Carnival night in Venice, 1748. During the festivities the young Countess Cornelia meets and falls under the spell of a mysterious green-eyed young man. Despite the fact that Cornelia is engaged to marry the Duke of Fontages, the inevitable takes place and Cornelia soon realises that she is pregnant. Her shocked parents lock her up in their country house to keep her out of sight and try their very best to continue preparing for the imminent wedding with the Duke. One of the servants at the country house is Rosa a very poor young women who is also pregnant and unmarried. The girls have a long wait ahead of them and find it difficult living with one another given their vastly different social extraction. They are united by the fact that both have come across much dishonesty and cynicism in their short lives. Cornelia refuses to accept that she is pregnant and does not want the child she is carrying whilst Rosa is happy with her lot. Gradually the servant girl manages to transmit the love she feels for her unborn baby to the young aristocrat and they become firm friends. They realise that they enjoy being in one another's company and talk about the love affairs that led to their present circumstances. Their warm feelings grow and they become emotionally involved. The time comes for the birth of their babies. While Cornelia is giving birth, Rosa falls down, goes into labour and gives birth to a little girl. It is the moment of truth and tragedy. Finally Cornelia realises the terrible thing that Rosa, Piera the midwife and Cornelia's parents have tried to conceal from her.
From the play L'attesa by Remo Binosi.