Allegra

by C. De Melo

  Bruno’s mind raced. “Would you be kind enough to fetch me something to drink before I go? I’m parched.”

  The girl nodded, albeit reluctantly, and led him through the courtyard into the main hall. “Please wait here, Signore Bruno.”

  The moment she left the room, Bruno ascended the stairs and headed to Vittorio’s workshop. Quietly, he pushed the door open. Allegra leaned over the workbench studying a gemstone with a lens. Unaware of being watched, she moved the stone closer to a candle flame as she searched for defects.

  “What are you doing in your father’s workshop?”

  Allegra gasped, dropping the gemstone. “I was only doing a few repairs for my father’s clients,” she lied. “What are you doing here?”

  “Vittorio taught you how to use his tools?”

  She blew out the candle and went to him, intercepting his progress toward the workbench. “You know he’s a practical man.”

  “Bianca Cappello came by the bottega today.”

  The servant appeared in the doorway, flustered. “Signorina Allegra, I told him you were not to be disturbed.”

  Allegra lifted a hand to silence the girl. “Everything is fine. Leave us.”

  After the girl had gone, Bruno continued, “She told me things are not as they seem where you’re concerned. What did she mean by that?”

  She wrung her hands. “I don’t know.”

  “I believe you do.”

  “Are you insinuating that I’m a liar?”

  “No, but I do think you’re hiding something.”

  “I don’t have time for these games.”

  He gripped her shoulders. “You attempted to seduce me recently, and now you accuse me of wasting your time?”

  Lowering her gaze, she whispered, “I made a mistake.”

  “Look me in the eye and tell me you bear no love for me.”

  “Why did you come here?”

  “Say the words and I’ll trouble you no more. Look at me!”

  Reluctantly, she met his gaze. “Bruno…”

  Pulling her into his arms, he urged, “Sweetheart, tell me this terrible secret that keeps you from being by my side where you belong.” He kissed her face, her lips. “Tell me, please.”

  Allegra pushed him away before he melted her resolve. “I don’t want to hurt you or anyone else.”

  “What have you done that’s so horrible? Have you killed someone?”

  “No!”

  “Are you a spy from another kingdom? A thief?”

  This made her chuckle. “I’m neither.”

  He also cracked a smile. “You have a good reputation in this city, your father indulges you, the Medici favor you, and I love you like I’ve never loved any other woman—what is your dark secret?”

  Allegra studied him for a long time. Finally, she said, “Ask your father.”

  “My father?” he repeated, shocked. “What the hell does he have to do with this?”

  “Everything.”

  ***

  Domenico Spinelli lamented the fact that his life was coming to an end. Death had finally come knocking, and it was only a matter of time before he’d be forced to open the door. He’d begun feeling ill a few days ago and, this time, the old man knew his body wouldn’t recuperate from the ordeal.

  Bruno’s face appeared in the doorway. When Domenico opened his mouth to greet his son, it evoked a coughing fit. Bruno quickly poured water into a cup and put it to his father’s lips.

  “Thank you, son.”

  “Are you feeling any better today?”

  “A bit,” the old man lied. “What ails you?”

  “How do you know there’s something wrong?”

  “I know you better than anyone else, Bruno.”

  “I confronted Allegra today. I know she loves me, yet she refuses to follow her heart. It makes no sense, does it?”

  “Women can be fickle at times.”

  “Allegra may be many things, but fickle is not one of them. I tried coaxing answers from her, but…” He hesitated. “She advised me seek them from you, instead.”

  Domenico lifted his gnarled hand to his forehead and shook his head.

  “Father?”

  The old man heaved a tired sigh. Protecting La Castagna’s identity was causing more harm than good at this point. The two young people he loved most in this world were suffering because of a mere farce. Did he truly want to die and leave things in such a state of disarray?

  “I haven’t been honest,” Domenico confessed. “At the time, hiding the truth from you seemed like the right thing to do. Now, I’m not so sure.”

  “What truth are you referring to?”

