Valentina slowed her car down to a stop in front of Camilla’s villa, then turned off the engine and sat for a moment, taking as much time as she needed to work up courage and unfurl from the palace of the thoughts in her head. The building was the same welcoming cream she'd seen before, but even that looked fresher today, cleaner somehow in the afternoon light, as if it wanted to let her in or maybe cam has forgiven her and now she sees everything in new light.

Camilla’s annoying ...