Page 90 of Royally Matched
“Good to know.”
Marco takes a bite of his sandwich. “This is good,” he exclaims through a mouthful.
“Weren’t you taught not to talk with your mouth full, Mr. Revera?”
“Yep.” He takes another bite, grinning at me.
This is easy. Fun. Being here with Marco feels like a dream. Tonight, we can relax and enjoy the festival, knowing that in the morning, we’ll meet with the professor to get the scroll translated.
It’s just him and me, Marco and Hadley, sitting together as we enjoy our meal in the picturesque spot of Monteluce.
Chapter 24
Sofia
It’s the strangest thing, but I feel like I’m on a vacation somewhere, with nowhere to be and nothing to do, other than enjoy myself and be in the moment. Which is exactly what we’ve been doing.
Marco and I wandered the festival, sampling sweet treats and delicious fruits, watching an old-fashioned puppet show, listening to the performers expertly wield their instruments, all under the warm summer sun in the most picturesque villageatop a mountain.
We’ve talked about inconsequential things, and the conversation has flowed. If there’s any silence, it’s been perfectly comfortable, and as Hadley, I’ve left my usual life behind. I’m free. Relaxed.
Happy.
As for my disguise, who would have thought people wouldn’t recognize me simply because I’m not dressed in a formal suit or dress, with no string of pearls at my neck, and my hair not held up in a neat style with bobby pins.
Now, as we exit the superette with our toothbrushes and other essentials, I find myself swinging the paper bag in a carefree way as we climb through the streets on our way to the Villa Serendipity, the only hotel in town.
“You must be very excited about this,” I say as we pass Constance and Erma waving at them.
“Staying in a hotel?” Marco asks. “I might not be royalty, but I have stayed in hotels before,Principessa.”
“No, I meant the name of the hotel. Villa Serendipity, named after your favorite movie with your actress crush.”
“Ah, Kate Beckinsale.” He waggles his brows at me, and it makes me giggle like a prepubescent girl, which surprisingly, that’s the way Marco makes me feel. Giddy, I suppose is the best word to describe it. Giddy but somehow serene, if that makes any sense at all, and I suspect it doesn’t because aren’t giddiness and serenity opposites?
I don’t know. I refuse to overthink it. I’m living in the moment with Marco, and it’s wonderful.
We pass a dress shop with a pretty cornflower blue dress with V-neck, cap sleeves, and a full skirt.
I stop to admire it. “That’s so pretty,” I breathe, imagining myself in such a dress. It evokes feelings of being in a summer meadow on a picnic, enjoying the sun, a light breeze in the air, with cicadas chirping.
“Come on. Let’s go get those rooms, shall we?” Marco says, interrupting my daydream.
We continue to climb until we can see an old-fashioned oval wooden sign jutting out on a rail that’s seen better days, with the painted name “Hotel Villa Serendipity.”
Like the rest of the village, the hotel has rustic stone walls with quaint, arched windows. There are several balconies that could only be described as “cozy” overlooking the narrow cobblestone streets.
It reminds me of a scene from an E.M. Forster book I read once,A Room with a View. Of course, those scenes were in Florence, in a hotel overlooking the famous river, but this place is better. It’s tucked away in a small village in the mountains, not in the middle of a tourist-ridden city where people would recognize me.
“I wonder if we’ll each have a balcony? We could wave at one another,” I suggest as Marco pulls the door open for me to step inside.
I’m immediately struck by the busy floral wallpaper, floral carpet, and marble reception desk, all vying for my attention. Behind the desk sits a girl who can’t be more then eighteen, her head down as she concentrates on her phone.
“Excuse me,” Marco says, and she looks up at us in surprise.
“Oh, hello,” she says her eyes swivelling between the two of us. “How can I help you today?”
“We would like two rooms, please,” Marco replies.