The Valley of Decision Book III - The Choice - Section 3.3

In which the cavaliere Odo finds himself unexpectedly immersed in the sparkling, theatrical splendour and complex social intrigues of Venetian high society, from the dazzling festivities at the Procuratessa Bra’s villa to the disarming contradictions of carnival and convent life. Amidst the city’s masked revelries and shifting alliances, a chance encounter with a cloistered acquaintance rekindles quiet questions of loyalty and secrecy beneath Venice’s shimmering surface.