‘Don’t worry about me, piccolina,’ Carla said as she stroked her daughter’s cheek tenderly. ‘I promise I am on the road to recovery. Send my apologies to Senhora Aires Cabral, and tell her I hope to be back in Rio very shortly. Come, give your mother a hug.’

Bel did so and Carla stood at the front door, waving her husband and daughter goodbye. Antonio blew his wife a kiss and the car inched along the stony drive.

‘I am very relieved that she is on the mend,’ he said suddenly. ‘Because I really don’t know what I would do without her.’

Bel was surprised to see a rare look of vulnerability in her father’s eyes. For much of the time, it seemed to her that Antonio barely noticed his wife.

The following month was filled with endless trips to A Casa das Orquídeas to meet with Luiza and finalise the details for the wedding. Even though Bel was determined not to let the woman rile her, her patronising, arrogant manner had her biting her tongue on many occasions.

Initially, she’d made suggestions for her preferred hymns, the design of her bridesmaids’ dresses to complement her own magnificent gown, and a possible menu for the wedding breakfast. But every time she did so, Luiza would find a reason why Bel’s ideas were inappropriate. Eventually, seeing it was by far the least painful course of action, she’d simply agreed to everything Luiza suggested.

Gustavo, who sometimes joined them in the drawing room during their meetings, would give her hand a squeeze as she left. ‘Thank you for being so good with my mother. I understand she can be domineering.’

Bel would arrive home exhausted, with a headache from the stress of having to comply with everything Luiza said and wondering how on earth she would control herself when she was actually living under the same roof.

As high summer arrived in Rio, Bel found that without her mother at home, and with her father at the office from dawn until dusk, she had far more freedom than usual. Loen, who had entered a slough of despondency since leaving Bruno behind to return to Rio, would accompany Bel to the little station and take the train up the mountain to see how the Cristo project was progressing. They could see from the viewing platform the hive of activity the site was becoming; great iron bars were being hoisted into place and it was now possible to make out the shape of the cross.

Watching its progress comforted Bel. Since her time at the fazenda, she felt more at peace with the fact that no matter what Laurent thought of her, or whether he loved her, she would always love him. She’d understood that trying to fight it was simply impossible. So, she had surrendered and accepted, knowing she’d harbour her love for Laurent secretly in her heart for the rest of her life.