Chapter 35
A Tour of the Colosseum
An hour later
Despite the light rain shower that had awakened her earlier that morning, Armenia was pleasantly surprised to discover the marble tiles making up the courtyard of Villa D’Avalos were dry when she stepped out to meet the Montblanc town coach at eleven o’clock.
Nicoletta’s servants were punctual.
Armenia pressed a gloved hand into the one offered by the tiger and stepped up into the coach, wincing at the slight discomfort she felt at the top of her thighs.
The delicious soreness had her grinning, though.
She felt at least ten years younger, and the mirror seemed to have agreed with her that morning.
She chuckled softly at realizing Nicoletta had sent the newest Montblanc equipage, the blue velvet interior not yet showing signs of wear. The marchesato’s crest emblazoned in gold on the door reflected the mid-morning light.
She was barely seated when the coach lurched into motion and passed through the arched wrought iron doors to the street beyond.
Settling back into the squabs, she hoped she hadn’t overlooked any of the arrangements for that evening’s dinner.
If everything went as planned, she intended to invite Patrick to spend the night.
A frisson shot through her at the memory of their afternoon together. Would he have awakened sore from their time together? Had he put voice to a curse? Or had he smiled as she had, happy to know she would be seeing him again soon?
Given the light traffic, it didn’t take long to get to Villa Montblanc.
Most of Nicoletta’s extended family was already in the front court choosing coaches for the trip to the Roman Forum and the Colosseum.
Once the one in which she rode stopped, the tiger opened the door. Donald leaned in and greeted her.
“Pardon the delay. It seems we are missing Vittoria and my brother,” he said. “And one of the coaches.”
Armenia arched a brow. “Do you suppose they have settled their differences?” Try as she might to imagine the two of them having departed Villa Montblanc in the same coach, she thought it rather unlikely.
Donald guffawed. “Neither were at breakfast this morning. I may have blistered his ears last night,” he added, rolling his eyes in frustration.
“So that is why you didn’t join us in the parlor?” she guessed.
“Indeed.”
“I will have a word with her,” she replied. “I am sure it is merely a misunderstanding betwixt them.”
He straightened and glanced back toward the house. “Well, here is Vittoria,” he murmured. “She looks... happy?” he added, uncertainty sounding in his voice.
“She does indeed, and she is positively gorgeous on this fine morning.”
Donald whirled to his left to discover his brother approaching the coach from another that had just pulled into the courtyard. “Where have you been?”
“Seeing to a possible future,” David replied, “and a guide book,” he added, lifting the tome from beneath his arm.
He nodded to Vittoria, who still displayed a flush of color at hearing his compliment about her appearance.
He offered his hand. She placed her gloved hand into it and joined her great aunt so she was seated in the direction of travel.
“Buongiorno, zia,” she said brightly.
“Buongiorno. Feeling better? You’re not limping.”
“Not yet,” Vittoria replied.
Nicoletta followed her niece into the coach and ended up seated between Donald and David. She inhaled deeply and let out a long sigh. “I almost insisted the children join us today, but I think it’s best Antony spend time with his tutor.”
“How is Donna Nancy fairing?” Armenia asked.
“She misses her mother, but she seems resigned to what has happened,” Nicoletta replied. “She insisted on joining Antony when his tutor arrived. Claims she wants to learn how to read.”
“Good,” Armenia replied. “And Amalia?”
“Amalia is about to become even more spoiled than she already is, given how Mother and my new cousins insist on holding her,” David said.
He was grinning, though. A year ago, he wouldn’t have so much as held a babe, but having spent a good deal of time in the company of Helen’s younger brother whilst they were in Egypt, he discovered he had a special rapport with toddlers.
“You’re the one who’s spoiling her,” Donald accused. “I saw you giving her a biscuit before dinner.”
“So she would agree to play cards with me. I’m teaching her how to play whist,” David said in all seriousness.
“She’s only a year old,” Donald countered.
“She’s more clever than you think.”
“You’re a fool if you think you’re going to teach a babe how to play cards.”
Seated across from Vittoria, David ignored the accusation and said, “After we’ve seen the Forum, might we take a detour to Via del Pellegrino? I have an order I need to pick up after three o’clock.”
Donald’s eyes rounded, but he said, “I think that can be arranged.”
