sorted through my luggage. I opted to wear a white dress with long sleeves. It would cover my scars and still allow me to feel comfortable in this hot, sunny weather. After taking a quick shower and dressing, I decided to roam the house and introduce myself to the staff members. I wanted to thank them for their efforts just in case Alessandro complained about those romantic decorations.
I stepped into the hallway and descended the stairs to the ground floor. Everywhere I glanced, it was empty and quiet. I didn’t even bump into Alessandro. Only last night, the place had been packed with people. Where did everyone go? My confusion grew as I ambled from one room to the next and explored this vast, abandoned villa. According to Alessandro, it had been uninhabited for the past five years, and yet I stumbled upon a lot of personal touches such as several photos on the walls and old items he wouldn’t keep unless they held some emotional value. Then, I came across one specific room that stood out from the rest. As I entered, I saw a desk filled with old glass figurines. A few handmade ceramic dolls rested on the small bench underneath the window. A large collection of old books was displayed on the bookshelf that stretched all the way to the ceiling and covered the entire wall. On closer inspection, I realized all of them were written in Italian, just like the ones back home. The space around me was veiled in mystery. Why would Alessandro fill this room with all these antique items when he claimed he never visited this place?
Perplexed, I let my eyes wander about the high walls until they fell on the large picture above the fireplace. I approached it and observed a small group of people on the beach. It was a family. A serious looking man had his arms around a little boy's shoulder and a woman held a little girl in her lap. The girl hugged a doll that resembled the ones on the bench. Who were these people?
“Buongiorno, cara.” Alessandro's quiet voice sounded behind me, disrupting my thoughts. “I see you’ve made yourself at home.”
I slowly shifted toward him and my jaw dropped when I spotted him in the doorway. He wore a black T-shirt and a simple pair of jeans. His black hair was slightly tousled and he had a two-day old beard. I had rarely seen him in anything other than a suit. His professional flair had always been nothing short of immaculate, but this casual appearance somehow made him even more attractive. He seemed slightly less intimidating and a lot more...approachable and human. The effect of his grandeur was so distracting I almost failed to notice he had some kind of plastic bag in his hand.
“I'm sorry,” I excused, rubbing my sweaty palms down the front of my dress to distract myself. “I didn't mean to intrude.”
“Cara, don't be ridiculous,” he said softly, stepping closer and placing the white bag on a nearby side table. “This is your house as much as it’s mine. Have you seen anything interesting?”
Yes, this room...I wanted to say, but chose not to probe further. If there was anything he wanted to say about it, he would have already said it. “Yes, I saw the sea,” I said instead. “It's beautiful. Just like you said it would be.”
He smiled. “If you want, we can take a walk on the beach after breakfast.”
“I'd like that,” I accepted his proposal.
“Then it's settled.” He snatched the bag and raised it in the air. “But first we have to eat. Come, tesoro, I don't want you to go hungry on your first day in Italy.”
He extended his hand and waited for me to join him. I approached him with a hint of hesitation, but nevertheless laid my palm on his. When we stepped into the hallway, I remembered how I was unable to find a single member of the staff. “The house looks empty,” I pointed out. “Where is everybody?”
“I sent them home,” Alessandro revealed. “I thought it would be nice if we had some privacy during our stay here.”
“So they'll be gone for the rest of the trip?”
“That's right, cara,” he confirmed in a light voice. “For the rest of the trip. Do you think we can manage on our own?”
I didn't need people to wait on me hand and foot, but I wasn't so sure about Alessandro. During our entire marriage, I had never