innocence. Even the dog was besotted.
The signora gave a lovely liquid laugh, one I rarely heard from her, and patted her beagle on the head. ‘You little terror, you!’
The bell over the entrance rang. Lily George whirled in, wearing an eye-catching patchwork coat. ‘I hope you are ready for me, Maria!’ she called. ‘I need those last masks to show make-up.’ She stopped when she saw we had a customer. I took the plague doctor mask out of Xav’s hand and placed it carefully back on the rack.
‘Yes, I’ve everything boxed up for you.’ Signora Carriera reached beneath the counter to find the order. Xav gave me a wink and wandered to the other side of the shop to look at the cloaks on the rack of costumes. ‘I have some last minute ones in the workroom. Give me a moment, Lily.’
Taking a good look at our visitor, Lily sidled over to me. ‘Crystal, why did you not tell me you meet such gorgeous Italian men working in this shop? I’d like to take that one home with me, wrapped in a bow.’
I blushed and cleared my throat. ‘Erm … Lily … ’
Xav turned round and arched a brow at us.
Lily gripped my arm. ‘Don’t tell me: he understands English. Just kill me.’
Xav laughed. ‘Now that would be a shame.’
‘Oh my gosh, and he’s American! I am totally, totally mortified. Crystal, find a cloak and throw it over my head. I need to hide.’
I shook her back to her senses. ‘Don’t worry, it’s only Xav. My sister is marrying his brother in a couple of weeks. Xav, this is Lily George; she’s doing the costumes for the new Steve Hughes movie that they’re filming in Venice this week.’
‘Nice to meet you.’ Xav offered Lily his hand. She gave it a quick shake before clapping her hands to her blushing cheeks.
‘And you too. Ignore me: I have this terrible thing where I go like a beetroot even when I shouldn’t be embarrassed. I thought age would cure me of it.’ She flapped at her face.
Signora Carriera returned from her search for the various boxes she had packed for Lily and placed them on the counter. ‘That is everything, I think, Lily. Do you want to check them?’
‘I’ll take a quick peek.’ Lily went through the boxes, humming her approval. Xav loitered at her shoulder to get a preview. She held one up to his face. ‘Fabulous.’
Did she mean the mask or Xav? I wondered.
Lily put the mask back in its box. ‘You know, Xav, you could come along with Crystal on Sunday if you like. Casting are having difficulty finding enough extras who are tall enough for what the director wants. They’d love to have you, I’m sure. You might find it interesting.’
Selfishly, I had thought of the film as my special experience; I rather hoped Xav would turn down the chance, but no.
He rubbed his hands. ‘Hey, I’ve only been in this country a few hours and I’m already starring in the movies—I love this place.’ He addressed the last remark to Signora Carriera, cementing his reputation as her favourite.
‘I take that as a “yes”?’ Lily put the boxes in one of the shop’s large bags decorated with Carnival masks. ‘Crystal knows where we’ll be. Early start, I’m afraid. Make-up call at six.’
Xav beat me to the door and opened it for her. ‘We’ll be there.’
‘Thank you for these, Maria. See you two on Sunday then.’ Lily swept out, the bag swinging jauntily in her grip.
Rocco scampered out of the workroom, fighting a long piece of gold braid. Signora Carriera gave a cluck and untangled him with difficulty.
‘It is high time this dog had his supper,’ she said in Italian. ‘Will you take him home and feed him for me, Crystal? I’d better see what mess he has made in there before shutting up the shop.’
‘Of course, signora. C’mon, Xav. Home time.’ I fetched my coat and clipped the lead back on Rocco’s collar.
‘Goodnight, signora!’ Xav called as we left the shop.
‘ Arrivederci , Xav!’ The door locked behind us and the shutters snapped
The signora gave a lovely liquid laugh, one I rarely heard from her, and patted her beagle on the head. ‘You little terror, you!’
The bell over the entrance rang. Lily George whirled in, wearing an eye-catching patchwork coat. ‘I hope you are ready for me, Maria!’ she called. ‘I need those last masks to show make-up.’ She stopped when she saw we had a customer. I took the plague doctor mask out of Xav’s hand and placed it carefully back on the rack.
‘Yes, I’ve everything boxed up for you.’ Signora Carriera reached beneath the counter to find the order. Xav gave me a wink and wandered to the other side of the shop to look at the cloaks on the rack of costumes. ‘I have some last minute ones in the workroom. Give me a moment, Lily.’
Taking a good look at our visitor, Lily sidled over to me. ‘Crystal, why did you not tell me you meet such gorgeous Italian men working in this shop? I’d like to take that one home with me, wrapped in a bow.’
I blushed and cleared my throat. ‘Erm … Lily … ’
Xav turned round and arched a brow at us.
Lily gripped my arm. ‘Don’t tell me: he understands English. Just kill me.’
Xav laughed. ‘Now that would be a shame.’
‘Oh my gosh, and he’s American! I am totally, totally mortified. Crystal, find a cloak and throw it over my head. I need to hide.’
I shook her back to her senses. ‘Don’t worry, it’s only Xav. My sister is marrying his brother in a couple of weeks. Xav, this is Lily George; she’s doing the costumes for the new Steve Hughes movie that they’re filming in Venice this week.’
‘Nice to meet you.’ Xav offered Lily his hand. She gave it a quick shake before clapping her hands to her blushing cheeks.
‘And you too. Ignore me: I have this terrible thing where I go like a beetroot even when I shouldn’t be embarrassed. I thought age would cure me of it.’ She flapped at her face.
Signora Carriera returned from her search for the various boxes she had packed for Lily and placed them on the counter. ‘That is everything, I think, Lily. Do you want to check them?’
‘I’ll take a quick peek.’ Lily went through the boxes, humming her approval. Xav loitered at her shoulder to get a preview. She held one up to his face. ‘Fabulous.’
Did she mean the mask or Xav? I wondered.
Lily put the mask back in its box. ‘You know, Xav, you could come along with Crystal on Sunday if you like. Casting are having difficulty finding enough extras who are tall enough for what the director wants. They’d love to have you, I’m sure. You might find it interesting.’
Selfishly, I had thought of the film as my special experience; I rather hoped Xav would turn down the chance, but no.
He rubbed his hands. ‘Hey, I’ve only been in this country a few hours and I’m already starring in the movies—I love this place.’ He addressed the last remark to Signora Carriera, cementing his reputation as her favourite.
‘I take that as a “yes”?’ Lily put the boxes in one of the shop’s large bags decorated with Carnival masks. ‘Crystal knows where we’ll be. Early start, I’m afraid. Make-up call at six.’
Xav beat me to the door and opened it for her. ‘We’ll be there.’
‘Thank you for these, Maria. See you two on Sunday then.’ Lily swept out, the bag swinging jauntily in her grip.
Rocco scampered out of the workroom, fighting a long piece of gold braid. Signora Carriera gave a cluck and untangled him with difficulty.
‘It is high time this dog had his supper,’ she said in Italian. ‘Will you take him home and feed him for me, Crystal? I’d better see what mess he has made in there before shutting up the shop.’
‘Of course, signora. C’mon, Xav. Home time.’ I fetched my coat and clipped the lead back on Rocco’s collar.
‘Goodnight, signora!’ Xav called as we left the shop.
‘ Arrivederci , Xav!’ The door locked behind us and the shutters snapped
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