The vaporettos were jammed with passengers on this early Christmas Eve, workers heading homeward with their arms full of last-minute purchases, churchgoers heading for an early mass. The three of them must have looked fairly disreputable as they crammed in with the chattering, cheerful Venetians, but no one gave them a second glance. They were all too full of their own holiday spirit to notice three tattered refugees.
Maggie looked at her sister’s pale, weary face. Randall was standing beside her, and his tall body had taken on an almost protective air. Right now Holly needed protection; she needed a little time to regain her energy. So why, Maggie derided herself, was she standing there feeling jealous?
It made no sense, but then, little did nowadays. If Holly needed peace and comfort, so did she. Maggie sighed, jostled by the merrymakers on the crowded water bus. All is calm, all is bright, the carol ran through her head. She wished there was even a slight chance of that. But there wouldn’t be, not until a thousand questions were resolved. And, plastering a bright smile on her face, she turned back to her sister in time to see Randall drape a protective arm around her narrow shoulders.
fifteen
The Palazzo Carboni opened its welcoming arms to them. Signor Tonetti had gone out with half his family, but the great-niece behind the desk quickly made the necessary arrangements. There were no cancellations during this holiday season, no extra rooms to be had, but they would be more than happy to have Signor Carter share Miss Bennett’s room and the second Miss Bennett to take over Signor Carter’s room. And there might be another guest to share the second Miss Bennett’s room? To be sure, he would also be made welcome. And, of course, all guests were invited to join the Tonettis in a holiday glass of lambrusco after ten-o’clock mass at San Marco’s.
Maggie started to shake her head in a regretful denial when Randall caught her arm. “We would be delighted,” he said. “Come along, ladies.”
“ ‘Come along, ladies,’ ” Maggie hissed in a mocking echo as he swept them towards their rooms. “Where the hell do you get off … ?”
“I think mass would be a wonderful idea,” Holly said firmly.
“Holly, I’m Lutheran and you’re an atheist,” Maggie argued.
“Agnostic, but I’ve got an open mind,” Holly corrected. “And I’m thankful we’re still alive. I’m going to mass. You can stay here and sulk if you want.”
“Bah humbug,” Maggie said. “What if we run into Maddelena?”
“We won’t. I heard her say her mother lives on Murano—they’ll probably go to church there.”
“Heaven help me.” Maggie sighed. “I just hope it’s not one of those two-hour services.”
“It’d do you some good,” Randall said, opening the door for Holly. “We’ll meet you in an hour. Call and order something from room service. You look starved.”
Maggie, who’d been coping with an empty stomach for the past several hours, cast Randall a disgruntled look. Why did he only hassle her, why did he shower all that consideration on her sister?
Jealous bitch, she upbraided herself as she preceded him into their room and flopped down on the neatly made bed. Just a short nap might improve her temper if nothing else.
“I’ll put the call through,” Randall said. He was still standing by the closed door, watching her, but she knew that tone of voice. It was a tone that allowed for no opposition.
“What phone call?”
“The one to L.A. To see how your mother’s doing.”
“No.”
“Why not?”
She sat up on the bed, watching him out of level eyes. “Because I don’t want to remember Christmas Eve as the day my mother died. If she’s going to die I’d just as soon not hear about it.”
“What if she’s better?”
“I’m not going to take that chance.” She flopped back down on the bed. “Aren’t you going to take a shower?” If his voice could be intractable, so could hers. She could feel him watching her, feel him weighing his possibilities. “Why don’t you see if Holly wants to call?” There was just a trace of grumpiness in her voice, and she could feel the grin that began to stretch across his face.
“Are you by any chance jealous?”
“Are you by any chance crazy?” she countered.
He stood there for a moment longer. “I’ll take a shower,” he said. “Order something from room service for me?”
“Boiled eels if they have them,” Maggie sug
gested.
“Whatever strikes your fancy, my love.”