Feehan, Christine - The Scarletti Curse (38 page)

Nicoletta found herself blushing. Her sleep had been interrupted pleasurably
by her very passionate husband. Nicoletta was unsure of herself, uncertain
whether the things going on in her bedchamber were as right as her husband
assured her they were. "I intend to go walking this morn," she answered
calmly. "How is everything with you at night, Maria Pia? Nothing is amiss
in that room, is it? Young Sophie has not been attempting to go into the
passageway again, has she?"

"Don Scarletti ensured she did not. He took her into the passage and
showed her that there were hidden traps." Maria Pia frowned. "I went
with them to be certain she would not think it a punishment." She had gone
to keep Sophie from danger. She didn't trust the don with either of her
charges. "You might remember, Nicoletta, that it was an ancestor of the
don who devised such a wicked thing. Even so long ago there was murder and
madness in the
famiglia.
What normal man would think of such evil
things?" Her voice was gloomy.

Nicoletta laughed softly. "Have you seen the dungeon? When he threatens
to make that my home, I promise to tell you."

"Do not make light of it, Nicoletta," Maria Pia reprimanded.

Nicoletta leaned over to kiss her on the cheek. "I am sorry. I wanted
only to see you smile. It is beautiful today. I promise to meet you in the
courtyard and take those little imps off your hands as soon as I am able."

Maria Pia smiled in spite of herself. "You always find a way to get
around me." She leaned close, glancing back toward the guards to make
certain they weren't paying close attention. "I am sorry,
piccola,
but I must confess, something is not quite right. I pulled a chair in front of
the passageway last night as you instructed, to make certain no one could enter
the room while we slept. I also locked the outer door and removed the key. I
did fall asleep, but then I awoke to a noise at the door." She lowered her
voice even more. "I think someone was trying to get into the room."

The smile faded from Nicoletta's face. Her heart seemed to stop. Color
drained from her face. "You should have told me at once. I knew I should
never have asked you to stay here. I knew it." She suddenly looked fierce.
"No one is going to hurt you or Sophie. I will ask Giovanni to place
guards at your door at night."

Maria Pia regarded her with serious eyes. "It could be the don who
seeks to harm us. We do not know,
bambino."
She tried to soften the
suspicion with the endearment.

"It is not Giovanni," Nicoletta denied. "I know it is
not." Even to her own ears she sounded defiant rather than certain. She was
lost in the erotic web he had woven around her, a spell of enchantment so
strong she could not break free of him.

"I hope you are right," Maria Pia said softly as she rose.

Nicoletta didn't look at her, tapping her fingers on the tabletop as she considered
her relationship with Giovanni. He was very gentle and tender with her, yet she
could feel the fire raging in his blood, making him a darkly passionate man. He
was secretive, meeting at all hours of the day and night with visitors whisked
in and out of the palazzo before any other could see them. He protected these
guests from prying eyes. Twice Nicoletta had observed Antonello hovering close
but out of sight, as if he were hiding from his brother as well as the constant
stream of visitors.

Were they paid assassins? Giovanni had all but admitted to her that he
eliminated threats to his people and lands as soon as he heard of them.
Suddenly aware of the silence in the kitchen, Nicoletta stood up, smiling at
Bernado. "An excellent meal, as always. I do not know what Don Scarletti
would do without you, signore. Is there anything you need? I will see that you
get it." She made the offer in the hope it was true. Giovanni did seem to
cater to her whims. He often smiled at her with great amusement, but he
indulged her.

Bernado bowed low. "Don Giovanni has already spoken to me this morn,
Donna Nicoletta.
Grazie! Grazie! I
gave him a list, and he has said it
will be done. You are truly an angel."

Nicoletta laughed softly and shook her head. "You have not asked the
opinion of my guards, Bernado. I fear they would not agree with you."

The two men shook their heads at her nonsense and followed her out of the
room, as silent as ever. Her shadows. Nicoletta sighed as she walked along the
corridor toward Maria Pia's bedchamber. She wanted to examine it and then the
room where Sophie had been so ill. What was it about the two rooms that nagged
at her? She was used to wide-open spaces, used to freedom, not being watched
every minute of the day and night. Something deep inside her was rising up in
rebellion, and the strength of it was frightening.

