Page 53 of Under a Dancing Star

“Oh,” I say, somehow deflated.

“Of course, there was one other reason,” Ben says slowly.

“What was that?”

“It was becoming very inconvenient, wanting to kiss you all the time.” His voice is very neutral, matter-of-fact.

“Did you?”

“Yes, I did,” he sighs. “Despite all my better judgement, against every measure of sanity I possess, I couldn’t stop thinking about it whenever you were around.”

“That’s just how I felt,” I say. “As if my brain and my body were completely disconnected and I kept having all these involuntary responses. I should note this down. Do you think it is something chemical?”

I look over at Ben now and catch my breath, because there’s something glittering in his eyes that makes the air between us crackle.

“Something like that,” he says.

Before the crackle can turn into anything more interesting, Filomena appears, wearing a strange expression.

“Is everything all right?” I ask, noticing that she is clutching a letter in her hand.

“Everything is very all right, Bea,” she says, a slow smile spreading across her face. She sits down. “Now, how would you feel about a trip to Florence?”

“To Florence?” I repeat, in a daze.

“You’ve heard from Lili?” Ben perks up. “She’s back?”

“I have,” Filomena nods, “and she is.” Ben lets out a whoop of excitement. “There’s a letter for you too, of course,” she continues, holding out an envelope to him.

“Who is Lili?” I ask, trying to catch up.

“An old friend,” Filomena says. “A very dear old friend of both of ours. And one who invites the two of you to stay for a couple of days.”

“Me and … and Ben?” I feel a little flustered by this, by the casual way we have been paired together. “How does she know who I am?”

“I told her that Ben was giving you art lessons.” She folds her hands placidly in her lap. “If one is to truly learn about art then one cannot miss Firenze.”

“I wrote to her about you, too,” says Ben, abstractedly, as he scans his own letter.

“Did you?” I ask, finding myself flushing with unexpected pleasure. “But won’t my uncle mind?”

“You will be back long before he is.” Filomena waves her hand in an airy gesture. “And I’m sure he would not mind.”

I’m not so sure about that, actually. In fact, I’m starting to suspect that perhaps he has not embraced the laid-back bohemian lifestyle as whole-heartedly as it first seemed. Still, I’m certainly not going to turn down the opportunity to visit Florence. Far be it for me to start throwing obstacles in my own path.

“You can go for a few days and still be back in time for the exhibition party,” Filomena says. “You’ll love Florence, Bea.” Her enthusiasm is unrestrained. “It is the most romantic place.”

“It will probably be wasted on me, then,” I say and at that Ben lifts his eyes from his letter to meet mine.

“Oh, I don’t know, Bea.” The smile that he gives me is warm and I feel it all the way in my bones. “I think even you might not be immune to the romance of Florence. In fact, I think you’ll like it a lot.”

Part Four: Florence

August, 1933

BEATRICE:

For which of my good parts did you first suffer love for me?