▁he ▁describes ▁is ▁entirely ▁fict ional , ▁as ▁Par ma ▁was ▁ruled ▁by ▁Marie ▁Louise , ▁Duch ess ▁of ▁Par ma ▁during ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁novel . ▁( Marie ▁Louise ▁was ▁Napoleon ' s ▁second ▁wife ). ▁ ▁After ▁several ▁years ▁of ▁the ology ▁school ▁in ▁Nap les , ▁during ▁which ▁he ▁has ▁many ▁affairs ▁with ▁local ▁women , ▁Fab rice ▁returns ▁to ▁Par ma . ▁Fab rice ▁had ▁been ▁afraid ▁that ▁he ▁could ▁never ▁fall ▁in ▁love , ▁and ▁he ▁is ▁surprised ▁when ▁he ▁develop s ▁rom antic ▁feelings ▁towards ▁G ina ; ▁the ▁om nis cient ▁narr ator ▁tells ▁us ▁that ▁she ▁shares ▁the ▁same ▁feelings ▁although ▁the ▁characters ▁never ▁discuss ▁them . ▁ ▁Fab rice ▁becomes ▁involved ▁with ▁a ▁young ▁actress ▁whose ▁manager / lo ver ▁takes ▁off ense ▁and ▁tries ▁to ▁kill ▁Fab rice . ▁In ▁the ▁resulting ▁fight , ▁Fab rice ▁k ills ▁the ▁man ▁and ▁fle es ▁Par ma ▁for ▁Bolog na , ▁fear ing ▁correctly ▁that ▁he ▁will ▁not ▁be ▁treated ▁just ly ▁by ▁the ▁courts . ▁After ▁returning ▁to ▁Par ma ▁sur re pt it iously , ▁Fab rice ▁returns ▁to ▁Bolog na , ▁sp ending ▁much ▁time ▁trying ▁to ▁form ▁a ▁relationship ▁with ▁an ▁attract ive ▁sop rano , ▁Fa usta ; ▁in ▁the ▁meant ime , ▁the ▁jud ici ary ▁have ▁found ▁him ▁guilty ▁of ▁the ▁murder . ▁Dist ress ed ▁by ▁these ▁ ▁develop ments ▁indicating ▁that ▁Fab rice ▁may ▁be ▁executed , ▁G ina ▁goes ▁to ▁the ▁Prince ▁to ▁ple