Up at the Villa

Nice tight plot, but I wish the political environment had entered into the story a little more–there was certainly an opportunity for that given that the book was set in Italy shortly before WWII.

Love Maugham, whatever he writes.

A short read, and the first I have read my W Somerset Maugham.
A 30 something widow, living in a borrowed villa in Florence is proposed to by an old friend - who is also an elder friend, very well to do, very loyal, very proper. She defers her answer, for the three days he must be away to secure his new position - as Governor of Bengal.
In the three days, much changes...

Mary is a beauty, Edgar is a hero, Rowley is a scoundrel.

Any more is going to require a spoiler, and being only 95 pages, there is not much more to be given away.