Giulia waved her hand. “It won’t be a formal dinner. You would be participating in one of the weekly culinary classes I hold for visitors. We’ll be preparing a lasagna from scratch, starting with the pasta dough. It’s abhorrent just how many visitors to Italy don’t actively seek to engage in cultural experiences. Cooking is a quintessential part of life here. We’re a food-based people.”
“Huh. I never knew pasta was made from dough. I’m a gal used to buying frozen dinners from the supermarket freezer. It’s so convenient to cook them in the microwave.” Sabrina rubbed the back of her neck. “What time is the class? I was considering whether or not I should book a kayaking tour for Friday.”
“Any kayaking tour would have you back on dry land in plenty of time to attend my class at five in evening.”
“Then count me in,” Sabrina said.
“Fantastico.”
“Let’s taste this famous wine.” Sabrina sniffed the Sciacchetrà and found it reminded her of apricots. She put the glass to her lips and let the liquid enter her mouth. “It’s very light and sweet. I can taste lemon and almond flavors. I assumed it might have a more honey-like taste. I like it.”
“You will find the flavor changes based on what you consume with it. There is a focaccia in your snack basket. That’s my personal favorite item to enjoy with it.”
Sabrina and Giulia chatted for a few more minutes before she left. Sabrina was alone once more. The screen of her laptop computer flashed to life, prompting her for a password.
She clicked open her internet browser and logged into her email account. Clicking “Compose,” she began a message to her sister.
Hi Mags!
You were right about Naples and the Amalfi Coast. They were bellisima, but at the same time, made me incredibly nervous.
I did manage a trip to Pompeii. I’ve read so many stories about the eruption of Vesuvius. To see it in person put into perspective that an eruption could technically take place at any time.
But I actually preferred Herculaneum. I had almost the entire archeological site to myself and found the buildings much better preserved. It was eerie to imagine strolling the same streets as people more than a thousand years ago. I’m attaching a few photos I took for you to share with the kiddos.
Today, instead of taking the ferry to Capri, I made a last-minute change of plans and traveled up to the Cinque Terre. I thought I would be going a bit “off the beaten track,” but to my surprise, it’s still pretty crowded here. I’ll be here for the next four nights before I settle in Florence. Has Mom asked about how my trip is going yet?
Sabrina stared at the blinking cursor, rereading her last sentence. She weighed the options in her mind. She did genuinely want to know how her mom was doing and what she was up to. The longer the silence between them lasted, the more it hurt her. The last time they had spoken was on the day before she was fired five weeks ago. Had she created a large gully neither one of them could cross?
Give my love to everyone,
Brina
She clicked “send.” Biting into the doughy, pizza-like focaccia, she typed in the web address for AssistantsNow!, a platform that connected small-business owners and virtual assistants. As she logged in, there were indeed still no client bookings. Her profile had only registered two viewings. Sabrina sighed deeply.
Three weeks in, and the virtual assistant thing is a bust. It seems like it’s too competitive a space. So here is the plan. I’m going to enjoy the rest of these goodies Giulia baked while I readthe next chapter of Nora’s story, then I’ll be a good girl and start some research on ways people make money while traveling abroad.
Seven
A Morning Constitutional
The next morning, Sabrina swiped her finger to turn the page of the story she’d been unable to finish the night before.
Elizabeth Bennet mindlessly stabbed her embroidery needle into her sampler, staring off into space. Her sister Jane covered her mouth with her hand to stifle a laugh. It was rare for Elizabeth to be so distracted.
“Lizzy, you have no reason to be so nervous. I have no doubt in my mind that your uncle Gardiner will approve of your match with Mr. Darcy,” her aunt Gardiner said.
Suddenly, the door to the sitting room opened. The eyes of the three female occupants immediately went straight to the tall, imposing figure of Mr. Darcy. Without eyes for anyone else, he crossed the room in three strides and—
A sudden tap on the shoulder caused Sabrina to jerk violently. Her phone sailed from her hand and tumbled onto the floor with a clatter. She winced, hoping the screen hadn’t cracked.
A woman with elbow-length ringlets of mocha-colored hair, a heart-shaped face, and sapphire-blue eyes placed her hand on Sabrina’s forearm.
She reminds me of Kitty Bennet from the 2005 P and P film adaptation.
“Sabrina, I presume?” The woman bent over to retrieve the fallen phone. Her eyes sparkled with mirth as she glanced at the display screen. “Ah, you’re near the end of chapter twelve.”
