A Long MorningIlsa returned to the villa that night and we slept long into the morning. The windows were open during the night, letting in the crisp cool air, against which we huddled under blankets for comfort. Streaks of sunlight were peering through the branches of the tree outside our window. I opened my eyes to see that the sun had risen to about ten o'clock, then rolled over to see that Ilsa was already awake and beaming back at me.
“Buon giorno, Signor Trantino,” she said. Ilsa was only the second person at the Castello to address me as Signor Trantino, and this caused me to reflect on my potential role at the Castello dei Trantini.
“Buon giorno, signorina,” I replied, pulling myself closer so that I could kiss her.
Ilsa buried her head a little deeper into my neck, and I stroked