  “I know who La Castagna is…I’ve known all along.”

  “How does he enter into the equation?”

  “She,” the old man corrected.

  Bruno’s expression was one of total disbelief at first, then it gradually hardened into one of fury. “Allegra.”

  “She’s been displaying her God-given talent from the moment she became my pupil many years ago. The girl was born to be a goldsmith.”

  “You took on a female apprentice?” Bruno asked incredulously.

  “None of our male apprentices can match her skill or compete with her unique designs.”

  Bruno paced the room. “How does Vittorio play into this web of lies?”

  “He arranged the apprenticeship for his daughter. I admit, I was skeptical when he proposed the idea, but once I saw what the girl was capable of, I agreed to tutor her privately. I harbor no regret for doing so.”

  “Is it my destiny—my curse—to fall in love with deceitful women?”

  “Before you make assumptions, let me assure you that Allegra never wanted to live a double life.”

  “Yet she does a fine job of it.”

  “Vittorio and I forced her to maintain this secret. The Church, the guilds, the magistrates—there was no way she could create and sell her own jewelry openly as a woman. La Castagna was born of necessity, not choice.”

  “There are reasons why we have laws banning women from guilds.”

  “Enlighten me, my son, because I can’t think of a single one. In my opinion, Allegra is a true maestra who should be running her own bottega.”

  “I can’t believe this,” Bruno murmured half to himself.

  “Allegra wanted to tell you the truth but I forbade her from doing so. I also convinced Vittorio to uphold my decision.”

  “Why would you do that? Why keep me in ignorance? I’m your son!”

  “You returned to Florence and immediately expressed your loathing of La Castagna. I refrained from telling you because I didn’t want to jeopardize our fragile relationship.” Domenico licked his dry lips. “I was also afraid of how you’d react, what you may have said or done. Reputations were at stake, not to mention legal consequences.

  Bruno pounded the wall. “I’m a fool.”

  “Don’t think such a thing. Nothing has changed where Allegra’s feelings for you are concerned.”

  “Everything has changed,” Bruno said before storming out of the room.

  Feeling dejected and betrayed by those whom he loved, he walked aimlessly through the streets in the early evening gloom. His thoughts were like the tumultuous roiling waves of an angry sea. La Castagna’s coquettish style, the delicate, intricate designs. It made perfect sense that a woman—Allegra—was behind the creation of those outrageously stunning pieces. How could he have been so blind to the obvious?

  He turned onto Via Roma, the setting sun causing a riot of colors in the twilight sky. Some of the market stalls were already empty, and torches were being lit in preparation for the oncoming night. As he crossed the piazza with distracted steps, pigeons and rats scurried out of his way.

  Bruno now understood why Allegra rejected his advances, and those of other suitors for that matter. She could never hide the truth from a man with whom she was intimate.

  “I can make you forget your troubles, sir.”

  The female
voice caused him to turn his head. A whore beckoned to him from the shadows, offering temporary release from anguish. His eyes flickered to her sagging breasts and rouged cheeks.

  “I’m one of the best,” she added with a smile that lacked a few teeth.

  “No, thank you,” he replied, hastening his steps.

  Bruno walked straight to the Palazzo Castagno to confront Allegra.

  Again.

  The initial resentment and anger that burned within him a while ago melted away as he recalled his father’s words: Allegra wanted to tell you the truth. She had kept the secret from him out of love, not malice.

  Bruno glanced up at the workshop window. Candlelight shone from the panes and he imagined Allegra arduously working on a piece of jewelry. La Castagna jewelry.

  The anger surged through him again and he turned to go, then stopped. What did it matter? She loved him, she wanted him, and she was a good woman. What more could a man like him possibly ask for in life? Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door.

  “You’ve come back, Signore Bruno,” said the servant who had opened the door for him earlier. “My mistress is still in the workshop.”

  Pushing past the girl, he ran upstairs. Allegra gasped as he burst into the workshop for the second time that day. Without further ado, he pulled her into his arms, kissing her hungrily.

