She chose the crepe de Chine evening gown in a shimmery bronze to create her own éclat. She knew she looked fabulous, standing out in the crowd of party goers. The strapless gown hugged her curves with contoured precision. Twin mother-of-pearl combs held her hair-the color of autumn red-in a loose ponytail; and she had added a pair of gloves and a simple pearl necklace around her neck.
Jules had called her earlier, this time on her cell phone. He relayed the location where she could find the statues, but the hows and whens fell in her lap now. Allie quickly became acquainted with the Count and Countess Magnini, an older, stately couple with gray-haired elegance. Through them, she had been introduced as Francesca Vicenzo to Luciano Cassini, the count who owned this villa, an opulent a
