LADY of VENICE

by Siobhan Daiko

  Without waiting for my response, she reached into her handbag and pulled out a notebook. ‘This is what I’ve managed to translate so far.’ She cleared her throat. ‘Shortly after issuing his excommunication interdict against Venice,’ she read, ‘the Pope sent his troops to invade Romagna and seized Ravenna. They had the assistance of Alfonso d’Este, Duke of Ferrara, who proceeded to seize Rovigo, which belonged to the Republic, for himself.’

  ‘Lodovico would have been caught up in that battle,’ I exclaimed. ‘He was a cavalryman.’

  ‘Indeed.’ Vanessa turned over a page and carried on reading, ‘In April, Louis, the French King, left Milan at the head of his army and moved rapidly into Venetian territory. To oppose him, Venice raised what they called “the greatest and best-paid army ever seen on Italian soil”, under the command of two cousins… Bartolomeo d’Alviano and Nicolo di Pitigliano.’

  ‘That’s interesting. So, Giorgio Cornaro was no longer in charge of the troops…’ I put down the file I’d been holding. ‘I wonder if he survived the poisoning attempt?’

  ‘I think he did. I seem to remember he didn’t die until sometime in the 1520s.’ Vanessa looked down at her notes. ‘Alviano and Pitigliano disagreed on how best to stop the French advance. When Louis crossed the Adda River near Brescia in early May, Alviano advanced to meet him. But Pitigliano, believing it best to avoid a pitched battle, moved away to the south.’

  ‘With half the army?’ I exclaimed, shocked.

  ‘Yes,’ Vanessa read on, ‘on the fourteenth of May, Alviano confronted the French at the Battle of Agnadello. Outnumbered, he sent requests for reinforcements to his cousin, who replied with orders to break off the battle.’

  I didn’t like where this was going. ‘What happened next?’

  ‘Pitigliano continued heading south,’ Vanessa read. ‘Alviano, disregarding the new orders, carried on with the engagement and his army was eventually surrounded and destroyed.’

  ‘How terrible!’ my voice wavered.

  Vanessa nodded and stared at her pad. ‘Pitigliano managed to avoid encountering Louis. His troops, mercenaries, hearing of Alviano’s defeat, had deserted in large numbers by the next morning, forcing him to retreat to Treviso with the remnants of the Venetian army.’

  ‘Was there any mention of the Emperor’s attack on Asolo?’ I ran a shaky hand through my hair.

  ‘This is as far as I’ve got, Fern. I’ll translate the rest this evening, then fill you in when you get back here after the re-enactment.’

  ‘That will be perfect, thanks, Vanessa.’

  I went back to sorting through the papers. I thought about Luca and how safe he made me feel, and a finger of unease stroked my insides. Cecilia’s story was coming to an end, of that I was certain. Although I had no concrete proof, I knew in my soul she was about to die. I needed to be careful I was always protected by Luca when I slipped back in time. His warning to me about not being able to return to the twentieth century if I was with Cecilia when she died had scared me.

  I gave my body a shake and went back to the task at hand. The letters in the folder I held were written in ancient Italian, and there wasn’t a hope in hell I’d understand them. At least I could catalogue them chronologically, which is what I did until I needed to get ready for the re-enactment of Queen Caterina’s court in Asolo this evening.

  Watching the parade of people strutting through the town was a little like watching the movie of a favourite novel. Not as good as the original. The woman playing the role of Caterina Cornaro was tall and dark, whereas the Queen had been short and blonde.

  The costumes were only an approximation of the clothing I’d seen through Cecilia’s eyes. The men wore longer doublets than those I’d known as my nemesis, not showing their codpieces, which made me doubt they wore any. The women’s hair, my own included, held back in garlands, didn’t display the intricate plaits woven with jewels and hair-nets with which I was more familiar. The stink of unwashed bodies that had pervaded in the past, not to mention the lack of sanitation (outside toilets were the norm), made the early sixteenth Century a much smellier period of history, however, than 1989. Only the music and dancing were authentic.

  Tonight, the weather was hot and humid. Sweat trickled down my spine and legs as I moved through the steps of the dance. Masses of people had turned up to watch the performances, which was good for Asolo’s cafés and restaurants… and made people aware of the history of the town. I could sense the pride of the locals in the uniqueness of their heritage.

