Lots of Offers Can Be Refused in 'Hotel Portofino's “Proposals”

The title of Hotel Portofino’s second episode of Season 3 is “Proposals,” which is appropriate because Marco seems to think that proposing to Bella will solve all their problems. He thinks it’s their chance to be together, but Bella knows things aren’t so simple for a woman in 1929. She tells him she is sure about Marco but not about marriage. That doesn’t go over so well with Marco and the two have a fight.

But later, a very tipsy Bella goes to see Marco and tells him, “I just know I don’t want to lose you.” Marco doesn’t get what their path forward can be. Bella tells him she just needs time. “Fine, but don’t take too long because while you are making up your mind about what you want. I’ll be making mine up, too.” While I understand Marco’s perspective here,  I think the last thing Bella needs right now is another man telling her what to do. Marco doesn’t care what anyone else thinks about their relationship, but Bella reminds him that she has to care. People won’t stay in a hotel run by a scandalous woman.

Marco’s other problem is Danioni, who has been spying on Marco and now demands to know why he wasn’t in his office that morning. Marco tells him he was out picking mushrooms, which he shows Danioni. (Marco has receipts, as the kids say.) Marco also brought his license to Danioni, as was requested in the last episode. Danioni tells Marco just to leave it on his desk. “I’ll get it back if it’s all in order,” he tells him. Marco obeys, which seems like a major mistake (and the ominous music that plays over the scene confirms this is a grave error). Now Marco has no proof that he’s a licensed contractor. 

Cecil is, meanwhile, acting like a petulant child. He needs a divorce so he can remarry and get money to pay off the “ghastly” tax bill his brother left him with; “I stand to lose everything,” he tells Bella. “I don’t give a fig for your estate or your silly title,” Bella tells him.

Claudine arrives at the hotel just in time to whisk Bella off in her brand-new car. She’s having a launch party for her new perfume at Hotel Portofino, and the pair spend their day drinking and dancing. We also get a little peak behind the facade Claudine puts up that she's the life of the party.* Her outward confidence turns out to be a bit of bravado. When a man speaks to her rudely at their dance club, Bella wonders why Claudine continues to go out. “What do I got to stay in for?” Claudine replies. They come home to Cecil, who has waited up for them (read, lying in wait). “I just don’t like you,” Cecil tells Claudine. Amelia, however, is quite taken with Claudine and her fashion sense.

(*I think of Claudine as the Samantha Jones of Hotel Portofino.)

Alice is invited to Count Albani’s house by his sister. (That’s right; the woman Count Albani was with during the season premiere was his sister.) She doesn’t like Alice and tells her brother (in Italian) that Alice is a spoiled brat. I’m not saying she’s wrong, but Count Albani seems to listen to his sister and not his heart. He tells Alice he’s happiest with a simple life on the farm with his horses and that nothing about Alice is simple. “I’ve come to believe we are not right for each other,” he tells Alice. 

Count Albani, who comes *thisclose* to kissing Alice in the horse stables, doth protest too much. He needs to stop listening to his sister. At least Alice got a chance to wear the new green dress her aunt bought her in the last episode. 

Bella’s father is what can only be described as a grumpy, bitter piece of work. He tells Bell he wants her to sign a paper saying she understands he is giving his business to Bella’s sister, Amelia, and that Bella will do nothing to contest this arrangement. Bella is fine with this but reminds her father that Amelia hasn’t ever even run a bath, let alone a business. Dad then tells Bella that she doesn’t run a real business but rather a “rich woman’s plaything.” Dad insists that Bella sign the document, which she does, and then she announces to her father that she and Cecil are getting a divorce. “Over my dead body,” he replies as if he still has any control over his adult daughter.

Betty and Salvatore’s romance continues. They’ve reached the point where he’s taking her to meet Salvatore’s mother, and on her birthday, no less. Her future mother-in-law doesn’t want anyone to bring food to her celebration. But cooking is Betty’s way of showing love. Salvatore relents and lets Betty bring her lemon drizzle cake to the party. Mom declares the cake “a little heavy,” which Salvatore translates as “tasted fantastico.”

Against the advice of both Betty and Paola, Constance tells Vito about Tommy, to which Vito replies he doesn’t care about her past. He just trusts what he’s feeling now, and that is how much he likes her. Constance confesses that she likes him too, and it looks like she might finally move on... until a group of men suddenly arrive and crash the celebration. It’s Lucian and Betty’s son Billy, who have finally returned from India.

Hotel Portofino Season 3 continues with new episodes every Sunday at 8 p.m. ET on most PBS stations and streams on the PBS app and the PBS Masterpiece Prime Video Channel. As always, check your local listings.