Read Online Masquerade by Fornasier Kylie - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Fornasier Kylie
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‘Let’s go
now
.’
‘You know I won’t do that to you. I cannot offer you the life you deserve.’
‘I don’t want a life filled with gowns and jewels!’ Claudia pulled at the diamond necklace around her neck, unsuccessfully trying to break it.
Filippo put his dark hand over hers, stopping her. ‘You say that now,’ he said, ‘but you don’t know what it’s like to be poor.’
‘I do know. My father gambled away our entire fortune a few years ago!’ Claudia immediately felt ashamed for shouting. She looked away. It was the mention of her father that made Claudia realise that Filippo was right, in some sense. As much as she longed to, she couldn’t leave Venice while her father remained sick and bedridden with a mysterious illness. She had to make sure he was cared for. She had to see him recover, if that was even possible.
‘I love you,’ said Filippo, gently taking her hands in his. ‘I will find a way for us to leave Venice and give you the life you deserve. Be patient.’
‘I love you too,’ she whispered. She believed him. She would be patient. Her father would recover.
She felt her body softening again, but just before she gave in to the glorious feeling, her eyes went wide and she sat upright. ‘I have to get back.’
Claudia ran up the stairs to the piano nobile, the main floor of their palazzo. She didn’t bother slipping through the sitting room to avoid entering the ballroom through the main doors in the portego. She ran straight across the hall and into the ballroom.
As she collapsed against the inside wall, her eyes closed as she tried to regain her composure. All of a sudden, a cold hand gripped her forearm.
Claudia’s eyes sprang open and she saw the last person she wanted to see.
‘Where have you been? I’ve been looking for you everywhere,’ snapped her mother. ‘You look . . . flustered.’ Her kohl darkened eyes narrowed suspiciously.
‘I’ve been looking for Bastian,’ said Claudia, failing to maintain a light measured voice. ‘I thought that’s what you wanted.’
‘Did you find him?’
Claudia lowered her eyes. ‘No.’
‘Fortunately, I did,’ said her mother. ‘And I have persuaded Bastian to save a dance for you. But trying to pin you both down is like trying to view the sun and moon together. Stay here and don’t move.’
Claudia nodded, but when her mother was out of earshot, she whispered, ‘One day.’
It was an indisputable fact that Bastian Donato spent one half of his life chasing women and the other half of his life fleeing from the same women.
The woman he was fleeing from on this particular night was Regina Gamba. She was a very tall girl and it was lucky that she had not been born one hundred years earlier when sixteen-inch heeled shoes were the height of fashion in Venice. Fortunately for Regina, sensible slippers were the fashion of the day, which was unfortunate for Bastian, as it made her much harder to escape from. And that was just for now.
As Bastian used his weight to close the library door, he began to realise that it might not have been such a good idea to sleep with Regina’s sister in her own casa, when he was calling on
her
. He could only imagine her wrath if she ever found out, especially given her display in the ballroom.
‘Hiding from another one of your mistakes again, are you?’
Bastian looked up and saw he was not alone. Marco D’Este, clad in a gold-spangled navy blue dress-coat adorned with badges typical of a Spanish general, sat on the edge of a desk on the other side of the room. The plain white bauta mask was resting next to him. He had a tall glass of dark liquid in his hand and a smug smile on his face.
‘You know me too well,’ said Bastian.
‘I’m guessing it is the same woman who interrupted your dance. Who is she?’ asked Marco, swirling the contents of his glass. His dark, almost black, eyes shone with curiosity.
‘Regina Gamba.’
Marco shook his head. ‘You love to play with
now
.’
‘You know I won’t do that to you. I cannot offer you the life you deserve.’
‘I don’t want a life filled with gowns and jewels!’ Claudia pulled at the diamond necklace around her neck, unsuccessfully trying to break it.
Filippo put his dark hand over hers, stopping her. ‘You say that now,’ he said, ‘but you don’t know what it’s like to be poor.’
‘I do know. My father gambled away our entire fortune a few years ago!’ Claudia immediately felt ashamed for shouting. She looked away. It was the mention of her father that made Claudia realise that Filippo was right, in some sense. As much as she longed to, she couldn’t leave Venice while her father remained sick and bedridden with a mysterious illness. She had to make sure he was cared for. She had to see him recover, if that was even possible.
‘I love you,’ said Filippo, gently taking her hands in his. ‘I will find a way for us to leave Venice and give you the life you deserve. Be patient.’
‘I love you too,’ she whispered. She believed him. She would be patient. Her father would recover.
She felt her body softening again, but just before she gave in to the glorious feeling, her eyes went wide and she sat upright. ‘I have to get back.’
Claudia ran up the stairs to the piano nobile, the main floor of their palazzo. She didn’t bother slipping through the sitting room to avoid entering the ballroom through the main doors in the portego. She ran straight across the hall and into the ballroom.
As she collapsed against the inside wall, her eyes closed as she tried to regain her composure. All of a sudden, a cold hand gripped her forearm.
Claudia’s eyes sprang open and she saw the last person she wanted to see.
‘Where have you been? I’ve been looking for you everywhere,’ snapped her mother. ‘You look . . . flustered.’ Her kohl darkened eyes narrowed suspiciously.
‘I’ve been looking for Bastian,’ said Claudia, failing to maintain a light measured voice. ‘I thought that’s what you wanted.’
‘Did you find him?’
Claudia lowered her eyes. ‘No.’
‘Fortunately, I did,’ said her mother. ‘And I have persuaded Bastian to save a dance for you. But trying to pin you both down is like trying to view the sun and moon together. Stay here and don’t move.’
Claudia nodded, but when her mother was out of earshot, she whispered, ‘One day.’
It was an indisputable fact that Bastian Donato spent one half of his life chasing women and the other half of his life fleeing from the same women.
The woman he was fleeing from on this particular night was Regina Gamba. She was a very tall girl and it was lucky that she had not been born one hundred years earlier when sixteen-inch heeled shoes were the height of fashion in Venice. Fortunately for Regina, sensible slippers were the fashion of the day, which was unfortunate for Bastian, as it made her much harder to escape from. And that was just for now.
As Bastian used his weight to close the library door, he began to realise that it might not have been such a good idea to sleep with Regina’s sister in her own casa, when he was calling on
her
. He could only imagine her wrath if she ever found out, especially given her display in the ballroom.
‘Hiding from another one of your mistakes again, are you?’
Bastian looked up and saw he was not alone. Marco D’Este, clad in a gold-spangled navy blue dress-coat adorned with badges typical of a Spanish general, sat on the edge of a desk on the other side of the room. The plain white bauta mask was resting next to him. He had a tall glass of dark liquid in his hand and a smug smile on his face.
‘You know me too well,’ said Bastian.
‘I’m guessing it is the same woman who interrupted your dance. Who is she?’ asked Marco, swirling the contents of his glass. His dark, almost black, eyes shone with curiosity.
‘Regina Gamba.’
Marco shook his head. ‘You love to play with
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