Armenia displayed a similar expression for a moment, her gaze going to David. Their eyes briefly met, and despite the tight confines of the coach, he lifted one of his shoulders in a shrug.
Nicoletta inhaled softly. “Isn’t that the jewel—?”
“I’ve ordered a pair of boots from a calzolai,” David interrupted.
Nicoletta glanced down at his riding boots. “Oh, yes, yours do look a bit worn,” she said.
David gave a start, but he didn’t put voice to a reply.
The trip to the Forum didn’t take long, and despite the earlier rain, there were a number of other turistas admiring the ruins spread out below Palatine Hill. The coaches pulled up and parked in a long line outside the Colosseum.
“Where do we even start?” Barbara asked in awe, her gaze going to the ruins off in the distance to the east and north.
“Here at the Colosseum,” Will said, waving toward the circular, four-story structure. “It’s not completely intact, but then it is quite old,” he said.
Diana stepped out of the coach and grinned.
“This isn’t your first time here, is it?” Randy asked.
She shook her head. “Father brought us several years ago. Before Michael left for university,” she replied, referring to her younger brother.
Pulling her sketchbook from her satchel, she paged through it until a partially-completed drawing of the Colosseum appeared.
She pointed out where she had drawn in a small olive tree that was now much larger.
“I plan to finish this right now,” she stated.
Randy chuckled, and once the rest of their party were out of the coaches and barouche, the group set off to climb a set of stairs that were still in good condition so they could wander through the structure.
“The south side was damaged in an earthquake,” David said. He had the guidebook opened and was comparing a drawing in it to what they were seeing. “The original marble facing is missing, and many of the decorations have been stolen.”
“It’s so overgrown with vines and such,” Helen remarked, her gaze going up to where arched corridors circled the amphitheater seating.
“The seats used to be marble, but it’s long since been carted away for use in other buildings,” Will commented. He was careful in where he stepped over the eroded stone making up the first level, pointing out places where Barbara needed to be careful.
“Can we continue to go up?” Tom asked, his gaze following the concourse.
“If you can find stairs that haven’t crumbled to bits,” Randy said, joining them.
“Where is Diana?”
“Out by the Meta Sudans. She’s completing a drawing she started the last time she was here.”
“You left her alone?” Barbara asked in shock.
“Lady Armenia is with her, as is Lady Vittoria. They have both been here and opted not to come in.”
“Oh,” Barbara said with relief. “What, pray tell, is the Meta Sudans?”
“It’s another fountain,” David replied. “The conical shape we saw inside that circle near the Arch of Constantine. Although...” He scoffed.
“It says here that although there used to be a pool of water around it, it was given its name because it means ‘sweating turning post’. Apparently the water didn’t gush out as it does in most fountains but rather oozed out,” he explained.
“I’m going to see if I can climb up and look for the women through those arched openings,” Randy said.
“I’ll join you,” David offered.
They had made it to a set of eroded stairs and begun to climb when Randy said, “I couldn’t help but notice that Lady Vittoria seems to have overcome her derision of you. What the hell happened betwixt you two?”
David made an odd sound in this throat. “I made the mistake of trying to save her from an overzealous would-be suitor at the beginning of the ball. As it happens, she is her own best protector.”
A guffaw escaped Randy. “You’re saying she bested a rake?”
“He was a rather handsome bloke, but now he has a broken nose, and his family jewels are probably no longer.”
Randy’s look of amusement changed to a grimace. “What did he do to her? And what did you do to him?”
David held up a hand as they made it to the next level concourse. “She did most of the damage. I only broke his nose with my knee, and Apollo delivered the death blow, so to speak.”
“So... why was she angry with you? She called you a rogue.” His brows suddenly rose. “Did you take advantage?”
“No!” David replied, stepping over a chunk of rock in order to make his way it into a belvedere.
The arched opening looked out to the east, and he quickly spotted the three ladies.
They were seated on a blanket one of the coachmen had seen to spreading out on the lawn.
“As I said, I tried to help. She... took offense, though. Which is why she’s been behaving as such a shrew towards me.
But...” He lifted a shoulder and sighed.
“But?” Randy prompted.
“I, uh, talked with her. Last night. Made my case and cleared the air betwixt us.”
Waving in the hope Diana might see him, Randy turned his attention back to his cousin. “You weren’t in the parlor last night,” he stated.
David dipped his head. “I went to her bedchamber.”