Chiara – Revenge and Triumph

by Gian Bordin

  "Then marry me. Or are you hoping the slave will come back for you?"

  "No, he won’t. I’m certain of that and besides, he’s already married… No, Jacomo, I can’t accept your offer now. It’s too early for you to ask me. I don’t want you to marry me out of pity or to rescue my reputation. It could make both of us unhappy."

  "But I wouldn’t marry you out of pity. I love you. I’ve loved you since I first saw you in Cagli."

  She could not help smiling and searched his eyes for several seconds. He held steady. "Jacomo, ask me again after the child has been born, … after you had a year to think about it, if by then you still want me."

  "Oh, no fear. I will."

  "Come, give me a hug."

  He put his arms around her, holding her quietly. She felt glad.

  "But how will you hide it? If it becomes known, the child will suffer. This is why you should marry me."

  She told him her scheme.

  "May I also admit that I knew the marriage was coming?" he asked with a smile.

  "Yes, Jacomo." She hugged him spontaneously. "I’m so glad that you don’t despise me. You don’t know how important you are to me."

  He held her, murmuring: "I love you, Chiara, and I will ask you again in a year’s time to become my wife."

  32

  Elba, September 1353

  Selva, as I write this last chapter, you are almost two years old, my ray of sun every day. You have the blonde locks and dark blue eyes of your father. Alda predicts that you will be the most beautiful girl in the world. You already show the intelligence and independence of your mother, and wrap everybody around your tiny little finger. You babble the whole day long, sometimes imitating Pepe’s frown, sometimes questioning like Alda, sometimes making an important face like me, but most often smiling, giggling, and laughing. Alda says that you have the making of a great actress, like your mother, she adds winking. Both Pepe and Alda compete for who may spoil you next.

  It has now been more than two years since I returned to Elba with Alda and Pepe. We left Chianciano in late April in the year of the savior 1351. The horse breeding at Castello Gianbucca that Pepe had started is run by a young couple from Chianciano. The Etruscan treasure is still in Palazzo Benincasa, except for the matching pair of amphoras which is displayed in the great hall here. I may sell the rest one of these days. Casa Medici is still keen on it.

  Everybody believes that you are the child of a secret marriage to a minor noble near Chianciano who died in an accident shortly after the wedding. It is rather ironic that it was Lady Maria who unwittingly gave me that solution, and all of this must remain your secret. Only four people know: Alda, Pepe, Veronica and her brother, Jacomo.

  To my surprise, Lady Maria was very sympathetic when she heard about the death of your invented father and did her best to console me. I suspected this renewed her hope that she might now finally succeed in arranging a prestigious marriage with a noble family, particularly if she looked for a more mature candidate who himself might be a widower and therefore would not mind marrying a widow. In spite of her pleas, we stayed but a few days.

  We hired a barge that allowed me to take my beloved mare to Elba. On arrival I informed my tenants of my marriage and my sudden bereavement. I presented Alda and Pepe to them as my adopted parents.

  I found a sweet girl to be my personal attendant and help me during the last months of pregnancy, Angela, the youngest daughter of Luca, the man who had become my right hand while I captured Castello Nisporto. I even found some time to teach her how to read and write and do the numbers.

  Veronica and Jacomo visited us during our first summer on Elba. Fortunately, the restoration of the castle was almost complete by then. Both had blossomed into striking adults. I had yet gained little weight and was still active, showing them my lands, riding with them through the beautiful countryside for which Elba is known. It was a good time to renew our bonds and our love for each other.

  By the time they left, my condition was unmistakable, and I received many words of sympathy about bearing a child whose father had already died. Nobody ever questioned that story. This is another thing I learned on my travels. If something is asserted with sufficient authority by a person of high esteem, and there is little doubt that I enjoyed unquestioning esteem from all my tenants and the people on Elba, then most will be more than willing to believe it.

  When the time came to give birth, I must admit I feared that I would follow my mother to an early grave, that you would be my death. I had not known that giving birth meant hours upon hours of increasing pain. I wanted to believe Alda, who assured me that everything was going to be fine, that I was making good progress, and that I would soon hold a screaming baby to my breast, but the fear remained. I remember your first protest, when Alda held you up by your tiny legs and I saw that you were the girl I had wished for. For the first time in months I thought about your father, whether he had found his family, and wondered whether he would have been pleased by a daughter. But rather than the curly blonde hair that I had expected, your hair was straight and dark, similar to mine. However, even at birth, I could see your father in your face and your eyes, although Alda warned me that the color of babies’ eyes often changes after a few months. They did, but only to become even bluer, and then your hair turned to corn like his.

  One of the measures I proposed very early on after my return was that the tenants keep up their weapon practice so that we would be able to defend ourselves against any raids by Saracen slavers who were combing the seas again. I saw to it that each man had a crossbow and at least six arrows. I arranged competitions to entice them to become good marksmen. Each of the farm houses close to the sea had to have a guard dog. The two shepherds grazing sheep on the spur from Monte Strega had the additional task of keeping a constant vigil of the sea and alerting the tenants at Nisporto. I organized a system of alarms. Even the women were assigned tasks in case of an attack. Every few months we had a practice run. The wisdom of this paid off a year later, when a Saracen galley launched a raid and ran into our ambush. They left over four dozen men on the beach, their ship badly burned by fire arrows, while not a single tenant was injured. I counted on word of mouth for this feat to become known to other raiders.

