Page 43 of Enduring Caine
We stepped out from her room and made it as far as the top of the stairs before Giovanni, Leonardo, and Johann appeared further down.
“Are we going to the bakery now?” Samantha asked.
Giovanni crossed his hands over his heart. “I’m sorry, but I fear the weather is too severe. We called and with the tornado watch on, they’re closed today.”
Her smile fell, a more dramatic response than was necessary. “I’m sure Henri has a wonderful breakfast prepared.”
“He does,” said my uncle. “We were coming to get you for the meal. Then, I have a special surprise.”
“What sort of surprise?” I asked. And where was Cristian?
Giovanni reached the top of the stairs, the two guards waiting halfway to the third floor, and produced his own elbow for Samantha. Had they discovered we spent the night together? Were we avoiding the bakery because they knew the truth about Elliot? Had they found out about Vincenzo’s deceptions?
Calm down, Tony.This was not a smart game we were playing.
Samantha looked at me, forcing her professional smile into place before turning to him. “I love a good surprise.”
This was not true. She hated surprises. Preferred to be in control of every moment.
Giovanni began down the stairs with her in tow. “Henri prepared a full American breakfast for you, including bacon and eggs and—” He looked to Leo. “—what are the potato things called?”
“Hash browns?” I said.
Samantha’s favorite breakfast was Italian—cornetti with cappuccino. Although she also loved frittatas and breakfast burritos filled with onions and peppers. “That’s so sweet.”
“And after we eat, I want to take you on a tour. The weather’s not scheduled to clear until tonight, so we’ll be confined to the estate today. But I thought you might like to see the gallery?” He waved his free hand as he spoke. “Cesca will join us for breakfast and the tour. She wants to show both of you her artwork.”
Samantha peered over her shoulder at me, raising her eyebrows. Zio Gio had mentioned showing her the semi-public artwork on the upper floors of the villa. His private gallery was a different story. It would be one of the worst places in the estate to take her, second only to his storage room. How many stolen pieces of art would still be in there and how much self-control would she need to expend not to catalogue every piece and report back to Elliot?
Unless Giovanni was so committed to this story he was telling about changing his life that he’d cleared everything out of there?
Either way, this was the first step on our non-snooping non-investigation.
Chapter 19
Samantha
Breakfastlastedanhour.Sixty minutes of listening to rain alternating with hail bashing at the terrace doors of the dining room. True to Giovanni’s word, Henri had prepared a full savory breakfast, which inspired more than one muttered comment from Leonardo as he ate.
After a couple of days in his company, his attitude continued grinding on my nerves, but he was becoming easier to ignore. Or maybe the calming influence of having spent the night with Antonio made the difference.
Not a single nightmare.
The group of us—Antonio, Giovanni, Cristian, Leonardo, and Cesca—walked out of the dining room together, through the grand hall with its soaring marble columns and balconies ringing the floors above, past sculptures and display furniture, over lush rugs with vibrant colors.
I counted four cameras before we entered the short hallway that led to the game room, sure there were even more hidden from sight. We headed in the opposite direction from yesterday’s blueprint review and ended in front of a large carved wooden door, with its own camera trained on it.
“Samantha, Antonio tells me you’re family,” said Giovanni, as he stopped. A burst of cold struck through my spine and another rumble of thunder sounded in the distance. Antonio’s mother had said essentially the same thing the night she showed me into the small private art gallery in her home. I told Antonio I never wanted to see him again after what I’d seen that night.
Antonio’s hand snuck into mine. Was he thinking about that night? Or did the ‘family’ word have him focused onus? Focused on all those threats and teases he kept making about proposing to me someday?
Giovanni continued, “Last night, I let you see my plans for the future. Vincenzo said you quite enjoyed his tour of the ruins and the statues in the cave at the shore. So today, I wish to share more of the past we are fortunate enough to possess here.”
“What about a movie?” Antonio used our held hands to point back the way we came. “Or we could show her the view from the top of the tower?”
Cristian—standing behind Giovanni, with Leonardo ever-present at his side—furrowed his brow at Antonio. “The top of the tower in a storm like this? All you’d see is the rain.”
Cesca said, “I want to show you some of my paintings. Papa says you’re an amazing artist and could give me some advice. Maybe if you stay long enough or visit again before you leave, you could teach me?”