Allegra

by C. De Melo

  Allegra paused on the stairs. “My mother would not have employed a warlock to create my astrological chart. Besides, Mancini has been working for the nobility for years.”

  “You’re as stubborn as your mother,” Gianna chided. “I’ll go with you.”

  They walked to the imposing civic building, which also served as the city’s jail, and were shown inside by one of the guards.

  “Wait here,” the man said.

  “Coming here was a mistake,” Gianna whispered.

  Allegra ignored her as she waited for one of the officials. When someone arrived, she said, “My name is Allegra Castagno. I’ve come on behalf of the astrologer, Messer Mancini.”

  The man’s eyes hardened as he looked the lovely young woman up and down. “Signorina Allegra, regretfully, there’s nothing I can do.”

  “Then I would speak to someone who can, sir.”

  “My superior is indisposed at the moment.”

  “I’m happy to wait,” Allegra said, sitting on a nearby chair.

  The man did little to hide his irritation. “What is this prisoner to you, if I may ask?”

  “Messer Mancini is an acquaintance.”

  “You do realize he’s being held for the crime of witchcraft.”

  “He’s innocent of the charge of which he has been accused.”

  “How can you assure me of that?”

  “The many noble families of Florence wouldn’t dare employ the services of someone with a dubious reputation. I, too, have an astrological chart designed by Messer Mancini.”

  Understanding the meaning behind her words, the man smiled tightly. “Perhaps Mancini wasn’t dabbling in the dark arts when he worked for those respected members of our society, your family included, of course.”

  His mocking tone annoyed Allegra. “I demand to know what proof you have of this man’s guilt.”

  “And who are you to demand anything?”

  “Someone who has witnessed firsthand Messer Mancini’s kindness and fine moral character. He came to my aid years ago when I was being wrongfully harassed in public.”

  “Why were you being harassed in public?”

  Seeing the wicked gleam in the man’s eye and knowing Allegra’s quick temper, Gianna took hold of her mistress’s hand. “Come Signorina. We should return home.”

  Ignoring Gianna’s wise advice, she said to the man, “That’s neither your concern nor the point. Again I ask you, sir, what proof do you have?”

  “Forgive my mistress’s impertinence, sir,” Gianna interjected. “She’s young and prone to hotheadedness.”

  Appalled, Allegra said, “Gianna!”

  “If you’ll excuse me, I have work to do,” he said before mumbling something about hysterical women.

  “I beg your pardon, sir?”

  “Go home you daft girl.”

  “How dare you?!” Allegra spat. “You ignorant, small minded—”

  “Guards!”

  Gianna tried to urge Allegra toward the door but her mistress was too busy hurling insults at the man.

  Two officers took hold of Allegra. “Get your hands off me!”

  They dragged her away kicking and screaming, and locked her in a cell located on the ground floor. Reserved for the nobility, the tiny chamber contained a window, a desk, a chair and a small cot. The cells below, which were used for commoners, were entirely different.

  “Please, sir, you cannot keep my mistress here,” Gianna pleaded.

  “My superior will decide what to do with that shrew,” he retorted. “Go home now, unless you want to join her.”

  Gianna walked outside in a troubled daze. What a predicament! She thought of her next move, then made her way hastily to the Mercato Nuovo. She found Bruno in the back room of the bottega.

  “Signore Bruno, I need your help.”

  “Gianna! Where’s Allegra?”

  She told him what had happened.

  Uttering a curse, he hastened to the Bargello with Gianna at his heels. Once inside, he demanded to see the person responsible for Allegra’s imprisonment. The man deliberately took his time coming down, which only made Bruno’s blood boil.

  Looking at Gianna, the man said, “I told you to go home.”

  “She fetched me, instead,” Bruno said. “I believe my ward, Allegra Castagno, was here earlier. It seems that her lack of comportment earned her a visit to one of your cells. I’m here to collect her and take her home.”

  The man smiled without humor. “Your ward?”

  “Her father, Vittorio Castagno, is currently in Asti and requested that my father and I keep watch over her in his absence. I am Bruno, son of Domenico Spinelli.”

