Lucia laughed. “I’m not. Never been. No, but…” She rolled her lips. “I don’t know why I am telling you so much. It sometimes feels like I’d answer all your questions.”
Penelope’s hand tightened into a fist. She wasn’t pushing, not really, but she needed to know. Another secret about to spill between them, and the worst part? She wanted it for all the wrong reasons.
A flicker of guilt tangled with the heat sparking in her chest, and she battered it back down. “You’ve not answered my last one.”
“It’s a long story, but the short version, I eventually ran away from a foster family that considered art to be the work of the devil. I found refuge with…my Italian friend, surrogate mother, what have you. I ended up changing my name, a sort of homage to her heritage, but also because…it seemed fitting.”
Penelope’s mouth went dry. Who was this woman? How did she make her long for things she knew would lead nowhere?
“Can we pass through the west restoration wing again? I really liked the lighting in there. Besides, you promised me a tour.”
Here we go.“Of course. Follow me. That’s near the textile annex. We don’t display much there, at least not this season.”
She unlocked the side door, keeping a close watch on Lucia and the way her gaze took in their surroundings.
They walked along another hallway when Lucia pointed at a door. “That leads to the East Archive, right?”
“Yes. Why?”
“Oh, I’m just wondering. I used to come here a lot when I was younger, but it has been a while and things are different, yet still the same.”
“Well, you didn’t have access to these hallways, though.”
“True, but I have great spatial awareness. I remember through there, there used to be an Egyptian exhibit. It was lovely.”
They passed by the corridor to the storage section. “This is where all our art that is not on display is stored. Well, the pieces not in the Conservation Lab.”
“Do all paintings get stored here first before they go on display? Or only the ones in rotation?”
“Some of our more popular paintings, like theMadonna in Red,for example…” Penelope trailed off, observing Lucia again. “Are you familiar with that one?”
“Yeah. I’ve seen it.”
“Paintings like that usually go straight back up. Right now, it’s on display, but new protocols mean even marquee pieces sometimes linger in the lab,” Penelope said.
“Makes sense. What are some of the reasons to keep them off the walls, aside from restoration?”
“Oh, it depends. Sometimes there are issues with case sensors misfiring, or hairline cracks that need a closer look. We’re trying to get them back in rotation quickly, but it’s not always possible.”
They fell into silence as they walked. Their footsteps echoed faintly on the polished concrete, a quiet rhythm in the otherwise still corridor. The air was cool back here, touched with the faint scent of old varnish and lemon polish. A distant echo of voices from the public wing reminded her how removed they were from the world right now. Just the two of them—and everything unsaid.
Penelope leaned closer, whispering almost conspiratorially, “Want to hear something that hasn’t been announced?”
Lucia smiled. The warmth in her eyes hit like a match struck too close. “I’m always open to secrets, especially yours.”
Penelope nearly stumbled, derailed by Lucia’s gaze, the quiet weight of her attention. “For the upcoming ball, theMadonna in Redwill be a centerpiece, along with the Bellini your client loaned the Meridian.”
“That’s wonderful,” Lucia said, voice low, genuine. No hitch. No tell.
Penelope studied her expression, searching for any sign she was lying, for the subtext thathadto be there. She wasn’t imagining things, yet Lucia gave her nothing. She just stood there, calm, almost serene. Like someone content to linger. Like someone who wasn’t pretending. As if she genuinely enjoyed spending time with Penelope.
A beat passed. Then another. Heat curled low in her gut, and the traitor in her chest pumped faster once more. This was beyond dangerous, and yet…
Was Lucia really that good of a liar? Maybe Penelope was just terrible at spotting them. To be honest, she wasn’t even sure she wanted to see a crack.
Despite her findings (never mind that her conviction rested mostly on her unique way of perceiving art), most of her evidence was circumstantial and wouldn’t convince anyone.
Penelope didn’t want to get Lucia in trouble, but she was either in her way or…could she help her get to Valentina? What an absurd idea. Either way, what Lucia did was wrong, and—
