The guests broke out in laughter. All but he, Lorenzo, and Giustina found the humor in his words.
Luca exchanged a look with his twin. No animosity existed between them, only understanding. Shoulders slumped, Lorenzo lumbered to the far end of the table where he sat alone.
Luca took his seat beside his bride. He squeezed her hand and whispered, “I am sorry. It should be Lorenzo here, not me.”
“Lorenzo told me everything.”
“Everything?”
She nodded. “I know about the woman and your child, how Lorenzo tried to take me away, how you planned to leave with her last night.” She stared down at her untouched food. In a neutral voice, she said, “We can only look to the future now.”
“No, Giustina. That is where you are wrong. I do not accept that, and neither should you. I won’t rest until I find a way to set things right for all of us.”
110
The wedding feast continued until long after the sun had set. Torches and candle lamps surrounded the courtyard as musicians played lutes, harps, and drums. Flagons filled with wine and platters of food of all varieties still lined the tabletop. The guests laughed, danced, and drank.
The day’s events, and the ease with which they unfolded, pleased Prudenza. Despite the obstacles that had threatened to prevent the marriage, she had managed to quash them all. Her daughter was safely married. Only one thing remained to make the marriage irrevocable – the consummation – and she was eager for it to occur sooner rather than later.
As the guests dispersed, Prudenza took her daughter’s hand and led her into the villa to help her undress and prepare for the bedding. They walked in silence, Giustina’s tension evident in the clamminess of her hand. Prudenza gave it a squeeze as she swung open the door to Luca’s bedchamber. “Try not to be afraid,” she reassured her daughter as they stepped inside the candlelit bedchamber. “I promise you that after the first time, you will get used to it and become strong enough to endure it.”
Prudenza came to a sudden halt at the foot of the bed. She sucked in a harsh breath and held it, her heart hammering wildly. A familiar silk blanket lay across the bed, its vibrant burgundy and gold stripes and emblazoned roses reminiscent of a day long ago, a day she had tried to forget. She reached out, but could not bring herself to touch it.
“What is it? You look as if you have seen a spirit,” Giustina asked.
There could be no mistaking the brocade; it was exactly like the one she had given to the child she had given away. Was it the same? It must be. When she purchased it from a silk merchant, he had assured her it was one of a kind. How did the blanket come to be here? Was this a taunt or threat of some kind? “Giustina, go and fetch Rosina.”
“Rosina? But why? What is it?”
“Just do as I say,” Prudenza snapped. “Hurry.”
Confused, Giustina hustled out of the room, her silk gown rustling as she went.
Prudenza could not shift her gaze from the blanket. She studied the neatly embroidered stitches. With a shaking hand, she cautiously reached for one of its corners, for something she hoped she would not find, but there it was – the familiar monogrammed B she embroidered on all her linens. What trick was this?
Giustina came rushing back into the room, with Rosina following close behind.
Prudenza faced Rosina, the brocade clutched in her hand. “Tell me on your faith. Where did this brocade blanket come from?”
Rosina wavered, her eyes wide.
“Tell me!” Prudenza demanded, her voice shrill.
“Signora,” Rosina stuttered. “It belongs to the widow Signore Luca has under his protection. I saw her remove it from the cassone in her bedchamber. She must have brought it here.”
A knot formed in the pit of Prudenza’s belly. How could Olivia have come to possess the silk blanket? Was she a thief, here to threaten her? Who was she and what did she want? “Bring her to me!”
“I am sorry, but I cannot, Signora.”
Her anger simmered. “You will bring her to me this instant!”
“No, Signora, I cannot. The widow and her baby are gone.”
“Gone?” Of course, Prudenza remembered. She had ordered her to leave. “Where did she go?”
“I do not know, Signora. She did not say,” Rosina said coldly, her eyes to the ground.
Prudenza paced in a tight circle. She must think. What did this mean?
Giustina reached out a hand to stop her. “Mamma, what is this all about?”
Prudenza could no longer disguise her growing panic. Who knew her secret? Why would they plant the blanket here, if not to menace her? One question resounded more loudly than all others: could Olivia be her daughter? If so, then the baby was her grandson. Her world was about to fall apart. Dio, what had she done? “Fetch Luca. Bring him here. I have to speak to him.”
111
Luca stalked into the room, fists clenched, prepared for confrontation, but what he saw took him aback. Prudenza stood at the foot of the bed, shaking and visibly pale. In her hands, she grasped Olivia’s silk blanket and a pink lotus.
“I found these on your bed!” she shrieked, her face scarlet. “And your woman put them here. I demand an explanation!”
“You deserve nothing!” he spat back at her. “Get out of my bedchamber. You have no business here.”
Prudenza waved the items in front of his face. “Tell me! How did she come to possess this blanket?”
“That is not your concern.”
“It is my concern, more than you know. I demand you tell me what this is all about!”
“It is not for me to say.”
“I would speak with her myself, but Rosina tells me she is no longer here. Apparently, she took her bastard and left. No one seems to know where she went.”
“Gone?” He fought to keep his shock from showing.