  “I see. Well, Signore, your ward came here on behalf of a man accused of witchcraft and heresy.”

  “What of it?”

  “We must prove she’s not a witch, too.”

  “Mancini was apprehended on a similar charge a while ago and a nobleman’s wife spoke on his behalf. Did she have to undergo the same treatment?” Sensing the man’s outrage, he added in a gentler tone, “I can assure you that Signorina Allegra is no witch. Besides, everyone knows that Mancini is a harmless astrologer. This whole thing is nothing more than a terrible misunderstanding.”

  “If what you say is true, then your ward will be set free when my superior returns in two days.”

  Two days? Bruno frowned. “I have no intention of walking out of this building without Allegra Castagno.”

  “You have no other choice,” the man said icily. “Good day, Signore.”

  “Very well,” Bruno conceded. “Perhaps you will be so kind to have one of your officers accompany Signorina Allegra’s maid to the Palazzo Pitti.”

  “The Palazzo Pitti?”

  “Why, yes, of course. Signorina Allegra’s godfather must be apprised of this matter immediately,” Bruno said coolly. “Gianna, tell His Grace—”

  The man’s face paled. “His Grace?”

  “What’s your name?” Bruno asked. “I’m sure Cosimo de’ Medici will want to know the identity of the man who imprisons innocent women.”

  “Signore Bruno, shall I also mention Messer Mancini’s imprisonment?” Gianna inquired, playing along with the farce.

  Bruno nodded. “Yes, especially since his own daughter, Isabella, recently employed the astrologer’s services for the Orsini heir.”

  “Perhaps I’ve been too hasty,” the man said, motioning to the officers in the background. “Free the woman.”

  “And Mancini?” Bruno demanded.

  The man nodded reluctantly. A moment later, the bailiff emerged with Allegra, who blushed when she caught sight of Bruno. No one spoke a word as they waited for Mancini. The astrologer’s eyes bespoke sincere gratitude as he crossed the courtyard toward them.

  “I owe you my life, Signorina Allegra,” Mancini said the moment they were outside. “Thank you.”

  “It’s Signore Bruno whom you should thank,” Gianna pointed out.

  “Yes, thank you, Bruno,” Allegra said.

  Messer Mancini bowed. “I am in your debt, Signore.”

  “I’m glad I could be of service,” Bruno said with a lingering look in Allegra’s direction. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must return to my bottega.”

  Allegra watched him walk away before inviting the astrologer to the Palazzo Castagno for the midday meal. Famished, Messer Mancini readily agreed.

  “Florence is no longer safe for you,” Allegra said as they sat at the dining table eating stewed capon. “Is there somewhere else you can go?”

  “No, but I’ll find a solution.” The astrologer paused, then said, “He loves you—Signore Bruno, I mean.”

  Allegra set down her knife, stunned.

  He continued, “And you love him, but you won’t risk courtship lest he discover your secret.”

  Her eyes grew wide. “How do you…?”

  The astrologer gave her a measured look. “Have you forgotten my profession? I knew you were meant for greatness the moment you were
born. I’ve known for quite some time that you’re La Castagna.”

  “La Castagna means everything to me.”

  “It certainly must if you allow a man like Bruno Spinelli to slip through your fingers.” At her incredulous look, he added, “I know all about him, too. He’s a good soul who’s suffered tremendously in life.”

  “Messer Mancini, may I ask you an indiscreet question?”

  “The answer to your question is yes,” he replied, his dark eyes glittering in a way that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. She was about to ask him if he practiced witchcraft.

  “The accusation brought against you is true, then?”

  “It is,” he replied. “Are you frightened?”

  “Yes,” she admitted. “But I know you have no intention to harm me.”

  “None whatsoever.”

  “I’ll never reveal your secret, I promise.”

  “Nor I yours.”

  “You must leave Florence, Messer Mancini,” she reiterated. “It’s only a matter of time before they arrest you again.”

  “And you must allow Bruno into your heart, Signorina Allegra.”

