The Twelve Tables Ch. 05

"Actually a woman who used to work in Louvre restoration lives in Melbourne now," Peri said, "I met her once when I went down to Canberra for an exhibition on the Renaissance Masters. One of my lecturers set it up for me, and we have kept in touch," she looked at their stunned expressions, "You know, occasional emails and stuff. She lets me know if any interesting shows are happening, they get a lot more of the big ones down there than come up north."

"Well do I have a surprise for you," Emilio took her arm and walked her through the large double doors he had opened when he arrived. Josh hung back a little with Louisa as Dante walked on the other side of Peri into an equally vast space that was full of paintings and sculpture.

"There's something over here that I think will interest you, it's my favourite part of this giant reliquary," Josh said quietly to Louisa leaving his brothers to show off their treasures to Peri. Standing before a small group of shelves he nodded, "Help yourself, just keep the gloves on," Louisa was beside herself. She took an old tome from the shelf and gently placed it on the reading stand before opening to the first illuminated page and gasping.

The time went by too fast for Peri; every new piece was a discovery for her. This had to be one of the most valuable private collections of art and historical relics she had ever heard of or not heard of as the case maybe.

"Josh, I could spend days, weeks, months, and years in here and not be satisfied," she gushed as he appeared behind her wrapping his arms around her waist.

"I'd offer you a catalogue, but their research and detailing leaves a lot to be desired," Josh laughed. "I doubt it's even up to date."

The twins rolled their eyes. "Locating and securing the missing objects and things we want to collect takes a lot of time and effort, we update everyone in our family newsletter," Dante defended their roles as trustees of the family archive. "Bad enough we let you take over the family history."

"I'll do it!" Peri cut in, "Oh, my god this is a dream come true, just to be here and see them all, but to be able to study and research and..." her head was swimming as she continued to look at the paintings in front of her.

"There are six rooms this size; it takes up the whole block in total, including an auction house and the big gallery we went through; it's probably too big of a job for one person," Josh said softly but smiling at her. "Let alone someone who would just do it part-time as a hobby."

"That's why they need help, any help is good help, right?" Peri looked up at Josh hopefully.

"Wholly shit!" Louisa's voice exclaimed from the other side of the room somewhere, and Josh led the way to where he had left her. Seeing them converge on her, she looked up and said, "That's it, I am not leaving, I am just going to sit here and grow old and you can keep me as a relic." She was hugging a book to her chest.

"I guess it might be nice to have something pretty to look at around here, until she starts to decay that is," Emilio said with a perfectly straight face.

Dante and Josh chuckled, but Peri understood her friend's sentiment and went to see what it was Louisa hugged so fiercely. The men moved away from the girls murmuring quietly amongst themselves.

"If enthusiasm counts for anything, I say we hire them both, it would be good to get the cataloguing up to date," Dante chuckled, "but the family will probably not approve."

"We'll get them to sign a waiver, Ben can draw it up, that'll make everyone happy," Emilio said quietly as if thinking through the issues. "Tell me why this is going to piss off Nik first so I can be sure I am not fighting a losing battle."

"I'm going to take Peri home for the holidays to meet Papa," Josh turned to look at the woman he loved.

"So soon? Yeah, I can imagine Nik has steam coming out of her ears. It must be killing her that you care what a girl other than her," Emilio laughed. Josh explained what had occurred this afternoon and what the fall out would probably be and he wanted to pre-empt it ever happening again.

"Geez that's bitchy even for Nik, getting two girls fired just because you are not listening to her," Emilio sympathised. "Doesn't't surprise me though, I wouldn't't let her borrow some heirloom jewellery for a fashion show she had and she has been dogging my steps ever since, I have never seen Ben so much as I have lately, he will probably appreciate an up-to-date catalogue as much as anyone, and if she is about to become part of the family anyway."

"We could hire Peri as a freelance contractor through the auction house rather than the gallery to take the heat off," Dante suggested. "You know Nik, she can be vengeful; Peri could use a middle name or something. I'll get to know Louisa a bit better, I think, before we offer her anything," he grinned at his brothers.

