Sabrina picked up Nora’s hand. “Yes, I do,” she said emphatically.
They ate in silence, listening to the sounds of the waves roll in and out. Nora ran a hand through her hair. “In all honesty, I think what I’d really like to do is write my own characters and own Regency stories. Jane created a wonderful universe for her characters, but I’d like to make my own mark.”
Sabrina raised an eyebrow. “What’s stopping you?”
“Lack of time and confidence. We have more in common than you think. My family knows I’m a dedicated Austen fan, but they aren’t aware to what extent.” Nora bit her lip. “Save the Never Far From Netherfield forum ladies and gents, no one knows I pen Austen fiction.”
Sabrina frowned. “But why? Your stories are brilliant!”
Nora sounds a lot like myself in that it’s difficult for us to trust other people around us.
Nora studied her nails. “My parents wouldn’t approve of my writing. They had a difficult enough time accepting that I wanted a limited role in the family business. It took months for them to come around to my taking the curator job at the Tuscan Museum of Music.”
“Parents can be tough to please.” Sabrina pursed her lips together.
“One hundred percent.”
Sabrina took another bite of her sandwich. “So, Miss Nora?.?.?. what does an average day at the museum entail? Combing through boxes of antique instruments and figuring out what should go in an exhibit?”
“Part of the time.” Nora smiled. “As a curator, yes, we put together displays for the public to enjoy, but we also give live performance demonstrations three times a week. The instruments in our collection must be played to stay in top working order. It’s to our advantage—the best way for us to educate the public about music and instruments is by letting them hear the beautiful sounds they make.”
“That’s fascinating.” Sabrina’s eyes widened. “I had no idea your job entailed so many different responsibilities.”
Nora’s brow furrowed. “I won’t lie, I’ve had a lot on my plate lately.”
Sabrina patted her face clean with a napkin. “Oh yeah?”
“The board of directors has recently decided that it’s time that the museum digitalized the catalog of our holdings.” Nora cringed. “On paper it’s a brilliant idea, but for the staff, the project is turning into a nightmare.”
“Is it that there are a lot of items? Not enough manpower?”
Nora rubbed her temple. “For starters, the items in the museum collection are scattered at various off-site storage locations throughout the city. Secondly, nobody has taken the time to cross references the various handwritten records we have. Already, we’ve discovered discrepancies in dates, who owned the original object, et cetera, et cetera.”
“Yikes!” Sabrina patted Nora’s hand. “If there is anything I can do to help, please don’t hesitate to let me know. I don’t have any experience with music, but I have some free time on my hands. It would be my way of being able to pay you back for letting me stay with you. I’ll be the first to admit that I always prefer keeping busy.”
“That’s right, you were an executive-level assistant.” From the gleam in Nora’s eyes, Sabrina could picture the wheels in her head turning. “Be careful what you wish for.” Nora grinned impishly. “Recently, I’ve been given carte blanche to hire some project staff.”
Sabrina nearly spit out the orange soda she had just swallowed. “You’re joking,” she sputtered.
This is too good to be true.
“Not about something like this.” Nora folded her hands and placed them on her knees.
“You’re serious, then,” Sabrina said slowly.
“Do you have any skills at reading Italian?”
Sabrina deflated. “Not at all.”
Nora stroked her chin. “What about your stay here? What type of visa are you on?”
Visa? I never even thought about that! Can I even work part time if I don’t have a work visa? I don’t want to get booted out of the country for breaking the law.
“I’m here on a tourist visa.”
“Oh.” Nora smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Don’t worry, I’m certain we’ll be able to figure something out.” Her tone fell flat. Sabrina had a difficult time believing her friend.
“Enough business.” Nora picked up her own glass bottle and popped off the cap. “For now, tell me about which actors or actresses you would cast inThe Watsons,and what you’re most looking forward to about the JA festival.”