  At length, he whispered, “Tell me the secret you chose to share with Bianca Cappello but not with me, the man who loves you.”

  She placed her palms against his hard chest, relishing the feel of his muscles. “If I tell you, things will never be the same.”

  “If you won’t tell me, then allow me to guess.”

  “Bruno, please…”

  Putting his lips to her ear, he whispered, “You are La Castagna.” When she stiffened, he tightened his grip. “My father told me everything, so don’t attempt to deny it.”

  A heavy silence followed, then tears filled her eyes. “Are you angry?”

  “I’m angrier with our fathers for forcing this heavy burden on you.” When she leaned against him and sobbed with relief, he gently lifted her chin with his fingertip. “According to my father, you wanted to confess the truth to me.”

  “I did. My heart has been heavy with guilt and sadness for so long.”

  “You need not suffer anymore.”

  “Will you forgive me?”

  He pressed his lips to her temple. “Only if you marry me.”

  “Will you allow me to continue making jewelry?”

  “Yes.”

  Overjoyed, she threw her arms around his neck and covered his face with sweet kisses. “I love you, Bruno!”

  The close, physical contact evoked a hunger within him that had not been roused in a long time. “Nothing prevents you from being mine.”

  Standing on her tiptoes, she kissed his lips. Bruno swept her up in his arms and headed straight for her bedchamber. After setting her upon the bed, he locked the door and began removing his clothing.

  Allegra’s emotions were a jumbled mess—desire, apprehension, confusion, surprise, fear, love—above all, love. Bruno’s lean naked body inspired admiration and lust as he approached the bed. His fingers began to undo the laces of her bodice, revealing the golden chestnut hidden between her breasts. His eyes were glued to the charm.

  “Funny how life is,” he said. “I have loathed La Castagna up until now.” Burying his face in the softness of her neck, his hands explored her nubile body. “I’ve hungered for you from the moment you fell into my arms like an angel from the sky.”

  “And I, you,” she whispered. “Be patient with me, for I’m naïve when it comes to the carnal act of love.”

  A slow smile stretched across his handsome face. “We can take all the time you need, dearest.”

  Bruno’s warm lips trailed kisses along her jaw and neck. When his mouth traveled from her throat to her breast, she gasped in pleasure. An aching need began to grow deep within her core. Running her hands slowly along his back, she arched against him with burning need.

  Bruno shivered under her touch. “Naïve, you say?”

  “I please you, then?”

  Allegra’s eyes grew wide when he slid his rock hard member against her inner thigh. “Does that answer your question?”

  “Will it hurt?”

  “I’ll be gentle,” he promised.

  No woman—not even the whores he had lain with in the past—had ever talked to him in bed. Anabella never looked him in the eye during copulation, let alone speak tender words. Allegra’s candidness during lovemaking not only surprised him, it stoked his passion. Carefully, he tempered each thrust with patience until her body instinctively responded to his own. They continued in unified rhythm until coming together in a powerful crescendo.

  “Mia Donna,” he whispered as he held her possessively in his arms.

  “Stay with me tonight.”

  Exhausted, he nodded with closed eyes. “As you wish, my love.”

  Before long, they were both fast asleep. Gianna, who had been looking for her mistress, peeked her head into Allegra’s room. When she saw the naked couple fast asleep in the twisted sheets, she immediately closed the door and crossed herself. Santo Cristo! Thank God and all the saints that Vittorio was far away in Asti. Smiling indulgently, she walked away with a light step. The Castagno household would soon be hosting a wedding celebration.

  Domenico became teary-eyed when his son and Allegra arrived at the house hand in hand the following morning. Bruno was truly happy for the first time since his arrival in Florence, and Allegra seemed joyfully unburdened of her dark secret.

  ***

  Vittorio and Lavinia arrived one month ahead of schedule in order to help with the wedding arrangements. In the days that followed, Bruno and Allegra could not get enough of each other. They made love furtively and frequently. Bruno even took his lovely betrothed on top of his desk on a sunny afternoon in early September while the oblivious apprentices worked in the bottega. He was forced to cover Allegra’s mouth to keep her from crying out in pleasure.

