by Gian Bordin
A renewed murmur rose in the hall.
"But did you not already take revenge on Signor Sanguanero by blinding him?" questioned the Sienese judge.
"That was not revenge, that was simply a question of survival. From the conversation I had overheard, they were going to let me drown once both father and son Sanguanero had raped me. I used the first weapon that came to hand, a sharp chicken bone, and the first opportunity, when Signor Sanguanero was distracted by what he was doing, to blind him so that I could escape from the Santa Caterina and disappear in the night."
"You must have been close to shore to be able to swim to safety."
"No, I swam for a whole night and a day. Fortunately, I found a big piece of cork bark to keep afloat."
"One last question, Lady Chiara. Where have you lived since that affair that has destroyed Casa Sanguanero?"
"With the exception of a three-months trip to Rome last summer, I lived in Chiusi, Chianciano, and Monte Pulciano. I Magnifici gave public and private performances in all these cities. There are people in Piombino who can testify to that."
"Thank you, Lady Chiara, that is all." Barbarigo turned to the judges. "Your Honor, as you just heard, she has lived for most of that time in lands under Sienese stewardship. Not secretly, but openly. I personally have heard reports of people who attended the baths in Chianciano and saw these performances. I have also heard of the performance at Palazzo Benincasa of her latest translation, Amphitruo, which I am told was attended by the abbot and many of the monks of the Franciscan Monastery. Lady Chiara visited me in Siena. What then of the vaunted threat to prosecute her that my learned colleague so proudly proclaimed? … Why did it not happen? … Because Casa Sanguanero never lodged a complaint of fraud against Lady Chiara. Why? For the simple reason that after Lady Chiara confronted the late Signor Sanguanero and he did not deny her claim, few people doubted that he had done what she accused him off. Which father who is innocent would not answer the anguished plea of his daughter to say it was a lie? … He did not deny it, not because he was already possessed, but because even he at that fatal moment could not bring himself to lie to his own daughter.
"In fact," Barbarigo continued, "Lord Baglione of Perugia, a close blood relation of Casa Sanguanero, has sided with Lady Chiara and has refused to heed the call for vendetta that Signor Sanguanero had issued. Not even his own blood relations believe in the innocence of the late Signor Sanguanero."
A forceful line of argumentation, Chiara mused. Niccolo’s call for a vendetta rather than having recourse to the courts by filing a complaint against her strengthened her case.
Professor Barbarigo caught his breath, letting his gaze sweep over the people in the hall. "Everybody here has witnessed how my claimant has answered all questions without ever hesitating, even if the answers were not in her favor. Our learned judge from Pisa will certainly have checked the records of the Podestà of Pisa of his interrogation of Lady Chiara in June 1347." The judge nodded briefly. "He will therefore be able to tell whether or not the statements made then by Lady Chiara confirm my depositions. Liars tend to be inconsistent. They change their story over time to strengthen I make it seem more believable, more acceptable. You have not witnessed anything of this sort from Lady Chiara. She has been true to herself, even to her own detriment.
"I also know that the rental of a piece of land, Lady Chiara owns near Cetona, is donated in total each year to the orphanage of the Sisters of Santa Maria in Chiusi.
"Lady Chiara is not the liar and the woman of ill repute that my learned colleague tried to paint. She is a woman with a strong sense of justice, a woman, who in spite of all the odds stacked against her, seventeen, penniless, turned away from the gates of Pisa as a vagrant, has come out on top … a fearless woman, a woman of an exceptional intellect and poise … a rare artist who has regaled thousands of people with her commedia erudita … a woman who does not hide behind lies. If she says that the late Signor Sanguanero violated her, then it is the truth. Your Honor, I rest my case."
Almost instantly, the hall was filled with excited voices. I guess it is a rare spectacle for them, better than any comedy, Chiara mused.
"Lady Chiara, you may return to your place," said the senior judge, his voice drowned out by the noise.
