She chose her only silk dress, butter soft and luscious against her skin. The sleeveless pale yellow fabric clung and slipped away from her body, enhancing and flattering her. The high neckline framed her face and added golden highlights to her hair. Her only jewelry was the family locket dangling on a long gold chain between her breasts.
Kevin gasped when he saw her, then smiled. "You look very elegant, my little love, quite fit as a guest for a count. In fact, you could visit a prince or a king, and still be suitable." He bowed from the waist, and kissed the back of her hand, in imitation of Luigi Amedeo.
Tanya still shivered in spite of his mild attempt at humor. "Do you think anyone else will be there?" she asked when they reached the San Remo harbor.
"I don't know," he replied. "But don't worry, I'm with you. I won't let anything happen to you. I give you my word."
Kevin parked his Alfa Romeo and opened the door for Tanya. He took her hand and helped her from the car.
"Thank you very much for coming," Luigi Amedeo said, climbing from a small motorboat tied at the dock. He clasped Tanya lightly and kissed her on the cheeks, then shook hands with Kevin. "I am so very pleased you've accepted my invitation."
From the motorboat, they boarded the Cecilia Maria. Luigi Amedeo escorted Tanya and Kevin to the lower deck, where a tall, regal woman welcomed them.
"This is my sister, Cecilia Maria." The woman resembled her brother. She wore an expression of sadness like a veil, her soft blond hair a halo arranged in a smooth chignon. Her dress was an understatement in off-white which only served to magnify her aristocratic bearing while adding a touch of innocence.
Luigi Amedeo talked about his family, his love of music, his many interests, and drew each person into the conversation with the smoothness of the experienced host.
"Cecilia Maria, what is this?" Tanya asked, dipping a crouton into a thick, warm yellow mixture in a heated chafing dish. "It tastes wonderful."
"It's a fondue, Piedmont style," Cecilia Maria replied. "It's made with eggs, cheese, and spices. The special flavor comes from truffles."
"Truffles?" Tanya asked. "I always thought they were a sort of chocolate sweet." She laughed, then sipped her white wine.
"No, these are a fungus, but a fungus that grows below the ground. Our family has trained dogs to hunt for truffles. We have three of them, our truffle dogs." Cecilia Maria laughed as well. "That is all they're good for, too. It's not a very profitable operation."