voice soft, “may I call on you later? I would like to know more about America, and about you. Would you like to have dinner?”
“I wish, signor,” Vi said, barely controlling the urge to roll her eyes at the predictable pitch. Romeos apparently operated from the same playbook no matter what country they came from. “But our stage manager is very strict about us not going out with men at night.”
“I am sorry to hear this,” he murmured back, his gaze already running appreciatively over Gertie.
Over my dead body, Vi thought. Whether he knew it or not, Casanova here had met his match. She was already sorting through possible scenarios that would get him tossed out.
As they approached, Gertie looked over and smiled, her face positively glowing with postperformance excitement. “Hiya, Vi. Who you got with you?”
“Gertie, this is Sr. Conti.”
“It is a pleasure.” Sr. Conti executed a small bow over Gertie’s hand, and Gertie blushed. Vi tried again to subtly catch the MP’s attention, but the dratted man was too busy watching Ann.
Sr. Conti raised Gertie’s hand and gazed at it. “Such a delicate wrist, Signorina. It must be difficult to find a watch that fits properly. But perhaps you know this?”
“Oh boy, do I ever,” Gertie said with a rueful laugh. “I’m forever punching extra holes in the strap so it won’t slip off.”
He laughed, too, and then said, “Perhaps you are the one who ordered a watch from my shop, then? I received an order with no name—”
“That would be mine,” Vi jumped in before she could think twice. There was no doubt in her mind that the watch order wasn’t Gertie’s. The girl had been with them today at the clock shop and had shown no interest in the wares. “I didn’t mean for you to come all this way to deliver it, though.” She fluttered her eyes coyly. “That was very nice of you.”
“Think nothing of it.” He turned a warm smile on her, though she noted it didn’t quite reach his eyes.
She took his arm, determined to get him away from Gertie now that the watch conversation was in play. If she had been more ruthless, she might have let him go on thinking the other dancer was his target. After all, it would have kept him away from Marcie, whose safety was Vi’s real goal. But she wasn’t that callous, or that despicable.
Pulling the fangs of dangerous men was a survival skill she had learned from her years at the club. It was tricky and required experience—something neither Marcie nor Gertie had.
“If you would be so good as to come with me, signor.” She dimpled at him as she ran her free hand along her collarbone. As she had hoped, his gaze dipped to her cleavage, so amply exposed by her costume. She leaned in to give him a better view and whispered, “That watch was meant to be a surprise for our stage director. Perhaps we could agree to meet later, so as not to give away the secret?”
She had no intention of following through on that agreement, but he didn’t need to know that. With any luck, the troupe would finish their Rome run and be on the road again before he lost patience and forced the issue.
A slow, sensual smile curved his lips, and she barely repressed a shudder. “I think that would be . . . most agreeable, Signorina Heart.” He reached into his evening coat and withdrew a slim silver case. “I give you my calling card. Come any night this week and my servants will let you in. Come any later, and I may have returned to my villa.”
“Don’t worry, Sr. Conti.” She gazed up at him through her eyelashes as she took the card and then tucked it discreetly into the top of her dance costume. “I will come. Surprises are so delightful, after all.”
“Good evening, signor. Miss Heart.” Wyatt’s calm voice made Vi start guiltily. The disapproval in his expression made her feel two inches tall, but there was no way she could defend herself with Sr. Conti standing right beside her. To do so would undo all her hard work. “I hear from Miss May that you enjoyed the show. May I introduce you to the director? He would be pleased to hear your opinion for himself.”
Vi held her breath, hoping the fellow would go with Wyatt. With her objective of securing Marcie’s safety having been achieved, she no longer wanted him anywhere near