Chiara – Revenge and Triumph (59 page)

After my return from Cortona, I had written to Orlando care of Casa Medici in Rome, telling him that we were not coming to Rome and planned to be on the road again by March. I should have received an answer by that time, but we heard nothing from him. It was a pity, since we already had an invitation to offer Phormio in Palazzo Benincasa. I paid for a courier to ride to Siena and ask Ser Mario, the actor who had played the lead role during our season in Siena, to join us for that performance. To my relief he accepted and a week later, after another rehearsal, we gave Phormio to an appreciative audience. Following the show, Signore Benincasa invited everybody, including the players, to view the Casa da Narni Etruscan exhibition. I would have preferred if he had not identified it with me. I did not want to add more fuel to my dubious fame.

Monte Pulciano’s Podestà pleaded with us to offer a public performance of the knife-throwing act in Piazza Grande, promising free refreshments for the spectators. I guess that he wanted to ingratiate himself with the populace. The crowd was overflowing, all the way up the steps of the cathedral and Jacomo got them into stitches with his unexpected twists. All the windows of the three palazzi fronting the square were full of nobles and the takings were good. But what was even better for the troupe was that we all enjoyed it enormously. It was a good omen to embark on the road again.

My plan was to go to Cortona and on to Perugia, to fulfil my promise to visit Casa Baglione in the hope of offering a number of private performances in that famous city. For that I needed an actor like Orlando or Ser Mario, but the latter would not consider joining up with traveling players, even ones as famous as I Magnifici.

So, we took to the road in the hope that Orlando would respond to my second message and meet us in Perugia — leisurely travel in small daily journeys, with a short detour to Pienza, then on to Monte Follónico, Torrita, Fratta, Asina-lunga, Lucignano, Faiano and across the swamps of the Chiana to Montecchio and on to Cortona, staying a day or two in each town.

In Cortona I dispatched a message to Casa Baglione, announcing our arrival in Perugia within a week. Four days later, while we were resting in the fishing settlement of Passignano on Lago di Perugia, two days travel from that city I received the invitation to stay in their palazzo. A surprise awaited us at our destination in the form of Orlando. I also had a moving encounter with the widow of one of the retainers I killed four months earlier when they tried to kidnap me and Jacomo.

The city and its nobles were good to us. With much of spring and summer still ahead of us, the troupe agreed to go as far down as Rome before turning north again in time for Jacomo to join Luigi in his law studies in Perugia. I wondered whether this would be the end of I Magnifici.

* * * 

The players discussed at length whether they should accept the invitation and stay at Palazzo Baglione. In the end, they decided against it. All preferred the freedom of staying in an inn of their choice, where they could come and go as they pleased. Jacomo, but particularly Veronica, were intimidated by the close scrutiny that they would be subjected to. Even Chiara felt a certain relief not having to face Lady Amelia’s disapproval. So, they took quarters in one of the better inns. She paid her respects to Casa Baglione, where she was received by the Lady Teresa, the Lord and his wife being at a civic reception of dignitaries from Rome. The old signora embraced her warmly. She appreciated Chiara’s openness that the players would feel intimidated staying at the palazzo and reluctantly accepted that Chiara remained with them.

As she got ready to take her leave from the old lady, Luigi entered the room. He rushed to her, bowing, taking her hand to kiss. She withdrew it and wagged a finger at him. "Luigi, this is not how one welcomes a friend."

He blushed and accepted the handshake she offered, while his grandmother watched, an amused twinkle in her eyes.

Chiara addressed him in Latin. "And how are your Latin studies progressing."

For a moment he was flustered and then smiled happily. "My teacher praises me daily." Switching to the vernacular, he asked after Jacomo and Veronica, and offered to accompany her back to the inn since he was keen to see his new friends.

They met up with them in the courtyard of the inn, and he spontaneously embraced both, letting go of Veronica, embarrassed and excusing himself for taking such liberties. The girl only beamed, not able to take her eyes off him. Chiara left the three youngsters alone with a slight sense of dismay, all at once feeling so much older.

