Chiara – Revenge and Triumph

by Gian Bordin

  "But I would be remiss if I did not introduce my favorite little helper to you. Come forward, Lady Heloïse. This is Signor Salimbeni, the youngest son of his Excellence."

  The girl stepped forward, wide-eyed, and curtsied. Gaetano bowed and gave her one of his engaging smiles. "What an exquisite dress you wear, Lady Heloïse. It enhances your own beauty."

  She blushed deeply and murmured: "Thank you, Signore."

  "Now, now, young man," exclaimed the countess, winking, "do not spoil this girl with such compliments or she will put on airs."

  "I will never put on airs, my Lady," replied Heloïse with a slight pout. Then her face lit up and she asked: "Has Signor Salimbeni seen Lady Chiara’s act?"

  "Lady Chiara?" queried Gaetano.

  "Heloïse is referring to I Magnifici, the group we will see shortly. They are really magnificent. The best act I have ever seen. Watch out particularly for the young woman juggling the knives."

  Alda touched her shoulder. "Come, stop spying. Let’s go over the routine with Jacomo. He wants to make a slight variation."

  Alda took her to the far corner of their space where Jacomo and Pepe were talking in low voices.

  When she waited for her first entrance with Jacomo, she briefly scanned the audience. The Salimbeni and Lady Maria sat in the center, Gaetano a bit to the far side. He would be quite close to the target.

  She took a deep breath and then cartwheeled into the free space in front of the tables. The performer took over and she forgot about the audience, relishing every moment of fooling around with Jacomo and then doing her act with Pepe. Her smile as the target was radiant and the speed with which the knives flew between her and Pepe breathtaking. Everybody had stopped eating and some watched with an open mouth. The applause, amplified by the stone and marble in the loggia, was shattering. Afterward, she felt that it had been one of her best displays.

  They gave Phormio while the guests were recovering from the sumptuous meal, drinking sweet wines and cinnamon water. The changes Ser Mario had made worked well. Veronica shone. There was no doubt that her sweet face had again captured the hearts of the audience. After the play, Signor Salimbeni stood up and asked Chiara to approach the table.

  "Signorina, I must confess that I am not one who approves of traveling players and your presence here tonight is only thanks to the high praise of our most illustrious guest, Lady Maria. However, I must also admit that even her praise did not do justice to the spectacle that you offered. Naturally, I admired your courage and skill with the knives, but I appreciated the splendid rendition of Phormio even more. You made the play come alive like only true artists can. Thank you again."

  He handed her a rather heavier purse than usual. The whole troupe bowed low to the renewed applause of the audience. He remained standing, holding up his hand to call for silence.

  "I have read Phormio in its original Latin version and I was pleasantly surprised that Terrence’s clever word play did not suffer in the translation. Is it the work of one of our well-known poets?"

  "No, Signore, the translator is a complete novice."

  "But a highly promising one, from what we have just witnessed. You said ‘is’. Is he still living?"

  "Yes, Signore, very much alive. In fact, right now in Siena." She was enjoying this.

  "I would like to get to know him, so that I can keep an eye out for his future work."

  "Signore, you have already met that person."

  "Have I?" A questioning frown briefly touched his face, replaced by a smile of surprise. "I see. You are not only a consummate actress, but also an accomplished poet. Young woman, accept my heartfelt congratulations."

  Her "Thank you, Signore" was drowned out by the renewed applause.

  She gave a sigh of relief when she was again behind the curtain and gave Ser Mario his share of the purse. He seemed very pleased by its size.

  They were getting ready to leave discreetly, when Heloïse opened the curtain and called: "Lady Chiara, her Ladyship request your presence."

  "Lady Heloïse, please convey to her Ladyship that I will be with her in a moment." Then turning to Alda, she pleaded: "Quick, help me get respectable."

  Alda briefly retouched her face cosmetics and arranged the reddish tresses around her hair.

  "Shouldn’t you wear a barbette or a hat? You can borrow mine."

  "No, I never do and don’t see why I should now. How do I look?"

