Chiara – Revenge and Triumph (37 page)

"Here you are, Lady Lucrezia. It is a privilege to see you again."

She noticed Lucia’s ‘I told you so’ wink, wondering at the same time whether he always greeted everybody with ‘it’s a privilege’.

"Signor Sanguanero, the pleasure is mine," she replied, smiling, cultivating her southern accent, letting the actor assume her role. Pointing around with a sweep of one hand, she added: "What an enchanting hall, so simple and yet so beautiful in its purity."

"Signorina, you have a gift for words. Yes, my grandfather designed it and we have resisted all temptations to make it more ostentatious."

"Oh, that would ruin it. What exquisite vases!"

"You mean the amphoras? Yes, they are. If you permit, I wish to introduce you to my father first, before I let you admire them."

"Signore, it is only proper that I first meet Signor Sanguanero."

"Lady Lucrezia, please come."

He led her to the old man. She braced herself, surprised and alarmed by the revulsion gathering in her throat.

"Father, I would like to introduce Signorina Alberti de’ Morrone to you… My father, Signor Massimo Sanguanero."

"I am honored to meet you, Signor Sanguanero," she managed to say and realized at the same time that the southern accent was missing.

"Lady Lucrezia, since I cannot see you, I can only shake hands with you," he said, holding out his right hand. She forced herself to take it and almost ripped hers back at the touch. Her stomach wanted to revolt. It took all her will not to vomit. She briefly closed her eyes, and heard Lucia’s concerned question: "Lady Lucrezia, are you feeling ill?"

She caught herself, taking a deep breath, the actor being in charge again, the southern accent back. "Oh no. Thank you for your concern, Lady Lucia. I just felt overwhelmed by the thought of how horrible it must be to be deprived of one’s eyesight, to always have to depend on others."

"You are dead right, young woman. Every day I curse the girl who did it. May she rot in hell forever." His voice suddenly sounded guttural.

The girl you raped and intended to drown,
but her face only expressed sympathy, as he finally released her hand.

"Oh father, please do not upset yourself now," begged Lucia, putting a hand on his shoulders.

He ignored her, addressing Chiara again. "Your voice sounds familiar. Have I met you before?"

She had not counted on the heightened sensitivity of a blind person to sound. "I do not think so, Signore. Not unless you have been at Palazzo Alberti in Naples while I was still a child."

"No, I never met your father. Lucia has sung your high praises. So I now want to hear from you what you look like."

"Gladly. I am half a head taller than your daughter, Signore. A plain face, brown eyes, high forehead, high cheek bones, long black hair plaited to the side of my head, and I think I am a bit too slim."

"Oh father, Lady Lucrezia is too modest," exclaimed Lucia. "She is a stunning woman and not only in her looks, but also her mind."

"Be quiet, daughter. You have said that several times already. I want to hear it from this young woman."

Lucia met Chiara’s gaze with an apology.

"Last time I was in Naples, I had not heard that your house had branched into commerce."

Quick Chiara, think of something!
"Oh, I think it happened a few years back when I was still a child. Naturally, I do not understand much about it, nor does it interest me. But I was told that my father, God bless his soul, tried to keep the family name out of the affairs because my grandparents frowned on seeing his name associated with commerce. I think he worked mainly through Messer Adelphi dei Guantani. I forgot what it is called now."

"A trading corporation?" interjected Niccolo.

"Yes, I think that is it." She hoped that she was not undermining her case. "But then about three years ago he felt that being a merchant was gaining respectability even in Naples and decided to let our name be known. Alas, both my parents died in the plague."

"How sad," murmured Lucia. "But father, please excuse us. I think that our other guests are waiting to be introduced to Lady Lucrezia."

Chiara gave a silent sigh of relief, nodded to the old man and noticed her mistake, saying: "Signor Sanguanero, thank you for receiving me."

In fact, a half circle of people had formed around them, waiting expectantly. Chiara braved their scrutiny with smiles. Besides Lucia’s husband, whom she had already met twice, she recognized four other people that had attended one of the performances, but none of them seemed to connect her to I Magnifici.

