Breaking the spell, Lorenzo whispered, “I have to go.”
Sabrina looked up at him through her lashes. “I may not have the chance to see you again, but good luck.” She pushed herself up onto her toes, and before her courage fled, she pecked a gentle kiss on Lorenzo’s cheek. The coarse hairs tickled. Her pulse began to race, and she gulped.
Taking two steps backward without a word, Lorenzo turned on his heel and made his way over to the largest vessel in the harbor, a twenty-five-foot white yacht with white sails. A purple-and-gold flag waved from the flagpole on the stern.
She watched him climb aboard the ladder to the boat, and in a matter of just a few minutes, skillfully maneuver the watercraft out of the harbor until it was just a dot on the horizon. When he was long out of sight, Sabrina picked up her backpack and made her way over to Castillo Roccia.
Six
Castillo Roccia
Later that night, Sabrina drew the plush, burgundy-red velvet drapes and opened the glass doors to the balcony of her room just in time to watch the glowing reddish-orange disk disappear into the tranquil ocean. As the sky darkened, thousands of tiny golden flecks appeared, dotting the night sky and twinkling brilliantly. Other sources of manmade lights reflected off the harbor water below. She stared longingly in the direction of where the map on her phone indicated Isola Nostrum was.
Her phone chimed. She glanced down to see a message from Nora. With all the excitement of the day, she’d forgotten to text her.
Nora: I am about ready to find a chaise and four horses and flee as fast as I can to London.
Sabrina:Care to share?
Nora:My stress levels have never been so high. There was a horrid landslide near my parents’ home. Luckily, nobody was hurt, but my younger sister has had a difficult time keeping my mother calm. She worries about everything.
Sabrina:You’re the second person today I’ve heard from that’s been affected by a landslide. If you need some time to yourself, we can postpone our meeting for a few days.
Nora: I’m not surprised.All the extra rainfall this season has caused major issues all over Northern Italy. The towns of Corniglia and Manorola even had parts of their roads washed out. My brother is on site and has reaffirmed there isn’t anything I can do to help. He told me the damage isn’t too bad, but I’d like to survey it with my own eyes. I’m planning to spend the next four days with my family. Would you be able to travel on Sunday to Florence?
Sabrina:Sure thing. It will give me an extra couple of days to enjoy the Cinque Terre.
Nora:The Cinque Terre?
Sabrina:Yes! I decided to leave Naples a day early and squeeze in a visit. Now that I’m here, I’d like a little more time in the region. It’s lovely.
Nora:You are so close to where I’m headed! In that case?.?.?. how about we meet for breakfast tomorrow and then we’ll take the train back to Florence together Sunday afternoon?
Sabrina:Bueno!
Nora:Where are you staying?
Sabrina: At Castillo Roccia in Riomaggiore. I’ll text you the address.
Nora:Perfecto. I know it and will meet you there at nine. Be ready for an Austen-esque picnic.
Sabrina:I can’t wait.
Sabrina reentered the room and sat upon the sea-foam-colored duvet atop her bed. An hourglass spun on the computer screen, fifty percent of the way through its updates. She reached over to the brown wicker amenity basket on the rustic wooden bedside table.
What will Nora be like in real life?
Sabrina had always conjured the image of a brunette woman with thick ringlets and blue eyes in a Regency-period pale pink, empire-waisted gown, bonnet, and gloves.
Removing the red-and-white-checked cloth, she helped herself to another slice of the smoky, peppery cheese. A knock sounded at the door. Making her way over, she opened it to find the grinning owner of the bed and breakfast carrying two glasses and a bottle of wine in a green glass bottle. Sabrina gestured for her to enter.
“Oh, Giulia, this room is so homely. From the shells and pressed flowers in the shadow boxes to the antiques you’ve tastefully placed around the room, I can tell you’ve put a lot of thought into the decor.” She pointed to the glass cabinets built into a sky-blue accent wall. “I’d like to take inspiration for my next apartment from this room.”
Giulia was a woman in her early forties with tortoiseshell-patterned cat-eye glasses and wavy, auburn-brown hair. She wore black cigarette pants, a patterned floral top, and stood about five foot four. She reminded Sabrina of a fun aunt. They’d chatted for over an hour when Sabrina had first arrived about soap-making. She had made every effort to make Sabrina feel as if she were staying in a home rather than a B and B.
“Few guests ever take notice of the small details. The trinkets in the cases are from local antique markets.” Giulia placed the items down next to the basket on the bedside table and ran her hand over the exposed brick walls. “When I bought this building, I wanted it to retain as much of the original character as possible. There are plenty of modern hotels, but I wanted for my guests to be able to experience a slice of small-town Italian living.”
“You’ve done an outstanding job.”
