Magical Weddings (31 page)

Signor Rosso had asked him how he intended to attend the ball when he had not been invited and when Matheo had replied that he would do whatever it took to get in without bringing trouble Caterina’s way, the older man had assessed him shrewdly and then thanked him.

Matheo had not needed any thanks. He had simply been pleased to spend one last time in Caterina’s exhilarating company.

“Matheo?” Caterina whispered now, “If I have done nothing wrong, then tell me-,”

Tell her why he had stopped? How did he tell her she tempted him beyond measure and yet inspired him to behave nobly? He stared into her beautiful blue eyes. “You are not free to act this way with me and I will not let you betray Guido for something that we both know deep down can never be.”

She shook her head in denial of his words. “It can be. We will go to my father,” she insisted. “We will explain. He will understand and Guido will not care. Trust me. He does not see the world like I see it—like you and I see it.”

“Just because he does not see the world like us, does not mean he does not care about you.”

“You are wrong. He does not love me. I do not love him.”

“But he does care for you I think,” Matheo said, hating that the pleading notes in her voice could reach so easily into his heart and tug. “And I think you can grow to care for him.” Better that, he thought, than him taking her away with him and seeing the blossoming love in her eyes dull and disappear because he could not give her what Guido could give her right away—a stable income that provided a good home and a safe environment for her to create her lace.

For all that she spoke of adventure did she really understand the romance of it wore off when you did not know where you were sleeping that night, or how you would feed yourself the next day? Although he had made contacts for work in England, now that he was leaving earlier he was going to have to think on his feet to secure interim food and lodgings.

He peeled her hands from his chest and squeezed them to emphasise his next words. “I cannot offer you what Guido can.”

“You think all I wish for is material things?” she said, a look of disbelief in her face.

“I think you wish to find your place in the world as much as I do. But I think you romanticise how easy it will be.”

“I have worked every day for years, Matheo,” now her voice shook with frustration. “Do not assume I mistake the romance of life to be absent of hard work.”

It was good to make her angry at him. It would make it easier for him to walk away, he thought selfishly.

“Caterina, I have seen you romanticise everything. You allowed me to play a game with you tonight, with no thought to the consequences.”

“No. I knew it was you. I would never have taken the risk with a true stranger. I would never have wanted to. Say it,” she demanded, stepping forward her hands curled into fists of fury. “Say you know that the only game we have truly played is that of deluding ourselves for so long. Say you know we have each other’s hearts.”

“Caterina-,”

A tear slipped out and cut through the first layer of his resolve. “This is not pretend,” she said, laying her fist at his chest. “I know when you looked at me tonight it was real. I know that when you touched me tonight it was real. Say you know it too. Say it.”

“Signorina Caterina Rosso?”

At the intrusion, she lifted her hands from him and Matheo turned to find two uniformed palace guards crossing the balcony to them.

“
Si
, I am Caterina Rosso.”

“You are to come with us,” one of the guards said.

Matheo moved to stand in front of her. He had promised her father he would look out for her and that meant not letting her out of his sight. “What do you want with her?”

“The Doge’s daughter requires her company immediately.”

“Why?” Matheo demanded, turning back to look at Caterina and not liking the new paleness to her face. “Caterina?”

She took a breath but her smile seemed forced as she said, “It is all right. I know what this is about. I need to go with them.”

“Then I will accompany you,” he told her, reaching out to take her hand.

“Your presence is not requested, signore,” one of the guards instructed. “You will not be permitted into the royal apartments.”

Matheo turned to address the guards, “Do I look like I care whether I am entitled to enter the royal apartments? Where she goes, I go.”

The guards stepped forward, and Matheo quickly realised that if necessary they were prepared to take Caterina with them by force. What was this all about? Did this have something to do with her nervous looks around the room, earlier this evening? He had known something was not quite right. All the while he was indulging in her sweet company had she been in some sort of trouble?

