Chapter 33 Chapter Thirty-Three
They married in a church near Ellen's sister's farm in Sussex, without outsiders being invited.Allen's sister is a very kind woman who looks exactly like the photo Catherine had seen in Allen's office.Her son is studying abroad.Catherine and Ellen spent a quiet weekend at the farm before flying to Venice, Italy for their honeymoon.
Venice occupies a splendid page in the history of the Middle Ages.There are canals and 120 islands, plus 400 bridges, spanning them.It is a city floating on the water, which is incredible.Allen and Catherine disembarked at the Marco Polo pier near Mestre in Venice, took a motorboat to St. Mark's Square, and checked into the Daniel Royal Hotel.This is a nice old style hotel close to Doggers Palace.
Their suites are comfortable and elegant, filled with delightful period furniture.Looking out of the window, below is the Grand Canal.
"What do you want to do first?" Allen asked.
Catherine came up to him and hugged him. "you guess."
Afterwards, they unpacked their luggage.
Venice was the medicine, the placebo, which made Catherine forget those terrible nightmares and the horrors of bygone days. She and Ellen went out to visit places of interest.St. Mark's Square, just a few hundred yards from the hotel, is hundreds of years old.St. Mark's Church is both a cathedral and an art museum.On the walls, on the ceiling, there are all kinds of amazing frescoes and mosaics everywhere. They visited Doggers Palace.The halls inside are magnificent.Then, came to the Sigos Bridge.Prisoners used this bridge to go to the execution ground hundreds of years ago. They toured museums, churches and some of the surrounding islands.In Morano, they stop to see glass blowing.And in Murano, watch the women weaving lace.They took a motorboat to Tosello and had dinner in Rogonda Cipreani's beautiful garden surrounded by flowers. And Catherine remembered the garden in the monastery.She remembered how helpless she was at that time.Thank you, God, she thought, looking across the table at dear Ellen.
Messerley Street is the main commercial street.They found the famous shops: Luberi, Kesara Shoes, and Geoconda Kesini Antiques.They dined at the Quedley's, at the Algrespa de U, and at Harry's.After the long gondola they took another, smaller Italian gondola.
Friday was not far from their departure day.Suddenly, it began to rain cats and dogs.The wind howled, thunder and lightning. Catherine and Wen Lun hurried back to the hotel to avoid the rain.They looked out the window at the rainstorm. "Sorry, it's raining, Mrs. Hamilton," Allen said. "It's guaranteed to be sunny in the tourist brochure." Catherine smiled and said, "What rain? I'm so happy, dear." Bursts of lightning split the sky, and then a booming Rey.Another sound rang through Catherine's head: the explosion of the boiler. She turned to Allen and said, "Is today the day for the jury verdict?" He hesitated, "Yes. I didn't bring it up because..." "I can't bear it. I want to know how it turned out." He stared at her for a while, then nodded: "Okay." Catherine watched Allen walk to the radio in the corner of the room and turn it on.He tuned into the BBC.Reporting news. "...Today, the Prime Minister handed in his resignation letter. The Prime Minister wants to form a new government." The noise on the radio was rattling, rising and falling. "Damn thunderstorm," said Allen. The radio sounded again: "In Athens, the trial of Constantine Demiris is finally over. The jury has just reached its verdict. Contrary to everyone's expectations, the verdict..." The broadcast was interrupted again. Catherine turned to Ai Lun and said, "What—what do you think this ruling is?" He took her into his arms. "It depends on whether you believe in happy endings."
Venice was the medicine, the placebo, which made Catherine forget those terrible nightmares and the horrors of bygone days. She and Ellen went out to visit places of interest.St. Mark's Square, just a few hundred yards from the hotel, is hundreds of years old.St. Mark's Church is both a cathedral and an art museum.On the walls, on the ceiling, there are all kinds of amazing frescoes and mosaics everywhere. They visited Doggers Palace.The halls inside are magnificent.Then, came to the Sigos Bridge.Prisoners used this bridge to go to the execution ground hundreds of years ago. They toured museums, churches and some of the surrounding islands.In Morano, they stop to see glass blowing.And in Murano, watch the women weaving lace.They took a motorboat to Tosello and had dinner in Rogonda Cipreani's beautiful garden surrounded by flowers. And Catherine remembered the garden in the monastery.She remembered how helpless she was at that time.Thank you, God, she thought, looking across the table at dear Ellen.
Messerley Street is the main commercial street.They found the famous shops: Luberi, Kesara Shoes, and Geoconda Kesini Antiques.They dined at the Quedley's, at the Algrespa de U, and at Harry's.After the long gondola they took another, smaller Italian gondola.
Friday was not far from their departure day.Suddenly, it began to rain cats and dogs.The wind howled, thunder and lightning. Catherine and Wen Lun hurried back to the hotel to avoid the rain.They looked out the window at the rainstorm. "Sorry, it's raining, Mrs. Hamilton," Allen said. "It's guaranteed to be sunny in the tourist brochure." Catherine smiled and said, "What rain? I'm so happy, dear." Bursts of lightning split the sky, and then a booming Rey.Another sound rang through Catherine's head: the explosion of the boiler. She turned to Allen and said, "Is today the day for the jury verdict?" He hesitated, "Yes. I didn't bring it up because..." "I can't bear it. I want to know how it turned out." He stared at her for a while, then nodded: "Okay." Catherine watched Allen walk to the radio in the corner of the room and turn it on.He tuned into the BBC.Reporting news. "...Today, the Prime Minister handed in his resignation letter. The Prime Minister wants to form a new government." The noise on the radio was rattling, rising and falling. "Damn thunderstorm," said Allen. The radio sounded again: "In Athens, the trial of Constantine Demiris is finally over. The jury has just reached its verdict. Contrary to everyone's expectations, the verdict..." The broadcast was interrupted again. Catherine turned to Ai Lun and said, "What—what do you think this ruling is?" He took her into his arms. "It depends on whether you believe in happy endings."