Chiara – Revenge and Triumph (40 page)

"Yes, she feels like a kindred spirit to me… But, Signore, how do you plan to keep me out of trouble?"

"What a delight you are! It is so refreshing to be with a young woman who does not instantly clamp up when talked to by a man in his prime and even refuses to lift her eyes from the floor. Take this as a compliment."

"Thank you, Signore. But to come back to my question. How do you plan to keep me out of trouble?"

"I see, you are not easily distracted. Another remarkable trait for a young woman."

"I guess neither are you, or you would not be the head of the illustrious Casa Medici. But what about the answer to my question." Her eyes had not wavered from his, challenging him with a mischievous smile.

He responded in kind. "According to the story told by one of Lord d’Appiano’s guards, you are perfectly capable of looking after yourself and hardly need me looking over your shoulders, although I must admit that they are beautiful."

Chiara cast a brief glance at her left shoulder, partially revealed under her dress. "Thank you, Signore. So Mercurio has been singing my praises again."

"Is it true what he tells?"

"How could I know? I suspect he was exaggerating. Old soldiers’ tales have to be taken with a grain of salt."

"I am not so certain about that. Not after seeing you smile while your partner throws knives at you."

"That is easy. I have full confidence in his skills. I have done it for more than two years now."

"Yes, I saw you two years ago and marveled at that young girl with the innocent face, beaming confidently at the man with the knives, and I also recall that you were the prompter for
Phormio
."

"It was our first performance. Casa Medici has also honored us to be the first to see
Electra
."

"Casa Medici strives to be first in all things, not just in seeing new plays. But tell me, what happened to the original players of
Phormio
?"

"Both lead actors died in the plague."

"Sorry to hear that, although I think that tonight’s performance was in fact better and more catching."

"I guess experience shows, but Maria, who played the female lead, was both beautiful and the most gifted actress I have ever seen."

He pondered that for a moment, moving his head and upper body from side to side. "True, she had an eye-catching beauty, but I think yours goes deeper, and you gave the flow of words a more natural and convincing rhythm. Often it felt like you were inventing them on the spot, as I guess was Terrence’s intention. But then you wrote the verses, didn’t you? At what age? Seventeen?"

"Still trying, Signore?" she replied, smiling.

"But not succeeding… I would not want to have to face you in business negotiations."

"Thank you, Signore. I take this as a compliment too."

"Please, do, Lady Chiara," he chuckled. "You make me wish to be young again."

She noticed the switch to her title. "Signore, you might be a less interesting man if you were only in your twenties."

"It is now my turn to thank you… Are you ever lost for words? No need to answer that. I know already. But to come back to the play, Ser Orlando is also highly accomplished."

"Yes, he was a very fortunate find."

"But how do the men of your troupe take it to have a young woman as their corago?"

"I fell into that role by default —"

"Don’t underrate yourself. Even at your tender age, you come across as a natural leader. You should have been born a man."

"It has been said before. Intelligence, education, determination, even a woman may revel in such assets."

"Indeed, they are the only assets that will endure your whole life."

"True wisdom, honorable Signore. It is now my turn to wish you were younger."

"Young lady, even an older man may offer satisfaction. Do not forget that. Lord d’Appiano is living proof. But tell me, why is an intelligent and attractive young woman like you not married?"

"Lack of a sufficiently large dowry, lack of unattached intelligent and mature young men, and not necessarily in that order of importance."

He chuckled. "I guess Casa Sanguanero does not realize their loss, but then the son is not known for his astuteness, although it surprises me that the wily old fox let you slip from his grasp. He is not known to pass up a good thing, as a few of his competitors have found out to their dismay … or did he get what he was after? I heard you lost your inheritance."

"But a small price to gain my freedom."

"Freedom? … Is freedom that important to you?"

"Freedom has no price for me."

"You are becoming more and more of an enigma. You are so forthcoming and open on personal things like what you just said, but cleverly deflect questions on trivial things like your age."

