Chapter 17
Anna entered the Ravello estate eleven months later.
Not sooner.
That mattered to Dario.
Less to Elsie.
She opened the front door herself before staff could.
“You’re Anna.”
Anna stopped.
“Yes.”
“I’m Elsie.”
“I know.”
Elsie looked offended.
“How?”
“Your father talks about you.”
She looked toward Dario.
“A lot?”
Anna considered.
“An unreasonable amount.”
Good answer.
Elsie approved.
Dinner happened in the library gallery.
Not because Dario wanted to test the room.
Because Elsie wanted pasta there.
The blue-and-silver brace remained on her left leg.
She no longer wore decorative ribbons.
That had been her decision.
Anna looked at the brace once.
Then at Elsie.
No comment.
Dario noticed.
That was probably unhealthy.
He noticed everything.
At dinner, Elsie dropped a napkin.
Anna reached automatically.
So did Elsie.
Their hands nearly met.
Anna stopped.
“You want it?”
“I got it.”
“Okay.”
Elsie picked it up.
Nothing happened.
Dario still felt his shoulders relax.
Anna noticed him noticing.
After dinner she said:
“You watch every time I move near her leg.”
Dario became still.
“I do not.”
“You do.”
He disliked accurate people.
“She has had adults interfere with medical equipment.”
“I know.”
“Then you understand.”
“I understand why.”
Anna put on her coat.
“That doesn’t mean I enjoy being quietly evaluated every time I hand her something.”
The sentence irritated him.
Good.
“What would you prefer?”
“If I do something wrong, tell me.”
“I will.”
“And if I haven’t?”
Dario understood.
Do not create guilt before evidence.
Apparently that principle applied outside investigations too.
He nodded.
Two months later, Anna made her first actual mistake.
Elsie was struggling with one lower strap before leaving for school.
Anna was nearby.
She crouched.
“Here.”
Then reached.
Elsie jerked backward.
Hard.
“No.”
Anna froze.
Immediately.
Both hands away.
“I’m sorry.”
Dario entered from the hall at exactly the wrong moment.
He saw Elsie against the bench.
Anna crouched near the brace.
His body reacted before evidence.
Not physically.
Still.
Anna saw his face.
“She said no.”
Elsie looked between them.
Anna continued.
“I reached for the strap without asking.”
Dario’s anger arrived fast.
“So you touched it?”
“No.”
Anna looked at Elsie.
“I almost did.”
Elsie nodded.
“She stopped.”
That mattered.
Dario still wanted Anna gone from the room.
Possibly the estate.
Possibly Illinois.
His therapist later found that excessive.
At the moment, Elsie asked:
“Anna?”
“Yes?”
“You can hold bag.”
Anna took the school bag.
No brace.
Specific permission.
Different task.
They left together.
That evening Dario told Anna:
“I almost asked you not to come back.”
“I know.”
“You’re angry?”
“Yes.”
“Because I reacted?”
“No.”
She looked at him.
“Because for approximately ten seconds you stopped seeing what actually happened.”
That hurt.
Because she was right.
Anna had made a mistake.
Elsie said no.
Anna stopped.
Camilla had done the opposite.
The distinction was not small.
It was everything.
Dario apologized.
Not for protecting Elsie.
For nearly ignoring evidence because fear produced a faster story.
Anna accepted.
May you like
Not immediately.
That also mattered.
