The Venice Sketchbook

Caroline spends a couple of days cleaning and preparing Lettie’s apartment so she can move in. Once things are in order, she searches the apartment for hints about Lettie’s life and for locks that might fit the final key she inherited from Lettie.

Caroline finds a suitcase stuffed with clothes. She also finds many drawings, but no personal papers. Among the drawings are many of a baby, and Caroline recognizes the baby’s face as that of the cherub in a painting Lettie had in England.

Caroline concludes that Lettie might have been a nanny for the Da Rossi family. She also wonders if there was a tragedy around a child that caused his grandmother’s dislike of English women and perhaps Lettie in particular. Luca says he knows of no such tragedy, and that his grandmother’s dislike came from English soldiers who occupied the city.

Luca asks about her job, and she admits that she doesn’t particularly enjoy it and that it doesn’t make use of her talents. He suggests that she sell him the apartment and use the money to open a fashion house, which she laughs off.

Throughout the conversation, she feels uncomfortable. He sits on the arm of her chair at one point, and she feels as if it’s a show of dominance.