"Signore, there is little point to beat about the bush when any intelligent person can easily deduce the answer, while it is good fun to tease them for their curiosity."

"You really have an answer to everything… Lady Chiara, I am sorely tempted to neglect all my other guests for you." He winked. "It has been ages since I enjoyed the pleasure of sparring with a woman and never with one so remarkable and so young as you."

Yes, I enjoyed that also.
"Thank you, Signore. I feel honored."

He took her right hand and kissed it. She was bemused by the surprised looks of the other people who had kept a polite distance, while at the same time not hiding their impatience for the host to dismiss her.

* * * 

It was Thursday morning, before Chiara made it back to Siena. Her house keeper handed her a note from Lady Lucia — an invitation for a late afternoon meal on Wednesday, the day before. She immediately sent an apology, explaining that she had enjoyed the baths at Rapolano Terme so much that she had extended her stay there for a day longer. The male servant brought back a new invitation for the afternoon.

She took again great care to match her Lucrezia look, the false bosom, the pale skin, the black thinned eyebrows, the long eyelashes, the distinct birth mark, and the elaborate black plaits, hiding her ears. While doing this, she practiced her southern accent.

Lucia received her in the library, telling her that three of her married friends would join them for needle work. Chiara offered to help with hers, since she had left her own at Casato di sopra. Lucia expressed again how thrilled she was to have her as her sister and that she only regretted that it might still take more than half a year. A bit later, the other guests arrived and immediately settled down to their needle work, commenting on each other’s designs. Chiara sensed that she was in for a boring afternoon and that she would have to force herself to be pleasant.

Initially the talk meandered through the latest Siena gossip; rumors that the wife on one of the wool merchants had received a male visitor just before curfew while her husband was out of town; which house had initiated marriage negotiations with whom; that the youngest son of Rinaldo Piccolomini was caught after curfew, armed with a sword.

Teresa, pregnant at an advanced state but still in her teens, put down her needle work and reported that Gaetano Salimbeni had again been seen drunk lying outside a taverna on the Campo and had to be carried home by the servants of the house.

"He was such a promising young man only a few months ago, studying seriously at the university, his mother told me," declared Elena, briefly looking up from her tapestry. She was the oldest of the women, in her early thirties, a permanent frown on her face.

A well-endowed woman in her late twenties put down her frame and tore her round face into a grimace, eager to have her say. "My younger sister had her eyes on him. But now —"

"Olivia, I hope you told her to forget about him. Who wants a drunk as a husband, especially one who starts that young," admonished Elena, her frown deepening.

"I certainly know my duty as the oldest sister and married, Elena. Nobody ever had to remind me of that," she replied with a slight edge. "But you know how foolish young girls are."

"Yes, they think that they can rescue a young man from himself."

"Exactly, and they do not listen to wiser minds."

"I wonder though what happened to him that he suddenly turned that way?" queried Lucia.

"Rumors have it that it is over a girl," said Elena.

"Does anybody know who?"

"All I heard from my brother is her name. Chiara, I think. Apparently when Gaetano is drunk he sometimes mumbles her name and pleads with her ghost or whatever. I think she is a nobody, but of noble birth from somewhere in the contado."

For a fleeting moment, Chiara felt guilty, but then shook it off, and continued undoing the few stitches she had just done before.

"But why was she not good enough for his parents if she is of noble birth? For the youngest many parents are more accommodating, provided they even let him get married, no?" queried Teresa.

"No, I think it did not come to that point. She turned him down —"

"She turned him down?" exclaimed Olivia. "How dare she? She must have been out of her wits to turn down a prospect like that."

Chiara spoke for the first time. "Maybe the girl was quite emancipated and knew what she wanted."

All four looked at her, Elena frowning, Olivia and Teresa bewildered, Lucia with a faint smile.

"What does emancipated mean?" questioned Teresa after a moment, while blushing at the same time.

"Free and willing to make her own choices."

"What woman is ever free to make her own choices?" muttered Elena.

"Far too few, unfortunately."

"But why would he start drinking, just because she turned him down?"

