In 1986 Elizabeth Lewis dreamed of a glorious summer in Italy. Working as an au pair in a remote picturesque village she planned to cook Italian, learn Italian, be Italian. There was so much hope to be dashed...

A long hot summer begins with Lizzie re-christened Betty - or should that be Cinderella? - by her Italian hosts. Between daily chores and child-minding, dreams of becoming Sophia Loren grow hazy. That is until her knight in shining armour arrives, in a Cinquecento, and Lizzie's romantic Brief Encounter begins.