first pass through her wardrobe, Melody had rejected that dress because of its simplicity. Now, she held it against her and considered Mary's advice. Melody realised that the pink dress was exactly right, not despite its simplicity but because of it; one could not hope to match Luisa's outrageous outfits, and it was best not even to try.

Melody chose to wear her hair loose down her back and her least ostentatious jewellery to match the simple elegance of her dress. The day was warm and sunny, and she needed no shawl. Catching a final glimpse of herself in the mirror, Melody saw the reflection of a pretty young woman, unencumbered by worries and happy to embrace whatever joy came her way that day.

If Rat had been too caught up in his own concerns to notice his sister's melancholy, Melody had been too busy mentally rehearsing her speech of righteous indignation to notice her brother's absence for most of the past two days. Now, coming downstairs, she found him standing in the palazzo's vestibule, speaking with Rossi.

As Melody descended from the final step, Rossi nodded his head and said, "Si, Signor Sandworth. I will make all the necessary arrangements."

As the maggiordomo walked away, Melody cocked her head and asked, "What was that about?"

Rat indicated that she should follow him into the salotto. Once he had closed the door behind them, Rat answered, "I have been called away and must leave tomorrow."

"Where are you going to and what about me? "

"I have to go to Morocco. I am not sure for how long. I believe that you should stay here, in Venice, with Lady Bainbridge and Mary. I hope that I can wrap up what I need to do in a week or two. Maybe three at most."

Melody narrowed her eyes. "Is this ‘work'?" she asked, putting a heavy emphasis on the last word.

Rat looked as if he didn't want to answer, but finally said, "Yes. It is. I cannot tell you more than that." Then, noticing her dress, he asked, "Where are you off to?"

"I am having luncheon with Luisa," Melody answered. "And do not change the subject. I am not going to wait around in Venice while you waltz around Europe having adventures."

"Morocco is in North Africa, not Europe," Rat answered with unusual pedantry.

"I don't care where it is, my sentiment remains unchanged. If you are going to Morocco, then I am coming with you."

Rat's first and indeed second instinct was to command Melody to respect his decision and argue for remaining safely in Venice. This next assignment was almost as vague as this first one had been, and he had no idea what dangers might lie ahead.

Melody could see various expressions flit across his face as Rat considered expressing these thoughts. Deciding to pre-empt whatever brotherly heavy-handedness he was planning to say, she continued, "Rat, I think you can agree that I played an integral role in the successful completion of your Venetian assignment." Given that just days before, he had been ready to give her all the credit, it was incredibly frustrating to find that her brother still doubted her abilities and was giving into his overprotective impulses.

Perhaps he could read her expressions and thoughts as well as she could read his because, finally, he sighed and said, "Fine. But we are leaving tomorrow. Can you be ready to go by then?"

While Melody was busy fighting for her right to be included in Rat's trip, she had not considered what she would forfeit by leaving Venice so soon. Now, she thought about her luncheon with Luisa no longer being a carefree, champagne-fuelled fun afternoon, but instead a sad farewell. She considered all the sightseeing she had been unable to do because the investigation had consumed her almost since her arrival in Venice.

And finally, just briefly, but quite painfully, she considered that, by leaving Venice now, she would lose any opportunity to bump into Alessandro casually at a dinner party or in the street. Instead, she would have to acknowledge the futility of any romantic dreams she might have, however silly they might be. Even after contemplating all this with regret, Melody knew that if she didn't join Rat now, she would be consigning herself back to the role of empty-headed debutante who flits between cities in Europe with a Baedeker in hand. Instead, this was her opportunity to continue the adventure that she had fallen into.

"Yes, I will go and tell Mary to begin packing," Melody said decisively.

Thirty minutes later, Giovanni was handing her out of the gondola at the steps of Luisa's shambolic, half-built palazzo. Yet again, her friend was waiting for her in the garden, her cheetah asleep at her feet.

If Melody had dressed to throw off her gloom, Luisa seemed to have embraced her melancholy, at least sartorially. She was dressed from head to toe in black, yet the effect was anything but funereal. Instead, the dress was made entirely of lace with some kind of chiffon shift underneath to provide a modicum of modesty. Only a modicum, given that the sheath appeared to stop above her knees. The dress was floor length with a train that Luisa had looped over one arm. She had what appeared to be a nest in her hair with a black taxidermy bird perched in it that set her fiery red hair off to even greater contrast. Her eyes were rimmed with even more kohl than usual, but her lips were bright red. The whole effect of her costume was quite dramatic, particularly for one o'clock in the afternoon.

Luisa seemed genuinely delighted to see Melody and even more genuinely downcast at the news of her departure. "So soon? You leave so soon? Why? You have only been to one of my parties, and I am throwing a very special one next month. Say you will stay for that, at least."

Melody shook her head and said sadly, "I regret I cannot stay." In fact, she realised that she couldn't even promise to return if Rat was done with his Moroccan assignment by then. If the murders in Venice showed anything, it was that tensions were coming to a boil across the continent and that war was more likely than ever. This was not the time for gallivanting across Europe, cavorting at parties with nary a care in the world. Melody didn't know what she could or should be doing instead, but she sensed that the carefree, innocent days of her girlhood were behind her.

Luisa pouted and said morosely, "Now that I have heard your tidings, I know why I was drawn to wear black today. This is the news that will send Luisa back to her bed for days."

Melody felt very guilty, but she also appreciated her friend's love of melodrama; was Luisa truly as inconsolable as she claimed? For her part, Melody found Luisa a refreshingly original alternative to the debutantes into whose company she had been forced before leaving London. The woman expressed her creativity to the fullest with no concern for the judgement of others. There was something to be learned from this, and all things being equal, Melody would have enjoyed spending longer in Venice studying her outré friend. Nevertheless, Melody knew that the work her brother was doing was of vital importance, and if she could in any way help, then it was worth whatever sacrifices she must make. Melody wished she could confide in Luisa but knew that she and Rat had already been guilty of a lack of discretion; she needed to learn from that mistake.

Two bottles of champagne later, Melody was feeling more than a little tipsy as she bid a tearful farewell to her flamboyant new friend.