Gift of Gold

your new employee, Mr. Quarrel?”
    The temptation to confide in another woman almost overcame Verity. Caitlin was holding out the lure of mutual feminine understanding at a time when Verity badly needed some. She deeply appreciated the offer, but she managed, barely, to restrain herself. This was between her and Jonas. “No, not really. He’s a good worker. I can’t complain about his dishwashing skills and he’s good with the customers. His background is a little unusual, though.”
    “An interesting man. He really was quite brilliant in his field, you know. I’ll never forget that lecture I heard him give at Vincent, and that was just a routine classroom talk. He had the whole room in the palm of his hand, even those of us who had no real interest in Renaissance warfare. You could almost see the blood and guts and treachery. He had such a passion and a knowledge of the subject that you could even believe he might actually have lived the life of a
condottiere.
    “A Renaissance mercenary soldier?” Verity was suddenly fascinated. “Jonas reminds you of one?” She remembered that the bustling Italian cities of the time had squabbled constantly. The great families who governed Florence, Venice, and the other city-states had figured out quickly that it was easier and more economical to hire freelance generals with private armies to fight their endless wars than to rely on hometown loyalty and enthusiasm from the citizens. There was never any lack of work for an able-bodied mercenary during the Italian Renaissance.
    Caitlin shrugged, her full breasts rising and falling magnificently under the water. “As I said, the man had a passion for his subject. It showed.”
    The man had other kinds of passion too, Verity thought. She would remember the impact of his passion on her all her life. “I wonder how well Jonas would have taken orders from a Medici or a Borgia,” Verity mused.
    “The
condottieri
were an independent lot, as I recall. They took orders when it suited them and ignored them when there was a better deal being offered elsewhere.”
    Verity nodded as bits and pieces of history came back to her. “True. They were definitely entrepreneurs, weren’t they? They worked for whoever paid the best. Yesterday’s foe was tomorrow’s client. They were mercenaries to the core. Some of them became very powerful, too, as I recall. And wealthy. A few even became heads of state.”
    Caitlin gave her a wry glance. “Whereupon they instantly elevated themselves to the status of gentlemen by investing heavily in art. It was a great era for artists. Great strides were made in technique. Lots of work was available. Everyone from ex-mercenaries and upwardly mobile bankers to popes was busy commissioning statues and portraits. The Italian cities of the Renaissance must have been fascinating, their homes, streets, and public places filled with art.”
    Verity chuckled. “It was during the Renaissance that the whole modern concept of collecting and investing in art originated. A fact for which everyone making a living in art today is no doubt grateful.”
    “Extremely grateful. But some collectors today are every bit as ruthless as collectors were back then.”
    Verity laughed and found herself relaxing at last. Caitlin was just what she needed this morning. After the disconcerting events of the previous evening, it was good to sit here in the pool and talk to another woman. Women needed other women, and in Caitlin, Verity discovered she was finding a friend.
    “I meant what I said last night, Caitlin. I admire your work tremendously. Did you always know you wanted to paint?”
    “I dabbled in paint and ceramics and a few other areas during my teen years,” Caitlin said, focusing on the heaving water around her. “But I didn’t commit myself to painting until I was in my early twenties. That’s what it takes to be successful, you know. A true commitment. It’s rather like entering a convent, I suppose. Without a sense of dedication, there’s little chance of becoming a success. Art is a harsh taskmaster.”
    “I understand. But I’m curious. What made you realize you were ready to commit yourself to such a demanding career?”
    Caitlin’s smile didn’t even touch her eyes. The only thing that filled that cloudy gaze was distant pain. “You could say that something happened that gave me a new perspective on life.”
    Verity sensed she was probing too closely, but her curiosity and growing sense of