Then he thought that, if in fact she did begin to enjoy being pursued by men, the compliments they would pay her and the flirtations they would expect, it would undoubtedly spoil the child-like atmosphere she created that made her resemble a small angel.
He saw now that she had moved nearer to the mural at the end of the room and was staring at the gondolas on the canal as if she could really see them and the exquisite piazzas behind them.
“Are you praying that one day a miracle will carry you to the most glamorous City in the world?” the Duke asked.
“I was thinking of its history,” Anita replied. “When I was looking for pictures of Venice, I read how the Venetians wasted their lives in pleasure-seeking and so lost their power and even their trade. It seems such a pity.”
“Are you reall
