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see each curve of her with his hands。
〃Oh; you're not only well; you're splendid;〃 Bianca said。 〃You and Marius; e in; e; let's go into the next room。〃 She made a careless gesture to her guests; who were all busy anyway; talking; arguing; playing cards in small groups。 She drew us with her into her more intimate parlor adjacent to the bedroom; a room cluttered with frightfully expensive damask chairs and couches; and told me to sit down。
I remembered the candles; that I must never get too close to them; but must use the shadows so no mortal would have an optimum opportunity to study my changed and more perfect skin。
This wasn't so hard as; in spite of her love of light and her penchant for luxury; she had the candelabra scattered for the mood。
The lack of light would also make the sparkle of my eyes less noticeable; I knew this too。 And the more I spoke; the more animated I became; the more human I would appear。
Stillness was dangerous for us when we were among mortals; Marius had taught me; for in stillness we appear flawless and unearthly and finally even faintly horrible to mortals; who sense that we are not what we seem。
I followed all these rules。 But I was overe with anxiety that I could never tell her what had been done to me。 I started to talk。 I explained that the illness had abated entirely; but that Marius; wiser by far than any physician; had ordered solitude and rest。 When I had not been in bed; I had been alone; struggling to regain my strength。
〃Make it as near to the truth as you can; the better to make it a lie;〃 Marius had taught。 Now I followed these words。
〃Oh; but I thought I'd lost you;〃 she said。 〃When you sent word; Marius; that he was recovering; I didn't at first believe you。 I thought you meant to soften the inevitable truth。〃
How lovely she was; a perfect flower。 Her blond hair was parted in the middle; and a thick lock on either side was wound with pearls and bound back with a clasp encrusted with them。 The rest of her hair fell down a la Botticelli; in rivulets of shining yellow over her shoulders。
〃You had cured him as pletely as any human being could;〃 Marius told her。 〃My task was to give him some old remedies of which only I know。 And then to let the remedies do their work。〃 He spoke simply; but to me he seemed sad。
A terrible sadness gripped me。 I couldn't tell her what I was; or how different she seemed now; how richly opaque with human blood she seemed pared to us; and how her voice had taken on for me a new timbre that was purely human; and which gently nudged my senses if she but said one word。
〃Well; you are both here; and you must both e often;〃 she said。 〃Don't ever let such a separation occur again。 Marius; I would have e to you; but Riccardo told me you wanted peace and quiet。 I would have nursed Amadeo in any state。〃
〃I know you would have; my darling;〃 Marius said。 〃But as I said; it was solitude he needed; and your beauty is an intoxicant; and your words a stimulus more intense perhaps than you realize。〃 It had no tone of flattery but sounded like a sincere confession。
She shook her head a little sadly。 〃I've discovered that Venice is not my home unless you're here。〃 She looked cautiously towards the front parlor; and then she lapsed into a low voice。 〃Marius; you freed me from those who had a hold on me。〃
〃That was simple enough;〃 he said。 〃It was a pleasure; in fact。 How rank those men were; cousins of yours; if I'm not mistaken; and eager to use you and your great reputation for beauty in their twisted financial affairs。〃
She blushed; and I lifted my hand to beg him to go easy with what he said。 I knew now that during the slaughter of the Florentine banquet chamber; he had read from the victims' minds all kinds of things which were unknown to me。
〃Cousins? Perhaps;〃 she said。 〃I have conveniently forgotten that。 That they were a terror to those whom they lured into expensive loans and dangerous opportunities; that I can say without a doubt。 Marius; the strangest things have happened; things upon which I never counted。〃
I loved the look of seriousness on her delicate features。 She seemed too beautiful to have a brain。
〃I find myself richer;〃 she said; 〃as I can keep the larger portion of my own ine; and others…this is the strange part…others; in gratitude that our banker and our extortionist is gone; have lavished on me countless gifts of gold and jewels; yes; even this necklace; look; and you know these are all sea pearls and matched in size; and this is a veritable rope of them; see; and all this is given me; though I have averred a hundred times that I never had the deed done。〃
〃But what of blame?〃 I asked。 〃What of the danger of a public accusation?〃
〃They have no defenders or mourners;〃 she said quickly。 She planted another little bouquet of kisses on my cheek。 〃And earlier today; my friends among the Great Council were here as always; to read a few new poems to me and settle in quiet where they could know peace from clients and the endless demands of their families。 No; I don't think anyone is going to accuse me of anything; and as everyone knows; on the night of the murders; I was here in pany with that awful Englishman; Amadeo; the very one who tried to kill you; who has of course。。。〃
〃Yes; what?〃 I asked。
Marius narrowed his eyes as he looked at me。 He made a light gesture of tapping the side of his head with his gloved finger。 Read her mind; he meant。 But I couldn't think of such a thing。 Her face was too pretty。
〃The Englishman; 〃 she said; 〃who has disappeared。 I suspect he's drowned somewhere; that; staggering drunk about the town; he fell into one of the canals or; worse yet; into the lagoon。 〃
Of course my Master had told me that he had taken care of all our difficulties on account of the Englishman; but I had never asked in what particular way。
〃So they think you hired killers to dispatch the Florentines?〃 Marius asked her。
〃Seems so;〃 she said。 〃And there are even those who think that I had the Englishman dispatched as well。 I've bee a rather powerful woman; Marius。〃
Both of them laughed; his laugh the deep but metallic laugh of a preternatural being; and her laugh higher yet thicker with the sound of her human blood。
I wanted to go into her mind。 I tried but cast away the idea at once。 I was inhibited; just as I was with Riccardo and the boys closest to me。 In fact; it seemed such a terrible invasion of the privacy of the person that I used this power only in hunting to find those who were evil and whom I might kill。
〃Amadeo; you blush; what is it?〃 Bianca asked。 〃Your cheeks are scarlet。 Let me kiss them。 Oh; you are hot as if the fever has e back。〃
〃Look into his eyes; angel;〃 said Marius。 〃They are clear。〃
〃You're right;〃 she said; peering into my eyes with such a sweet frank curiosity that she became irresistible to me。
I pushed back the yellow cloth of her underdress and the heavy velvet of her dark…green sleeveless overgarment and kissed her bare shoulder。
〃Yes; you're well;〃 she cooed into my ear; her lips moist against it。