Chapter 21

“Okay,” Marco said, “you’re right, but where does it say that I have to like it?”

“Babe,” I said, “it doesn’t say that anywhere. You don’t have to like it, but you do have to suck it up and deal with the situation. Your father has never in thirty-some years asked anything of you, but he has made it clear that he trusts you to do this for him.”

“Yeah,” Marco said. “Actually, he made a nice little speech at the last Council meeting.”

“He did?”

“Yeah.”

“Care to elaborate?” I said.

“I don’t remember his exact words—something to the effect that he was putting me in charge because I had a fresh viewpoint, and because he saw how I had taken charge of things when I inherited the title of il Conte di Conti.”

“There you go,” Gert said. “That about says it all.”

“Yeah,” I said, “and you’re much too old to play the part of a teenaged rebel.”

“Okay, guys. I surrender.”

“Good,” Gert said. “Now, what’s the schedule for this weekend?”