As if Caterina could tell he was wondering what it would mean for her if he fought these guards she stepped out from behind him. “I must go with them, Matheo. It is all right. Truly. There is nothing for you to worry about.”

“I do not believe you.”

“You must. I am friends with the Doge’s daughter, Maria, and I am asked to assist her with something.” She shivered and he knew it was not the breeze that had caused it. “If I am not back before morning,” she said hurriedly, “go to my mother and father and tell them that I will explain everything as soon as I can.”

“Not back? Why would you not come back? I promised your father I would watch over you.”

“For your friend,” she interrupted sadly. “You promised my father because Guido could not, yes?”

“I promised because I-,” he broke off. How could he confirm the man he had told her he would not let her betray had indeed been asked to come here tonight and had declined?

“Say it,” she urged, searching his eyes for the passion that had filled them earlier. “Before I go, say it. Say you know this whole evening, you and I, is real.”

“Caterina.” He bowed his head. He wanted to say it with all his heart but he knew he must let her go. Knew she was not his to take across the waters.

“Please,” she begged as she was led away. “Matheo, please.”

Flanked by the two guards, Caterina was hurriedly escorted up the stone staircase and into the private apartments belonging to the Doge and Dogaressa.

She barely felt the ground beneath her feet, her mind was racing so.

Why hadn’t he said it?

The magic between them was real.

She knew it with every fibre of her being.

She would fight for him if she had to.

She would convince him that she was not some naïve girl who equated being in love with holding the stars and the moon in her hands forever. She would make him understand that she knew lasting love was much more than the excitement you got at the beginning of an adventure.

As soon as she left the palace she would explain to her father and to Guido, why she and Matheo belonged together.

The guards came to a stop outside the room Caterina had been shown into earlier and now she felt the breath flow out of her, leaving her dizzy as her heart pumped its nervous rhythm. The magic must have worn off in the mask she had made for Maria, making Maria angry. Why else would she be summoned? Why else would she be escorted by guards instead of Maria’s confidants?

She tried to keep calm but as soon as the door to Maria’s rooms was opened for her she could hear the crying. Two steps into the room and she heard the guards close the door behind them. Tentatively she took another step forward and came upon the mask she had made, lying discarded upon the floor. She did not dare stoop to pick it up. Instead, her gaze followed the sound of sobbing. In the firelight she could see Maria sitting in the shadows on a chaise-longue.

Trepidation had her clutching her own mask to her side. Should she speak? Make her presence known?

“S-signorina Maria? You would like to speak with me?”

The sobbing stopped abruptly and then she heard Maria say, “Everything is ruined.”

Caterina’s heart pounded heavily against her breastbone.

“
You
,” Maria cried, springing up from her position in the shadows, “you have ruined everything. My disfigurement has returned and now it is worse than ever.”

Caterina stumbled forward to see more clearly. Maria moved out of the darkness and relief coursed through Caterina for the magic had not made Maria’s scar worse as she had claimed. The spell had simply come to its end and the scar had reappeared.

“The magic wanes,” Caterina said softly. “It lasted longer than I imagined.”

“I cannot live my life like this,” Maria shouted in her face, pointing to her scar and then gesturing wildly to the room and its darkness. “Not now I have tasted more. Tonight,” Maria informed her, her demeanour changing lightning quick. “Men looked at me without pity. They danced with me. Talked with me. Spent their time with me. Because I was beautiful.”

“You are beautiful,” Caterina insisted carefully, “and a man worth something will see beyond one scar.”

“
Liar!
” Maria hurled the word at her before whirling around to start pacing the length of the room. “That is something someone who is already beautiful says.” As she paced, she turned back to stare at Caterina, a sly look entering her eyes. “The man who was talking with you tonight, he thinks you are beautiful, yes?”

Caterina felt the coil of fear unfurl in her belly to spread through her. Did Maria seek retribution for the magic fading? Did she realise she could hurt her beyond measure by punishing Matheo?

