Chapter 9
Paolina awoke with an uneasy feeling that something was wrong.
For the first time since she had come to Venice the beauty of her bedchamber, with its painted ceiling and carved stucco designs over the doors and windows, failed to give her any pleasure.
She had the impression that something was bearing down upon her and, although her head did not ache, it was as if something nagged behind her mind, giving her a feeling of apprehension and anxiety that had no foundation in fact.
She hardly sipped the chocolate that her maid brought her and was indifferent to the enthusiasm of the coiffeur who had come with new ideas for dressing her hair.
“Today is a very special day, my Lady,” Thérèsa told her. “There will be a Regatta and the competitors will pass under this very window. The
