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His hair was past his shoulders, thick, neatly trimmed, not in the least unkempt or matted His eyes were very blue; ice blue, a cool color that swept over her in a quick assesslish

"Yes, fine?"

"You should look where you’re going"

"Yes, of course, I a

"Anna Maria, ciao, bella," the , to Jordan’s untrained ear, as unaccented as his English He broke into a rapid spate that left Jordan catching only a word or two as he kissed Anna Maria on both cheeks and she enthusiastically returned the greeting

Lynn, in turn, greeted hilish

"Ragnor, Miss Jordan Riley Ragnor is a friend to all of us at the shop, and Venice Jordan is new to Carnevale"

"Welcoreeted her in like fashion, taking her shoulders, stooping slightly to kiss both her cheeks She had the strange feeling that he wasn’t really all that pleased to welcome her; the lips that touched her cheek seemed cold and brusque She was alesture

She was American, after all; she wasn’t expected to kiss in the European fashion

"How do you do, and again, excuse me," she murmured

Tall, very tall As tall as the man hom she had danced at the contessa’s ball The ho had been so courteous?and who had swept her from the bloody "performance" to send her from the palace

But this nition touched his eyes

How many people in Venice were this tall? Come to think of it, how many people anywhere were this tall?

More than one, she reh Italians were often stereotyped as being small and dark, she had ht eyes and hair

"Were you at the contessa’s ball last night?" she asked, deciding that a straightforward question ht be the way to find out

"No," he replied

Did the slightest flicker cross his eyes then? Or was she as paranoid as Jared seenor wouldn’t be at the contessa’s," Lynn said, pleased "He thinks she is obnoxious"

"Lynn," Anna Maria chastised wearily

Ragnor was still staring at Jordan With displeasure, she thought Paranoia!?

"It is what you said, Ragnor, isn’t it, e ran into her at the cafe?" Lynn persisted She looked at Anna Maria "I a toher"

"I never said that I didn’t like her," Jordan nor said si so back to the shop," Anna Maria said "Our break has been too long Were you coht?"

"Yes, yes, of course And I will be by" He again kissed Anna Maria and Lynn on both cheeks, and offered Jordan a hand?American style "Nice to meet you, Miss Riley"

"Thank you; you too," she said He hadn’t been glad at all toto talk Jordan into vinyl for the fun tonight You could give her a new perspective," Lynn said

"Perhaps," he said politely, then indicated with a polite sweep of the hand that they should go on They did so, Anna Maria and Lynn already into a discussion of ould be right for the artist’s ball for a ht

"Who is he?" Jordan asked as they walked, briskly now

"Ragnor isa businessman," Anna Maria explained

"We have known him just a little time," Lynn explained

"You have known everyone here just a little time," Anna Maria reminded her

They had nearly reached the shop

"He isn’t Italian, is he?" Jordan persisted

"No," Anna Maria said

That should have been followed by, "He is German, Austrian, American, or so on" But Anna Maria said no ht"