Ambra stopped helping prepare dinner about forty-five minutes before their guests were set to arrive. Now that Ezio was coming, she felt the urge to look … pretty for him. She was glad that it was summer, for her warm-weather dresses were so much more enjoyable than the ones she wore in the winter.
She chose green once more, only this dress had a square neckline, which it made it possible to see quite a bit of her cleavage. Both Ezio and Francesco were tall, and if they stood directly over her, they would probably be able to see clear down to her navel.
Her father would not be happy. However, Ambra knew just as well as anyone else did that her father would never imply that anything she did was not completely perfect. It would be agony for him sitting there, looking at his daughter, half-dressed as far as he concerned, under the scrutinizing gaze of two young men.
It would be an interesting dinner. Anna was not wrong about that. Before leaving her bedroom, Ambra consulted the looking glass. She wished that she had more time, for her hair wasn't sitting just the way she wanted it to; but the soft waves that brushed her collarbone and cascaded down her back were still quite agreeable to her. So she left the room and headed for the back stairs that led into the kitchen.
"Are they here, yet Mamma?" she asked. Her mother was still in the kitchen, watching the maids as they put her pasta, sauce, and bread on serving plates. She reminded one of them not to forget the wine, and sent her into the cellar.
"No, thank God," she answered. "Per l'amor di Dio! What are you wearing?"
"Mamma, you bought me this dress, remember?" Ambra asked.
"Yes, I did," she answered. "I think you might have … grown a little, though."
"It fits perfectly, Mamma," Ambra assured her, and then there was a knock at the door. Of course, Ambra could not run to answer it, as decorum dictated that she be waiting in the parlor when guests arrived for dinner. So, she quickly moved through the rather sizable house and took a seat on one of the couches. Her two younger sisters were there already, and they stared at Ambra as she came in.
"Papa is going to have an attack," her youngest sister, Patrizia, told her.
"You know very well that Papa is not going to say anything," Ambra assured her as the father in question entered the parlor with Francesco De Luca, who looked straight at Ambra's chest. Her father did the same, and he turned a rather odd shade of purple. As Ambra had predicted, though, he said nothing to her. Instead he bid Francesco sit down.
"Did I come too early?" he asked, expecting that they would begin eating as soon as he arrived.
"Oh no, dinner is ready," Ambra assured him. "It's just that we are waiting for another guest."
"Oh? And who else will be joining us?" he asked.
"I'm not sure if you know him," Ambra stated, and rejoiced in the way Francesco's smile faltered when she said 'him'. "His name is Ezio Auditore. He's just moved here." And just then there was another knock at the door, and Ambra's smile widened even more. For a moment, Signor Conti looked away from him, and Francesco took that opportunity to give Ambra a very dirty look.
Then she heard his voice and suddenly she forgot how much fun she was having torturing Francesco and began to feel excited. He was getting closer and closer and Ambra looked away from the door to try and look like she was disinterested, but when he entered, she couldn't help it. He was so tall, and his legs were long and lean, topped off by what looked like a torso that matched. His arms were obscured by the wide sleeves of his shirt, but all of her focus was on his face.
He was so dark. Black hair, dark eyes, and not just in color but in attitude, and a rough set to his mouth that said he had been through a lot. Of course Ambra knew that he had. His father and brothers were dead. She was surprised that he was even here; she couldn't even imagine losing her father or one of her sisters.
"Buona sera, Signor Conti," he greeted tersely. "Thank you for inviting me to your home."
"Well, it wasn't me that did it," Signor Conti assured him, leaving Ezio feeling a little awkward. Luckily, that was when Anna entered the parlor, her smiling face lightening the atmosphere.
"Dinner is served. Everyone please come into the dining room!" Ezio was the first one to leave the parlor, and Ambra quickly got up and hustled after him.
"You can sit here," Ambra stated as she pointed out a seat that was right next to hers.
"Grazie," he murmured as he stood behind the chair. Obviously he had to wait for the host and all of the ladies to sit down. Francesco chose the seat right on the other side of Ambra, without asking if he could sit there. Patrizia chuckled when she saw the position in which her sister was going to be for the next hour or so and whispered to her older sister, Allegra.
"If nothing else, this should prove to be entertaining."
Anna sat at one end of the table and Signor Conti sat at the other end. There was relative silence as everyone was serving themselves, but once everyone settled in to eat, the conversation began.