"All right you work out the details. I'll talk to Peri tonight when we get home. Thanks, Lio," he embraced his brother in a macho hug, "Dan" he said doing the same, "I knew I could count on you." He turned back to the girls who were leafing through the book with wonder. "It's getting late," he called, "I better get you both home I hear your boss is a bastard when it comes to tardiness," he smirked at them.

"His barks worse than his bite," Louisa smiled but reluctantly closed the book and went to place it back on the shelf.

"I'll take Louisa home if you like," Dante offered.

"It's up to her; I guess," Josh said dubiously.

"Sure, I don't mind. I know you two still have stuff to talk about after... well stuff to talk about," she changed what she was about to say seeing Peri's face fall.

"No, so much, we both know what happened," he shrugged, "It's more about what comes next, although she did offer to work here so maybe she's planning on leaving me now." He frowned at her.

"Well they do have a lot to offer a girl like me," she grinned looking around her and winking at Dante, who burst out laughing in his low, slow chuckle.

"The look on Josh's face right now is enough to make me seriously consider it," Emilio grinned, "I guess I'll go find Ben and see what he thinks about hiring some help."

The small group left the warehouse and went in different directions. As they drove, Josh talked about his concern that the company policy about sleeping with the boss, would be brought to bear by Sabrina, who wouldn't go down without a fight.

"We both knew it would happen sometime, and I will still work on your book while I look for another job, who knows maybe your brothers really will let me work on their cataloguing system with them," Peri said easily. "I won't deny it or apologise for falling in love with you Josh but I will miss seeing you as much as I do every day."

"My feelings exactly," Josh said and reached over taking her hand as he drove seemingly in even more of a hurry than usual. Practically dragging her from the car after he parked hastily, he began to undress her in the elevator, the buttons on her blouse coming undone easily under the pressure of his fingers. He kissed her deeply as he pulled each breast from her flimsy bra and played with the rapidly hardening nipples.

Peri could feel the urgency of his need as his hands and mouth possessed her, and she knew the evening would be filled with painful pleasure and the heights of ecstasy he could give her. Pushing her into the apartment, he growled, "Hands on the wall." Without any further acknowledgement, he reefed her skirt up around her waist and then ripped the thin piece of lace that was her g string from her body. She heard his fly unzip and then he entered her from behind his hands moving to maul her breasts.

His pace did not slow as his need overrode his thoughts, one hand drifted down to her cunt, his fingers seeking out and strumming her sensitive clit the other moved up to encircle her throat. He did not hold back, and his fingers tightened cruelly on both areas of flesh as he came feeling her shudder as she gave a strangled cry her hands slipping down the wall with the intensity of what she felt.

Pulling her to the bed, he held her in his arms surprisingly gently in stark contrast to the recklessness with which he has just fucked her. He stroked over her body his hands lingering over her breasts caressing and teasing the high pink nipples. "I love you," he murmured as he nuzzled the red marks that had been left on her neck.

Smiling, Peri wrapped her arms around him. "I know, Mine, I love you too." This man had come into her life and changed her world completely. So much had happened in the short time they had been together that she had no doubt in her mind that the love they shared was real and lasting.

*****

It was three weeks later, and Peri was firmly ensconced in an over-crowded office at the House of Lorraine, an auction house attached to the galleries owned and maintained by Dante and Emilio. Her departure from the publishing house had been swift and brutal, but she had the satisfaction of knowing Sabrina had been fired too, due to the extraordinary amount of complaints against her by co-workers.

After four of the brothers had met and discussed the idea of Peri researching the family collection while already working on the family book it was decided she could do both. The idea appealed to her as she was certain one line of research would inform both projects, so she divided her day in half giving equal time to both projects.

She had worried that Ben, who seemed to be the family patriarch in his father's absence, would not be happy to have an outsider working with their family heirlooms. Josh said he had planned to take Peri to the farm for the holidays; he had then been enthusiastic about getting someone with a professional view to update the cataloguing of the treasures. He also suggested that when she was ready she contact the members of the family to find out which pieces they had in their homes to add those to the database she would create.