A dark shadow passed through her as she neared a room on the lower floor,
one she had never explored. She slowed, her feet turning almost automatically,
and the shadow lengthened and grew inside her. The door was ajar, and she
peeked in. The room was a study of some kind, with books and paintings from
floor to ceiling. She had never seen such riches. Nicoletta opened the door
farther to see the woman who had drawn her there.

The same maid she had borrowed the broom from was attempting to dust, but
she couldn't reach the spot she was trying to clean. Nicoletta could hear her
muffled moans of pain as she worked to raise her arm. Very softly, Nicoletta
closed the door on the two guards and went to the woman.

"You are hurt," she said. "I am a healer. Perhaps I may
help."

The woman whirled around, her face tear-streaked, her eyes bright red. When
she saw Nicoletta, she looked terrified, the color draining from her face.
"I… I am not hurt, Donna Scarletti. You are mistaken. I am doing my
job." Her eyes were darting from side to side, looking around the room and
then at the door fearfully, reminding Nicoletta of a wild animal trapped in a
corner.

The shadow in her grew stronger. She looked out the wide window. From the
walkway, a large, grotesque gargoyle watched her with silent, staring eyes.
"Tell me your name." It was her first order as the new mistress of
the palazzo.

The woman paled even more. "Please, Donna Scarletti, I need the work
here. I have three
bambini. I
cannot feed them without working."
When Nicoletta continued to look at her, the woman stared at the tiled floor.
"I am called Beatrice. My husband was the captain of Don Scarletti's
personal guards." She said the latter with pride. "He was killed in
the last battle. The don has been kind enough to allow me to work here
since."

Something twisted tight in Nicoletta's stomach. There were faint bruises on
Beatrice's neck and shoulder. When she saw Nicoletta inspecting her, the maid
tugged her sleeves lower over her wrists, but not before Nicoletta could see
the strange black-and-blue circle around her skin like a bracelet.

"I wish to see," Nicoletta said. She used the hypnotic voice of
the healer.

"Please, no," Beatrice said softly even as she slowly tugged at
the drawstring of her blouse. The material fell open to reveal her skin,
mottled with bruises and several strange burn marks. Nicoletta moved closer,
trying not to look as shocked as she felt. Beatrice appeared to have been tortured.

Nicoletta reached out with gentle fingers and touched the worst bruise along
the woman's ribs. There was also a distinct bite mark on her skin. The moment
she touched the woman, she felt the aftermath of violence. Someone had attacked
Beatrice, used her badly, deliberately hurting her. The maid refused to look at
her, shaking with fear of discovery.

"Who did such a thing to you?" Nicoletta asked, so outraged she
could barely catch her breath. "You should not be working in this
condition. You need to rest to recover."

The woman backed away from her, a fresh flood of tears running down her
face. "Please, I beg of you, Donna Scarletti, please do not tell anyone.
Please do not let anyone know what you have seen."

Nicoletta pushed up the maid's sleeve. "He tied you up." It made
her feel sick inside. Who was so evil and depraved as to do such a thing to a
woman?

The woman began to pray loudly to the Madonna, her sobs louder than ever.
"It is my life if he finds out that you know, that you have seen me. My
life!
I
can work. I will work. Please signora, I am no whore. But I do what I
must to survive and care for my
bambini."

"Tell me who did this. We must go to my husband," Nicoletta said.

Beatrice threw herself onto her knees, wrapping her arms around Nicoletta's
legs, wildly weeping. "You cannot! For the love of God, you cannot! It is
my very life. I have the
bambini.
You cannot tell him."

Nicoletta pressed a hand to her suddenly churning stomach. What did Beatrice
mean? Surely Beatrice wasn't afraid Giovanni would punish her for what some
coarse soldier had done to her. She looked down at the maid's bent head, at her
bruised body, and suddenly she went very still inside. Her heart began to pound
in alarm. Not some soldier. Surely not. As widow of the captain of the guard,
surely Beatrice would go to the don and ask that the soldier be punished.
Whoever had used Beatrice in such a depraved manner had been a member of the
aristocrazia.
Who else could so ill use another human, thinking it his right. Yet Beatrice
was terrified to go to Giovanni. What did that mean? Unbidden, the memory of
Nicoletta's wedding night returned to haunt her. The
don
had left her,
and when he returned, there had been a fresh scratch across his chest.

