Chapter 3: An Offer to Consider

At six-fifteen a private taxi arrives at the hotel to transport me to the San Cristoforo villa where Heidi is staying. I’ve left Georgina and Fiona a note of the address of the villa in case of any problems. It’s only when we are driving out of the main town and into the countryside that it occurs to me that I’ve no means of knowing if the address I’ve been given is genuine. The more I think about it, the more I realise that I could have set myself up to be kidnapped. Bea seemed genuine enough during our tour today. However, in the course of our conversations I’ve pretty much confirmed that nobody is going to come looking for me should I disappear. Even Georgina and Fiona might easily be persuaded that I’ve voluntarily gone my own way. I’ve told them enough times that I’m hoping to find a way out of my pathetic lifestyle.

“You can see the San Cristoforo villa on the hill to our left,” says the driver conversationally.

His statement eases my immediate panic. At least the villa seems to be real, although that doesn’t automatically mean that the villa the driver pointed out is called San Cristoforo. I do something I should have thought of doing earlier. I do an internet search for the villa. A wave of relief sweeps through me when I see the result. Yes, the villa on that hill is indeed the San Cristoforo villa, and it’s owned by a local count.

The sign on the gate confirms the villa’s name. By now I’ve overcome my earlier alarm about being kidnapped. Even so, I remind myself that I’m still taking a big risk by coming alone. I try calling Georgina to tell her that I’ve arrived at the villa, but her phone just rings out. She’s probably forgotten to switch it back to normal mode after her afternoon’s fun and games. I leave a short message on her voice mail.

The taxi drops me off at a side door and I’m greeted by Bea and Sophia. They are both dressed in identical costumes that reveal plenty of skin. Leather collar and cuffs adorn their neck and limbs.

“Welcome to the villa, Becca,” says Sophia. “Can you be ready in fifteen minutes?”

“Yes, sure. I only need to change if you show me where I can do that,” I reply, not bothering to correct her error in shortening my name.

Sophia shows me to a small room where she waits while I change clothes. It doesn’t occur to her to allow me any privacy, and I’m too excited about this opportunity to make an issue of it.

“Do you have some music for your dance?” asks Sophia as I put the finishing touches to my costume.

“Yes. It’s on my phone’s play list. It won’t be very loud. Will it be sufficient?”

“We can link your phone to the room’s audio equipment, so it shouldn’t be a problem. Are you ready? If we go now, you should have about five minutes to practise before the audience joins us.”

“Audience? How many are coming to watch me?” I ask, realising this may be more than a private performance for Heidi.

“I’m not sure. I think Mistress has invited some friends, and Bea has asked to be allowed to watch. There may be others. Is that a problem?”

“Um ... no ... not at all,” I say with more courage than I feel. “I just wasn’t expecting a group given this was arranged at short notice.”

“Hah! You obviously haven’t dealt with Mistress before. When a von Herrschaft invites you to do something, you are expected to comply immediately. Mistress has many people hanging on her coattails, so a few quick phone calls is all it takes to rustle up an audience. I hope you are good at dancing or you are going to disappoint some important people.”

Great! Just the sort of pep talk I need! If I didn’t feel under pressure before, I certainly do now. I follow Sophia along a couple of corridors into what appears to be a mini-theatre at the back of the villa. I follow Sophia’s instructions to link my phone to the audio system and I copy the music track to the system. Sophia tests the result and she is satisfied that she can start and stop the music using the audio system’s controls. I leave my phone is Sophia’s care while I practise my routine.

As usual I lose myself in the music and dance. It’s like shifting into a different world where my daily problems no longer exist. Sophia suddenly stops the music when my audience starts filing into the room. Heidi is one of the last to enter, accompanied by an older man who could be her father or uncle. The door is closed by an unseen servant and the audience soon settles.

I’m unsure whether I need to say a few words of introduction and I look towards Sophia for guidance. She takes my action as a signal to start the music, so I promptly launch into my dance routine. The track lasts just short of five minutes, by which time I’m glistening with sweat despite the air-conditioning keeping the warm evening air at bay. I feel pleased with my performance given the circumstances. The ripple of applause when I finish seems genuine, and more enthusiastic than the polite ripple I’ve sometimes received at the end of my dance.