Chapter 9
August 1956 - Napa Valley, California
Caterina woke with an excruciating headache just as the dawning sun began to light the sky. Santo and Ava had intruded upon her dreams, and she’d had a restless night.
After yesterday’s argument with her mother, she had spent the rest of the day with Juliana talking about Marisa and Italy and considering her options, which were few. While they chatted, they painted Juliana’s room a soft shade of robin’s-egg blue. They left the windows open to air the room, and Juliana decided to sleep in her old room in Nina’s cottage. By the time they returned that evening, the windows of Mille Étoiles were dark, and Ava had gone to bed.
Caterina threw off her chenille blanket. Before she left, there was only one thing she wanted from Mille Étoiles. She
