Glancing back over her shoulder, she half expected to see Adrian with pillow lines marking his cheeks. In her imagination, he grinned and huskily said, “Morning,” as if everything was still okay between them and he was here on holiday with her. If Ginny closed her eyes, she swore she could feel his breath on her arm as he pulled her toward him.
A sense of longing for him tickled her belly and made her grip the sheets. She couldn’t help wondering whose bed he was waking up in while she was in Italy. Was he still staying with Dave and Linda, or had he already found somewhere else to live? Perhaps Adrian was lying in bed thinking about her, too, or was that something he’d stopped doing years ago?
Ginny was naked under the bedsheets and she felt suddenly vulnerable. She’d washed her underwear with soap last night and placed it on her bedside table to dry. It was still damp and she squirmed when she put it on.
Knowing she wouldn’t get back to sleep, Ginny wrapped the sheet around her like a toga. She stuck her head around the curtain, watching the sun sparkling behind the turrets of the castle on the hill. Birds were singing and, in the lilac light, she could see church spires and vineyards more beautiful than any photograph. The air was warming up and she could tell it was going to be a beautiful day.
Ginny heard the front door open and watched as a man wearing a backpack strode across the courtyard. He sported sturdy boots and a vest top that displayed his muscular arms. She wondered where he was going so early in the morning and if this was Eric the carpenter.
Her stomach rumbled and Ginny found that she was ravenously hungry. Nico’s soup had been delicious but had left her wanting more. There was no sound from the rest of the hotel and it felt too early to go downstairs for breakfast.
She picked up the guest book from her bedside table and leafed through the leaflets for walking trails and places to eat in the village. At the back of the book was an evaluation form for guests to score the accommodation, facilities, meals and atmosphere out of ten. Ginny decided to hold back judgment until she was properly settled in.
She washed her hair in the shower, using soap that made it tangle and squeak. There wasn’t a hairdryer in the room and, without makeup, her face looked pale and featureless. She sniffed her worn blouse and was sure it smelled like the monkey enclosure at a zoo. She was glad Adrian couldn’t see her like this.
Ginny finger combed her hair and spoke to her reflection in the bathroom mirror. “We’ve got so many reasons to work things out, so many things we still have in common,” she said, practicing for when she next spoke to her husband.
She browsed throughThe Power of Twoagain and pondered her and Adrian’s relationship. Sometimes the sound of him crunching toast made her want to strangle him and his snoring was no longer cute. Perhaps his dating profilewasan experiment and theyhadbecome stuck in a rut, like he claimed. Thank goodness Ben and Ally Prince could help her to find a way out of it. A dog barked in the distance and Ginny wondered why people never grew bored of their pets in the same way they did with other humans.
She read her book until she heard movement in the hotel. Putting on yesterday’s clothes made her wince and she went downstairs to breakfast.
There was one large table in the dining room, the size of a single bed. Two long benches ran down either side and there was a throne-like chair at one end. A large bowl of fruit fit for Roman gods sat in the center. She could smell freshly baked bread and heard Nico singing in the kitchen. His voice was a rich baritone that she could listen to all day. She welcomed the light breeze that wound around her ankles and lifted the corners of the tablecloth.
“Buongiorno,” Nico said, entering the room holding a basket of brioche and croissants. “Did you sleep well?”
“Yes.” Ginny nodded. “Like a baby.”
“That is good.” He gestured with his hand toward the spread of food. “Prima colazione.The breakfast is served.”
There was a smell of almonds and a flash of white cotton as a teenage girl appeared and helped herself to an apple from the fruit bowl.
Nico shooed her away. “For the guests only. Please bring the milk.” He turned to Ginny. “This is my daughter, Loretta.”
Loretta smiled, exaggerated biting into her apple and vanished into the kitchen. Seconds later, she plonked a jug down on the table before exiting the room again.
Ginny sat down and waited, wondering what time her four companions would wake up and join her.
Heavy footsteps sounded along the hallway and the man she’d seen earlier sat down on the bench opposite. His long strawberry blond hair was roughly tied back and he had a full beard. With his muscular physique, it was easy to imagine him wielding an axe to chop down trees. He placed a round yellow tin on the table, the type that might be used for storing tobacco.
“You must be Eric,” Ginny said brightly. “I’m Ginny Splinter, the lady off the radio.”
“Hi,” the man mumbled, reaching out for an apple. He took out his penknife to peel it.
“I think I saw you going for a walk this morning. The light was so beautiful.”
Eric munched an apple slice and kept his eyes fixed on his tin. “Yeah, it was.”
“It’s nice to clear your head before the day starts, with only the birds for company, isn’t it? Though maybe notthatearly.” She laughed gaily.
He reciprocated with a short nod.
“So, do you have any plans for today?”
Eric whistled to himself and picked an orange from the bowl. He peeled it with his fingernails. “Nope, not yet.”
Ginny’s smile faded. Tam had noted Eric was quiet, perhaps due to his bereavement. If she could offer him some good advice, it might make them both feel better. “Do you usually listen to my show?” she asked.
“Sorry, no.” He shook his head. “I’m sure it’s great,” he added.