Inside the taverna, Pepe and Alda were talking to a man. He only showed her his back.
Orlando,
was her jubilant silent cry. She signaled Alda not to give her away by putting the index finger to her lips. When she was just behind Orlando, she said: "Do you want a job?"

He turned, startled, and then chuckled and answered: "And who are you to offer me a job."

"Welcome, Orlando. I was desperately hoping that you would be here. And how was Rome?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "So so, la la. As I just told Pepe here, I have never been in a big city, alone and with plenty of money, and nothing to do. So I did a few silly things, went through my money too fast and then luckily got your letter to meet you here. I made it, just, completely broke."

Chiara reached into her pocket and gave him some coins. "Here, an advance."

He looked at the coins, a gold florin, and four silver double
grossi
, with loving eyes. "You haven’t changed. Thank you, Chiara. I feel better already."

"And what were the silly things you did, if I may ask?"

"I got taken for a ride, I gambled, I got drunk a few times too many, you name it."

"We’ll keep you in line," exclaimed Alda, laughing.

"Pepe and Alda just told me some rather unbelievable stories about you."

"If they’re unbelievable, they must be true. Alda doesn’t bother telling the ones that are just believable."

"Ha, as clever as ever. I must admit though that I’m glad I wasn’t with you. My last involvement in your schemes has confirmed to me that I’m not cut out for it. I hope you’ve no plans for that sort in the near future."

"No, just the hard and unexciting life of traveling players."

"Hard? Unexciting? Hardly," he laughed. "Not you!"

* * * 

Chiara could not refuse the invitation to a banquet at Palazzo Baglione. Alda transformed her again into a fashionable lady, plucked her eyebrows, waxed her eyelashes, did her hair, applied rouge to her lips and painted the eye-catching birthmark at the top of her left cheekbone. She donned the same outfit she had worn for the first reception in Siena — the red body-hugging taffeta underdress, the breast cups altered to her natural size, and the black surcoat with gold threads, the only difference the broad belt with the decorative knives — she had replaced the one Lord Baglione had kept — being armed had become an overwhelming need. Antonia’s diamond cross added the final touch.

"Whom are you trying to snare this time?" mocked Alda. "You don’t know how beautiful you really are."

She had no doubt that when the herald announced her and all eyes turned, the men’s openly admiring, the ladies’ critically approving, that there was truth in what Alda had said. She fell naturally into the role of a courtly lady.

Lord Baglione abandoned the people he was talking to and came halfway across the hall to welcome her, bowing and kissing her hand. He did not let go, but raised it to the side, exclaiming: "Lady Chiara, how exquisite you look. Let me admire you. I shall be the envy of everybody to have you beside me at dinner."

"Thank you, my Lord, but your flattery will earn me the displeasure of Lady Amelia," she replied softly.

"Lady Amelia will agree with me that your simple elegance is putting all other ladies at a disadvantage."

"Is simplicity not the true sign of elegance, Sir?"

"Well said, Lady Chiara. I see you are still as quick as ever."

As he ushered her to where his wife and his mother were standing with a group of dignitaries, she could not help overhearing people talking.

"Look at her," whispered a richly dressed woman to a dowager adorned with an excess of jewels, "it is difficult to believe what they say about her."

"And have you heard the latest?" Chiara guessed that the woman referred to the Etruscan treasure, but she could not hear the rest. Rather than cringe, she was only mildly amused.

After the introductions, Signor Brancaforte, one of the dignitaries, pointed to the knives in her belt and asked: "Are these the famous knives, Lady Chiara?"

"Famous, Signore? These are mere decorations; maybe some people may find that somewhat eccentric."

"Ah, Lady Chiara," said Lord Baglione with a mischievous smile, "what an understatement. They are truly most unusual, particularly since their edges are so sharp that I should borrow them for shaving, as one of my retainers discovered when he barely touched the blade of the one stuck for ever in my chair and cut his finger deeply."

"My Lord, I admit they are handy to slice meat. In fact, I find nothing more irritating than a dull knife at a meal. Don’t you too?" she added, both her tone and face conveying pure innocence.

