‘I’m sorry, Signora Romano, I didn’t mean to upset you!’ I gathered the pictures up and put them back in the envelope. ‘I’m really, truly sorry. I thought you’d like to see the photographs. Never mind. Perhaps you can take them with you, look at them later, on your own.’

‘I don’t want them!’

‘Are you sure? Not even one? The puppet theatre… Wouldn’t you like to show that to your father?’

She gave an appalled gasp and pushed the pictures further away. I gathered them up.

Joe returned with her drink. He raised a questioning eyebrow and I made a face to signify that I didn’t know why Signora Romano was so upset.

She took the brandy and sipped, making an effort to compose herself. I lay my hand gently over hers. It was so tiny, so thin, skin and bones and veins. It trembled beneath mine.

Joe and I exchanged glances.

I can’t! I mouthed.

You have to, Joe replied silently.

I cleared my throat, dreading saying the words out loud.

‘We do have some other news for you, Signora.’

‘The villa?’

‘Yes.’

‘At last! Are you ready to sell? Do you have a price for me? I have my chequebook with me. I can give you a deposit today.’

‘No,’ I said. ‘We don’t have a price. Actually, we wanted you to be the first person to know that we’ve made up our minds not to sell. We’re keeping the villa.’

She was pale already, now her skin drained to a deathlike pallor.

‘We weren’t sure before, but now we are,’ I continued. ‘I’m sorry, I know this will be a disappointment to you, but we wanted to let you know as soon as possible.’

‘You’re going to live there?’ she asked, horror on her face.

‘Yes.’ Joe smiled. ‘We’re planning to turn the villa into a retreat.’

‘But it’s all in a state…’

‘We’re going to fix it.’

‘That’s crazy,’ she said. ‘There are only two of you… the work that needs doing… the expense!’

‘There is a lot of work, but we’re optimists,’ said Joe.

‘And we can do most of it ourselves,’ I added.

‘Edie’s already made a start on the pool.’

‘And, of course, you’ll always be welcome at the villa,’ I said, ‘whenever you want to visit.’

Joe gave me a ferocious look.

‘Always,’ I said, desperate to appease her.

‘You lied to me,’ Signora Romano said.

‘I didn’t mean to lie, Signora. When we first spoke, I meant what I said and—’

She banged her fists on the table and leaned towards me, her eyes sparking with anger. ‘You lied. You told me you were selling the villa and I put things in motion, things I can’t stop!’ Flecks of spit tapped the skin of my face.

‘I’m sorry.’