"So, Ezio," Francesco, feeling like his territory was being encroached upon, asked, "what brings you to Monteriggioni?"
"My family and I are from Florence," he began. "We just needed to get out of the city. The countryside is really quite … soothing. Serenissima." Sensing that this evening could possibly become a bit of a competition, he decided that he might start getting his hits in early. "E le donne sono bellissime." He said this with a sideways smirk at Ambra, who blushed for two reasons. The first reason being that Ezio had called her a woman, the second that he called her beautiful. Very beautiful, in fact.
"Well, that's definitely true," Allegra agreed with a broad smile.
"What's Florence like?" Patrizia inquired. "We've never been to a big city. I bet it's beautiful!"
"I suppose it depends on what you call beautiful," Ezio answered. "If you like corrupt men, unfair judges, and evil in general … sure, it is a beautiful city." Everyone was a little shocked by this statement, but Ambra dealt with it nicely.
"I think that you can find those things anywhere," she told him.
"Perhaps, but not in such high quantities," Ezio responded as he looked at his plate. Without having to look at them, he could tell that everyone wanted him to explain why he felt this way, but he didn't think that the execution of his father and brothers was proper dinner conversation.
"And not in Monteriggioni," Francesco added.
"Enough of this depressing talk," Anna said sweetly. "My daughter tells me that you have a sister, Ezio."
"Yes, a younger one," Ezio answered. "I suppose that she is about your age," he stated as he looked towards Allegra.
"Really?" Allegra sounded excited. "You must tell her to call on us sometime!"
"Or you could go and call on her," Ambra reminded her sister, thinking that if she did go to the Auditore household looking for Ezio's sister, then it would be a perfect excuse to tag along. Francesco could practically see that particular thought as it crossed Ambra's face, and for the first time he started to panic. He had been trying for months, and this … boy arrived, said a few words, and practically had her eating out of his hand.
"What if I came tomorrow?" Allegra inquired of Ezio.
"I'm sure that Claudia would be happy for some company," Ezio stated. "We are new here and don't really know many people besides my uncle. I'll let my Mamma know that she should expect you."
"Can I come, too?!" Patrizia asked.
"No," Allegra answered immediately.
"Mamma! I never get to do anything!" the youngest sister whined.
"When you are your sister's age, you will get to do these things, as well," Anna stated.
"But I'll never be her age!" Patrizia continued to whine. "She'll always be four years older than me!" Everyone around the table laughed, except for Francesco, who was still in complete shock about this hostile takeover of his love interest. Under any other circumstances, he and Ezio could have been friends, because he seemed like he was a good man.
But as it was, there was something keeping Francesco from liking him. His pride would not allow him to say that it was jealousy, but that was what it was. Being that he was the only boy in his family, he was used to being spoiled and getting whatever he wanted. He had applied the same attitude towards Ambra, but it seemed that this was not going to be as easy for him.
It was lucky for Ezio that he wasn't sitting next to Francesco. Extremely lucky. At least that was what Francesco was thinking.
Ezio, on the other hand, was not thinking of Francesco at all. In his position on the other side of Ambra, he might as well have been in Florence for all he cared. The more time he spent in her presence, the more he realized how pretty she was. So used to dark hair and eyes, at first he had been a little put off by her amber hair and green eyes … and all of those freckles! Her face was covered with them.
But her smile was infectious, and it made those green eyes light up. Even her freckles were starting to grow on him. As his eyes traveled down her neck and her chest, he wondered just where those freckles stopped, if they did at all.
"Do you often go to the piazza in the morning?" he asked her.
"If I go, I go early," she answered. "It gets very busy once it hits noon. I don't really like crowds very much."
"I go every morning hoping to see Ambra there," Francesco added.
"Perhaps I will begin making a habit of that as well," Ezio murmured so that only Ambra could hear. She didn't answer for fear of being heard, but she figured that she would probably be making trips to the piazza in the morning more frequently.
"Listen to this boy! He's so sweet," Anna remarked, referring to Francesco.
"But of course Ambra doesn't notice me," Francesco continued, "or acknowledge me if she does. She makes me work."
"So rude and spoiled, Ambra!" her mother exclaimed. "I did not raise you that way!"
