Ginny found a completed batch of heartache forms waiting for her on the breakfast table. Edna had particularly enjoyed the paintings by Titian and Raphael, and the lovely gardens. Her heartache rating had dropped from a nine to an eight.
Heather claimed the paintings of cherubs in the Uffizi had “spoken to her soul,” and she’d adored all the artsy shops in the city. Her heartache score had made promising progress, too.
Ginny sighed when she saw Curtis had writtenNot Applicableacross each section of his form in thick black letters. He’d left his suggestion box and heartache score uncompleted.
Only Eric had suggested something to do next.
Hiking. Meet on Thursday in the courtyard at 6:00 a.m. Wear strong footwear.
Ginny blew out her cheeks. She didn’t relish the start time or the activity, but at least he’d put forward an idea.
The table was full of used breakfast plates and bowls and she carried a pile of them toward the kitchen to help out.
Nico and Loretta stood side by side, washing sheets in the sink. They didn’t notice Ginny standing behind them, in the doorway. They were talking in Italian and their voices rose in volume, culminating in Loretta throwing up her hands in frustration. Soap suds flew off her fingertips.
The teenager picked up a towel, dried her hands and stormed off, squeezing past Ginny without acknowledging her.
Nico spun around and his face crumpled. “Lolo...” he called after his daughter.
Ginny tightened her grip on the crockery, feeling like she’d been caught eavesdropping.
“Ginny,” Nico said, his voice all flustered. “Sorry, I didn’t hear you...” He took the plates from her.
“I just arrived,” she said quickly. “Sorry I missed breakfast. I didn’t notice the time.”
“I can get you something, coffee or a croissant...” He looked around him without focus.
“Don’t worry, there’s still a few things left on the table. I can help myself.” She paused for a moment. “Is everything okay with Loretta?”
Nico’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “We had an argument about the bedsheets. She reminded me that Grand Hotel Castello Bella Vista has a laundry room with washing machines we could use. I told her there is nothing wrong with soap and sunshine.”
“I bet the sheets dry more quickly on your washing line,” Ginny said.
He cast her a grateful smile. “She wants me to visit Gianfranco’s new spa. Apparently, his guests wear fine clothes and have good taste. She said I am stuck in my ways and this is why her mother left. I called her Lolo, Maria’s name for her and...” He looked down. “She didn’t like it and has told me never to use it again.”
Again, Ginny wanted to know where Nico’s wife was, yet the sadness in his eyes prevented her from asking him. “Eric wants us all to go walking tomorrow. Perhaps you’d like to join us for some fresh air?”
Nico thought for a moment. “Yes, I would like this, though I doubt Loretta will want to come, too.”
“Eric wants to set off at six a.m. Can we take something with us for breakfast?”
“Of course. I will arrange it.”
A stilted pause followed and Ginny’s gaze fell upon a pink glass vase. “That’s very beautiful,” she said.
Nico picked it up. “It belongs to Maria. She forgot to take it with her. It will be here for her when she returns to Splendido.” His words were doleful with only a hint of hope.
Ginny rocked on her heels a little, wanting to say something that would make him feel better. “I think your hotel is charming. If it was big and luxurious like the white castle, it wouldn’t have the same friendliness and character.”
Nico set the vase back on a shelf with a thud. “Thank you, that is kind of you, though I think Loretta is right. Splendido is not a good place for excitement or romance and I need to change it. I just do not know how.”
When Ginny, Eric, Heather, Curtis and Nico met the next morning, the moon was still visible, a crescent of platinum in the sky. Ginny had convinced herself that a hike meant a leisurely stroll, until she spotted Eric’s boots caked in mud. Her Converse lace-ups were the most sensible shoes she’d brought on holiday and she wore them with thin white socks, her jeans and a cashmere sweater.
“What’s the plan for the day?” she asked Eric.
He shrugged a shoulder. “Walking.”
Curtis interjected. “I think Ginny is askingwherewe’re walkingto? What’s the strategy? How far are we going and how long will it take?” He tapped his G-Shock watch. “I have a Zoom at noon.”