“I see she didn’t forewarn you of her departure.”
Luca looked threateningly at her, his fists tight by his side. “What did you do? What did you say to her?”
“I did nothing!” She waved the blanket at him again. “She is the one who is playing games by leaving this on your bed so it could be deliberately found. And I demand to know how she came by it.”
Luca held her stare and saw the fear within. He pushed his face close to hers. “I have no idea what is going on here, but I assure you, I will find her and bring her back. God help you if I find out you had anything to do with her leaving.”
Prudenza swallowed, and then composed herself. “Yes. Find her and bring her back. Tell her I need to speak with her. It can’t have been long since she left.”
“And if she refuses?” Luca asked.
Prudenza handed Luca the folded brocade. “Take this to her. If she wants to know where it came from, she must speak to me.”
Luca tossed it back at her.
She nearly missed, but managed to catch it, and clasped it to her chest.
Luca stepped nearer to her. “What have you done?” He wanted to shake her, force her to tell him what she knew.
She turned and walked to the window, looking out. “If you find her, bring her to me, and you’ll have the answers you seek.” She turned slowly around, reaching a hand out to Giustina, who had silently watched the entire discourse.
Giustina rejected it, gave her mother a stony stare, and swept from the room.
“Whatever this is about,” Luca snarled, “I’ll be seeking a full explanation. You had best pray, for there will be much to atone for if I find out you’ve done anything to harm Olivia or my son.” Unable to stand the sight of her, he swung around and stormed from the room anxious to find Olivia.
112
Luca ran outside to the stable, but all was in darkness. “Nanino!” he shouted, but the only responses were the snorts and neighs of horses. Where was that man when he needed him? He had to find Olivia, talk to her, and bring her back. The pink lotus she had left on his bed was a clear message that she was leaving. The thought that she had left him her si
lk blanket, her most cherished possession, touched him beyond words, but also scared him. The two items together spoke volumes. He had taught her the meaning himself: its dependence on the sun is a symbol of love and serves as a reminder to forget the past and embrace the future. Driven by a burning need to set things right between them, he grabbed his tack and readied his horse. He could not rest until he knew Olivia and his son were safe.
What was it that had driven Olivia to leave so suddenly with Giuda? He sensed Prudenza was somehow behind it, and by God, he would find out what she had done. It was time to put an end to that woman’s interference. Luca refused to allow Olivia to disappear so easily from his life, especially not now when a chance existed that his marriage might not hold because he had not been present or given his consent.
He must find her and bring her back.
With his horse saddled, Luca mounted, rode out of the stable, and through the villa gates. The steady clap of his horse’s hooves as he cantered through the streets of Siena rang like thunder.
There was only one place Olivia could go, the only home she knew – the abbey. She would already be part way to her destination. The thought of her and the child alone in the night sent waves of apprehension shuddering through him. He hoped they were safe. Brigands and cutthroats prowled in the night. Maybe Nanino was escorting her. At least then, she would not be alone. Luca pressed his knees harder against his horse’s sides to hasten the gait.
He rode as if possessed, the light from the half-moon barely aiding him, but his mount was surefooted and fleet, a champion of many races. Before long, he found himself outside Siena in the countryside. He rode steadily, varying his horse’s pace between walking and cantering, so that he would not overtire him. After a long span of time, he noticed a chariot ahead. As he drew near, he recognized it as his own, with Nanino driving.
“Stop!” Luca yelled, as he galloped closer.
Without looking back, Nanino slapped the reins to hasten his horse.
Luca growled in irritation. Nanino must think him a highwayman. In response, he urged his horse into a faster gallop until he came abreast of the conveyance. “It is me, Luca. For the love of God, stop!”
Nanino yanked hard on the reins, slowing the horse to a trot, then a walk, until he finally brought the chariot to a halt.
Luca dismounted and ran to the back of the wagon.
Olivia sat inside, clutching Giuda. The moment she recognized him, her eyes widened. “Luca!” she breathed.
“Olivia, thank God you are both safe.” Relief flowed through him.
“Luca, why are you here?”
Her tone was almost one of disappointment, and it stung him. Was she not happy at all to see him?
“You are leaving.” Luca stated the obvious.
“I thought it best.”
“Best? For whom? For me? For our son?” His tone had risen, but he caught himself and softened his next words. “What’s best is for us to be together, for me to care for you and our son, as I promised you.” He reached for her hand. “I don’t know why you chose to leave, but with all my heart, I want you to return home. Please, come back with me.”
Nanino came ambling up behind Luca. “She doesn’t wish to return. She is better off at the abbey.”
“And who decided that? You?” In no mood for argument, Luca took a menacing step toward him.
Eyes blazing, Nanino held his ground.
“I decided,” Olivia interjected. “I thought it best to allow you and your bride some time alone, without our presence. Nanino kindly offered to escort us, and keep us safe on our journey.”
“I don’t believe you.” Luca faced Nanino, who kept a vigilant stance next to him. “I need a moment with Olivia.”
Nanino’s eyes narrowed.
“Alone, if you don’t mind.” Luca enunciated each word.