  Chapter 24

  “You haven’t replied to any of my messages, so I felt compelled to check on you,” Bianca explained. “You look pale and thin.”

  “Your concern is appreciated,” Allegra said.

  The two women sat in the shade of a potted lemon tree in the Palazzo Castagno’s courtyard.

  “How is your gentleman friend, Bruno Spinelli?”

  “I haven’t seen him in weeks.”

  “Why not?”

  Allegra shook her head sadly, prompting Bianca to take hold of her hand. “It pains me to see you like this. What happened? Has he lost interest?”

  “I don’t know,” Allegra replied, her eyes glistening with tears. “He won’t see me or reply to my messages.”

  Bianca stared at her askance. “I’m confused. I thought he loved you and wanted to marry you.”

  “I think he still does. It’s a long story…”

  “Yes, well, isn’t that always the case with love? Long, convoluted stories abound in poetry and literature, each one dedicated to that deliciously complicated emotion.”

  Allegra finally gave in to tears.

  Shocked by the sudden outburst, Bianca embraced her friend. “Let’s go inside, shall we?” she whispered. “The servants shouldn’t see you like this.”

  They climbed the courtyard steps and entered the palazzo. Bianca ushered Allegra into a small sitting room and shut the door. “Tell me what’s wrong, my dear. I’ve never seen you so distraught and it worries me so.”

  “I can never have Bruno.”

  “Why not? What prevents you from acting on your heart’s desire?”

  “A secret.”

  Bianca hesitated. “Are you deformed down there?”

  “What? No!”

  “A hermaphrodite, then?”

  “It’s nothing like that, I assure you.”

  “Then what in the world are you hiding from this man?”

  Allegra paced the room, casting wary glances at Bianca every so often. “Can I trust you?”

  “Implicitly.”

  “Do you swear never to reveal my secret?”

  “Allegra, you’re frightening me. What are you hiding?”

  Allegra quietly took her friend by the hand. “Follow me.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “You’ll see.”

  They walked into the workshop. Bianca wandered around the room, puzzled. “Why did you bring me to your father’s workshop?”

  Allegra pulled the golden chestnut from inside her bodice. “Look.”

  “Such a pretty little charm.”

  “It’s much more than a mere charm, Bianca. It’s my signature. And this isn’t my father’s workshop. It hasn’t been for a long time.”

  Bianca’s brow creased in confusion, then she noticed the tiny chestnut stamp on the workbench. Picking it up to examine it closely, she said, “This is La Castagna’s workshop?”

  “Yes…it’s also my workshop.”

  Bianca stared at Allegra in disbelief then shook her head. “Are you telling me that you...?”

  Allegra sat down and started curling thin strips of gold.

  “My diamond necklace, the one Francesco gave me for Christmas?”

  “I created that one and many others.”

  Delighted, Bianca squealed. “All this time you were Domenico’s mysterious protégé?”

  “Yes.”

  “The sketches my stepmother and I leafed through in Venice when we first met—that was your work?” When Allegra nodded, she exclaimed, “You’re a genius!”

  “My story is long if you’re inclined to hear it, but we should retire to my study where it’s comfortable. I’ll have a servant bring refreshments.”

  Bianca eagerly nodded and followed her friend upstairs. They settled comfortably and Allegra finally unburdened herself of the secret she had been carrying for years.

  “Why not share this information with Bruno?” Bianca suggested. “Surely, he’ll understand. You possess exceptional talent, and I doubt he’ll blame your parents for indulging you. As you said, had you been born male, there would be no issue.”

  “But I’m not male, and Bruno loathes La Castagna for stealing Spinelli profits. He has no tolerance for dishonesty, either.”

  “I can understand why after what he went through with his wife,” Bianca murmured. “He would understand your particular situation, no?”

  “Perhaps, but there’s another, more serious reason why I must abstain from the man I love, and her name is Paolina Gori.”

  “The rich widow? How does that vixen enter into this story?”

  Allegra informed her of Paolina’s threat.

