Page 68 of Royally Matched
He gives me that look I know all toowell, the look that tells me he and I are total opposites. He pulls the driver’s door open. “Food poisoning isn’t at the top of my list for this trip, Marco.”
Enzo might carry on about the fact that I’ve never been particularly mature, never really known what I want to do with my life up until discovering my passion for nature, but the guy is in serious need of loosening up. It doesn’t have to be my favorite hole-in-the-wall eatery in Rio, but it needs to be something. He’s so tightly wound I’m surprised he doesn’t bounce down the road on an oversized coil.
“Should we hug it out?” I ask with what I hope is a winning smile.
He rolls his eyes, but he hugs me anyway. It’s one of those awkward, stiff, pat on the back types of hugs he specializes in. “See you in eight days’ time, when we’ll be going to Malveaux for Prince Alexander and Princess Madeline’s wedding.”
“I do love a wedding in summer,” I say with a grin.
Enzo shakes his head at me before he climbs into his car and drives away.
As I step out of the elevator into the office, my phone rings. It’s a number I don’t recognize.
“Hello?”
“Mr. Revera? This is Dr. Felix Esposito,” says a raspy voice, softened by age.
My mind is so preoccupied with thinking about how different Enzo and I are—and how, despite my shortcomings, I’m glad to be me—I don’t immediately recognize the name.
“How can I help you, Dr. Esposito?”
“I think the question is more how can I helpyou, young man. You called me last week regarding a translation, you may recall.”
Of course! Dr. Felix Esposito is the professor who cantranslate old Ledonian, the one Amelia told us about. I’d googled him, just as she suggested, and found that he does indeed live in a small village in the mountains. She will love the fact I tracked him down and I’m now talking with him, her plan coming together in her mind, I’m sure.
“It’s great to hear from you, professor, and thank you so much for calling me back. I’m eager to know, are you able to do the translation for us?”
“You are correct in that I’m one of the few scholars left who can translate ancient Ledonian. Really, it is such a terrible state of affairs, which is why I have been training up several younger scholars to pick up the mantle, as it were. Your scroll has me quite intrigued, Mr. Revera. Quite intrigued indeed.”
Excitement bubbles up inside me. “Can you translate it for us?”
“Absolutely. I would be more than happy to.”
“That’s brilliant! Thank you.” My mind begins to tick over. Having the scroll translated means we will finally understand the riddle, and what the “righteous heir” is all about.
“My pleasure, young man. There is one stipulation. I prefer not to travel to Villadorata. It’s the traffic and the busyness of the city, you see. Dreadful. I’m simply too old for that sort of thing these days. So, if you want this translation, you will need to bring it to me.”
“We can do that.”
“In addition, my son-in-law is coming to take me from my village to visit my youngest daughter and her newborn child in three days’ time, after which I will be gone for well over two months.”
“Your newborn grandchild doesn’t live in Villadorata?” I chance.
“Heavens no! My son-in-law is a diplomat. He’s currently stationed in Australia.”
So, we’ve got less than three days to get the scroll translated before the professor leaves for literally the other side of the world.
“Can I scan it an email it you?”
“I don’t have email, I’m afraid. I have little use for it now that I’m retired.”
“Are you on social media?”
“Social what?”
That would be anothen. Man, this is like talking to someone from the 1980s.
I make a snap decision.