Page 59 of A Hunter for Luna

Natalina nodded in his direction, a faint amused smile curving her lips. "Benedetto, darling, it's been too long. You look well. Marriage agrees with you."

"What do you want?" Benedetto leaned against the pillar at the entrance, hooking his hand in his belt. His sword hand. The tension in the room spiked, the air thick with unspoken animosity.

Why was he being so rude?

This woman clearly had influence, and he was acting like a petulant child. Flies were caught with honey, and I could be sweetness itself if it gave me her motives.

"I was just telling your lovely wife how much she's impressed me.” Natalina turned back to me, dismissing Benedetto's hostility. "Vala didn't exaggerate. You're quite the accomplished young woman."

Benedetto caught my eye and smiled. In reaction, a blush crept up my neck, but I maintained my composure. "That's kind of you to say."

"Tell me," Natalina leaned forward slightly, clasping her ringed hands together, "how are you finding the social circles of Kalion? I imagine it must be overwhelming, coming from such aquietbackground."

I was annoyed at the cattiness. Society in Kalion never allowed me to forget that I had no money of my own and had been abandoned by first my father and then Benedetto and lived for years on by his mother's charity. Even though I was of higher birth than most of the speakers, they enjoyed rubbing my nose in my history.

My smile turned brittle. "It's certainly different from what I'm used to," I said evenly. "But I'm adapting quickly."

Benedetto scoffed under his breath, muttering, "She adaptstoowell, if you ask me."

He was trying to provoke me. I clenched my jaw. But why? Was he irritated by Natalina's presence, or just annoyed that I was holding my own?

The conversation turned to more mundane topics, with Natalina congratulating Benedetto on his growing influence in court.

"You've certainly made a name for yourself, Benedetto. I hear the emperor values your counsel highly these days," she said with an approving smile.

Benedetto merely grunted in response, clearly still annoyed by her presence. "I do my duty to the Empire, nothing more."

Natalina laughed lightly. "So modest! Well, I look forward to seeing more of you both. We'll have to attend a few social functions together."

Just then, Palma swept into the room in a rustle of expensive silks. "Ah, I see you've all become acquainted! Splendid. In fact, we're all invited to Cassius de Ducio's supper party tomorrow evening. It will be a marvelous opportunity to see and be seen. And then my husband and I are off to tour his province! So exciting!"

I plastered on a smile, dreading the prospect of being surrounded by the glittering Kalion elite once again. But I knew refusing was not an option in this world. "That sounds lovely, Palma. I appreciate you including us."

At least with them away, there would be no more invitations accepted for me and Benedetto.

The next evening, Benedetto and I arrived at the de Ducio townhouse. It was on the outskirts of Kalion, so we took a carriage rather than a sedan chair. Carriages and carts weren’t permitted in the older sections of the city.

The scent of expensive spices, roasted lamb and chicken and sweet red wine filled the opulent dining room. Old money mingled with rising social climbers from the merchant class, all eager to gossip and make connections.

As we entered the room arm in arm, everyone turned to look at us. I didn’t mind, the mirror told me I looked as well turned out as any of them. I wore a simple but elegant gown of dark blue and silver, borrowed from Palma and hastily altered with swags and flounces of lace trimming at the hem to account for my slightly greater height.

As for Benedetto, his lack of care of other’s opinions was as much a part of him as his black hair.

We’d agreed that for this function, I would sit, appear attractive and naive, and see who approached me and what they said, while Benedetto remained aloof and mysterious, a known quality frowning at all.

Settled on a divan, Benedetto brought me a tiny plate with a few morsels of food on it and a glass of wine then leaned against the wall in his favorite ‘I wish I was anywhere else’ pose.

I smiled demurely and sipped my wine as a man about my age approached.

Slender, with an attractive face, his dark hair was streaked with white in a regular pattern. His clothing, doublet and hose, were dyed an expensive and rich shade that came close to the imperial purple.

He wore rings on each hand and loop earrings set with amethysts that precisely matched the shade of his clothing. Small pearls liked his sleeves and collar, shimmering in the candlelight.

I’d never seen clothing like that in Legnali, even among the very rich.

He smiled at me warmly. “Lady d’Alvarez! I’ve heard so much about you. Please excuse my forwardness. I am Luccio de Galli, at your service.”

Ah. This man, however young and fashionable, was of the highest rank, one step down from the Imperial family, and thus immune to challenges except from those who outranked him. He was probably used to being outrageous, and possibly a good information source.

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