  After we’d finished our dance, Luca took me for a drink in the Caffè Centrale. We managed to find a table on the terrace, despite the crowds. Auntie, who’d said she wouldn’t have missed seeing the re-enactment for the world, had sat herself down next to us. ‘I’m dying of thirst,’ she said. ‘I’d love a fresh orange juice.’

  ‘It seems we’ll have to wait to be served.’ Luca glanced around. ‘Or maybe we’ve got lucky…’ The barman, in a white jacket and black bowtie, was approaching their table.

  ‘Una telefonata urgente!’ he announced.

  Luca leapt up. ‘An urgent phone-call for me.’

  Unease spiked my chest as I watched him run to the bar and pick up the receiver. He returned within a couple of minutes. ‘That was the police.’ His voice rasped. ‘I’m needed at the villa. There’s been an intruder.’

  ‘Would you like me to come with you?’ I reached for my handbag.

  Luca pressed his lips together in a slight grimace. ‘Better not. I want to find out what’s going on and make sure Mother and Chiara are all right.’

  ‘It would save you having to come back for me,’ I insisted.

  ‘The police officer on the phone was relaying a message from the Commissario. He couldn’t say if they’d caught the prowler or not. I’m worried sick, and don’t want to put you in any danger, Fern.’

  I got to my feet and gave him a hug. ‘For once, I won’t call you a caveman.’

  He kissed my cheek. ‘I’ll pick you up from Susan’s as soon as I can. You’ll be safe enough as long as you’re not on your own.’

  ‘Fern can stay the night at my house,’ Auntie interjected. ‘There’s no need for you to put yourself out, Luca.’

  ‘No, I think it’s for the best if Fern comes back to the villa.’ A frown creased his brow. ‘Just not straight away.’

  ‘Vanessa still needs my help with Chiara,’ I said by way of explanation as Luca ran in the direction of the parking lot.

  ‘Hmm,’ Auntie tilted her head toward me. ‘Is there something you’re not telling me about your relationship with that young man?’

  I felt the blush in my cheeks and was relieved Auntie’s attention had been distracted by the arrival of our drinks. Luca must have placed an order at the bar before he left. I lifted my glass and drank deeply. ‘He’s been so kind to me,’ I said to my aunt. ‘We’ve grown close.’

  ‘Just close?’ she smiled knowingly.

  I reached across the table and took her hand. ‘It’s early days.’

  I glanced up at the gathering clouds, which were reminiscent of the sky in Giorgione’s Tempest. ‘Let’s finish our juices and go home. Looks like a storm is on the way…’

  An hour later, I’d changed out of my re-enactment dress into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, and was sitting in Auntie’s kitchen, a plate of biscotti in front of me and a glass of sweet wine in my hand.

  ‘What did Luca mean when he said, you’ll be safe enough as long as you’re not on your own?’ she asked, dunking her biscuit into her drink.

  ‘Luca believes I’ve been regressing to the past,’ I said without preamble. ‘And he’s worried about my safety.’

  ‘Stuff and nonsense!’ Auntie’s tone was dismissive. ‘I would have thought better of Luca. He seems such a sensible person...’

  ‘God, it’s hot tonight,’ I said, making a snap decision to change the subject.

  I’ll never convince her I’m reliving Cecilia’s life and there’s no point even try
ing.

  The atmosphere had turned oppressive, and I wiped the sweat from my brow.

  ‘I think that storm is about to hit,’ Auntie said. ‘Do me a favour, please, love. Run upstairs and close all the window shutters. I’m suddenly feeling extremely tired.’

  I did as she asked, and, when I returned to the kitchen, she’d moved to the sofa in the sitting area, Gucci Cat on her lap, and her deep, rumbling snores bore witness to the fact that she’d fallen asleep.

  An ear-splitting crack of thunder split the air.

  With an uneasy feeling of foreboding, I retook my seat at the table.

  Luca said I shouldn’t be alone. Maybe I should wake Auntie up?

  But it was already too late.

  That buzzing sensation was back in my head, and the world around me spun on its axis.

