In Bed With Lord Byron

place in God’s world, and it is not in an artist’s studio, or a Duke’s palace! She belongs in a kitchen or a
nursery! She must leave, Leonardo. Now. For your sake.’
    ‘Leonardo, he’s right. I must go back,’ I cried. I turned and gave him a tight hug. ‘I’m going to miss you.’
    As Leonardo hugged me back tightly, I saw the jealousy on Bramante’s face, and it was then I understood the true nature of his feelings for Leonardo. I frowned and closed my eyes, shutting
him out, lost in the warmth of Leonardo’s affectionate embrace.
    ‘I’m going to miss you too,’ Leonardo sighed. ‘My dear, wonderful Mona Liza.’
    ‘Quick!’ Bramante had run to the door and was peering out. ‘Hurry – take her out through the back.’
    ‘There is no back door,’ Leonardo panicked.
    ‘It’s OK,’ I cried. ‘Bramante – if you can just hold them off for two minutes, I can make my escape.’
    ‘You can?’ Leonardo asked.
    ‘D’you remember your beloved flying machine idea? Well, come and take a look at the real thing!’ I cried. I grabbed his hand and pulled him behind the screen. He glanced at me
in bewilderment, and then at the door.
    ‘Lucy,’ he warned me, ‘you’d better hurry.’
    ‘OK, OK. Just close your eyes and be with me. Then open them slowly . . .’
    I could feel Leonardo’s heartbeat pounding into my palm and shivering up my arm, echoing in my heart as I willed the time machine to take me away. I was just opening my eyes when I heard
Leonardo gasp and his palm press furiously against mine. Just as I had hoped, he could share my sight and see the machine too. He looked down at me and cried out in wonder, ‘Who are
you?’
    Then we heard the door fly open.
    ‘Leonardo has a woman in here!’ Bramante was saying. ‘She fooled the Duke. She’s behind the screen – arrest her!’
    Bramante had betrayed me!
    Leonardo didn’t care about the guards. His eyes like moons, he was touching the machine with trembling hands. I slid inside and punched in the date. I blew Leonardo one last kiss, and then
the machine shimmered and soared and the last thing I saw was Bramante’s stunned expression and Leonardo’s ecstatic one as he realised his flying machines might work in ways he had
never fathomed . . .
    v) Anthony again
    ‘Would you like to come to the opera?’
    I was on my lunch break, sitting on the steps of the National Gallery, despondently throwing breadcrumbs at pigeons. Anthony had cheered me up with a call that came out of the blue.
    ‘Well, I was planning to give Emma a call,’ I said uncertainly.
    ‘Emma?’
    ‘You remember Emma! She was my best friend. I’ve lost touch with her over the past few months. Mind you . . . I’ve never been to the opera before.’
    ‘I know you haven’t. That’s why I’m asking.’
    ‘What opera is it?’
    ‘
Madame Butterfly
.’
    ‘Hang on.’ I laughed suspiciously. ‘Don’t you have that girl from the dating agency to go with?’
    ‘Er, well . . . yes. OK, I was going to take her,’ Anthony admitted. ‘But she dropped out, and it seems such a waste, and please don’t think you’re second best or
anything, Lucy. In fact, when I tell you about this girl and the date we had, I think you’re going to laugh your head off! It was
such
a total disaster.’
    ‘What! Oh God, tell me now,’ I begged him.
    ‘Can’t – I have a work deadline.’
    ‘
Anthony!
’
    ‘Lucy, I can’t. I’ll see you tonight, then?’
    ‘Sure, I can see Emma another time.’
    ‘Pick you up at six, OK?’
    ‘OK.’ I switched off my mobile and went back into the gallery with a smile on my face.
    A minute later, the smile disappeared when I noticed a group of Texans eyeing up Leonardo’s
Virgin of the Rocks.
    ‘Well, it really isn’t all that amazing, is it?’ said one.
    ‘Nah, I prefer Warhol and those Marilyn pictures.’
    ‘I mean, I just think da Vinci is totally overrated. Take the
Mona Lisa.
She might look mysterious, but there’s no denying she’s a bit of a dog.’
    ‘
Excuse me
.’ I flounced up to them, ‘Don’t you dare be rude about Leo’s picture. He spent years on that, you know, and his apprentice took ages to mix all
those charcoals, and I think you’re being bloody ungrateful.’
    The tourists gave me bewildered looks. My supervisor gave me a very stern look.
    ‘Lucy, a word in my office, please,’ she said.
    Oh God, I thought, here we go again.
    In the end, they didn’t fire me, I just got a warning.