The party sipped drinks and helped themselves from a dish of olives as they made small talk. Zia, Piero noticed, seemed adept at kicking off the conversation and then listening. She said to Lucia, ‘Durante told me you travelled.’ She wore sapphires on her ring finger, right hand. If she’d been an Italian woman it would have meant she was engaged but he knew British women usually wore engagement and wedding rings both on the left, as Ursula did. Zia’s third finger on her left hand was bare.

‘Yes, yes, when I owned a ceramics factory. Like Piero. He travels around Europe selling wine.’ Lucia lifted her glass of white to illustrate.

Piero grinned. ‘I travel less, now. Video conferencing’s taking over.’ He didn’t mind that Lucia had made him sound like a rep rather than the director of sales and transportation. Essentially, he sold wine.

After a rambling digression about personal meetings versus video calls, Zia gave the conversation another nudge. ‘Which parts of Britain have you visited, Lucia?’

‘London, often.’ Lucia answered. ‘Also, Edinburgh in Scotland and other places. Sometimes for trade shows, sometimes to meet buyers.’

‘Ursula and I live in Brighton, in East Sussex,’ Zia popped in. ‘But I was born in Devon.’

Lucia sipped her wine before replying. ‘I visited Devon a few times.’

Did Piero dream it or did Zia exchange a quick glance with Ursula? She moved on so smoothly to a polite enquiry about whether Lucia had family in Montelibertà that Piero wasn’t sure. Then Durante pulled him into a conversation with the Dutch tourists who wanted to cycle around Lake Trasimeno. He joked, ‘All of it?’ But was happy to talk about the beauties of the lake.

After an hour, Ursula’s phone rang and, saying breathlessly to Zia, ‘It’s Stephan. See you later,’ she excused herself.

Zia smiled and nodded then continued to chat to Lucia while the Dutch couples asked Piero and Durante about trains to Orvieto. Living in a tourist town they were used to these conversations and were happy to explain the new public transport fare system. Durante pushed another beer into Piero’s hand. The sky turned from lavender to navy and the terrace lights came up.

The Dutch guests eventually left to seek dinner in Montelibertà and the instant they’d exited down the steps Lucia gave Durante’s arm an urgent shake. ‘Listen!’ she demanded dramatically. ‘Zia, she knows property law. She thinks they’re lying.’

Piero’s gaze flew to Zia, whose brows shot up. ‘I didn’t exactly say that,’ she countered quickly. ‘I just said I wasn’t sure what you told me sounded correct. I’m not an expert.’

‘But tell them what you think,’ Lucia demanded. A sheen had broken out over her face, clinging to the furrows in her skin.