  I hear the thunder and, through the open window catch sight of a fork of lightning. Lorenza rushes into my arms. My daughter is afraid of storms, and no matter how many kisses and cuddles I give her, she shakes like a leaf. ‘It’s only giants playing skittles in the sky,’ I say, holding her close.

  Lorenza gives me a pleading look. ‘Tell the naughty giants to stop.’

  I kiss her soft, warm cheek and squeeze her tight. We’re at the Barco, but the court is not with us. Given the option to go with the Queen to Venice last month or remain in Asolo, I made the decision to stay here. I could not have taken my daughter with me, because of Domina’s strict rule about “no children at the Venice court,” and no one could have foretold the way events have unfolded.

  After Lodovico’s attempt to poison him, Giorgio Cornaro retired to Brescia with kidney problems. However, we all believed the magnificent army raised by the Serenissima would quell the French without difficulty. It’s been the greatest shock to everyone that the Republic has lost such an important battle.

  And now the Emperor has raised his flag over Asolo castle. I’m so worried about what will happen next. Maximilian and his soldiers came down the Sugana Valley, leaving a sea of devastation. How has it come to this? The Doge of Venice hasn’t raised a hand to help the defence of Asolo. Our hope rests with the troops in Treviso. Zorzo has gone to fetch them and has sent word they’ll be here momentarily.

  These past months with my true love have been so happy. He has been with me almost all the time, teaching me about art, loving me and our daughter. The women he frequented in the past, the courtesans of Venice he also painted, are no longer in his life. Of that I am sure.

  My ears prickle.

  Horses are neighing in the yard below.

  I hear the stamp of hooves, the jingle of harnesses and the shouts of men.

  Could Zorzo be back with our soldiers already?

  I go to the window, Lorenza tugging at my skirts.

  Holy Mother of God! The troops aren’t ours; they’re Austrian. I can tell from their standards and the guttural sound of their language.

  Fear grips me.

  I pick my daughter up and make for the door. If I can get to Pegaso before the soldiers find us, there’ll be a chance for us to escape.

  A shadow crosses the floor and I step back.

  A man bars our exit.

  I peer at him.

  Maria Santissima! Lodovico stands before me, smiling his thin-lipped smile. ‘Greetings, wife! I have come to take you to safety.’

  I back away. ‘With you? A traitor? Never!’

  ‘I can’t leave you and Lorenza here.’ He grabs my shoulders and gives me a shake. ‘The Emperor’s troops are half-starved, half-crazed, and set on pillage. They’ll make mincemeat out of you. My job was to show them the Barco’s location. I had no idea you were still here. Thank God your maid told me.’

  Lorenza has burst into tears, and I put her down. She cries even more loudly when her supposed father pulls me against him. ‘You are my wife. Do as I say!’

  ‘I will not.’ I lift my hands and push at his chest. The little man, as the Queen called him, takes hold of my wrists. Even if he is short and thin, he’s stronger than I am.

  ‘I want to you leave me…’

  Zorzo is due to arrive with the troops from Treviso, I tell myself. He won’t know where to find me if I go with Lodovico.

  ‘Is that what you wish? That I should go?’ He smiles again. ‘With pleasure. You’ve been less use to me as a wife than a jouster’s dummy. But my daughter comes with me.’

  Before I know what’s happening, he snatches Lorenza up and scurries out of the room, slamming the door. I hear the key turn in the lock. There’s another crash of thunder and dark clouds obscure the sun.

  My vision is blackening, and I struggle to regain my equilibrium.

  ‘Lorenza,’ I scream.

  I blinked in the darkness. I had to find Lodovico and get to Lorenza. Where had the door disappeared to? I peered through the gloom but couldn’t see it. I let out a gasp and doubled over with sudden shock. I was at Auntie’s house, not the Barco. And the damn lights have gone. I could hear the storm raging outside, the thunder, the wind, the clatter of hailstones.

  Where the hell is the flashlight? I felt my way to the kitchen cupboards and rummaged around. A candle. Good. My fingers encountered a box of matches and I struck a light.

  ‘What’s happening, love?’ Auntie called out in the darkness; her voice was groggy.

