In Over Her Head by Elsie Russell - Parnasse.com

of how this infernal Ula has gotten you mixed up in all of this." She
rang a bell for the maid.
They sat around the table in uneasy silence waiting for a sign
from Signora.
"Penny, maybe you can tell us something about this project of
Ula's that has caused all this trouble. We all know how unstable and
reckless Ula can be, how inconsiderate of her friends, yes?" Signora
made a point of this with her raised eyebrows.
"I don't know anything about Ula or her project, Mrs.
Tivoglio," Penny began, then she went into a much abridged account of
the last night's events, emphasizing everyone's heroic efforts.
Signora cocked her head attentively, listening and watching
them all in turn, but they had been over it all before.
Penny poured steaming tea into her cup as the Signora
continued,
"This is a complex situation. I have hired security forces to
protect the property, to protect our persons and to accompany us when
we leave the house. And I will see what can be done about arresting
this brute. Max, Maia, you must call have security doors installed for
your apartments and have your gate code changed.
Max listened like a soldier, alert but guarded, Maia sulked into
the depths of her chair like a cornered animal.
So they were now prisoners in a gilded cage, Penny thought as
she looked around at the chandeliers, the yellow and gold trellised
wallpaper, the tumble of damask curtains and then outside through the
sheer voile panels to the peaceful garden and the birds chasing each
other around the trees. Hard to believe she was in the middle of a big
city. She was okay with that, it would give her a chance to fine tune her
piece in her head away from machines, even try some new ideas on that
great piano, all in all, things could be worse.
She dipped her spoon into the silver sugar bowl just as
Alessandro sauntered into the room, half his face and both eyes were
purple and a big rectangular bandage covered his nose, stitches tracked
down the side of his swollen face. His mother glanced at him, her
forehead striating into parallel ridges.
"They say I will live, no need to call Père la Chaise yet. Ah! But
I am starved!"
He sat down at the head of the table, rubbing his palms
together, and from its purple pool, his good eye winked at Penny, who
couldn't take her eyes off the transformation.
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