Peri was in heaven; this was a dream job in her chosen field and the fact that she felt so close to many members of the family only served to heighten her joy in coming to work every day. Josh had commented that she didn't't seem to miss him at all, but she had kissed him sweetly and whispered, "Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and I hardly thought that possible until now." He had laughed and launched into a torrid scene of sexual use that had seen her so weak he had to carry her to bed afterwards, She still carried the bruising from the ropes that had bound her so completely a week before.

A regal looking woman with grey streaked brown hair walked into her office and stood looking at her for a moment. Startled Peri stood and said quietly, "Can I help you to find someone? I am only new here myself but..."

In a thick Italian accent, the woman said, "Oh, I am sorry dear; I was looking for Dante and Emilio," she walked forward and held out her hand in greeting, "I'm Antonia."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Peri said in a friendly voice. "I am afraid they have both gone to attend a family meeting. Could I give them a message for you?" Peri asked trying to be helpful and wondering how the woman had got past all of the people who worked here to make it to her office which was hidden away at the rear of the building.

"You could help me perhaps," the woman said looking around the room and taking a chair placing her handbag on the floor and picking up a large hat box. "I found this in a lovely little antiques store down on the coast in some little country town when I was visiting my sister. She opened the box and pulled out a well packaged neatly wrapped parcel. Carefully unwrapping it Antonia placed the porcelain mask on the desk before Peri.

"It's stunning!" Peri gasped at the beauty, "I can see why you bought it." She looked up and smiled at the woman. "May I?" she indicated the mask asking before picking it up.

"Yes, of course, that's why I am here in this place," Antonia laughed softly.

"I am not really an expert in porcelain," Peri admitted, "but I would happily research it for you, if you would like to leave it with me for a day or two," she began turning the mask over in her hands to see if there was a marking.

"Just tell me what you think and then we will see," Antonia was not about to let the girl off so easily.

"Well," Peri swallowed, "This mark here," she held the mask out and pointed, "I believe comes from an area in Italy called Daruta, but they have had many marks over time, and it would be almost impossible to date it precisely without looking up the makers mark, if I had to guess though I would think maybe late eighteenth century. It would only be an informed guess though." She smiled at the woman and placed the mask back on the desk looking at the intricate work in the vines and grapes surrounding its stark white face.

Antonia said nothing, but sat back appraising the girl, so Peri rushed on feeling uncomfortable, "Travelling minstrels used masks like this in harvest plays that long ago, but it could just be a very good copy there is no way to know without doing the background work."

"Yes, I have to agree, it always pays to check out the background of something before you acquire it but sometimes passion overrules good sense," she smiled.

"It's truly lovely though, even if it did turn out to be a copy, it would still be a piece worth owning if you were a collector," Peri stroked a finger lightly over the mask. "I am sorry I wasn't better help to you but I would hate to raise your hopes falsely."

"Well, it seems like I have some time to kill, did they tell you when they would return?" She asked pleasantly.

"It was a lunchtime meeting, I expect they will be at least another hour or so," Peri felt like she should apologise or something but couldn't't work out why.

"Have you eaten yet?" she inquired.

"I was just about to have a break actually. I got a bit lost in the project I was working on this morning. That's what happens when you enjoy your work I guess," she smiled.

"And I came and took up your break time," Antonia said with a little remorse, "Well, I will take you out for lunch, you can keep me company while I wait for them."

"I am not sure..." Peri began, but Antonia cut across her words.

"Those boys know it pays to keep me happy. They will not mind trust me," she smiled beneficently.

"Well in that case," Peri did not want to cause waves with a potentially valuable customer, so she began to repackage the mask for her.

"Don't bother with that. You can keep it until you have definite answers for me," she waved her hand dismissing the debris of packaging on Peri's desk and stood waiting for her to follow.

They walked through the large showroom and Antonia stopped and told the manager she was taking Peri to lunch. Then they walked two blocks down to a small Asian restaurant where they were seated like royalty.

"Anything you don't like or are allergic to?" Antonia asked as they took their seats.

"No, I eat most things happily," Peri smiled letting herself enjoy the break from work and meeting a new person in the form of Antonia, who obviously had good taste in antiques so they would have something to talk about.