"Maybe he was deeply in love with her," ventured Lucia again, "and cannot forget her."

"Pah, what has love to do with marriage? The boy has no spine."

"Anyway, it hardly mattered whether he loved her or not," Elena declared pompously. "What young man or girl of a respectable family is even given a choice of whom they will marry. It is all arranged by the fathers. My father told me after the contract had been signed. The servants knew more about it than I."

"My father asked me." Lucia blushed. "I did not expect it, but he did, but then it was obvious that I was in love with Filippo, so he knew my answer before he asked."

"My mother told me when they started negotiations," said Olivia. "At least it was somebody of my family who told me, not like for you, Lady Lucrezia. You even had to suffer the ignonomy of an employee of the family’s firm making all arrangements."

Ignominy
was on Chiara’s lips, when Lucia preempted her: "I think Lucrezia had quite a hand in the choice. She was even present at the signing of the contract. Am I right?" She looked at her questioningly.

"Yes, Lucia. But then it was an easy choice to make."

"You are very fortunate to marry into such an illustrious house," Elena said with her customary frown.

The conversation turned to the latest fashion, longer and longer tippet at the sleeves replacing the drooping tabs at the elbows; halo-like headdresses that completely hid the hair. Chiara put down her work and went to inspect the books on the shelves — her father’s books. She discovered so many that had been her favorites and raged again inside, making an effort not to let it reach her eyes.

Lucia joined her and asked: "Do you see another you would like?"

"Oh, I want them all." It came out spontaneously before she could stop herself.

Lucia put a hand on her shoulder. "Sister — may I call you sister — soon you will have them all."

Chiara sighed. "Yes, I look forward to that." Alas, that won’t be.

"Maybe we sometimes can read to each other. I would like that. And with your help, I may even learn to read Latin."

"Yes, that would be good."

"I guess that you will soon return to Naples, now that the contract has been signed."

"Yes, I plan to leave with Messer da Quaranta, once everything has been settled with Casa Sanguanero."

Lucia eyed her anxiously. "I thought everything has been settled."

"Oh, don’t be alarmed. The contract has been signed, but Messer da Quaranta still has to uplift part of Casa Sanguanero’s share in a joint business venture."

The frown gave way to a smile. "You got me worried for a moment." She paused and then added: "I wish I were as knowledgeable as you. You seem to understand so much about everything."

"You are an intelligent woman. You can learn it too."

"I am not sure. I lack your confidence. But you have to promise that you will only leave for Naples after the big celebration we have planned to make your betrothal to Niccolo official."

"And when will that be?"

"Three weeks from Saturday. You must stay till then. It is in your honor. Niccolo promised that it will be a sumptuous affair."

Should I?
She intended to be back as the novice priest, so why not also as Lady Lucrezia? "How could I miss it, if it is in my honor."

"Oh, Lucrezia, I am so happy to have you."

When she left, Niccolo made it a point to come out of his office and bid her a pleasant evening. As he kissed her right hand, his eyes fell on her ring. "Ah, Lady Lucrezia, it pleases me that you wear my token of admiration for your beauty."

She swallowed the sarcastic remark that immediately rose in her mind and instead gave him a charming smile, saying: "It is very precious to me," reflecting her true feeling for her mother’s diamond ring.

Later, while walking back to Casato di sopra, she reflected on that afternoon. She had difficulties seeing herself as part of such a group of friends. They had little in common with her. Their ignorance disgusted her, their eagerness on gossip bored her, the quick superficial judgements appalled her. Was this the life that most married women led? But there must be more interesting women, like Lady Maria. Or were they the exception, and having them as a friend a rarity?

She was again pained by what she was going to do to Lucia, so trusting, suddenly so dear. She had been the only one who had shown any sympathy and understanding toward the unfortunate Gaetano. And what about that young man? Was she to blame? No, she refused to accept the blame for his weakness, regardless of how deep his love for her was. It even strengthened her belief that she had done the right thing. All she could offer was regret that it threatened to destroy him.