Nanino grumbled something under his breath and returned to the driver’s seat to wait.
Luca hopped into the wagon and sat beside her on the bench. “What happened? Why did you leave so suddenly? Whatever it is, you can tell me.”
“I thought it best to leave you to your new life with your bride, unimpeded by the past. That is all.”
“And Prudenza Benevento had nothing to do with your leaving?”
She bit her lip.
By her silence, Luca knew his answer.
“Olivia, what did she do?”
Olivia shook her head. “It’s not important.”
He made a fist with his right hand and shoved it into his left palm. “It is important. Last night, after the Bishop Donnino went home, my plan was to wait until everyone slept. Then I planned to come to you and take you and Giuda away from Siena to start a new life somewhere else.”
“But you didn’t come.”
“No, because someone drugged my drink and I slept through the night and my entire wedding.”
Olivia gasped, and her hand rose to her mouth.
“In the morning, when I could not be roused,” Luca continued, “they made Lorenzo stand proxy for me at the wedding.”
“Oh, Luca. I’m so very sorry, but now you are married.”
He reached for her hand. “Yes, uh…I mean no. Don’t you see what this means? My marriage may not be lawful. I never had knowledge, nor did I agree to give anyone my proxy. I have to discuss this with the bishop, of course, but there is some hope now. You must come back, at least until I know where things stand. And, there is something else you must know.”
Her eyes searched his.
“It’s about the blanket you left for me on my bed with the pink lotus.”
“I meant it as a gift.”
“I understood your message very well – a farewell and a wish for a happy future, but Prudenza was the one to discover it there, not I.” He squeezed her hand. “She seems to know something about it and wants to speak with you.”
Olivia frowned. “My blanket?”
Luca shrugged, equally confused. “Yes. I’m not sure why, but she says she’ll tell us what she knows if I bring you back.”
She said nothing, merely stared down at her hands.
“What else has Prudenza done or said to you?” Luca knew nothing was beyond that woman’s doing.
Olivia did not respond.
“Come home with me, Olivia. We will speak with Prudenza together. I give you my word that I will be with you the entire time. I don’t trust her and I know you don’t either. Let’s find out what she has to tell you. Then after a few days, if you still want to return to the abbey, I will take you there myself.”
Olivia looked down at her son who began to voice a complaint over his disturbed sleep. “Very well,” she said at last, “I will return, but it may be only temporary.”
Luca exhaled with relief. “I understand.” He pulled her into his embrace, clutching her to him, thankful she had given him the time necessary to sort through the chaos. He swore he would not rest until he learned the truth and was free to marry Olivia.
113
Prudenza stared out into the night from her bedchamber’s window. All these years, she had guarded her secret, protecting her and her family from scandal. The passage of time had boosted her confidence, had lulled her into the belief her other daughter’s existence would be forever concealed. Yet, the twisted fingers of fate had crept in, grabbed hold of all she had worked for, and now threatened to destroy it.
Fate had brought Luca and Olivia together, linking them with a son. Fate had influenced Giustina to love Lorenzo. Fate had brought Olivia into their midst. Was she a thief here to threaten her? Or was she the daughter she had abandoned? The burden of her dark secret lay like an anvil on her chest. If she did not take matters into her own hands and learn the truth, she risked losing everyone – her entire family. It might already be too late.
Despite her doubts about Olivia’s identity, in her heart she suspected she was indeed the baby she had abandoned. She had only to confirm it, and then find a way to tell Carlo and Giustina, without causing herself
any harm.
What then of Olivia? Their sole encounter had been unpleasant. If she was indeed her daughter, she regretted treating her so harshly. Above all else, she was curious and wanted to hold her grandson. She doubted that would be possible, however, if Olivia learned the truth.
She clutched the window ledge, and then shook her head as she took a breath of the chill night air. How had she made such a mess of her life? Of her family’s life? How would they react when she revealed her secret? And what of Carlo? He was a man who prized his family. Once he found out about what she had done, would he cast her out of his life or would he find it in his heart to forgive? Doubtful, she hoped for the latter.
A knock on the door tore her attention from the dismal thoughts racing through her head. “Enter,” Prudenza called out.
Rosina came into the room. “Signora, you asked me to inform you when the master returned. He has just ridden through the front gates with Signora Olivia.”
Prudenza walked away from the window where the sun was just beginning its ascent on the horizon. “Tell them I will be down shortly to speak with them.”
“As you wish, Signora,” Rosina said, as she slipped out of the room.
Prudenza sat on the bed. She reached for the brocade blanket and raised it to her cheek, feeling its softness, inhaling its old, musty fragrance. Her body felt numb. She dreaded revealing the secret she had kept so long, but there was no choice. She must tell them in her own words, explain only what she wanted them to know, so she could remain in full control.
Rallying her valor, she rose. With the blanket in hand, she made her way down the stairs to the hall. Felicia and Enrico, Giustina and Lorenzo had all gathered, bleary eyed, whispering in hushed tones among themselves, wondering about all the commotion.
Orphan of the Olive Tree - Historical Romance Saga Page 34