Antonia looked up at the waiter, "The usual then, for two." Within minutes, Peri had a glass of wine in her hand and was clinking it to Antonia's as she gave a salute. "You haven't worked at the House of Lorraine long you said?"

"Only a couple of weeks, but it's my dream job I am so grateful they hired me," Peri said with feeling.

"Why did you leave your last job was it so very terrible?" Antonia asked.

"Quite the opposite really, I was very happy there. I met the man of my dreams and fell in love there," she stopped herself and smiled self-consciously, "I sound dreadful don't I, the man of my dreams and the job of my dreams, but life is pretty good for me at the moment."

"Life is always better when you are in love," Antonia laughed, "Me, I have been married so long but still we love with a passion. Tell me about your love, I would like to hear happy thoughts while we eat."

As the plates of food came and went and their glasses filled up many times Peri talked about meeting Josh and her initial impressions, of how he took her from the dungeon up to her own office and the fateful day where he scalded her with pasta, though to the date, and the lightning bolt moment where she just knew that he was the love of her life.

Antonia listened and asked questions and added to Peri's story with little anecdotes of her own. Relaxed with the good food and the wine Peri really enjoyed herself and was genuinely disappointed when she looked at her watch.

"Oh gosh, the time has flown so fast, after telling you what a dream job I had, I may not have it much longer if I take lunch breaks this long," she smiled crookedly, "I have had a really nice time though; it was just what I needed. I miss my friends that I used to eat lunch with."

"Oh, sit down," Antonia commanded imperiously, "Just relax you're with me." She pulled her phone from her bag and dialled a number. "Benedicto, tell your brothers, the girl won't be back to work this afternoon and she switched to speak Italian, "Tell your stupid sister she is wrong,... Yes, that's the one,... Yes, I know they are all stupid at times," she laughed and hung up the phone.

Peri sat wide eyed through the whole conversation; she had just told Josh's mother how they met and fell in love, "wholly shit!" she said to herself over and over again as her mouth opened and closed again as words failed her.

"Oh dear, that was a bit mean of me not telling you who I was exactly but I didn't't want to make you nervous," Antonia explained.

"I am sorry, if I had known I would never have told you about..." Peri gulped realising what she had said about Josh, and while she hadn't gone into details she made it very clear that he rocked her world. "Oh God," she blushed deeply.

"That's the best part," she grinned, "Now I know you satisfy each other on all levels. Love should always be passionate."

*****

Dante looked at Ben as he hung up, "Mama's got Peri hasn't she?" he said quietly.

"Yeah, she won't be back at work this afternoon," Ben stifled a chuckle, "But here's the fun part."

"Hey Nik," Ben called to the other end of the table getting his sister's attention as she sat talking to Josh.

"What?" she looked up obviously frustrated by the interruption.

"How about you tell us all why you wanted us all here for lunch today?" Ben said with a serious face.

"I just miss you all; I hardly see Josh anymore," she said sweetly.

"Mama just rang, she said to tell you that you were wrong, and I believe she used the word stupid," he smirked, "Would you like to tell everyone whom she came to town to see today?"

"I don't believe you," Nik tossed her head sending her hair flying back around her shoulders as she sat straighter ready to stare down her older brother.

"Give her a call, the two of them are still at lunch together," Ben shrugged, "I've got no reason to lie, wasn't me who called this family meeting, and has yet to bring anything up for discussion." He watched as Nik's haughty veneer dropped momentarily, and she seemed unsure of herself. "If I didn't know any better I would think we are here so that we didn't realise where Mama was."

"Fuck, Nik! Why would you do that?" Joshua had seen Dante and Emilio murmur quietly between themselves. He realised exactly who his mother had come to the city to see, "I don't get it, Nik, why?"

Nik had a look of horror on her face. She was sure that her mother would end the relationship, and she could walk away with clean hands. She had never considered the scenario where her twin would be look at her with such disappointment and confusion. Ben could hear the pain in Josh's voice and stepped in, "Let's go give her a call and make sure she is all right, but from what Mama said she liked Peri, everyone does, even Dante and we all know he doesn't like anyone."