The Stars Shine Down

This is your plane?"

"Yes. It's going to take us to Venice."

"You're going to spoil me, lady."

Lara said softly, "I intend to."

They landed in Venice thirty-five minutes later at Marco Polo Airport where a limousine waited to drive them the short distance to the dock. From the dock they would take a motorboat to the island of Giudecca, where the Cipriani Hotel was located.

"I arranged for two suites for us," Lara said. "I thought it would be more discreet that way."

In the motorboat on the way to the hotel, Lara asked, "How long will we be here?"

"Only one night, I'm afraid. I'm giving a recital at La Fenice, and then we head for Vienna."

The "we" gave Lara a little thrill. They had discussed it the night before. "I'd like you to stay with me as long as you can," Philip had said, "but are you sure I'm not keeping you from something more important?"

"There is nothing more important."

"Are you going to be all right by yourself this afternoon? I'm going to be busy rehearsing."

"I'll be fine," Lara assured him.

After they had checked into their suites, Philip took Lara in his arms. "I have to go to the theater now, but there's a lot to see here. Enjoy Venice. I'll see you later this afternoon." They kissed. It was meant to be a brief one, but it turned into a long, lingering kiss. "I'd better get out of here while I can," Philip murmured, "or I'll never be able to make it through the lobby."

"Happy rehearsal." Lara grinned.

And Philip was gone.

Lara telephoned Howard Keller.

"Where are you?" Keller demanded. "I've been trying to reach you."

"I'm in Venice."

There was a pause. "Are we buying a canal?"

"I'm checking it out." Lara laughed.

"You really should be back here," Keller said. "There's a lot going on. Young Frank Rose brought in some new plans. I like them, but I need your approval so we can get..."

"If you like them," Lara interrupted, "go ahead."

"You don't want to see them?" Keller's voice was filled with surprise.

"Not now, Howard."

"All right. And on the negotiations for the West Side property, I need your okay to..."

"You have it."

"Lara...are you feeling all right?"

"I've never felt better in my life."

"When are you coming home?"

"I don't know. I'll stay in touch. Good-bye, Howard."

Venice was the kind of magical city that Prospero might have created. Lara spent the rest of the morning and all afternoon exploring. She roamed through St. Mark's Square, and visited the Doge's Palace and the Bell Tower, and wandered along the crowded Riva degli Schiavoni, and everywhere she went she thought of Philip. She walked through the winding little side streets, crammed with jewelry shops and leather goods and restaurants, and stopped to buy expensive sweaters and scarves and lingerie for the secretaries at the office, and wallets and ties for Keller and some of the other men. She stopped in at a jeweler's to buy Philip a Piaget watch with a gold band.

"Would you please inscribe it 'To Philip with Love from Lara'?" Just saying his name made her miss him.

When Philip returned to the hotel, they had coffee in the verdant garden of the Cipriani.

Lara looked across at Philip and thought, What a perfect place this would be for a honeymoon.

"I have a present for you," Lara said. She handed him the box with the watch in it.

He opened it and stared. "My God! This must have cost a fortune. You shouldn't have, Lara."

"Don't you like it?"

"Of course I do. It's beautiful, but..."

"Ssh! Wear it and think of me."

"I don't need this to think of you, but thank you."

"What time do we have to leave for the theater?" Lara asked.

"Seven o'clock."

Lara glanced at Philip's new watch and said innocently, "That gives us two hours."

The theater was packed. The audience was volatile, applauding and cheering each number.

When the concert was over, Lara went back to the greenroom to join Philip. It was London and Amsterdam and Milan all over again, and the women seemed even more nubile and eager. There were at least half a dozen beautiful women in the room, and Lara wondered which one Philip would have spent the night with if she were not there.

They had supper at the storied Harry's Bar and were warmly greeted by the affable owner, Arrigo Cipriani.

"What a pleasure to see you, signore. And signorina. Please!"

He led them to a corner table. They ordered Bellinis, the specialty of the house. Philip said to Lara, "I recommend starting with the pasta e fagioli. It's the best in the world."

Later Philip had no memory of what he had eaten for dinner. He was mesmerized by Lara. He knew he was falling in love with her, and it terrified him. I can't make a commitment, he thought. It's impossible. I'm a nomad. He hated to think about the moment when she would leave him to go back to New York. He wanted to prolong their evening as long as possible.

When they had finished supper, Philip said, "There's a casino out on the Lido. Do you gamble?"

Lara laughed aloud.

"What's so funny?"

Lara thought about the hundreds of millions of dollars she gambled on her buildings. "Nothing," she said. "I'd love to go."

They took a motorboat to Lido Island. They walked past the Excelsior Hotel and went to the huge white building that housed the casino. It was filled with eager gamblers.