Barbarigo smiled at her and then followed behind. She felt all eyes on her and returned Lady Maria’s nod and smile. While she had talked and listened, she had watched to judges carefully. She was convinced that they were sympathetic toward her, but she also felt that, in spite of their initial statement about natural justice, it would take a very strong case for them to go against tradition. The lack of a witness would sink her. Had this not been the reason why she had taken justice into her own hands already once? She doubted that she would be spared from playing her last card, a card she would rather have kept.
As she sat down, the three judges put their heads together. They talked for several minutes. She studied the wall hangings and paintings in the hall, ignoring the hateful looks that Niccolo sent to her every few seconds. After an agonizing wait, the judges resumed their seats and the clerk called for quiet. An expectant hush fell over the people.
"In the case of Lady Chiara, the claimant, against Signor Sanguanero, the defendant," the senior judge began in a clipped Latin, "the tribunal has been forced into a difficult decision. We do not doubt the sincerity of the claimant. There is significant corroborative and hearsay evidence to support her case. However, finding in her favor would set a far-reaching precedent and can and should only be made if the evidence is overwhelming and beyond doubt. A witness to either the conversation the claimant says to have overheard or the violation of her person would provide such irrefutable evidence. In its absence, all three judges are of the opinion that it would be imprudent to find in favor of the claimant. We therefore have no choice but to dismiss the claim and to reconfirm that Signor Sanguanero remains the rightful owner of the property in dispute."
The words were met by a stunned silence. Chiara saw Niccolo’s triumphant sneer and turned to look to Lady Maria, who had opened her mouth in dismay, only to quickly raise her hand to cover it. She looked to Chiara who lightly shrugged her shoulders, which seemed to disconcert the countess even more. She could sense Barbarigo’s deep disappointment and guessed that the judges’ eagerness to hear him out had raised his hopes.
A murmur went through the crowd, as some got up to leave.
Chiamora was on his feet too, trying to attract the attention of the judges.
"Your Honor," he repeated several times before the senior judge turned to him. "Since you have found in favor of my client, I wish to lodge a claim for costs against Lady Chiara." He began to cite a list of expenses.
A new hush fell over the hall. Most people returned to their seats. While he spoke, Chiara retrieved two scrolls from her bag and opened one on top of the other. Barbarigo looked at her puzzled.
"Esteemed Professor, I now would like you to address the judges anew with a claim that the document signing over the Elba property is a forgery. Here, look at these signatures. This one is my father’s twenty-five years ago, on the marriage contract with my mother. And that one is his signature on my marriage contract with Casa Sanguanero, dated just six months prior to when he purportedly signed the contested document… Place it on top and compare. The two signatures twenty-two years apart are almost identical, both firm and elegant, whereas this one," and she pointed to the contested document, "is hesitant, with slight corrections, as if someone had tried to imitate it, and his seal could easily have been removed from another document. He corresponded with Casa Sanguanero on several occasions. Note that even the witnessing signature of Messer Faranese and his seal look slightly fudged."
He studied the three signatures for several seconds. "Indeed, this one looks like an imitation, … but why would your father have a copy of a forgery in his possession?"
"I have wondered about that too. My only conclusion is that it was forced on him, so that I would find it
in his papers after his death, which is exactly what happened. As I told you, one of the last things my father said to me is that he agreed to the marriage because Messer Sanguanero threatened to have me killed otherwise. So maybe he accepted the document because he thought that this would save my life. Would it not be almost certain that finding this document I would accept that I had lost my inheritance?"
"Yes, most people would… But why did you not tell me this before. All we then would have needed to do was to challenge Casa Sanguanero to produce the notary’s register and his copy. If it is a forgery, they could not, … unless the notary was a party to the deal. But I knew the late Messer Faranese. He was an upright man, in spite of his sullen manners. He would not have committed a fraud, and the fudging of both his signature and seal looks suspicious."
"Esteemed Professor, proving that the document is a forgery lacks elegance; it has no aesthetic form to it, whereas creating an important legal precedent is both elegant and aesthetically pleasing."