He laughed. "Right! Not to speak of their other uses." He turned to the dignitaries. "Signori, guard yourselves, Lady Chiara must be the best armed woman in the world."

"Oh, my Lord, you make me blush." She fluttered her eyes and used her hand to fan herself, enjoying his flirting banter, while at the same time aware of Lady Amelia’s visible disapproval.
Jealous?
she mused.

"How charming. It is more than I hoped for."

"But why would you come armed to a banquet, Lady Chiara," asked Brancaforte.

"Signore, as you just proved, they never fail to spark an animated discussion. So I wear them, just in case there is a lull."

Lord Baglione laughed loudly. "Oh, Giacobo, you asked for that. See, her remarks are as sharp as her blades… Lady Chiara, let me introduce you to some other people who are keen to meet you."

At the table she shared the plate with Lord Baglione, while his wife shared hers with Brancaforte. She steered the talk to the rivalry between Florence and Siena.

"It is as old as time and their allegiances to the Pope or the Emperor is opportunistic rather than its cause. The interesting aspect it that Florence with its bigger size should have dominated from the start, but it was Siena who had the upper hand at least initially."

"Is not Monte Aperti where Siena was victorious?"

"Correct, and I predict it will be their last victory. At that time they were able to muster their troops from within their own city and the contado, but now they need to rely on condottieri to get enough men, and that is not only expensive, but also problematic."

"Because they might switch sides?"

"Not only that; it has been known that they even blackmailed the city for higher pay."

"But what is at the origin of the rivalry?"

"Supremacy in economic power. With a similar economic base, the two were competing for the same land, same resources, the same outlets for their products, and with Pisa and Luca to the north, Umbria and the Papal states to the south, if one wanted to expand and grow, it could only do it at the expense of the other."

"And the need for growth feeds on itself. Therefore, their rivalry led to continuous armed conflict."

"Exactly, but now Florence has gained the upper hand economically; even in merchant banking they have overtaken Siena. So in my view it is only a matter of time before Florence will swallow Siena piece by piece."

"I guess Siena’s ability to defend itself has also been considerably weakened by internal strife."

"Mind you, there is also internal strife in Florence, in fact in most Tuscan cities, but the difference is that Florence tends to produce strong leaders."

"So, if the Council of Nine can unite Siena, they may be able to withstand Florence, particularly if they can revive their economic activities. They have one natural advantage over Florence, easier access to several ports, now that the Arno is no longer navigable for larger vessels."

"Very astute, but how could they revive their stagnant economy, except by doing more of the same? And they have not been successful with that so far."

"Whichever city is first able to break into the lucrative spice trade will gain a big advantage."

"I doubt that either is trying to take on Venice."

"I have heard different." He raised his eyebrows. "In fact, Casa Sanguanero was actively pursuing this with the knowledge of their bankers, Casa Tolomei."

He knitted his eyebrows. "Did they? How would you know this?"

She gave him a sparkling smile. "Lord Baglione, you do not really expect that I reveal my sources, do you?"

For an instant her mocking refusal took him aback. He studied her face and then broke into a knowing grin. "And this is how you tricked Niccolo, is it not true? That lucrative deal from that renown Naples merchant house was an offer into the spice trade. Ingenious. I always wondered what it was since Lady Maria recounted your exploit and I know that she was ignorant of it or else —"

"— or else she would have let it slip one way or another. I admire Lady Maria and I wish to become as wise as she is, but she likes to talk. It is her only weakness."

He chuckled. "Perceptive… So Niccolo could not resist the temptation, especially if it also carried with it a beautiful woman." He shook his head. "But how did you know how to do it? Did you have help?"

"Oh, my Lord, you do me an injustice. Why should a woman be ignorant in such matters? No, I conceived it, I planned it, and only to execute it did I get some help… No, that is not quite true either. Florence merchant bankers gave Casa Sanguanero the final
coup de grâce
."

"And how did you arrange that?"

"My Lord, you know the power of a whisper in the right ear."