“I watched you with him,” Maria said when Caterina remained silent. “He touched you with familiarity. You spoke with him and no other person all evening.”

Caterina’s breath rushed out of her. The consequence of enjoying Matheo’s company had placed him in danger. She should never have allowed herself to become distracted at the ball.

“My mother tells me you are betrothed to Guido de Mosta,” Maria continued. “My friend at the ball knows of him and that is not who you were with tonight. Perhaps I shall ask the guards to detain the man you were with. Perhaps I shall have him put in the prisons for the length of time I am upset.”

“Why would you do that?” Caterina asked, her mouth dry. “He is not part of this. I am truly sorry the magic has left you feeling you held something in the palm of your hand and lost it too soon, but there are other ways to live your life.”

“What would you possibly know of it?” Maria spat out, jealousy lighting up her features. “You are betrothed to one man and have another clamouring for your affection. You use your lacemaking to worm your way into the affections of my mother. Perhaps you weave your magic to get yourself whatever you want in this world?”

“That is not true,” Caterina whispered and felt arrows of guilt pierce her skin, for hadn’t she wanted to use the magic for her own gain? Hadn’t she intended to use it to get out of her marriage to Guido?

“My mother has spoken to me about you on several occasions,” Maria continued, staring Caterina up and down. “I think perhaps that it is you she wishes for a daughter, not me.”

“You are very mistaken. She has spoken of you to me too and always it has been with pride and love. She wants you to be happy. That is all. W-where is the dogaressa?” she asked, thinking that surely her employer would be able to comfort Maria back into some semblance of sanity.

“She has retired for the evening. But when she discovers my wishes she will not question them. As you say, she wants only the best for me.”

Caterina swallowed. “And your wishes are to punish me?” She could not bear the thought of Matheo being locked up.

“No. Punishing you will not get me what I need,” Maria said.

Relief crashed through her until she realised Maria would surely want something else, then. “W-what is it you wish?”

“I wish you to make me more magic lace,” she declared as if it was the simplest, most gentle request in the world.

Caterina’s hands shook. She did not know how to make the magic lace. She did not know the rituals, or the words that were needed. It was her mother who performed magic. Not her.

“In fact,” Maria added, “I wish you to make me a whole wardrobe of it. Dress after dress after dress, all containing your special lace so that my scar disappears every day.”

Caterina stared at her dumbfounded as cruel reality sank in. “But how can I possibly—the lace takes months to make.”

“Then you shall start now, this very moment,” Maria sing-songed. “What materials do you require? I shall have them brought to you straight away.”

“I cannot do that.”

Maria, unused to having her demands questioned, stepped closer. “You cannot?”

Fear snaked down Caterina’s spine. She must do whatever it took to get out of this room, she realised. Thinking quickly she remembered that she had sometimes seen her mother grinding stones with a pestle and mortar before chanting as she wove the lace. If she could make Maria believe she needed to get home in order to collect her materials, there would be hope of coming up with a plan to get herself out of this mess.

 “I require special powders,” she began, making every effort to keep her voice from shaking under Maria’s relentless gaze. “But I trust only myself to transport them. I will need to return to my family tonight to collect them.” She held her breath as Maria searched deep into her eyes.

“Very well,” Maria finally agreed. “You will inform your parents that you have been given the honour of working for me as my personal seamstress. You can tell them that you will be living at the palazzo from now on.”

“But I am to marry in three weeks time.”

“Then you have three weeks to make me a magic wardrobe.”

The task was impossible.

All of it was impossible.

But for now she had a chance to get out of the palazzo and think of a plan on her way back home.

****

“I have been foolish and reckless and I am sorrier than you will ever know,” Caterina whispered as she ended her tale and watched as her mother and father absorbed the ramifications of Maria’s orders.

When her mother suddenly stood up from the kitchen table, it was to wring her hands with worry as she stared at her daughter.