After the introductions and the compulsory small talk, Niccolo took her aside. "Are you still interested in seeing the amphoras?"

"Certainly. In fact, I was waiting for you to keep your promise."

His face glowed with a mixture of pleasure and pompous pride, as he led her to one of the vases. "They are our most precious pieces of art. I’m told that they are of Greek origin."

Chiara studied the two feet tall vessel displayed on a marble base, trying to hide her increasing agitation. Black and dark-red geometric friezes decorated the neck and base of the beautifully proportioned form, its girth showing black figures of animals and humans on a pale ochre base. She closed her eyes for a moment and saw the same vase standing, one of two, in a corner of Castello Nisporto. Etruscan, her father had explained their origin. She clamped her teeth tightly and slowly breathed in, filling her lungs fully, calming the storm inside her. A quick glance to the other corner along the same wall confirmed that the vase displayed there was its twin.

"Is it not beautiful? … I see that for once you are lost for words."

"Indeed, I am, Signore. To say they are merely beautiful is an understatement. In fact, they are exquisite, priceless."

"You see, Niccolo, our guest is not long lost for words," chuckled Lucia.

"Lady Lucrezia, if our negotiations progress the way I would like them to, you may be able to admire these amphoras every day."

He showered her with a paternalistic smile. She had the urge to spit into his face, but instead bashfully lowered her head.

"These two form a pair," he said, pointing to the other vase at the adjacent corner. "That makes them even more valuable."

I want them back,
cried her mind. "Are they family pieces?"

"You could say that. We recently brought them here from one of our other properties. Do you wish to see the other one also?"

"Oh yes, you would not want to deprive me of that pleasure."

After admiring both, they mingled again with the other guests. She even had to endure another exchange with the old man. She deliberately steered the conversation to books and mentioned that Lucia had praised his library.

"Useless to me now," he grunted.

"Signore, even to you it is useful. I would be surprised if your daughter does not read to you."

"Not enough." Then he called out "Lucia" and told her to show Chiara the library. Lucia led her into a lounge at the back of the hall, warmly lit by the late afternoon sun.

"What a pleasant room, so light. I prefer reading by daylight," Chiara exclaimed and then turned to one of the shelves next to the door, scanning the titles. She wanted to scream. Her father’s entire library. She became aware that her agitation was showing. "How exciting to have such a vast collection. I could easily lose myself in here and never wish to get out."

"Until that time comes, I would be happy to lend you some books while you are in Siena," Lucia said, chuckling.

"Would you really?"

"Yes, do you see one or two you would like to take along today?"

"Let me have a quick look."

She rapidly scanned the shelves, trying to find her little book of Latin poems. It was not there. She would have spotted it immediately, but there were three other Latin tomes that her father had claimed were a rarity and unique. She picked them out. If she could not recover all the books, she wanted to save at least those three.

"May I borrow these?"

"I will have them sent to you."

"Thank you, but there is no need. My servant can carry them for me. Lady Lucia, you are so kind."

When she left, Lucia whispered into her ear: "I think you have won them over. Let’s hope the negotiations go well."

* * * 

Early Monday morning, Alda, Pepe, Veronica and Jacomo left discreetly for Florence. Orlando visited Casa Sanguanero to stress the urgency of concluding the negotiations for the marriage contract in view of the need to get the galleys prepared in time for an early departure and to allow him to return to Naples as quickly as possible. He was told by Niccolo that a meeting with their notary had already been arranged for Tuesday afternoon to which he was invited.

He and Chiara again went over what aspects stipulated in the Naples notary’s letter could not be varied and which ones he could negotiate on.

His mien was worried when he returned from the meeting. "They seem to stall. I think they were somewhat stunned by the size of their share. Twenty thousand florins are a lot of money. Niccolo claims that they need several weeks to finalize the terms of the contract."

"One thing we can’t afford is to give them time to check us out. To be on the safe side, we’ve at most two months. I can understand that they may need time to raise the funds."

