‘What’s the matter?’ he asked at once. ‘Have I said something to hurt you?
‘No, of course not.’
It was hard because this man was shrewder and subtler than she had allowed for. His eyes were warm and concerned, studying her anxiously, but she needed to evade them, lest they looked too deep.
‘That was lovely,’ she said, indicating her empty plate. ‘What have you decided on now?’
‘And that is-?’ She was searching the menu for enlightenment. ‘I can’t find it.’
‘It’s chicken, stuffed with herbs, cheese and almonds. You won’t find it on the menu. They don’t do it here.’
‘Then-?’
‘I’m going to take you to a place where they do serve it.’
‘Are we going to have every course in a different place?’ she asked, slightly giddy at the thought.
‘Of course. It’s the ideal way to eat. Come on.’
As soon as they were outside she became completely lost. Now they were far off the tourist track, plunging into narrow, flagstoned streets that she knew were called
‘I thought all the streets were water,’ she observed as they strolled along, not hurrying.
‘No, there are plenty of places where it’s possible to walk, but sooner or later one always comes to water.’
‘But why build it like this in the first place?’
‘Many centuries ago, my ancestors were running from their enemies. They fled the mainland, out into the lagoon where there were a mass of tiny islands, and they settled there. They drove stakes deep into the water to create foundations, built bridges between the islands, and so created a unity that became a city.’
‘You mean this canal beneath us-’ they were crossing a small bridge ‘-was the seaway between two separate islands? It’s only about twelve feet wide.’
‘They were miracle workers. And a miracle is what they created.’
‘But how? It just-just defies all the laws of architecture, of science, of common sense-’
‘Oh, common sense-’ he said dismissively.
‘I believe in it,’ she said defiantly.
‘Then heaven help you! It means nothing. It creates nothing, it’s the opposite of a miracle. Look about you. As you say, Venice defies common sense, and yet it exists.’
‘I can’t deny that.’
‘So much for common sense! Never resort to it again. It’s the root of all the troubles in the world.’
‘I’m afraid I can’t help it,’ she confessed. ‘I grew up sensible, reliable, practical-’
He put his hands over his ears. ‘Stop, stop!’ he begged. ‘I can’t bear any more of these dreadful words. I must feed you quickly and make you well again.’
He hustled her down some steps and into a door that was almost hidden in shadows. Behind it was a tiny restaurant which was almost full despite the fact that it seemed to be in hiding. One taste of the chicken was enough to explain this contradiction. If the last course had brought her to the gates of heaven, this one ushered her through.
Guido watched her with pleasure, intent on weaving a spell around her. He wanted her securely in his magic net before he was ready to reveal certain things about himself. He was an honest man, with a high regard for the truth, but he knew that truth wasn’t always reached by sticking too rigidly to the facts.
Then, as if making his very thoughts tangible, a hand clapped him on the shoulder and a cheerful voice said, ‘Hey, Guido! Fancy seeing you here!’
It was Alberto, a friend and employee, who managed his glass factory, more than slightly tipsy, full of good cheer, and about to blow his cover.
Guido tensed and his glance flew to Dulcie who was mercifully absorbed in feeding a kitten that had appeared under their table. She hadn’t heard Alberto call him Guido but disaster was approaching fast. The one ray of hope was that Alberto was speaking in Venetian. Grabbing his friend’s wrist Guido muttered in the same language.
‘Hello, old friend. Do me a favour. Get lost.’
‘That’s not very friendly Gui-’
‘I’m not feeling friendly. Now be a good fellow and take yourself off.’
Alberto stared, then he caught sight of Dulcie and his expression cleared. ‘Aha! A beautiful lady. You devil. Let me make her acquaintance.’
‘You’ll make the acquaintance of the canal in a minute.’ Guido’s smile never wavered as he uttered this half- serious threat.
‘Hey, all right!’ Alberto became placating, backing off. ‘If it’s like that-’
‘I’m warning you-another word-’
‘Fine, I’m going.’
Guido watched him depart, feeling as if he’d aged ten years. He should have taken Dulcie to some place where nobody knew him, but where, in Venice, was he to find such a place?
Problems crowded in on him. Soon he must tell her of his innocent deception, but how to do it needed a lot of thought. Never mind. He would ‘tap-dance’ his way out of that problem when the time came. He was good at that because to a warm-hearted man with a tangled personal life tap-dancing was a necessary skill.
‘If you’ve finished, let’s walk again,’ he said. ‘Venice will have changed.’
She saw what he meant as they stepped outside. Night had created a different city. Little alleys that had led to mysterious corners now vanished into total darkness, and lights glittered like jewels reflected in the black water. He led her onto a small bridge and stood back, letting her drink in the beauty in her own way, in peace.
Already there were a thousand things he wanted to say to her, but he held back, fearful of breaking the spell by going too fast. He could wait, and let Venice do its work for him.
Dulcie watched and listened, entranced. Faintly, in the distance, she could hear the sound of mandolins, and occasionally a strange, soft, eerie yodel.
‘Whatever is that sound?’
‘It’s the cry a gondolier gives as he approaches a corner,’ he said. ‘With twenty-two feet of boat in front of him he has to warn any traffic crossing his path, otherwise they’d be colliding all the time.’
As he spoke there was another yodel close by, and the prow of a gondola appeared around the corner, turning into the canal and heading for them. Dulcie leaned over the bridge, watching the boat with its young lovers clasped in an embrace. Slowly they drew apart, their faces illuminated by the lights from the bridge.
Dulcie felt a cold hand clutch her stomach. The man-it couldn’t be-she was imagining things. As the gondola glided beneath she rushed to the other side of the bridge in a vain attempt to see better. But that was worse. There was only the back of his head. Perversely this only increased her conviction that she’d seen Simon.
A rich bride, a honeymoon in Venice, these were the things he’d wanted. But it was only four months since they’d parted. Could he have replaced one bride with another so fast? Suddenly she’d moved back in time to a turmoil of pain, disillusion, rejection, mistrust.
‘Dulcie, what is it?’
She felt strong hands seize her, turn her. His face was dark.
‘Tell me what’s the matter.’
‘Nothing.’
‘That man-you knew him-’
‘No-I thought I did, but it couldn’t have been him, not so soon-not here of all places-I don’t know, I don’t want to talk about it.’
‘I see,’ he said slowly. ‘It’s like that.’
‘You don’t know what it’s like,’ she cried angrily. ‘You don’t know anything.’
‘You loved him, and you thought you would be here with him. That much is obvious. And it wasn’t so very long ago. So perhaps you love him still?’
‘It wasn’t him,’ she said, trying to sound firm. ‘Just someone else who looked a bit like him.’
‘But you’re avoiding my question. Do you still love him? Or don’t you know?’
‘Yes-no-I don’t know. I don’t know anything.’