  “Bruno must know the truth about La Castagna,” Bianca stated firmly. “Regardless of what that stupid woman said to you.”

  “What of Paolina? If she exposes me to the magistrates, it will ruin my father’s reputation. There will be legal repercussions. I can’t take the risk.”

  “Do you trust me, Allegra?”

  Allegra nodded. “I would not have confided in you otherwise.”

  Bianca gripped her friend’s hand. “Then leave everything to me.”

  ***

  A dull ache crept up the nape of Bruno’s neck and settled at the base of his skull. His father’s health was deteriorating at an alarming rate, Vittorio wasn’t expected to return to Florence until September, and he had not seen Allegra since the incident at the Palazzo del Bargello.

  Allegra…

  After the misunderstanding in her bedchamber, he had vowed to keep his distance, yet the moment she needed his help, his resolve had melted away. He would do anything for her, truth be told. The tantalizing image of her smooth flesh and the taste of her sweet lips tormented him daily.

  A knock on the door ended his fantasy. “Enter.”

  “There’s a lady here to see you,” the apprentice said before ducking into the back room.

  Bruno stepped out of his office and froze. Flanked by two servants, Bianca Cappello stood in the center of the bottega in a sumptuous gown of red and white velvet with slashed sleeves. Diamonds sparkled at her throat and rubies dangled from her pink earlobes.

  “Signora Bianca,” he said, surprised. “How may I be of service?”

  Her red painted mouth puckered slightly at the sight of him. “I’m in need of pearls, Signore Bruno, and since I’m a friend of Allegra Castagno, I thought to purchase them from this bottega. I believe Signore Vittorio is still the best gem and gold merchant in Tuscany.”

  “Indeed he is, and it will be my pleasure to assist you in selecting the most perfect pearls. Right this way.”

  Bianca motioned for the servants to remain behind as she alone followed Bruno across the expanse of the shop.

  “How many pearls do you require?” he asked while removing a tray full of gleaming white orbs. “Enough for a
necklace? A bracelet?”

  Bianca leaned across the counter and met his eyes. “Signore Bruno, you must forgive my boldness, but I’m here on a noble cause.”

  “By all means, state your business, madam.”

  “Not here,” she said, her eyes shifting to the alcove that led to the office.

  He nodded and she followed him into the small room. She sat down and he took a seat behind the desk. “How may I help you, Signora?”

  “It’s my hope to help you, sir,” she replied with a slight smile. “Allegra Castagno is one of my dearest friends, and she cares for you a great deal.”

  Bruno frowned slightly. “I appreciate your concern, but I’m not prepared to discuss this topic with you.”

  Bianca’s hand darted like a snake across the desk. Taking firm hold of his wrist, she said, “I repeat, she cares a great deal for you, and I believe the feeling is mutual.”

  “Regardless of my feelings, Signorina Allegra has no serious intention toward me,” he muttered while reclaiming his hand.

  “She loves you, Bruno.”

  “I believed that, too, once.” He stood, walked to the door and added, “Not anymore. To Allegra, I’m just another admirer to be spurned.”

  She stood. “Oh, how wrong you are.”

  Ignoring her comment, he said coolly, “I’m happy to help you select a pearl, Signora Bianca, otherwise…”

  “Remember, Signore Bruno, things are not always as they seem. There is so much you don’t know.”

  Before he had a chance to respond, she pointed to the largest pearl in the case, then reached for the money pouch at her waist. He conducted the transaction in silence, then watched as Bianca exited the shop.

  The Venetian’s words haunted him throughout the remainder of the afternoon. When he could no longer tolerate the confines of the bottega, he went outside to wander the streets. His initial intention was to get some air and clear his head, but his feet led him straight to the Palazzo Castagno. Staring at the gate, he debated whether or not to knock.

  A moment later, he said to a servant, “It’s imperative that I speak with Signorina Allegra.” The girl hesitated, her eyes going to the candlelit window of Vittorio’s workshop. Someone was inside. Seeing this, he added, “Is your master back from Asti?”

  “No, sir. As for my mistress, she said she’s not to be disturbed.”