The frown lines in his forehead deepened for a short moment, his eyes grew puzzled, and then slowly a delighted glow took hold. He nodded repeatedly. Taking the three scrolls, still unrolled, he approached the dais. Chiamora had just finished going through his list of expenses.
"Ah, Professore Barbarigo, how kind of you to come," he exclaimed, switching to the vernacular, "here is a copy of the costs my client claims."
Barbarigo refused to take the sheet, addressing instead the senior judge. "Your Honor, I wish to reopen the case along a different line."
"You do, Professor?" replied the judge, not hiding his annoyance. "This is most irregular."
"Your Honor, the evidence is sufficiently compelling to warrant that the case be reopened or a new case be submitted. But since the tribunal is still sitting, it seems more appropriate to do the former."
"What is this about reopening the case, Professore?" cried Chiamora. "The judges have delivered their verdict; the case is closed."
Barbarigo ignored him and continued to speak to the judge in a low voice that Chiara could not hear, showing him the three scrolls. They were joined by the other judges. Chiamora pressed in on them too. A hush had descended on the spectators. The countess looked at her questioningly. She could only respond by smiling. Finally, the three judges resumed their seats, and Barbarigo joined her again. Chiamora returned to Niccolo and spoke to him. The latter became highly agitated, casting her another hateful glance, which she returned with a stoic expression. He interrupted the lawyer repeatedly, gesticulating wildly with both hands.
The clerk called for silence and the senior judge spoke again: "The tribunal has seen fit to suspend its judgement until a matter of serious contention has been settled. The claimant has submitted that the signature of Seignior da Narni on the document in question may be forged —"
The sudden clamor in the hall drowned his words.
"Silence, silence," repeated the clerk, stamping his staff several times on the wooden dais.
"The tribunal therefore requests the defendant to provide irrefutable proof that the signature is genuine by submitting the ledger and the copy of the document held by the notary who witnessed and certified the signatures. This tribunal will reconvene in a week’s time."
* * *
The countess cornered Chiara immediately after she returned to the living quarters of the castle. "Chiara, you are the most devious person I know. First you lead the tribunal and all of us through a most fascinating spectacle and, when all seems lost, you play a card that you kept hidden from everybody, I presume even from Professor Barbarigo, and everything is up in the air again… And do not tell me now that you are sad that I see you in this light." The latter was said with a smile.
Chiara’s only response was to return the smile.
"But I must say, you were superb. I was so proud of you. I know that you may have seen this simply as playing another role, a real one this time, but you came through as genuine and truthful. I am certain that even the judges believed you. I did so hope that they would find the courage to declare in your favor."
"My Lady, I realized that I had only a slim chance —"
"— and that is why to had a second line of attack. But will it be another false hope?"
"We will have to wait and see whether Niccolo can produce the proof." He won’t, but her face betrayed nothing.
"How can you remain so detached? How could you sit there as if you too were only another spectator, when all the horrible things that had happened to you and all the naughty things you did were aired, and when that despicable Messer Chiamora tried to malign you so injustly? I was sitting on needles all the time and remain all anxious even now. I doubt that I will be able to sleep until next week, and you only smile."
"Messer Chiamora was simply doing his job, not too cleverly, I must say, and my training as an actor —"
"But how will I ever know when you are genuine? Are you always hiding behind the actor?"
"My Lady, I never hide behind the actor when I am with friends, unless it is for their own protection. I don’t think I could do it without giving myself away. But the larger the audience, the easier it gets."
"You see, for you this whole thing was nothing more than another spectacle, a live comedy in which you played a part."
"And what a part it was, Lady Chiara," exclaimed Count d’Appiano who had just entered the parlor. "The judges were most impressed."
"Thank you, my Lord."
"Ah, I was hoping to see you, my Lord," exclaimed the countess. "I am impatient to know what happens now."
