Mariella laughed. “How dark can they be?”
“You might be surprised.”
“You can have a glass with us,” Mariella said. “In Italy, women still drink a glass with dinner, and all is well. And we are very good at having babies. We’ve been doing it for thousands of years.”
Jenny laughed.
“Do Alsatian women stop drinking wine altogether?” Mariella asked. “I thought only American women did that.”
“I’m just being cautious.”
“Be less so.” Mariella poured a third glass, giving her a cheerful smile. “It’s good for the heart.”
“Red wine, or being less cautious?” Jenny asked.
“Both!”
They were laughing again when they rejoined Seth in the living room.
“Should you be drinking wine?” Seth asked when Jenny handed him a glass.
“Why shouldn’t I?” Jenny asked him, but Seth just answered with a frustrated shrug and glanced at Mariella, not sure whether the other girl should know or not.
“You’re Americans, aren’t you?” Mariella asked.
“Stop doing that! Seth, I can’t hide anything from her.” Jenny took a long sip of wine.
“We should open our presents.” Mariella carried her gifts to the couch and set them on the coffee table.
“No, really, we didn’t get you anything,” Jenny said. “I’ll go shopping tomorrow, anyway.”
“There is no need,” Mariella said. “Unless you are inviting me to shop with you. The Christmas villages remain open another week.”
“Maybe,” Jenny said, giving her a genuine smile. She had to remind herself not to trust this girl too much.
Seth was already ripping open his small package. “Whoa!” he said.
“What is it?” Jenny asked.
Seth held up a stainless steel Cartier watch with a black dial. “Look, Jenny. Now I can be one of those guys who wears a watch.”
Jenny tried not to look shocked, but she knew the watch must have cost hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. She wanted to insist that Seth give it back, but there was not a polite way to do it.
“Please, it’s too nice,” Jenny said.
“Don’t be silly. Now for yours.” Mariella tapped another gift, and Jenny reluctantly sank to the settee and unwrapped it. Then she stared at what lay inside.
It was some kind of charm bracelet, made of gold with sapphires in the individual little charms, which included a heart-shaped lock, a miniscule rocking horse, an owl, a coin with the face of Victor Emmanuel III, the final king of Italy, and other tiny, glittering objects.
“Oh, no,” Jenny breathed. She could tell it was unspeakably expensive. “You shouldn’t give me this.”
“It’s nothing,” Mariella said. “Just put it on. I think sapphires would look beautiful on you.”
“I love sapphires,” Jenny whispered.
“Then try it on. Or let me.” She reached for the glove on Jenny’s left hand and tugged it off, her fingers protected by her own soft kidskin glove.
“Careful!” Jenny pulled back. “It’s too dangerous for you to touch me.”
“Then you had better put it on yourself.” Mariella reached for her hand again.
“Okay, I give up.” Jenny slid the bracelet onto her wrist. The gold was smooth and bright against her skin.
“Do you like it at all?” Mariella asked.
“I love it,” Jenny admitted. “But why did you...when did you even go shopping? The shops must have been closed by the time you left here last night.”
Mariella laughed. “Don’t trouble yourself too much. I stole the watch from my brother six months ago, because he was being mean. And the charm bracelet...I must have been eight or nine when I stole it from my sister. Swiping from my siblings has always been my favorite way to shop. Youngest child syndrome. With eight older brothers and sisters, there’s always plenty of tempting loot around.”
Jenny breathed a sigh of relief. “So these were just things you already had. You didn’t go spend a fortune on us.”
“Are you disappointed?” Mariella asked.
“No, now I’m definitely keeping the bracelet.”
Mariella laughed and emptied the bottle of Pinot into their glasses. She gave Jenny a thoughtful look.
“I know we got off to a...how would you say it? An awkward start,” Mariella said, with a brief side glance at Seth. “But I wanted to show you how important this is to me, knowing the both of you. I’ve never met anyone like us before. I hope you don’t hate me already.”
“Why would we hate you?” Seth asked, but Mariella just kept looking at Jenny, her green eyes hopeful, her lips twitching nervously.