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“I can only assuated them to the bench”

“The bench?”

“You knohen sports players aren’t on the field They’re benched”

“Right” He stepped around an old rolltop desk, a layer of dust hiding what he kneould be a glea walnut finish “Feel it, Mari There’s history in this room So much history” If only Dean could be here sooner They’d take an inventory and choose which pieces would be used in the decoration Luca wanted to start right now

But perhaps noas the time to explore

He looked over at Mari Prickly as thorns, but he could tell she was enjoying this It was in the way her eyes lit up, or her fingers daintily touched the back of a tufted chair She was picking her way to the far right, stepping gingerly and careful not to disturb the dust She was a careful one, he was co to understand Always a deliberate move Always a purpose He wondered why What had made her so cautious, when it was clear that inside she had vision fighting to get out?

“Here it is”

He gave a plush wine velvet divan a longing look as he passed by, e gilt and crystal chandelier that had been hidden by two armoires

“It’s seen better days But I thought I remembered it here”

Luca reached out and touched a large teardrop shaped crystal, sending it tinkling against identical drops “It’s stunning It’s perfect”

“It is lovely”