Capello Brothers 3 Train My Heart by J'aimee Brooker Page B

speak them all. You are interested in
these books, yes?” he said, reaching for the book Luca had been
staring at and handing it to him.
    Luca received
the book; hesitantly “These are beautiful; I’ve never seen anything
quite like it before”.
    “Come, let’s
set it down, I will explain all” the man spoke, ushering Luca
toward the sleek bench behind them. “These books are all
handcrafted, it is a dying art these days. You see these pages?
Feel the texture, run your fingers over it” he explained, watching
intently as Luca touched the pages. “Then, you see these drawings?
Every twenty pages, sketches of different Venetian figures of
royalty and importance” he explained, carefully scrolling through
the pages.
    The book was
magnificent; there were no other words to describe it. “Do you make
these?” he asked genuinely.
    “Aah, yes, a
painstaking labour of love” he smiled, “I purchased these antique
printing plates” he said, disappearing behind the counter and
coming back with a set of heavy metallic plates, “these are
hundreds of years old and cost almost 10,000 euros” he explained,
laying the plates out of the bench for Luca to inspect. “I make the
paper, then impress these prints onto the selected pages, then sew
and bind each book by hand” he finished, modestly.
    “How many do
you make?”
    “Only one
hundred books; these—“ he said, waving toward the small collection
lining the wall, “are the last of the batch”
    “May I buy
one?” Luca asked.
    “Yes, yes, of
course. I am very happy that you like it so much” he smiled widely,
wrapping the book in wax paper which he assured Luca would keep the
book completely safe throughout their travels.

CHAPTER
TWENTY-THREE

    Walking
hand-in-hand through San Marco Square, Luca and Imogen stopped to
take in the uniquely Venetian sights; children feeding the pigeons,
restaurateurs busying themselves for the evening diners, and
tourists lining the outside of the Basilica awaiting their turn to
tour the glorious interior.
    He’d woken
Imogen late in the afternoon, she had needed the sleep and after a
quick shower, he’d surprised her with news of a gondola ride
followed by a dinner reservation at one of Venice’s finest
restaurants, the Osteria da Fiore.
    Hours later,
she emerged from the bathroom looking breathtaking in a
curve-skimming nude strapless dress with her auburn hair loosely
clasped to one side and soft dewy makeup with a subtle light red
lipstick.
    “God, Im, you
look beautiful” Luca murmured crossing the room in a few easy
strides and pulling her in close.
    “You’re looking
extremely hot yourself tonight Luca” she smiled back, “I could get
used to being spoiled like this”.
    “Could you
now?” he teased playfully, “Then lets let the evening begin shall
we?”, offering her the crook of his arm as they walked together out
of the hotel and down to the waterfront to their awaiting
gondola.
    “Mr Luca, you
are back, and with your lovely signora” the gondolier smiled,
tipping his hat to Imogen and extending his arm to help her onto
the gondola.
    “Imogen, this
is Paolo, our gondolier for tonight”, Luca offered, as Paolo
reached for Imogen’s hand and planted a gentle kiss on the
back.
    “Aah, signora
Imogen, it is lovely to meet you, and my honour to show you Venice
on this magnificent evening” he smiled back.
    As they settled
into the gentle movement of the water, Imogen leant back into Luca
and enjoyed the view. From the vantage point of the gondola, Venice
took on a unique side; bridges filled with locals and tourists
going about daily life, restaurants and cafes lining the canals
slowly filling with the evening diners, the happy, smiling faces
basking in the beauty of Venice.
    “Did you enjoy
your sleep this afternoon?” Luca asked, breaking into her
thoughts.
    “Oh yes” she
moaned, “I didn’t realize jet lag was so brutal. I’m sorry, I
haven’t been very good company at all today. What did you