Tangled Web

Tangled Web 

by Ellen Farrell


When Sophie Ballister attends a conference of European accountants and lawyers being held at an English university she meets Gianluca Massimo Bauer. They have been given rooms in the same set and Gianluca makes a considerable impression on the overworked young actuary, who is upset by his sudden departure. Once home Sophie works non stop, collapses with exhaustion, and as a direct result is compelled by her employer to take her full allowance of leave. It happens that Sophie's cousin Cassie is organising an industrial award ceremony and Cassie tells Sophie that she is concerned about the progress of the manufacture of the prize for the ceremony, a bronze cup being made in Venice by the sculptor Marco Polo Crini. Cassie doesn't want to go to Venice as this might mean meeting Ettore Abbondio di Tomasi, who Cassie says is pursuing her and whom she wishes to avoid. She also claims that Ettore was at Sophie's conference. Cassie persuades Sophie to go to Venice in her place but is surprised to be also asked by Cassie to say nothing whatsoever about her once she gets there. Sophie is left unaware that Cassie and Ettore are deliberately hiding their close relationship from his ailing mother. In Venice Sophie is startled and overwhelmed to meet Gianluca once more. She is introduced to his sister, Paola, his niece, Vittoria. and his nephew, Nicolo, and is confused to be told that Gianluca knew about her visit through his colleague Ettore, who is engaged to Paola. Sophie is accepted unconditionally by Paola, Nicola and Vittoria and although constrained by her promise to Cassie, over the weeks does her best to explain herself to Gianluca, who has concluded that she and Ettore are somehow involved. Sophie, in love with Gianluca, feels - although he has from the start been attracted to her and has declared his determination to keep her as far as possible from Ettore - that she has never quite gained his trust. The kindness and cooperation of Marco Polo Crini in the matter of the award and his manifest interest in Paola, together with the intervention of a colleague from the conference at which they met, are deciding factors in the unravelling of Gianluca and Sophie's seemingly unresolvable problems, and they are, finally, able to acknowledge their love.