  "Great! How fortunate you decided to wear this dress. I say you will be admired by those you wish to impress."

  Chiara smiled. She’s so perceptive. "You don’t have to wait for me. Just go home and here, take the purse."

  The guests were talking in small groups. She spotted Lady Maria at the far side with Signor Salimbeni and his wife, Heloïse slightly to the side, listening to Gaetano and stealing furtive glances at his face. Most people nodded or smiled, as she threaded her way through their midst.

  When Lady Maria saw her, she exclaimed: "Ah, here you are finally. You kept me waiting."

  "Accept my humble apologies, Lady Maria, but I had to make myself presentable." She curtsied.

  "But you always look presentable, no matter what you wear." She turned to her hosts and said: "Signor Salimbeni, Signora, I take great pleasure to introduce Lady Chiara to you. She is very dear to me."

  Chiara bowed to the hosts. "It was my honor to serve you, Signori."

  From the corner of her eyes she saw Gaetano watching her intently.

  Signor Salimbeni turned to the countess. "Did I hear correctly? You said Lady Chiara?"

  "Yes, Lady Chiara da Narni, the daughter of the late Seignior Alberto da Narni."

  His face mirrored his consternation. "But how come? Is this not highly unusual? I would not have expected a young woman of noble birth to be the corago of traveling players. What on earth made you do this?"

  "Necessity initially, Signore, enjoying the challenge afterward."

  He nodded, clearly not convinced. "But your father …"

  "It is no secret that my father died poor."

  "I am sorry to hear that. I met him once in my youth. An impressive man, as I remember… Lady Maria, you will excuse me, but I must not neglect my other guests… Lady Chiara, it was a pleasure meeting you."

  "Signore, the honor is mine."

  He left, giving her a curt nod. Gaetano now joined them.

  The countess touched Chiara’s arm. "Chiara, I loved the play; so well acted, and I must agree with Signor Salimbeni, you are a remarkable poet. I would add, you even improved on Terrence." She turned to Gaetano. "Young man, is Lady Chiara not impressive? She can transform herself into anything."

  "Yes, if need be even into a novice priest." He winked at Chiara.

  So, he had recognized her. She might as well make the best of it. She smiled and put her index to her mouth.

  "Something is going on here," said Lady Maria with a frown. "You know each other?"

  "Yes and no, my Lady," replied Chiara. "We have met before, but under rather different circumstances."

  "What do you mean ‘under different circumstances’? The truth, Chiara."

  Before she could form an answer, Gaetano exclaimed: "She attended lectures at the university, cleverly disguised as a novice priest, and her profound questions got praise from some professors upset others, I must say, much to the delight of us students."

  "Disguised as a priest. I did not hear that. Heloïse, I forbid you to remember what you just heard."

  Then she laughed heartily, attracting the looks of some of the guests. Heloïse’s response "I will, my Lady" was lost.

  Gaetano looked confused, not quite able to make sense of the countess.

  "Chiara, your capers will be the death of me one of these days. But why would you disguise yourself as a novice?"

  "Women do not enter the halls of learning, and the black frock of a novice is an excellent disguise. Besides, I got one in Pisa and kept it, just in case." She said it all with a straight face.

  Lady
Maria’s eyes lit up in delight. "Yes, I can guess whose it is."

  "I can vouch, that nobody at the university has the slightest idea," remarked Gaetano. "I can hardly wait to surprise them. They will all look like fools. I am certain nobody will believe me unless I can convince Lady Chiara to front up to them, minus her disguise."

  "Young man, you must promise that you will not betray this young woman and ruin her reputation, although she does her best to do it herself." She tried to look stern, with a trace of laughter still lingering around her eyes. "Promise me here and now."

  "My Lady, your wish is my command. I will not betray Lady Chiara unless she grants me permission."

  "Since you two know each other, I will leave you to it. Come, Heloïse."

  She held out her hand and took the girl along.

  "Brother Anselmo, Lady Chiara?" He laughed again. "Please, Lady Chiara, allow me to tell my friends."

