Excelsior

Chapter 37: Golden holidays

Dearick did not resist William's invitation to spend the holidays in Milan with his family, and he could not object to Lilly's persuasion. While he would have preferred to spend them with his family to introduce it to their fiancée, he supposed there would be more time for that. It was difficult to refuse a paid trip with anyone other than your colleague and boss, and to rub shoulders with the European elite.

He and Lilly traveled in none other than Metnint's jet with the di Bardis, and Lilly's surprises had just begun. It was not the first time he had traveled to Europe, yet, on this occasion, she felt that this trip emulated that of those lifestyle magazines. They stayed in their hosts' luxurious apartment, which, while not enjoying the views of Villa del Bardo, was none the less impressive. The building's garden had plenty of space where it would have been wonderful to stroll or sunbathe in the summer, and when Lilly wasn't exploring the city, she enjoyed soaking up the afternoon sun in them.

She didn't skimp on shopping for Christmas gifts for herself along Via Montenapoleone, those shoes she saw the other day begged her to buy them, just like that crocodile handbag. And when it came to buying gifts for those close to her, things became different: she looked for objects that were elegant without being worth as much as her gifts.

For Dearick, she bought a fine white shirt, a perfume, and a wallet, nothing unusual considering that the money she used was his. She also looked for small items to give to her hosts, and decided to overdo it in William's case: she bought him a white gold watch, sacrificing even dresses she wanted to buy for herself. It seemed to her that such a present would be worth it, as she looked at that watch as an investment. Because of his relationship with her and appreciation of her body, she felt worthy of a set of jewelry or something of equal value.

They had dinner with relatives of the di Bardis on Christmas Eve, and on Christmas morning the wait for gifts came to an end. Martino and Eleonora ran down the stairs to the point that they almost crashed in their excitement. The family met with the guests and smiles were expected. Lilly had given her gift to William the night before so that no one would suspect her unusual present, and she was excitedly waiting for what she would receive from William.

She opened a small box with her name that didn't say who was giving it. She was still sure that William was the one who sent it. She looked at it before opening it, and her face of involuntary disappointment caught the attention of more than one. It turned out to be a small peacock brooch adorned with emeralds and sapphires. It would have satisfied her if it were bigger, for it was almost invisible.

That brooch was so insignificant to her, she could even calculate its value just by looking at it and she knew she could buy it herself. Its value did not exceed five thousand, and of that she was sure.

She corrected her expression and saw another gift for her sent anonymously. This box was larger and its contents met their expectations. Covered with a shining and golden gift wrap and a blue ribbon, it was a brand-new necklace of what appeared to be diamonds. She didn't want to rush to say what the gems were and she was satisfied. She looked up and saw William watching her. He winked at her, which made her heart pound. She gave him a smile trying to cover her enthusiasm, and from a distance thanked him with her lips.

After the euphoria and when they were alone, they found themselves in one of the corridors and Lilly had no words to thank him:

"Such a gesture deserves another gift from me," she whispered.

He smiled and said: "I'm going out this afternoon alone, you should come with me."

Lilly touched his nose and assured him that she would go with him.

She went to get ready in her bedroom, and had decided to hide the necklace instead of displaying it in the living room so as not to arouse suspicion. She put it away on the vanity table, and while she was checking her looks, Dearick came in and gently stroked her hair. He ran his hands over Lilly's shoulders and massaged her.

"You look beautiful," he whispered. "Better than the previous."

"You flatter me, Dearick."

He proceeded to kiss her neck.

"I'd rather you get undressed."

"I'm sorry dear, I just want to make the most of this trip. I'm going out with some friends that I made in the city."

"What do you say if I go with you?"

"It will be a girls' day. You should keep William company as a thank you for inviting us."

"I ran into him a few seconds ago and he's on the way out."

"What a pity."

"And will you show your gift off to your friends?"

Lilly didn't reply. She had the box with the clasp on her right, and she reached out to take it.

"Of course I do, dear. I loved it." She got up and turned to see him. "You are very generous."

"I wanted to wait until our wedding day to give you a diamond necklace." His eyes filled with tears and sparkled. "You just deserve the best."

Lilly was stunned.

"I'll buy you another one for when you go to the altar. Where is it?"

With her blank expression and conflicting thoughts, she took out her necklace. Dearick grabbed it, for she remained motionless, and put it around her neck.

"I'm sure you would look beautiful naked with just the necklace on." We should premiere it tonight -in our bed!

Lilly returned a sheepish smile and he hugged her as she gazed at the brooch. She reluctantly left the house to meet her lover. As he kissed her neck and complimented her necklace, she kept thinking about the gifts.

For New Years they all went to the home of some of William's relatives on the picturesque Lago di Como, whose views in summer defied reality and would make it seem that fairy tales do exist. There, Mr. di Bardi also had a residence that honored the landscape. Their vacation in Italy ended with a weekend at a quaint Venice hotel, where visitors bought extravagant masks.

The small peacock brooch was in her mind as she berated herself how foolish she was to think that Mr. di Bardi would give her something that is normally given to wives. That brooch seemed so little to her that if she had lost it it would not have affected her in the least. Once they returned from Italy, she even gave it to a cleaning worker who saw it in his dressing room and told her that it looked beautiful without giving it much thought.

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Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed. English is not my native language, so any feedback, suggestion or advice to change the grammar would be really appreciated.