Chapter SixThe Marquis and Lucia went on deck after they had finished dinner.
The sea had been rough for the first few days while they were in the Adriatic, then after they had passed Brindisi and sailed round the heel of Italy into the Mediterranean, the sea was as blue and almost as calm as the Lagoon.
Because there was always the fear of pirates if they were anywhere near the north coast of Africa, the Marquis had given instructions that they should sail through the Strait of Messina between Italy and Sicily and up the west coast of Italy.
Now, looking out, they could see lights in the distance which seemed to mingle with the stars coming out in the sky overhead.
“It is so beautiful!” Lucia said after a moment.
There was silence. Then the Marquis said, in a different voice from any
