“I’ll take care of it,” Martino said. “Do you want me to have Enrico park the car?”

“Yes, please.” Levi waited for Martino to lift the wrapped painting out of its storage container before closing the trunk. “I’ll get the door for you.” Levi took Cassie by the elbow and guided her up the stairs a few steps ahead of Martino.

After they were inside, Martino set the painting down. “Patrice asked if you would both like to join her family for dinner tonight. She is testing a new recipe for the dinner party on Saturday.”

“Are you up for that?” Levi asked Cassie.

“A chance to test Patrice’s cooking?” Cassie nodded. “I’d love to. What time?”

Martino checked his watch. “Dinner is in twenty minutes.”

“Tell her we’ll be there.” Levi motioned to the painting. “Do you need any help with that?”

“No, thank you.” Martino lifted it again and headed down the hall.

“Are you sure you don’t need some time to yourself?” Levi asked as soon as he left.

“Actually, I’d rather not be alone right now.”

“In that case, should we go see if Patrice needs help in the kitchen?”

“Me? Help in the kitchen?”

Levi took her hand. “Come on. It’ll be an adventure.”

“Now I’m scared.”

* * *

Cassie made the salad dressing all by herself. She even helped make the salad, if one could call washing the mixed greens and putting them into a bowl making a salad. Patrice hadn’t trusted her with the fancy food processor that sliced the other vegetables, but mixing the dressing had been all her. She hadn’t even messed it up.

Levi had been entrusted with preparing the garlic toast, a task he had apparently performed many times. The chaos and easy conversation in the kitchen had done wonders for Cassie’s morale and had chased away the lingering uneasiness that had resulted from the false alarm.

Conversation at the dinner table with the Saldera family was very much like the previous week, lighthearted banter with an undertone of love and acceptance.

They were nearly finished clearing the table when Levi said, “Cassie, we’d better go make that phone call.”

“I almost forgot about that.” Cassie eyed the dishes stacked on the counter. “Patrice, did you want us to help with the dishes first?”

“No, you go. My men will help with the dishes tonight.”

“Thank you for dinner,” Cassie said. “It was wonderful.”

“You are welcome.”

Levi offered his thanks and led Cassie into the hall. He looked down at her with an expression that fell somewhere between pride and disbelief.

“What?”

“Princess Cassandra just offered to do the dishes.”

“She also made the salad dressing.”

“I’m not sure everyone will recognize you when you go back home.”

“You could be right.” She straightened her shoulders. “I think I rather liked helping in the kitchen.”

“I know Patrice liked having you there.” Levi headed for her suite. “Do you have your cousin’s phone number?”

“Yes. I brought a physical list of phone numbers with me since I didn’t bring my cell phone.”