"I guess they may have to take out a loan with a merchant banker. But there’s more. They want to supply the goods for one galley themselves and only six thousand florins in the form of a letter of credit."

Why had she not thought herself that they might want something along that line? It seemed obvious that as merchants they wanted to be actively involved at both ends.

Orlando looked at her expectantly. "What do you say to that?"

"I was just thinking. Unless they have all these goods already in their warehouses, it might still force them to overextend themselves, particularly since they’ll end up with huge stocks that go nowhere. If we insist that the goods are ready within say a month, they might have to pay higher prices and are likely to make a loss when they want to get rid of them again."

"So, you would be willing to go along with this demand."

"Yes, but not half of the total cargo. I want at least ten thousand in funds. So, you should start out with the equivalent of seven thousand in goods, and we specify what general type and quality, and thirteen thousand in funds and then let yourself be pushed down to ten thousand each way. You can always claim that Casa Alberti has already acquired merchandise worth over eighteen thousand florins of the kind you know from past experience will fetch high prices in Alexandria."

"It’s your call, but I think they might buy that. And what if they still insist on two months for the funds?"

"No, they have to be made available upon signing of the contract. The faster we’re out, the safer it is for all of us. Claim that the galleys have to be outfitted and that Cosimo Adelphi dei Guantani insists on full advance payment, as is customary for such ventures. Which reminds me, I guess it will also make sense that one of the galleys calls at Porto Pisano to pick up their goods. Insist that the goods have to be at the port within five weeks since otherwise the departure to the East will be delayed. Tell them that you will let Naples know by special courier right away after the contract has been signed to send one of the galleys to Porto Pisano."

Orlando chuckled. "You should be a merchant the way you reason… You know, Chiara, I actually enjoy my role — a real one this time and so my acting has to be even more convincing. What’s the next move?"

"I suggest we write a letter, telling them that you will go to Rapolano Terme and will be back Wednesday of next week. Also indicate that Casa Alberti may be open to go partway along their proposal."

"The baths are very pleasant. But I guess I won’t actually go there?"

"No. You’ll take the horse relay tomorrow. I’ll remain here until Friday, and make sure that I see Lucia early that day. If I leave by ten or eleven in the morning, I’ll make it to Florence by late afternoon."

"That will be tough, but don’t cut it too fine. We need you there."

"If the Roman Imperial messengers could travel twenty-five leagues in ten hours, I can do sixteen in six."

"But why must somebody remember you?"

"In case I, Chiara, am ever accused of having defrauded Casa Sanguanero, I must be able to show that Lucrezia and I can’t be the same person, regardless of any resemblance, since I couldn’t have been in Siena and Florence on the same day."

"You have it all figured out… What will you do, if we succeed?"

She noticed the use of ‘we’. "I’ve not made any firm plans yet. One step at a time. The first thing is to invest my part of the spoils safely and out of reach of Casa Sanguanero. Maybe go on the road for a time before winter. I actually enjoy that. Then, when the cold comes, settle in a big town, offering private shows. And plan and prepare my next move."

16

Florence, Siena, early September 1349

How incensed I was when I discovered all my father’s books in the library of Casa Sanguanero, all except for the little tome of Latin poems! But there was more. I wept and raged silently when I saw the rare Etruscan vases that had adorned the hall of Castello Nisporto, prominently displayed in their loggia. Had they raided my home and taken everything of value away? Having admired and learned to appreciate art treasures from Roman times and earlier in the mansions and palazzi of the many noble and rich merchants I Magnifici had entertained, I was more than ever aware of how precious these vases are. And Niccolo, revealing his ignorance, claimed they were Greek.

But to my dismay I also discovered that I could have found a friend in Niccolo’s younger sister, Lucia. She invited me twice. I liked her and, from her reactions, there was no doubt that she liked me. I did not even resent that she wore my mother’s necklace. She had the thin throat that made it sit nicely at the base, while the last time I had tried it on three years before, it had felt tight and constricting.