He had half-expected her to register the surname, and bring it up. After all, he had already put his foot in his mouth, so it would be fair payback. Savino had a fleeting sensation that she had made the connection, but if she had any opinions of his scandalous cousins the young woman did not say.
Instead, she brought up something much brighter, something he was nearly as keen on as Divination. “That’s funny,” Savino remarked, a wide smile dawning on his face. “That’s part of the reason I always like coming to Britain, for the paintings!” It didn’t have Italy’s rich tradition, not quite, but he was quite taken in by all the innovation and romanticism of it. The Pre-Raphaelite artists were unlike anything Italy had! (Of course, even Rossetti’s parents had been Italian; but that was just a fact, that the Italians did make the best artists.) “You are fond of art, then?” He said hopefully.
If he were in the habit of being cynical, Savino might have thought this encounter was almost too good to be true. Fortunately, he was not; fate must be on his side for once.
Instead, she brought up something much brighter, something he was nearly as keen on as Divination. “That’s funny,” Savino remarked, a wide smile dawning on his face. “That’s part of the reason I always like coming to Britain, for the paintings!” It didn’t have Italy’s rich tradition, not quite, but he was quite taken in by all the innovation and romanticism of it. The Pre-Raphaelite artists were unlike anything Italy had! (Of course, even Rossetti’s parents had been Italian; but that was just a fact, that the Italians did make the best artists.) “You are fond of art, then?” He said hopefully.
If he were in the habit of being cynical, Savino might have thought this encounter was almost too good to be true. Fortunately, he was not; fate must be on his side for once.