  "Gaetano, not until I have left and am well out of reach of the Sienese authorities. It could put my friends in danger. You have to promise me that. And don’t let Professore Barbarigo know. He is a nice man."

  "Thank you, Lady Chiara. I promise to keep it quiet for a month. Is that long enough?"

  "Yes, and please drop the lady. Chiara will do."

  "Chiara. Yes, that fits you well… Still, I can hardly believe it. Who would think that a woman would prove Professor Gomez wrong. But I’m even more amazed about what I learned about you tonight. You were superb. Aren’t you afraid?"

  "No, it’s simply a matter of practice."

  "But what goes on in your mind when the knives come flying at you?"

  "I marvel at my partner’s skill. I enjoy the sense of tension that grips the spectators. I may even think of the fat purse that comes our way."

  "Oh, be serious. How can you when each of those knives could be your death?"

  She shrugged her shoulders.

  "Just out of curiosity, how much did my father give you?"

  "Thirty florins."

  "Thirty florins?" He looked dumbfounded. "That is equal to my annual allowance."

  "Yes, Siena has been good to us. Let me ask you something. Did you not have the slightest suspicion about me?"

  "That you are a woman? … No. It never even entered my mind. I felt something was odd; your voice for one, but then I knew other novices with girlish voices. But what struck me most was the way you talked. It just didn’t fit my idea of a novice. I told you that more than once."

  Chiara smiled. "Yes, I enjoyed the chats we had. But, alas, these easy times are over. By the end of next week we will be on the road again."

  "Why don’t you stay? … I would like you to stay."

  "Gaetano, if I stayed, I would deprive you of the pleasure to tell your friends."

  "Oh, there you go again."

  "And now I must take leave from Lady Maria and your parents."

  "My father was a bit taken aback."

  "Yes, I noticed, but he will get over it."

  "Oh, Chiara!" Gaetano laughed. "So this is good-bye."

  "Yes, Gaetano."

  On her way home, she wondered why she felt pleased that Gaetano knew her true identity.

  * * *

  Chiara dressed with great care for her visit to Lady Maria, reassured by the result she saw in the mirror. The color of her dress enhanced the color of her eyes. Its cut flattered her figure, enhanced her breasts, made her look taller. She had it made especially for this occasion. It was a departure from the current extravagant fashion, which she found ridiculous and cumbersome.

  Lady Maria seemed pleased to see her. She wanted to know about her attendance to lectures and exclaimed several times that she wished she had the audacity to do the same.

  Chiara inquired about Messer Mercurio.

  "He has not stopped talking about you and your exploits. But now I need to have a serious talk to you. Chiara, it is high time that you get married. No protests. You will soon be twenty and if you wait any longer it will be too late. I have found just the right man for you and from what I have seen, you even seem to like him. Yes, I am talking about Gaetano Salimbeni."

  Chiara’s throat suddenly felt dry.

  "He is all that you could wish for. A highly respected family, witty, intelligent, good-looking, with excellent prospects in his father’s firm."

  "And I am pennyless, my Lady, without a dowry. Casa Salimbeni would not even consider such a marriage."

  "Yes, I know your circumstances and, from what my banker tells me, you are not pennyless either. Many a young woman has less than that as a dowry."

  Is there ever anything she does not know about me?

  "And do not forget that you have one major trump card. You come from a noble house. Your father commanded high respect. And besides, the young man has asked me to intervene on his behalf with you."

  That last statement jolted her. Did it mean that he loved her? Why hadn’t he told her himself?

  "I seem surprised. He also said that he thought you liked him. Do you?"

  "Yes, I like him and can find no faults."

  "So, what is holding you back from jumping at this opportunity?"

  My friends — how could I simply abandon them? My love for the freedom I gained. My love for what I’m doing … My quest for revenge… Yes, I am not ready to give that up yet. Elba is mine. I want it back.

  "Chiara, you would make a wonderful couple. I am certain that you would be happy."

  "I know, everything speaks for him. I could easily see myself as his wife." Why is life so complicated?