The memory was vivid in her mind. She was untutored, an innocent; she had
not known how to please him. Yet surely he wasn't capable of such an act.
Nicoletta looked again at the bruises. Giovanni's father had sent women to his
sons to be used, uncaring of the feelings or wishes of the women. No! Nicoletta
wouldn't believe such a thing of Giovanni. He was not a man to torture a woman
for pleasure. He might be fierce in his lovemaking, he might be passionate and
demanding, but he would never harm a woman.

"Hush, Beatrice," Nicoletta cautioned gently, "the guards are
outside. I know I can help you. Tell me who did this to you that he might be
punished."

"Never." Beatrice drew away from her. "Mistress, on my life,
if you say anything, he will kill me. He will kill my
bambini.
He held a
knife to my son's throat as the child slept and told me what he would do should
you or any other find out."

Nicoletta's eyebrows shot up. "Me? He
specifically said me?" The maid was turning away from her, obviously too
frightened to go to the don or his wife for aid. Nicoletta caught her arm.
"He said if
I
found out?"

Beatrice looked at her with terrified eyes. Slowly she nodded.

Nicoletta's heart was close to shattering. "I will say nothing,
Beatrice, but I think I can find a way to safeguard you. And you must allow me
to try to heal you."

Beatrice ducked her head, ashamed. "Why are you helping me?"

Nicoletta smiled gently. "We are both women, Beatrice, both villagers.
Our only hope is to stick together. I will find a way to safeguard you. When you
feel you can trust me, I would appreciate your telling me who did this to you.
If he can so ill use you, he will do the same to others."

They fell into silence as Nicoletta laid her hands on Beatrice's bruised
ribs. She could feel the healing heat rising from deep within her, moving out
of her body and into Beatrice's. The maid gasped and stared at her, almost
afraid of the power flowing from Nicoletta into her. Nicoletta normally used
elaborate means to cover her special ability, yet she felt that making herself
vulnerable thusly was necessary to gain the woman's confidence. Beatrice could
name her witch, raise a cry even Don Scarletti might not be able to save her
from.

The two women stared at one another for a long time, the maid obviously
struggling to make up her mind. Nicoletta sighed softly when Beatrice looked
away. "I cannot say, Donna Scarletti. It is my life, and I have my
bambini
to protest. I am in your debt, and I know it. If you have need of me, I will do
what I can to protect and serve you always."

Protect and serve.
A strange way of putting it. What did Beatrice
know that Nicoletta did not? There was danger here; Nicoletta could see the
warning in the maid's eyes. "I will see what I can do to safeguard
you,
Beatrice," Nicoletta assured her softly as she slipped out the door,
making certain the guards did not catch a glimpse of the room's occupant. She
knew they reported her daily actions to the don. More and more she was chafing
under the restraints, under the watchful eyes.

When Nicoletta entered the room Sophie had occupied when she was so ill, she
purposely left the door open so the guards could remain very close. She smiled
to herself, thinking the soldiers were a two-edged sword. She needed them at
times and resented them at others. Something about this room made her
distinctly uneasy. It was as if evil had been locked within the very walls. It
still lurked there, hideous and relentless in its hunger, oozing out
unexpectedly to catch the unwary. The stained-glass windows prevented the sunlight
from entering fully, so the room seemed dark and shadowy, the carvings crawling
across the walls and up onto the ceiling, spreading like an insidious plague.
The scene depicted
aristocrazia
in all their finery being dragged into
the sea. Jagged rocks split apart boats, and legions of soldiers fell into the
foaming, raging waves.

The chandelier had been repaired now, once again hanging from the ceiling
with fresh tapers in it. If the earth had shaken as it had when she was
exchanging her vows, that would explain part of the strange phenomenon that had
occurred that night, the strange shadows playing across the room a result of
the way the flames had flickered and danced over the carvings as the walls
trembled. She saw a niche in the far wall identical to the one in the upstairs
room. An identical golden boat, ornate and beautiful, sat in the alcove. She
stared at it in wonder.