  ‘Nothing to worry about,’ I said. There’s everything to worry about for Cecilia. ‘The storm has come, and the lights have gone.’

  ‘As ever. Well, we’re perfectly safe. Luca sent someone to install that conductor this afternoon.’

  ‘Oh, he didn’t tell me.’

  ‘I expect he had other things on his mind. Talking of which, when’s he coming to fetch you? It’s just that I’d like to go to bed…’

  ‘You go up, Auntie. I’ll be all right.’ I hope. ‘Where’s your flashlight?’

  ‘The battery ran out and I forgot to get a new one. There’s another candle in the drawer. I’ll take that.’

  I helped Auntie to the stairs, then sat down on the sofa.

  Cecilia was clamouring in my head, and there was nothing I could do to stop her.

  The television set disappeared before my eyes and my fists were suddenly pounding.

  I’m hammering on the door, screaming, Lorenza!

  But no one opens.

  I go to the window and stare through the pane.

  Lodovico is on his horse, my struggling daughter on the saddle in front of him. He catches my gaze and waves. Then he gallops away, leaving the soldiers rampaging in his wake.

  If I jumped out of the window, I would land in the middle of the troops, and they would rape me, no question.

  Madre di Dio! They might break down the door to this room; I must hide.

  Trembling, I search the room for somewhere.

  I look from left to right. There’s a large wooden chest in the corner, half-filled with blankets. I run to it. Then I squeeze into the space beneath the layers and let the lid slam shut.

  I put my hands to my ears and try to shut out the mayhem below, but the shouts of the soldiers and the screams of the kitchen maids still echo inside my head. What are those men doing to them? And what they will do if they find me?

  I touch my gold necklace, cool against my skin. Hope flickers within me. The soldiers might not know I am here; they might not even come upstairs. I take a deep breath and let it out. Keep calm! Yet my heart beats with such force and I shake with such violence I’m sure they will discover me at any moment.

  Oh, Gesù bambino! What’s this acrid smell? This sudden warmth? This roaring sound? I move the blankets to one side and peer through a crack in the wood.

  Maria Santissima!

  Red tongues of fire are licking their way across the floor…

  I sniffed the air. Something was burning; I was sure of it.

  My entire body trembled. I remembered the smoke pouring through tunnels, the panic and the choking and the searing in my lungs.

  Acrid fumes stung my eyes. A roa
ring sound filled my ears. I shook myself, willing my mind to be cleared of what had happened in the past. There was nothing I could do about it. The fire was at the Barco, not here.

  Then why couldn’t I breathe? And why were my eyes stinging? Oh my God! Flames were leaping across the curtains. The window must have blown open, toppling the candle onto its side and setting the fabric alight. I leapt up from the sofa.

  I had to wake Auntie and get the both of us out of here…

  I make the sign of the cross as a fiery wall of death dances toward me, blocking any chance of escape. Where can I go? My stricken body quakes; there’s no way out.

  I let out a sob and clutch at my belly. Lorenza! She must be terrified. Lodovico doesn’t love her. He took her out of spite. What if I die here? What will become of her? Lorenza!

  Tendrils of smoke seep through the wooden slats of the chest and curl their way down my throat, making me cough. Tears furrow my cheeks. Dear Lord, how could you let this happen to me?

  Fire is about to take me from this world, from everyone I love…

  My mind was whirling. Focus, girl! I ran up the spiral staircase. The corridor had filled with smoke; I could scarcely see. I raced to the bathroom and grabbed two hand-towels, wet them in the basin, and hurried to Auntie’s room.

  Through the gloom, I could make out her shape in the bed. I shook her and shouted, ‘Wake up! The house is on fire. We’ve got to get out. Quick!’

  Auntie gave me a confused look, then swung her legs from the bed. I handed her the wet towel and said, ‘Hold this over your mouth and nose. It’ll allow you to breathe.’ I held out my hand and Auntie slipped hers into it.

  We felt our way down the stairs. The wooden kitchen cabinets were in flames now, but the way was clear to the front door and we staggered through it, Gucci Cat at our heels.

  On the front step, Auntie suddenly turned around. ‘My manuscript. I have to go back for it.’