  "So, it is settled then. I must admit, that for a moment I was afraid that you might reject him. He will be pleased to hear that you agreed. All that is left is to convince Signor Salimbeni."

  Alarmed, Chiara exclaimed: "My Lady, I am sorry for the misunderstanding. I cannot say ‘yes’ and cannot explain why. I am confused. I just do not feel ready for this step yet. I beg you, do not be angry."

  "But this is nonsense. Most girls are confused when that moment comes, and you have been ready for marriage for the last four years. Chiara, do not throw away such an opportunity. No other of similar prestige may ever come along again. And what about the young man that you made amorous? Are you willing to hurt him?"

  These arguments might have cut with anybody but Chiara. They had just the opposite effect on her. She wasn’t responsible for his feelings. And opportunity? She only intended to take the those that felt right, not because they were there.

  "No, it grieves me to hurt his feelings, but I did not encourage him. Maybe in a year from now, I might be ready. Right now my energies are directed elsewhere and I fear I might only make both of us unhappy."

  "Child, no marriage is without difficulties. The wife always carries the greater burden of adjusting, but if the man you marry loves you, the weight of these burdens and sacrifices will seem less."

  "Lady Maria, I value your wisdom, but at the risk of earning your displeasure I cannot help thinking that all our talk is in vain. From Signor Salimbeni’s reaction to me, I doubt that even your powers of persuasion will sway him to accept me into his family."

  The countess remained silent and then sighed. "You may be right. Oh, I was so hoping to see you safe and married. Your current life is fine while you are young, and you have remarkable talents. But think about your future when you need the security of a home and a husband who provides for you. And a young woman like you should bear children."

  "I think about my future and I will have my own home, where I will bring up my children."

  "But it should be now, not five or ten years from now."

  "I expect it will happen within the next two years."

  The countess frowned. "Chiara, I think that you are hiding something from me. You are not still thinking of getting your father’s land back, because if it is that I cannot help you. My Lord made it quite clear that your father signed away his land and that cannot be undone anymore."

  Chiara did not respond, but neither did she waver
under the stern gaze.

  "So my guess is right. It is the curse of revenge, and I feel helpless. I have learned that it is useless to try to bend your will. You should have been born a man."

  "That thought has occurred to me also, my Lady."

  "Oh, Chiara. I love you. Promise that you will not do anything foolish."

  "I promise, Lady Maria."

  "But can I trust your promise? What I consider foolish, you may think as perfectly reasonable."

  Chiara could not help smiling. She’s probably right.

  "You see, now you even smile… But then you have to live your own life. I have done what I could… I guess you are leaving Siena soon."

  "Yes, we will depart for Florence tomorrow."

  "Promise me at least one thing. Send me a letter from time to time, and if you change your mind about marriage, let me know."

  "I will send you a letter every month, my Lady. And please accept my gratitude for all you have done or tried to do for this stubborn woman."

  The countess rose and so did Chiara.

  "Let me embrace you, you stubborn child," but she said it with a smile.

  * * *

  Shortly before the night curfew two hours after sundown, somebody was banging loudly at their front door. Jacomo rushed to open it. A man shoved him aside and stumbled into the hall, falling headlong onto the tile floor. He raised himself partway, stretching his left hand toward Chiara who rose from the table where she had been writing. With a shock, she recognized Gaetano, drunk, without a hat, his fashionable clothes tattered and smudged, red eyes imploring her.

  "Chiara, why don’t you want me?" he cried, slurring the words. "Why? Tell me why!"

  She kneeled next to him, holding him up.

  "Gaetano, what are you doing here?"

  "I came to see you." He gripped her hand tightly. "I must know why you reject me. Why I’m not good enough for you."

  "Gaetano, get up."

  She nodded to Pepe who had come into the hall, and they lifted the young man up and made him sit on a chair. Only Chiara’s quick action prevented him from slipping to the floor again. She held his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her.

  "Gaetano, look at me. It’s not that you’re not good enough for me. You’re a fine young man. It’s me. I’m not ready for this step yet."