One Winter Weekend

Chapter 15

Chapter 15

S aturday morning dawned colder than the previous day, but Scott wasn’t daunted in the least.

He’d already bounced back from the disappointment of his failed proposal at St. Mark’s Square, and moved on to an even better idea: a romantic candlelit dinner near Rialto Bridge followed by a stroll along some of the quieter streets nearby.

There under a starry sky, away from all the hustle and bustle of the tourist crowds, he would get down on one knee and propose to the love of his life. He could already picture the scene in his head; he’d replayed it a dozen times since he got out of bed that morning.

But first, the day ahead promised plenty more sightseeing in the historic city. Rachel, enamoured of Italian art, was eager to tour the Gallerie dell'Accademia, which boasted centuries’ worth of Italian paintings, frescoes, sculptures and more. For his part Scott didn’t know the difference between the various periods and styles of painting, nor did he understand the political significance of some of the pieces, but Rachel was having fun and for her sake, he made an effort to have fun, too. It was hard to concentrate on the tour, though, when he kept thinking forward to the table he’d booked for the evening.

Even as they sat at lunch, he was only half-listening to Rachel as she chattered on eagerly about the art they’d seen. Inside he was playing out the proposal as he intended it to happen:

First, they would go to the restaurant. Scott had found one near the impressive Rialto bridge; if you sat near windows you had an excellent view of the bridge, and for the festive season the bridge was lit up much like the rest of the Grand Canal.

They would enjoy a lovely dinner, then take a walk across the bridge and enjoy the sight of the holiday lights across the Grand Canal. Perhaps, if the mood struck them, they would take a gondola down the canal and marvel at the lights from the water.

Then, they would take a quiet walk through the less-populated city streets. Then, on a quiet bridge, away from the crowds, Scott would get down on one knee, pull out the ring, and…

“Earth to Scott.” He snapped out of his reverie to see that Rachel was staring at him, looking slightly bemused. He realised she must have asked a question, and he felt his ears reddening a little. “Sorry, babe, I was lost in thought. What were you saying?”

She smiled and said, “I was suggesting we do a little shopping today. Instead of hitting another museum. I could tell you were a bit bored with the last one.”

Scott winced a little. “Was it that obvious?”

She laughed out loud. “It’s okay. I know I’m the one who’s crazy about Italy; I know you’re not as big of a fan.”

“We can do whatever you want today,” he promised, and meant it. He wanted her to enjoy herself, and more importantly, he wanted her to be in good spirits for their dinner date. He patted his coat pocket once more and followed her out of the cafe and through the city streets.

Shopping proved to be a bit of an interesting experience. Rachel was enjoying chatting with the shopkeepers in Italian, and she found several small items that she wanted to purchase: a leather bag, a cashmere scarf with a gossamer texture and a price tag to match, and some beautiful tiny glass birds, which were wrapped carefully and placed in a sturdy box for safekeeping.