The Contessa's Vendetta (20 page)

I burst
laughing. “How very interesting, but you know the saying: the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.”

“
Ah, contessa, how kind of you to accept my confession and not resent me, but truly, for the last hour I have been utterly inconsolable!”

“
Like all lovers, torturing themselves for no good reason. Well, I find it most amusing! When you reach my age,
carissima
, you will prefer the clink of gold and silver to the kiss and embrace of a man. How many times must I assure you that I care nothing for men.” I raised my goblet. “Believe it or not, it is true.” I took a long sip.

Beatrice drank her wine
in one gulp. “In that case, I feel comfortable in confiding in you. I am in love with Signore Gismondi. In love! It is too weak a description for what I feel for him. The touch of his hand thrills me. His voice shakes me to my soul. His eyes ignite a fire inside me that I cannot extinguish. You cannot understand the joy, the pain—”

“
You must keep calm,” I said frostily as I listened to my victim reveal her true feelings. “You must keep your mind cool when your blood burns. Do you think he loves you?”

“
Think! He has...” She paused and her face flushed. “I know he never cared for his wife.”

“
I know that too!” I answered in a steady voice. “One cannot fail to notice it. It was evident in the dreariness of his voice when he speaks about her.”

“
It is no surprise. Carlotta was a restrained fool! She had no business marrying such a spirited, exceptional man like him.”

My heart leaped with fury, but I controlled my voice,
“It is best to let poor Carlotta rest in peace. She is dead. Whatever her faults were, her husband was true to her while she lived. He was faithful to her was he not?”

She
glanced away then lowered her eyes. “Oh, certainly!” she muttered.

“
And you were a loyal and truthful friend to her, despite the appeal of her desirable husband?”

Again she answered
huskily, “Why, of course!”

I saw her hand tremble.

“Well, then, I believe the love you now bear for her widower is something she would approve of. Because you have both behaved appropriately and beyond reproach, I hope that you and Dario receive the reward you both so richly deserve.”

While I spoke, she fidgeted and I saw her
glance up at my father’s portrait with agitation. I suppose she could see her dead friend’s likeness there. Silence befell us for a few moments and then she turned to me with a forced smile. “And so you hold no interest in Signore Gismondi for yourself?”

“
Oh, that is not true. I do have a very strong interest and admiration for him, but not in the way you think. If it will put you at ease, I can promise you that I shall never try to attract his attentions unless—”

“
Unless what?” she asked, her face tense once more.

“
Unless he happens to show an interest in me first, in which case it would be great fun to seduce him!” And I laughed harshly.

She stared at me, her
eyes wide. “Show an interest in you? Seduce him? Surely you jest. You would never consider such a thing.”

“
Of course not,
cara
,” I answered, rising and patting her gently on the shoulder. “Women like me rarely pursue men like him, it is quite absurd. You are perfectly safe, my friend. Come, let us drink coffee with the handsome man awaiting us on the veranda.”

Arm-in-arm we wandered out to the veranda. Beatrice
’s good spirits were restored and Dario seemed relieved. Apparently, he was wary of Beatrice – something I would be wise to remember. He smiled a welcome to us as we approached and Giacomo poured the fragrant coffee.

The moon had already risen and nightingales trilled their song in the nearby woods. I took my seat next to
Dario and as I adjusted my gown around me, I heard a long mournful howl that soon turned into restless whines.

“
What is that sound?” I asked even though I already knew the answer.  

“
Oh, it’s that irritating dog, Tito, droning on again.” Dario’s face wrinkled with aversion. “The creature belonged to Carlotta. His whining can be very annoying at times.”

“
Where do you keep him?”

“
After my wife died, he wandered about the house howling for days. I could not stand the relentless sound, so I had no choice but to chain him up outside.”

My poor Tito,
callously treated because he grieved for me. “I adore dogs, and I would love to see the poor animal. May I?”

“
If you wish,” he said without enthusiasm. “Beatrice, would you mind fetching the dog for the contessa?”

Beatrice did not move; she leaned back in her chair and
sipped her coffee. “Me? I hope you will not mind if I refuse. The last time I went near the creature, it attempted to bite me. Perhaps you could ask Giacomo to unfasten the dog and bring it here.”

Dario faced me with raised brows.
“For some strange reason, Tito has taken a dislike to Signorina Cardano, even though he is loving and loyal to Chiara. Perhaps it is best if we leave the dog chained up for tonight. I would not wish to see either one of you harmed in any way.”

I narrowed my gaze at Beatrice and wondered what she had done to merit such a reaction from Tito who had never behaved in such a
way before. “I’m sorry to hear that, but I would still dearly love to see the poor creature, if only to give it a bit of comfort since it seems he misses his mistress.”

Dario looked at Giacomo.
“Please untie Tito and bring him to me.” 

Giacomo gave a slight bow and departed to attend to the task.

In a few moments, Tito’s howling ceased and the nimble, whitish-brown creature came bounding across the moonlit lawn toward me at full speed. He yelped with joy, tail wagging and panting as he cavorted around me, licking my hands as I patted him. 

Beatrice and Dario watched Tito
’s frenetic affection with unreserved amazement.