"Really?" Ezio asked, surprised as he looked at Ambra. "With the way you introduced yourself to me this morning, I never would have thought that of you." As he looked at Ambra, he could also see Francesco's face, and this comment had the desired effect. He couldn't help it; he had a competitive nature, and there was nothing more fun to compete for than the attentions of a girl.
This was a game that he was good at, and he was happy to throw himself into it, because his recent failure at keeping his father and brothers alive was still eating at him. A distraction was nice, that was why he had accepted the invitation to dinner. He hadn't really wanted to come, but looking at his mother and sister was becoming unbearable; a constant reminder that he had been powerless against the corrupt forces at work in Florence.
"Oh, I'm very friendly," she assured Ezio, and then she looked at Francesco, "it is just that this one sometimes does not know how I would like to be addressed. Why, this morning he-"
"I don't think we need to bore everyone with that story," said Francesco, positive that Signor Conti would not have been pleased with the way he had greeted his daughter that morning.
"Oh are you sure?" Ambra asked, a mischievous glint in her eye.
"I think I know what you are talking about," said Ezio. "You had just squeezed an onion too hard and there was some juice on your fingers, and as you licked it off-"
"I really don't think that they all need to hear this," Francesco interrupted.
"Why would you say something to a lady that you would be ashamed to say in front of her father?" Ezio asked, feigning complete innocence. Francesco narrowed his eyes, and determined that he did not like this boy.
"Please continue, Ezio," Signor Conti urged, his interest piqued. "I'd like to hear this."
"Gladly, Signore," he continued. "So, Ambra was tasting the onion juice on her fingers, and Francesco approached and told her there were a few things he would like her to put in her mouth. Or something like that, I don't know if I quoted him exactly." He looked at Francesco. "Does that sound about right?"
Francesco sputtered, completely flustered. He kept his eyes on his food, not wanting to look up at Signor Conti, which was a good thing, for the look he was giving might have killed. Several times. Ezio smirked, and decided that he would just hammer a few nails into the coffin.
"I'll admit that I was quite disgusted," he stated, "that's definitely not something I would want a man saying to my daughter."
"I think I would agree with you there, Ezio," said Signor Conti. "I'm curious, Francesco. What exactly would you like my daughter to put into her mouth?" Francesco choked on his pasta, and picked up his wine glass to try and clear his throat, as well as give him a moment to prepare an answer.
He didn't think of anything besides, "Nothing, Signore."
"Good," said Signor Conti. Ezio, once again, smiled and then looked at Ambra, who smiled back at him, and at that point, he was quite sure that he was done for.
)0()0()0()0(
"Buona notte, Signor Conti," said Francesco as both he and Ezio were leaving the Conti residence.
"Molto grazie," Ezio added, and then looked over Signor Conti's shoulder at Ambra. "Good night, Ambra."
"I'll see you soon?" Ambra replied.
"I hope so, Signorina. With the permission of your father, of course," he added, looking at Signor Conti, who seemed to like this inclusion of himself in these plans. He wished the boys a good evening one more time and then closed the door.
Ezio started walking in the direction of home, but he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder, pulling him back. He turned quickly to see Francesco glaring at him, looking more than a little displeased.
"What were you trying to do in there?" he demanded.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Ezio answered as he pushed Francesco's hand away with force.
"You know exactly what I am talking about," Francesco answered. "Can I give you some advice?"
"I'm not sure if I need it," he answered.
"Don't mess with me," Francesco suggested as he got closer, so that his nose was almost touching Ezio's, "and don't touch my things."
"As far as I know, I have not laid a hand on anything that belongs to you," Ezio answered, a small, taunting smile still lingering on his lips. "But I'll keep that in mind."
"You don't want to make an enemy of me," Francesco warned.
"I've dealt with far worse things than you," Ezio stated. "So, if you think that you scare me, you are sadly mistaken. Can I give you some advice?"
"You can try."
"Ambra is not interested," Ezio began, "at least not in you. And if you ever put your hand on me again, I will cut off all of your fingers … and wear them as a necklace. Are we clear?" Ezio did not wait for an answer. He turned on his heel and once again started walking in the direction of his house. For the first few moments, he was waiting for hands on his shoulder once more. In fact, he was kind of hoping for them, as a fight would have calmed his nerves.
But there was nothing but the soft silence of the night surrounding him, and he allowed himself to think of Ambra's freckles the rest of the way home.