Wedding in Venice

'Yes, he's -' the rest of the words were drowned out by the noise of the motor.

Then she forgot everything as the boat slowed and they entered Venice, gliding along narrow waterways between ancient buildings in a quiet rhythm unlike the harried tempo of most cities she knew, until they finally reached the Grand Canal. Here was the Palazzo Calvani, where Guido lived with his uncle, Count Calvani.

The count was away until the next day, so Guido entertained them alone. At dinner he was charming company, but he was shooed away when Maria, the dressmaker, arrived late in the evening with Dulcie's wedding gown.

'I came out to Venice for one fitting a few weeks back,' Dulcie told Justine, 'but this is the moment of truth. Let's go upstairs.'

The dress was an extravagant confection in white satin and lace, with a long, wide skirt and floor-length veil. Justine snapped madly with her digital camera as Dulcie turned in front of the mirror.

When the dressmaker had gone, Justine got out her laptop and began downloading the pictures from the camera. Dulcie gasped when she saw them on the screen.

'Tomorrow I want to go outside and take more pictures of you wearing this,' Justine said.

The photographer in her was at work now, picturing this gorgeous dress against the canals, the picturesque buildings.

As she worked, she asked casually, 'Who was that man who passed us on the water this morning, the one Guido called Riccardo?'

'I've never met him,' Dulcie said. 'Guido has a lot of boatman friends, so he's probably one of them.'

Justine let it go. It would be a mistake to seem too curious.

* * *

They set out next morning so that Justine could photograph Dulcie in the lovely dress against the background of Venice. She took picture after picture, exhilarated by the beauty she was capturing.

'Just one more,' she said at last as they stopped in a little square by the water. 'Stand by that fountain.'

She arranged her shot, focused and took a step back, then another, and another.

Totally absorbed, she failed to notice that she was getting closer to the canal. Dulcie's cry of warning came too late, and the next moment Justine was stepping back into nothing, and falling.

She gave a yell of despair as she thought of what the water would do to her precious camera.

But there was no water. Instead she landed on something that felt relatively soft. Sprawled inelegantly on her back, she had a grandstand view of the man she'd seen yesterday, standing over her, regarding her with recognition and delight.

He gave her a mock bow, reaching forward to pull her into a sitting position, and saying, 'It's a pleasure to meet you at last.'

Chapter Three

It was definitely the boatman from the previous day, wearing slightly more today: a sleeveless black vest and a pair of threadbare jeans that ended just below the knees.

Close up, he was even more overpowering. Justine had to resist the temptation to stare like a dizzy schoolgirl.

He shouldn't be allowed, she decided. That tan, those white teeth, the strength she could sense in his hand, with its hint of even more strength leashed, the glint of the devil in his dark eyes – there ought to be a law against him.

But if there was a law, he would ignore it. She knew that already. He would ignore anything that didn't suit him.

At the moment it seemed to suit him to keep hold of her hand, although she was sitting upright now, and there was no need.

He sat down beside her.

'Are you all right?' he asked. 'That was quite a tumble!'

'Not as bad as the one you took yesterday,' she reminded him.

'But I landed safely in the water.'

'Well, I landed safely on – cabbages? I'm sitting on cabbages?'

'And onions and potatoes and lettuces. This barge belongs to the Hotel Busoni, and I'm taking supplies to the kitchens.'

'Well, I'm very glad you were passing just then, or it could have been really nasty. The water wouldn't have done my camera any good.'

'Then I'm happy to have been of service,' he said with an air of chivalry that sat oddly with his threadbare clothes.

He squeezed her hand gently between both of his.

'I hope I haven't squashed the vegetables,' she said, reluctantly disengaging her hand and feeling around gingerly. 'I don't want to get you into trouble.'

'Please don't worry about me,' he said gravely.

'You're sure your boss will be okay?'

'Let's say I can handle anything he's likely to throw at me.'

'Hey, how do I get out? That ledge is way above me.'

'Because this is low tide.'

'You mean I'm trapped here?'

'Only until we reach the next flight of steps.'

He pointed to where she could see steps cut into the stone, about ten yards ahead.

'But we're not moving,' she said.

'That's because we've hit a traffic jam,' he pointed out, indicating several other barges, bent on the same errand, that were blocking their way.

'Where's Dulcie?' she asked, looking around.

'Your friend is back there. We moved on for a bit after you fell.'

Justine could just make out Dulcie standing by the water, at the place where she had gone in. She waved and caught her attention.

Dulcie doubled up with laughter, and indicated that she would walk along the canal's edge to join her, but Justine firmly waved her back for fear of damage to the lovely wedding dress. Dulcie nodded, agreeing to wait.

'I'm taking the pictures of Dulcie and Guido's wedding,' Justine explained. 'You know Guido, don't you?'

He grinned.

'Everyone knows Guido. He's crazy.' Seeing her puzzled look he added, 'In Venice, that is a compliment.'

'I see – at least, I think I do.'

He extended his hand again.

'I am Riccardo Gardini.'

'I am Justine Bentley.'

They shook hands.

'Will you remain in Venice for long?' he asked.

'I don't know. I've got a few days before the wedding, then I'll stay on to get some shots of the city, but I'm not sure just how long that will take.'

'It will take a lifetime,' he said at once. 'You will never come to the end of Venice. There is always one more beauty to be seen, one more mystery to tease you. So you must stay here forever.'

'Well, it's beautiful enough, I agree, and I really want to see it all.'

'Then I shall arrange it so that you do.'

The lordly way he said, 'I shall arrange it,' made her lift her eyebrows. Just who did he think he was? And what did he think she was? An easy pickup?

'Say that you will spend some time with me,' he coaxed.