Chapter 8, "Expatriates: The First Family" Summary

As chapter 8 opens, Berendt is taking a walk across the Accademia Bridge. As he is walking across the bridge, he notices a woman completely dressed in white getting into a motorboat with her husband. About a week later, Berendt sees the woman again, and again she is dressed completely in white. When he questions Rose Lauritzen about the woman he saw, Rose states that the woman must be Patricia Curtis, as she always dresses in white. This ignites a conversation about the Curtis family.

The Curtis's are an old Bostonian family who bought the Palazzo Barbaro centuries ago. Daniel Curtis, after getting into an altercation with a man on a subway train, served time in prison, then moved to Venice shortly after his release. The palace has been in the family since Daniel...