make a day on the beach comfortable. A salvataggio stood guard at the water’s edge, raising a red flag if the current was too strong for guests to swim safely. There were changing rooms complete with showers, and daybeds stood in neat rows on the raked sand, protected from the fierce sun by large umbrellas.
Luisa, wearing a patterned cotton dress and a straw hat, chose to sit in a comfortable armchair in the shade, cooling herself with a paper fan, but Livia lay on a sunbed in her new halter neck swimming costume, tracing patterns in the soft sand with her fingers and relishing the cool breeze blowing in from the sea.
By the end of the week, Luisa had finally relaxed, and even Livia had managed to set aside some of her lingering guilt about Cosimo. She had eaten well and put on a little weight; her skin was tanned and her dark hair was streaked with gold by the sun.
On their final day, she was reading on a sunbed, when she was interrupted by an unfamiliar voice.
‘It’s little Livia, isn’t it?’
She looked up from her book, and there was Vicenzo – tall and more handsome than she remembered, but with the same dark eyes, his hair swept back from his high forehead. He was tanned, wearing an open-necked white shirt and cream trousers. He looked more like a movie star than a director, she thought.
‘Vicenzo,’ she said gaily, leaping to her feet. ‘I hoped you would come.’
He leant down and kissed her.
Her mother, who had been snoozing, her head lolling forward onto her chest, suddenly woke up. ‘Oh Vicenzo,’ she said, fanning herself coyly, as he kissed her hand. ‘How marvellous. We’ve had such a wonderful time at the villa. Your mother has been so kind.’
‘I’m sure she has loved having you here. These days, we don’t often get the chance to see you all – it’s not like when we were young. Have you been in?’ He gestured towards the sea. A red flag flew overhead, warning bathers to beware the dangerous current.
‘Not today, I was too nervous,’ admitted Livia.
‘Come in with me. I know where it’s safe to swim.’
He walked back towards the bathing huts and emerged a few moments later in a pair of white swimming trunks that showed off his tanned torso. He put his arm around Livia’s shoulders, guiding her towards the water’s edge, but left her standing in the shallows while he strode in.
‘Stay in that area,’ he called back to her. ‘Make sure you can still touch the seabed, and you’ll be fine. The current gets a bit stronger further out.’
She watched him crawling athletically back and forth, while she swam a few tentative strokes. Although she remained in the shallows, she could still feel the pull of the current around her legs. She felt relieved when Vicenzo finally swam back and emerged from the sea, his dark skin glistening in the sunlight.
That evening, as Livia was changing for dinner, there was a knock on the door.
‘Who is it?’
‘It’s your mamma.’ Luisa came into the room, wearing a formal black dress decorated with beadwork. Her silvery dark hair had been pinned up at the neck.
Livia, sitting at the dressing table, swung round and admired her. ‘You look very smart. Why are you so dressed up?’
‘Well, it’s our last night.’ Her mother was anxiously checking her reflection in the long mirror. ‘What will you wear?’ she asked.
‘I don’t know,’ said Livia, ‘the dress I had on this morning, I suppose.’
‘Oh no, you can’t wear that.’ Her mother flung open Livia’s wardrobe, and began to riffle through her clothes. ‘Didn’t you bring a proper evening dress?’
‘No, Mamma; I don’t have a proper evening dress.’
‘What about this?’ Her mother held up a white cotton dress with a sweetheart neckline, edged with broderie anglaise.
‘Oh not that,’ said Livia. ‘It looks like the sort of thing you wear to your first communion. Anyway, why does it matter what I’m wearing?’
‘Because Vicenzo is here,’ her mother replied, laying the dress on the bed.
‘So what if he is?’ asked Livia.
Her mother blushed slightly. ‘Because…’ she hesitated, ‘I’ve always thought it would be nice if you two…’
Livia looked up at her mother’s reflection in the mirror. ‘If we two what?’
‘You know… if you two got married.’
‘Married? Me and Vicenzo? I hardly know him, Mamma – I haven’t seen him for years. Don’t be ridiculous.’
‘All right,’ said her mother, smiling. ‘But do wear the dress – it’s very pretty.’
When Livia came