Eric didn’t reply, acting as if he hadn’t heard.
“It takes twenty-five minutes to walk into Vigornuovo village,” Nico told Eric. “The countryside looks pretty as the sun rises.”
Eric nodded and pointed in the opposite direction to the castle. “Then we’ll climb that hill.”
Ginny shuddered at the wordhill. It looked steep and possibly too challenging for Edna to tackle. “Has anyone seen Edna this morning?” she asked, looking around her. “A hike might prove difficult for her to...”
There was a cough and the elderly lady appeared in the doorway of the hotel. “I am actually here, not a figment of your imagination,” she said snippily. “I can walk and talk for myself.”
Nico stepped forward. “We are only thinking of your comfort, Edna. Did you know that Vigornuovo is so beautiful a film calledA Glorious Escapewas made here? There is a display of costumes in the town hall. Actor Tim Vincenzo’s trousers are so small they could fit a doll.”
Edna lifted her chin. “I’ve seen the film several times and he looked much taller than Sharon Sterling.”
Nico whispered in her ear, “Camera tricks.”
Edna stared dreamily across the village square. “Sharon Sterling wears a vintage red Chanel dress when she dances around the fountain with Vincenzo,” she said. “It’s exquisite, made from the finest silk.”
“You can see that dress and others, too,” Nico said. “If you do not want to climb a hill, you can stay in the village. There are several cafés and shops to visit.”
Edna hitched an inquisitive eyebrow.
Ginny thought Edna looked like she’d be more interested in clothes on a supermarket clearance rack rather than couture. Perhaps there was more to her than met the eye.
As they all set off walking along the bumpy road, Nico’s minibus had never looked more inviting. Eric led the way like a shepherd taking his sheep to new pastures. They were all accompanied by the tinny sound of hip-hop coming from Curtis’s headphones. It prevented Ginny from asking how he was feeling.
After half a mile she spotted a roadside sign for Gianfranco’s hotel.
Grand Hotel Castello Bella Vista.
Spa. Pool. Luxury Rooms. Six stars.
Nico stared resolutely ahead, refusing to acknowledge the white turreted building on top of the hill.
Ginny dropped back to walk with Edna.
“I’m fine, sturdy as an ox,” Edna rasped. She flexed her arm to display a slender forearm with pronounced blue veins, and a half plum–sized bicep.
They all walked over a medieval stone bridge that curved above a rushing river. An archway led them into the heart of Vigornuovo village where narrow cobbled streets meandered and washing lines laced the old buildings together like a corset. Stone walls were the color of vanilla ice cream and roof tiles were burnt orange. Terracotta plant pots sat on every corner, springing with multicolored pansies, and a black cat slinked lazily across their path.
The main village square was waking up and coming to life. Edna’s eyes lit up when she saw the famous fountain fromA Glorious Escape. Water cascaded onto the heads of four stone dolphins. “It’s magnificent,” she exclaimed, after catching her breath.
Coffee bars had huge striped umbrellas and tiny iron tables outside. Cups and saucers clattered, and two men stood talking and smoking on a corner. Nico chatted to them for a while before gesturing for everyone to follow him toward a building with a tall carved oak door. He produced a large key and opened it, inviting Edna to follow him inside.
He reappeared a few minutes later, alone. “Edna is staying here to look at the costumes. I knew she would like them,” he said. “The building does not usually open until later, so she is receiving a special viewing.”
Eric nodded toward a long passageway with a glimpse of emerald countryside beyond it. “Let’s climb,” he said.
For the first half hour of their trek, Ginny didn’t really look around at the vineyards that made stripes on the hill and the clusters of white villas with autumnal-colored roofs. Instead, she ruminated on future conversations she might have with Adrian, trying to solve all their problems in her head. Perhaps they could see a marriage guidance counselor, when she got home, so they could find a positive way forward.
Ginny might use an abdomen cruncher and walk to work, but she couldn’t call herself fit. Pain soon shot up her shins and she pressed her fingers into a stitch in her side. Heather slowed down to join her.
“You’re fitter than I am,” Ginny panted.
“Staying healthy is essential, especially keeping the brain active. I always do sudoku before I go to sleep. Mum used to love it, too. She was a school teacher, the same as me, until...” She let her words filter away and her eyes dimmed. Stopping to take in the view, Heather tried to brighten her conversation. “Anyway, that’s enough about me. Tell me all about Ginny Splinter.”
Although Ginny didn’t mind doing photo spreads for magazines, she’d always found talking about herself cringe inducing. Thinking of what to say made her toes curl.
“When did you discover your gift of empathy?” Heather prompted.