"The judges have ordered Signor Sanguanero to produce the proofs. I offered to have an escorted courier sent to Siena, and thanks to Lady Chiara we now know that even that distance can be covered in two days if need be. He did not take my offer kindly. In fact, he was fuming. Lady Chiara, I advise you to watch your back. He also said something about the notary who had drawn up the contract having died more than a year ago and that he had severed all connections with the practice of his successor because that man had either destroyed or lost several important documents of Casa Sanguanero, and he did not trust him."
The fool, doesn’t he realize that he’s playing right into my hand?
"This sounds more like he knows the proofs cannot be found because they don’t exist," remarked the countess.
"That thought has occurred to me too, my Lady. Anyway, my offer to him stands, and he said he would let me know before tonight, so the courier could be off at first light tomorrow morning and be back in five days. Look at it from the bright side." He turned to Chiara. "Lady Chiara, we will be able to enjoy your delightful company for a few days longer."
"Oh, I would not have let her disappear right after the tribunal’s verdict. I intend to keep her with me for a few days. Maybe I will finally be able to convince her to get married."
The count winked at Chiara.
"Just smile, my Lord. I will get there. This time she will not escape."
"My Lady, I look eagerly forward to this contest of two evenly matched minds," he replied, grinning as he walked away.
That night, the count confirmed that Niccolo had agreed to make use of his offer. Chiara took advantage of the courier to also send a note to Alda and Pepe, informing them of what happened and of the delay to her return.
27
Piombino, February 1351
As I feared, the judges hesitated to create a precedent that would have allowed me to contest the document signing over my inheritance. But if Niccolo Sanguanero thought that he was off the hook, he still did not understand my tenacity. In a way I felt like a ferocious dog who, once he had his teeth sunk into his prey, would not ever let go. If I could not challenge him as to the validity of the document since it had been obtained fraudulently, I was now challenging my father’s signature as a forgery. Do two wrongs make a right? Deep down in my heart I knew it did not, but I told myself, neither did one wrong left undone. I convinced myself that I was only paying Niccolo back in kind. He h
ad cheated my father. I was going to undo that wrong by cheating him.
How stupidly people behave when pushed into a corner. He may have guessed that I had outplayed him. So he figured that if he got rid of me he would be in the clear. He almost succeeded in the first, although I doubt it would have led to the second, nor had he learned anything from his previous encounters with me, namely that a cornered fox may outsmart a pack of hounds led by a dumb master. But looking back, I should be grateful that he did what he did, because, my precious Selva, you would not exist, and I might never have known the all consuming fire of love that made me throw into the wind all that an unmarried noble maiden values and wants to preserve until it has been sanctioned before God. The sailor, a slave, who had brought me water on the Santa Caterina was one of the hounds, and he hardly hesitated when I offered him a chance for freedom. I fell under his spell and gave myself to him, knowing it would only be for the moment, that once the night was over, he would leave, never to come back. Such thoughts were then far from my mind. There was only him and nothing else existed.
* * *
Life within the confines of the Palazzo Appiano had become somewhat of a trial. Wherever she went, people seemed to stop talking, as if she had been the topic. She was greeted with excessive deference, followed mainly by silence. Few struck up a conversation or contributed actively to it when she did, the count and countess, Beatrice, Mercurio, and Barbarigo the only exceptions. But even the latter spent most of his time in his room, stating that as a result of the trial he was reworking his arguments for a revision of the laws on inheritance. Nor was Chiara keen to give Lady Maria too much opportunity to work on her about marriage. In fact, she was surprised that the countess did not broach that topic on the first morning after the trial. And in the afternoon, she went on a ride on the peninsula north of the town. She welcomed Mercurio’s company. He had been ordered to watch over her. She got him to talk about his life as a young soldier. They climbed Monte Gigante. Her heart contracted seeing Elba revealed in its splendid serenity for the first time since her arrival at the coast, the prominent peak of Monte Capanne to the west, the steep sides of Volterraio across the waters of the straits. Tears came unbidden.