The Dark City Read Free

one arm. ‘I have urgent business from Your Highness’s captains, and the evening tide will not wait for  … 
art.
’ His lip curled a little, as if just saying the word ‘art’ left a foul taste in his mouth. ‘If I may borrow you from your
lessons
for just a few minutes  … ’ He cast Bianca and Marco a withering glance.
    I suppose he’s wondering what an apprentice and an acrobat can teach a Duchess
, Bianca thought. She glanced at Catriona’s sketch again and sighed.
And I don’t blame him.
    The Duchess stood and swept Secretary Franco a mocking bow. ‘At your service, My Lord. Let’s get on with it.’
    Secretary Franco laid out his bundle of papers on the table and produced quills, sealing wax and string from the pockets of his robe. Bianca and Marco stood respectfully aside, Marco still rubbing his knee, while Duchess Catriona signed her name ten or twelve times and Secretary Franco lit the wick on the sealing wax. Then Catriona picked up her seal, with the letter C and the blazing sun symbol of La Luminosa engraved on its metal end, and slammed it down into the soft wax on each document. She barely missed the old man’s fingers.
    â€˜Is this all?’ Catriona asked. ‘You just needed me to sign these papers? If it’s so urgent, couldn’t I have done them yesterday, rather than in the middle of my art lesson?’
    Secretary Franco gathered up the papers and cast another withering glance at Bianca and Marco. He leaned forward in a bow, and lowered his voice – though not enough that Bianca couldn’t hear every word. ‘Your Highness may do as Your Highness pleases, of course, but  …  is Your Highness sure that drawing pictures is a good use of Your Highness’s very precious time?’
    â€˜My Highness is completely sure of it!’ Catriona barked, loud enough that the old man recoiled. ‘Now go away!’
    Secretary Franco bowed out of the room without another word.
    Bianca took a deep breath. ‘All right,’ she said brightly. ‘Why don’t we try it with Marco sitting on the edge of the table? Duchess, let’s –’
    â€˜How rude!’ Duchess Catriona muttered, still glaring at the doorway. ‘Franco, I mean. How dare he interrupt?’
    Bianca sighed. ‘Well, he obviously doesn’t think he’s interrupting anything important, Your Highness.’
    The Duchess folded her arms over her bodice and went ominously still. Then she turned around, and Bianca realised they were never going to get back to the lesson. That mischievous light glinted in Catriona’s eyes, just like it had before she’d tickled Marco’s foot.
    â€˜I think Franco deserves to be taught a little lesson, don’t you?’
    I think he was just trying to do his job
,
thought Bianca.
Even if he was being rude about it.
She didn’t really want to hesitate – she wanted to grin back at Catriona just like Marco was doing. Maybe the Duchess was right, maybe she was letting her new post get to her and she just needed to relax.
    â€˜How about after your lesson  … ’ she began.
    â€˜No. After my lesson it’ll be time for lunch, and then he always spends the afternoon with the scribes. We’ve got to get to him while he’s in his study. You’ve got the key with you, right?’
    â€˜Well, yes, always, but – but you did bring me here to work, Your Highness, and you have to  … ’
    â€˜
 …  do the work you were set to do
.’ Duchess Catriona spoke along with Bianca, finishing her sentence.
    Bianca let out a giggle, recognising one of di Lombardi’s well-worn sayings. Was she turning into her dour old master? As much as she had loved him, she didn’t want to
be
him. ‘Oh my stars. I really am getting old!’ She grinned cheekily and whipped Master di Lombardi’s magical paintbrush