A Cruise for Cinderella by Vivian Stuart

Author:Vivian Stuart
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Jentas Ehf
Published: 2022-10-25T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER ELEVEN

It was warm and sunny in Naples, and Janie was enchanted by all she saw—the dark-skinned, laughing bambini, the huge, luxurious shops lining both sides of the Via Roma, the magnificent churches and museums and art galleries, the glimpses she caught of Vesuvius, the graceful curve of the sunlit bay and the blue, sparkling water . . . the narrow streets of the poor parts of the town, with washing strung across from house to house, casting long, flickering shadows over the colorful crowds . . . the open-air markets, the wonders of the Galleria Umberto.

With Nina and Molly, she joined one of the organized sight-seeing tours and, after visiting the Cathedral of San Gennaro, the San Carlo Opera House and the royal palace. she was glad to sit down and drink iced fruit juice in a delightful open-air tearoom in an orange grove overlooking the bay.

The other two girls had booked on the afternoon drive to Pompeii, and Janie left them just before lunch and found her way. with surprisingly little difficulty, to the Piazza Dante, aided by a map David had drawn for her and had thrust into her hand at breakfast.

Vittorio’s was a small, unpretentious place, its tables covered with gaily striped cloths, at which a few people sat, most of them sipping wine or drinking coffee and reading illustrated papers, apparently provided by the restaurant. David wasn’t there when Janie arrived, but she was tired after her strenuous morning, and when a waiter in shirt-sleeves showed her to a table and brought her. without asking, a carafe of red wine, she settled down to wait for him quite contentedly, finding the wine refreshing when she essayed it. None of her fellow passengers from the Goldinia appeared, but the people were friendly; several of them smiled at her and a young man with black, tousled hair and a pair of bold eyes toasted her gallantly every time she glanced in his direction.

He was doing so for the third time, hopefully, when David entered the restaurant, out of breath and, to Janie’s dismay, still in uniform.

“Well!” He sat down opposite her and his smile was rueful. “I’m sorry I kept you waiting, Janie. It was just one of those things again. Actually I’m ashore on duty and I’ve got to go back, first to the company’s agents in the Via Piliero and then to the ship—which. I’m afraid, puts the lid on our plans for the rest of the day. But I tell you what—” he signed to the waiter “—we’ll eat and then I’ll see you on the steamer to Capri and come across and join you there about six. How would that do?”

He looked so crestfallen that Janie hastened to assure him that she didn’t mind.

“Capri’s a lively place to wander around, even by yourself, and there’ll be lots of Goldinia passengers going over,” David went on anxiously. “Are you sure you don’t mind? I’m most awfully sorry, Janie, honestly I am.”

“Don’t worry about it, David.

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