34

Veronica

I decided I'd be irritated about Eric instead. I could drive a car. But he didn't want Eric there as a driver. He wanted security. I thought back to the night before, to those men who'd come late, the ones he'd met with in his study. I shivered at the memory of how the one had looked at me.

"What is it?" Robyn asked.

"Nothing. Just that we have a driver," I said with resigned smile.

Robyn studied me for a minute. She knew I was hiding something but thankfully, she didn't comment.

"You're not going to wear those sandals, are you?" I said, looking at her feet. "It's a lot of walking." She had on a pair of beautiful, brand-new sandals with a two-inch heel. I'd slipped on a pair of well-worn Toms.

"They're cute. I have to break them in somewhere."

"Siena's probably not the place to break them in."

"Beauty doesn't come free," she said, shrugging a shoulder.

"Nerd."

She stuck her tongue out at me.

After breakfast, we left Charlie behind. Eric drove us to Siena, where my grandfather