Then the tourists began to flock in, dressed in costumes and masks.

Keira remembered the costume ball and fetched her own mask from her purse, toying with it in her hands, deliberating over whether she should put it on. She remembered Bryn and Nina telling her how much fun it could be to play a character. Perhaps she ought to go anyway, and pretend to be someone else; someone happy, confident, and free of worries.

She headed in the direction of the where the ball was to be held. The sky was starting to darken behind her as another night closed in. But when she reached the location, she shook her head and put her mask back in her purse. Faking it was not her style. Without Cristiano by her side, there was no way she would be able to enjoy the celebrations.

She stood. As the tourists swarmed into the ballroom, Keira went against the flow, against the grain, in search of another hotel in which to spend another night alone. Whether it was to be her last in Italy, Keira didn’t yet know. That it would be another spent alone, however, she was certain.

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

Keira woke in the morning, still uncertain as to whether she would remain in Italy or not. One call to Heather would be all it took for a new flight to be arranged that would whisk her back to her life in New York City.

She remembered from her itinerary that today—All Souls’ day—was the scheduled trip to Florence. She wondered whether she was strong enough to tour it alone, without Cristiano supporting her. She’d survived Naples alone, after all, and that was considered the most dangerous city in Italy.

But whether she could and whether she wanted to were two different matters. In Naples she’d survived because she had no other choice. Now the choice was there. Leaving was a real option.

Still deliberating, Keira headed out into the street. The hotel she’d selected last night was very off the beaten track, down a sleepy side street. The owners were a friendly elderly couple, unassuming, who’d largely left her alone. It was the first time she didn’t feel out of place or like the tourist she was.

She went to the local store and picked up some bread for breakfast, adding to her basket some underwear, a shirt, and a skirt. After returning to the inn and changing, she realized she was also now dressed like a local.

She used the inn’s computer to type up the notes she’d written yesterday, then emailed them on to Elliot.

I don’t know yet whether I’m staying to finish the article or not but I thought I may as well write while I deliberated. This is my article on Venice.

She hit send. Just then, the female innkeeper came in.

“Scusi,” she said when she saw Keira at the computer. She went to back out of the room.

“It’s fine,” Keira said. “Stay. Restare.”