Chapter 2
Naples too has a via Toledo and, as in Palermo, the nobility's most prestigious palazzi stand there. The captain's sister lives in the heart of the old city, just off the main road, in an elegant house with a carved stone facade. A servant leads us to a light and airy drawing-room with large windows opening onto a small garden.
A tiny lady with a bright expression, her blond hair worn up, comes to meet us with a smile, smoothing the skirt of her pomegranate coloured dress.
“Orazio! You couldn't have given me a nicer surprise.”
The captain responds to her hug, almost lifting her off the ground. “Darling Maria, I've come to take advantage of your hospitality. I was on course for Genoa but I have had to surrender to the rough seas and anchor here in the harbour. I took two passe