“
See, I told you I have a special affinity with dogs. No matter the dog, I always receive the same reaction.” With a touch of my hand on Tito’s neck, he lay down quietly at my feet, tail still wagging, brown eyes never leaving my face. I had no doubt my loyal dog recognized me.

Meantime, Dario watched me with a look of confusion, his pallor lighter than moments before. 

“You do not like this dog?” I asked, watching him closely.

He laughed, a little forcedly.
“Oh, no, I like dogs, but I have never seen Tito react so strongly to anyone other than Carlotta. How very strange!”

Beatrice, too, looked uneasy.
“Very strange indeed,” she said. “For once, Tito is completely ignoring me. Usually, he never fails to snarl or bare his teeth at me.”

At the sound of her voice, Tito turned and gave her a
discontented growl, which I immediately silenced by touching his head. My pet’s animosity towards Beatrice surprised me. Prior to my burial, Tito had always been friendly towards her.

“
I have owned many dogs over the years,” I said. “And dogs can sense when someone likes them. No doubt Tito is responding to my love for canines.” My air of indifference seemed to reassure my betrayers and after a few brief moments, the incident was forgotten.  

It was getting late and I rose to leave.
“I would be happy to chain up the dog before I go home so that he will not disturb your sleep by his howling.”

Beatrice looked relieved and she walked with me to the kennel. I chained Tito and patted him affectionately. He wagged his tail and lay down on his
straw bed with no resistance except for a brief, pleading look as I turned and walked away from him. 

When we returned to
the veranda, I thanked Dario for an entertaining evening and announced my departure.

“
Please allow me to accompany you home in your carriage,” Beatrice offered.

“
That is very kind of you, but there is no need. I am fond of late night rides and I do not have far to go.” Thus, I bade them goodnight and coldly kissed Dario on both cheeks. He beamed with pleasure. I wanted to shudder with aversion.

Beatrice walked me to the villa gates and watched me enter my carriage. With a quick flick of the reins,
Paolo set the horses to a walk. I waved at Beatrice as I rode away, but the instant I saw her turn away and heard the villa gates clang shut behind her, I asked Paolo to halt the carriage. I descended and went back to the villa, moving along the outer wall to the rear of the residence to a thicket of laurel that extended almost up to the house. I swept the branches softly aside and pushed my way through until I came within hearing distance of the veranda.

Beatrice sat with Dario on the settee I had just vacated. She leaned her head against his chest. He tilted her chin up and gave her a long kiss.

“You can be very cruel, Dario!” Beatrice said when they separated. “For a while, you had me fooled into thinking you truly liked that rich old contessa.”

He laughed.
“Ah, but I do,
carissima
. I believe that beneath those grotesque spectacles hides a striking woman. And did you see all the jewels she wore? They were of the finest quality and very rare. I’ll bet there are plenty more and I hope she gives some to me so that I can add them to my collection.”

“
And if she were to give you more gifts, would you care for her, Dario?” A tinge of jealously echoed in Beatrice’s voice.

“
I sincerely doubt it.”

“
She is very conceited, you know. She told me she would never make love unless a man showed interest in her first, and then she would initiate it. How shocking. What do you think of that?”

He laughed.
“How original and charming!” He stood, pulled her to her feet, and embraced her. “Come, let’s go inside.” 

“
You are shameless, Dario. You would flirt with your own grandmother!” Beatrice laid her head against his chest tenderly. “Tell me the truth, Dario, do you not think she looks a little bit like Carlotta?”

“
I confess I do think there is a resemblance. In fact, I think it is possible she might be a long-lost relative, perhaps even Carlotta’s aunt, and wants to keep it a secret for some reason. Overall, I believe she is a good woman, and disgustingly, gloriously wealthy. I think it would be wise to treat her as a valuable friend, don’t you? Come,
sposina mia
, it is time for us to go to bed.” They disappeared inside and shut the veranda windows after them.

Sposina mia
. His little bride. I left my hiding-place and returned to my carriage. I felt confident they did not suspect my identity. It would be unusual if they did, for who would believe it possible for a dead woman to come back to life? Stupid fools! In this game of vendetta, it was I who held all the power and I resolved to play it out to the bitter end and with all due haste.

Two months passed and during that time, I spent my time wisely, establishing myself as a great noblewoman within Vicenza’s society. My wealth garnered many invitations from the city’s most affluent families who eagerly sought my acquaintance. No one cared whether I was intelligent, witty, or beautiful. My popularity rose when I appeared in my satin-lined, ornate carriage drawn by four Arabian mares as white as polished ivory, my luxurious box at the opera, my beaded silk gowns, and the never-ending display of jewels I wore.

I soon came to know everyone of importance in Vicenza. People spoke
about me in the most opulent salons. Newspapers chronicled my lavish generosity. Rumours about my immense revenues spread from mouth to mouth on every cafe and street corner. Jewellers, dressmakers, shoemakers, and furniture makers stopped Santina and Paolo with small trinkets to solicit my attention or obtain my custom. They both discreetly tucked away these bribes, but told me about each one, providing the name and address of the person who made the request.