Waters of Oblivion

Chapter 5.2: The Portrait

It had all been so long ago that Reine had practically forgotten about the portrait's existence. But here it was, hanging in front of her five centuries later. How did it end up here?

She'd never heard it mentioned publicly. It was most likely passed down through the generations or sold into a private collection. Either way, she should've known a piece like this couldn't stay hidden forever.

"I have to agree with Signore Alberti. It's definitely a Leonardo." She nonchalantly interrupted her two companions now engrossed in a feverish argument. They stopped their bickering and rushed back over to where she was still standing.

"What makes you so sure, Miss Baldwin?" Professor Iverson posed the question that must have been on both of their minds.

It was times like these that Reine remembered why she liked working with Iverson so much. He respected her and trusted her expertise even though it often overshadowed his own. She sometimes thought it was unfair for her to know so much more about Renaissance history just because she had actually lived through it. She tried to minimize her use of any firsthand knowledge, but this situation seemed too important to cover up for the sake of egos. The professor would certainly understand.

"We've already agreed it looks like a DaVinci. All of the details fit with his style. But I noticed a smudged fingerprint on the lower left corner. Here, right around the bust line." She motioned toward the canvas. "Leonardo is known to have left fingerprints on some of his works. I'm fairly certain this will match."

"Bravo, Miss Baldwin! But how were you able to see that?" Alberti pulled his glasses out of his shirt pocket and leaned in to the spot where she was pointing.

Because he told me about it, she wanted to add. However, saying so would not only reveal that it was her in the portrait, but also that she had met the quintessential Renaissance man over five hundred years before.

Their encounter was completely by chance - or perhaps fate. She had just escaped from the tragic scene at the convent and had decided to find her family in Florence, no matter the consequences. In spite of her disheveled state, a kind man outside of Bologna offered her a ride in his carriage, and he recognized her almost immediately.

She played along with his reminiscing and soon found out that just a few months earlier she sat for a portrait he made on commission as a wedding present to her soon-to-be husband. It turned out she was riding along with Leonardo DaVinci, who was fixated on how he used chalk for the first time, but never again because of all of the smudging he needed to do with his fingers in order to properly blend the coloring.

Luckily, Leonardo didn't seem to know about her accident. Although he must have found it a bit strange for her to be wandering the road from Venice to Florence alone, he didn't question it. He did, however, provide her with a lot of valuable information about her family and life before she lost her memories. In the end, it was this knowledge that made Reine decide to abandon her search for her past and start anew.

Instead of telling Iverson and Alberti this tale, Reine started to walk away from the painting and the two dumbfounded men in front of it.

"Wait! Where are you going?" Professor Iverson called after her as soon as he comprehended her actions. "We need you here."

She didn't break her stride. "I can't give you any better help than that. I'm going to the hotel to get some sleep. But you should get a multi-spectral scan tonight, if possible. If it's inconclusive, it will at least give you some proof that more analysis is needed and convince your seller that he shouldn't part with it just yet. He'd be a fool to sell for anything less than one-hundred million." She waved her hand before exiting the gallery and walking down the ornate staircase.

She hadn't even made it to the courtyard before Alberti came running after her. "Signorina! If what you say is true, this will be the greatest discovery in the art world of the last decade. You need to celebrate, not waste the eve of Martedi Grasso - how do you say - Fat Tuesday with sleep."

Oh, yes I can, she thought, but held her tongue in anticipation of where Alberti was heading with this conversation.

"Tonight we are holding the grandest ball here at the Palazzo Ducale. You must come. I insist. And you cannot come to the Veneto during Carnevale and not attend a ball."

"But I don't have a costume, Signore Alberti." She tried a different excuse because the lack of sleep apparently wasn't a deterrent to the Italian. Perhaps threatening to offend Venetian tradition by not wearing the proper attire to the masked extravaganza would do it.

"I know the best costumer in the entire Veneto. She will find something for you. I will even call ahead. The shop is not far from here. Take the passage to the Mercerie toward the Rialto Bridge. You know it?" He assumed Reine had agreed to attend the ball.

She nodded. "Yes, that's the shopping area to the north of the basilica." Not having any energy left to argue with this kind man, she finally relented.

"Si, si. Her name is Louise and she will have what you need. I am calling now."

* * *

Although she was usually a night owl, jet lag was kicking in and Reine couldn't stop yawning. Walking across the square, she was grateful for packing light. She couldn't have imagined dragging a cumbersome suitcase over the ancient cobblestones instead of easily carrying her more utilitarian satchel.

The sun had set while they were in the museum, and there were now considerably more people in front of the basilica. Laughing and singing, the masked revelers were eagerly waiting for the evening's festivities to begin. A band on a large stage was doing a sound check, while a performer dressed as a harlequin showed off his juggling skills nearby. The temperature had also dropped considerably, and Reine drew her coat closer around herself as she hurried toward the costumer.

It wasn't hard to find Lady Louise's Costume Shoppe. As the only lit storefront in the street, it was obvious Louise had kept it open just for her benefit.

Thanks to a cancelled reservation and a few well-placed stitches, Reine soon left the store with a perfect dress. However, she was still tempted to blow off the ball in favor of the monstrous bed in her way too lavish accommodations. She ultimately decided to take a much needed shower before making up her mind about the rest of the night. She owed both Alberti and Venice as much. 

The warm water not only washed away the day's trivialities, but it also reinvigorated her. Afterwards, she was finally committed to going and was even actually looking forward to the ball.

As she finished dressing, Reine became more and more pleased with her decision. Seeing the ochre velvet gown in Lady Louise's cramped store surrounded by other colorful and glittering pieces didn't do it justice. Here, in the privacy of her room and standing in front of the strategically placed floor length mirror, the image looking back at her was truly stunning.

The fitted bodice contrasted with the massive flared skirt and accentuated her already slim waist, while the hemline stopped just short of sweeping the floor. Louise did a magnificent alteration within such a brief timeframe; the costume looked like it was made for her.

Reine put on the perfectly coiffed powdered wig the costumer had insisted she wear and topped it off with a matching ochre tricorn hat adorned with a single white ostrich plume. Grabbing the dainty, handheld half-mask she'd picked out during the alterations, she left the suite to make her way back to the Doge's Palace.