  “I swear you are half goddess, half human,” he whispered, holding her tightly. “My desire for you grows daily.”

  “You have never experienced this?” She hesitated before adding, “Not even before?”

  Bruno held her gaze as he shook his head. “You refer to Anabella. She and I had a different kind of relationship.”

  “I remember she was quite beautiful.”

  “Yes, but she was also vain, selfish, and arrogant.” He paused, adjusting his clothing. “Anabella tolerated me. She never wanted me.”

  Allegra slid off the desk and smoothed the creases in her gown. “Why did she marry you?”

  “Her family was poor…I believe she did it for convenience, not love.”

  An urgent knock on the door startled them.

  “Enter,” Bruno said.

  One of Domenico’s servants stood at the door wringing her hands. “Signore Bruno, your father…”

  “Is he all right?”

  The girl’s eyes glistened. “He’s dead.”

  Bruno’s shoulders sagged with grief. “When?”

  “Maestro Domenico had a coughing fit and the water pitcher was empty, so I went to fill it,” she explained. “By the time I returned, he was no longer breathing.”

  “Dear God,” Allegra whispered as she crossed herself. “Oh, Bruno…”

  “May his soul rest in peace,” he said softly.

  Chapter 25

  Domenico’s funeral was a respectable affair. Several people came from all over Tuscany to pay their last respects to the famed goldsmith. Most were peers and former apprentices. Allegra grieved alongside her betrothed. She would miss her maestro and longtime friend.

  Bruno and Allegra got married after a respectable period of mourning. Their wedding ceremony took place in the Basilica di San Lorenzo, where the bride’s mother and great-grandmother were buried. Brunelleschi’s smooth white walls and elegant pietra serena columns p
rovided the perfect backdrop for the joyous affair.

  Allegra, dressed in a splendid gown of cream silk with gold embroidery, held her lover’s hand as they exchanged heartfelt vows. The guests followed the couple to the Palazzo Castagno where Vittorio had spared no expense to celebrate his daughter’s marriage. Roasted meats, spicy stews, rounds of aged cheese, delicate pastries, custards, dried fruits, and plenty of fine wine delighted the many guests. Minstrels entertained everyone throughout the evening and well into the wee hours of the night.

  Isabella congratulated the couple, then took Allegra aside. “Matrimony suits you, after all,” she said with a wink.

  “Who would have imagined it?”

  “Farewell to the Ice Queen,” she teased. “Bruno is a good man. Felicitations to you both.”

  Troilo and Bernardo also offered their congratulations.

  At one point during the merrymaking, Bianca approached the bride. Leading Allegra to a quiet corner, she said, “I’m so happy for you.”

  “Thank you, Bianca. You were right about so many things.”

  A devilish smile played upon the Venetian’s lips. “Life is too short to deprive yourself of carnal pleasures.”

  Allegra laughed. “Yes, it is.”

  “On a more serious note, I had a little chat with Paola Gori a while back. I made it clear that if she causes you or Bruno any trouble, she’ll have to answer directly to Francesco.”

  Allegra had been secretly worrying about the widow’s threat for so long that she visibly sagged with relief. “I’m in your debt.”

  “Nonsense, my friend. I only repaid the kindness you’ve shown me many times throughout the years.” She smiled. “Consider it a wedding gift.”

  Later, as the guests laughed and danced, Bruno swept his bride into a shadowy corridor to steal a passionate kiss. “I’m the happiest man in Florence today.”

  Allegra snaked her arms around his neck. “And I, the happiest woman.”

  “Thank you for marrying me.”

  “I’ve done more than that, my love.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Allegra took hold of his hand and placed his palm against her belly.

  He stared at her in confusion, then realization lit up his features. “Are you…?” When she nodded, he picked her up and spun her around. “My precious girl. Does anyone else know?”