  Back in March 1351, when I told Jacomo that I was with child, he had immediately offered to marry me. Although I knew that he loved me, I was not willing to accept that offer then. He was barely eighteen, too young for such a grave step. I had been his first love. He might outgrow it. I told him to ask me again in a year’s time, and he did to the day. I replied to his letter that we needed to talk this out face-to-face.

  The same letter also asked for my consent to Veronica’s betrothal to Luigi. Jacomo had drawn up the marriage contract. The marriage was scheduled for September and Veronica begged that we all attend. Strangely, Alda and Pepe, who had traveled all over Tuscany and beyond for more than two decades, declined. They had fully settled into Castello Nisporto and had no desire to ever leave again. Pepe had taken over the care of the garden, and Alda looked after you, Selva, like any grandmother would, leaving me much needed time for administering my lands. I had also become more and more involved in matters of governing Elba. Both Lord d’Appiano and his governor regularly consulted with me.

  Jacomo visited again in the summer of 1352, alone this time. He had completed his studies. The glowing recommendations of his professors had opened the door to an apprenticeship with the leading lawyer of Perugia.

  The day after his arrival, I took him up on top of Volterraio. Sitting on a rock, with my lands below us, we talked about our future. I questioned him whether he could forgive me for having known another man. He took my right hand, and I remember his words as if he had spoken them this morning: " Yes, Chiara, I love you the way you are, wild, strong, always having a surprise up your sleeve, always full of life. You have raised my expectation of what a woman should be. I could not see myself married to one of those shallow Perugian maidens who make eyes at me. The
y feel like empty shells compared to you. And my sweet little Selva needs a father and I want to be that father. Please, Chiara, say yes; marry me."

  He kissed the top of my hand and then searched my eyes. Mine were wet. I answered: " Yes, Jacomo, I will be your wife. But I would like to live with you here on Elba, bring up our children in my little castle."

  He answered with a smile: "I think I could handle that."

  "You know, there is no lawyer on Elba, only a notary in Porto Longone."

  "So, there should be plenty of work for me here."

  "Yes, and the Governor is due to retire in two years. I will suggest to Count d’Appiano that he appoints you. He owes me a few favors."

  "Already scheming?" he said with a chuckle, and then he took me by complete surprise. "Chiara, may I hold you?"

  But he did not wait for my answer and embraced me, kissing away my tears. It felt good to be held in his strong arms, having my back stroked. "I love you," he whispered into my ear.

  I could not but reply: "I love you too, Jacomo, and in time I will love you like a wife."

  His lips lightly touched mine and lingered for a moment, and I responded. It felt right. When he let go, his eyes were glowing.

  He asked that our betrothal would be celebrated at Veronica’s wedding and that we would get married a year later, after he had completed his one-year apprenticeship. I was glad that he gave me more time to get fully used to the idea of marrying the man whom I once saw as my adopted brother.

  So, early September 1352, I accompanied him to Perugia. I left you in the care of Alda. We had found a good wet nurse who took over from me. I enjoyed the six-day ride to Perugia, Jacomo’s company, our lively discussions on all sort of things, and the occasional teasing. I began to see him as my future husband, rather than as my brother.

  Veronica was radiant. I have never seen a more beautiful bride. She told me time and again how thrilled she was that Jacomo would become my husband.

  Almost a year has gone by since then. Any day now Jacomo should be here, bringing Luigi and Veronica with him as witnesses to our own wedding. How do I feel? Nervous, a rather unaccustomed feeling for me. I know that I could not have asked for a better husband, a man who will be more than that, who will be a companion and friend for life. But I also feel a bit confused. How could I love two men at the same time? Selvo has still a hold on my heart, but I also know that my love for Jacomo has changed, that I am looking forward to this new phase of my life, to share my love with him, to bear his children and watch them grow into adults. And he will be a good father to you, Selva; of that I am certain.

  THE END

  Other novels by Gian Bordin:

  Historical fiction:

  A Summer of Love

  The Twins

  A Threesome

  Anna, the Reluctant Courtesan

  Thrillers:

  Ultimate Dare

  Kidnapped

  Frame-up

  Science fiction:

  Yuen-mong’s Revenge

  Yuen-mong’s Challenge

  Table of Contents

  Copyright

  Prologue

  1 Castello Nisporto on Elba, in the year of the Savior 1353

  2 Castello Nisporto, May 1347

  3 Ligurian Sea, early June 1347

  4 On the road to Pisa, early June 1347

  5 Pisa, early June 1347

  6 Pisa, June 1347

  7 On the road to Lucca, early July 1347

  8 Florence, September 1347

  9 The Marches, February 1348

  10 Via Flaminia, summer 1348

  11 Monte Pulciano, late September 1348

  12 Siena, middle of November 1348

  13 On the Road to Florence, April 1349

  14 Florence, June 1349

  15 Florence, Siena, end of August 1349

  16 Florence, Siena, early September 1349

  16 Florence, Siena, middle of September 1349

  17 End of September 1349

  18 October, on the way to Rome, 1349

  19 End of November, Chianciano 1349

  20 Chianciano, early December 1349

  21 Monte Pulciano, early January 1350

  22 Cetona, February 1350

  23 On the road, March 1350

  24 Via Francigena, July 1350

  25 Castello Gianbucca, October 1350

  26 Piombino, end of January 1351

  27 Piombino, February 1351

  28 Elba, February 1351

  9 Castello Nisporto, February 1351

  30 Piombino, end of February 1351

  31 Piombino, Chianciano, early March 1351

  32 Elba, September 1353

  Elba, September 1353

  Other Books by the Author