"What in the unholy name of Legion were you
thinking?!" Francesco Belini shouted as he burst into Violetta's
bedchamber, surprising her and the footman, Sergio, to full wakefulness. Sergio, clearly not used to such antics first
thing in the morning, stuttered an apology to his employer as he gathered up
his scattered clothes and shuffled out the door while Violetta looked on in
disgust. Well, at least he had a good
reason to be spineless.
Violetta Silvestri, illegitimate child and courtesan of the Belini,
on the other hand, was used to angry men bursting into her
bedchambers. It was why she had several
sets of hairpins scattered on every available flat surface--not just because
she couldn't be bothered to pick up after the men who tore them out of her hair
in the throes of passion. Still, she
supposed it would be bad form to pin the man who had adopted her and paid for
her education to the wall of his own home.
But it was a close thing.
"Here dear, let me speak to her," Giulia Belini
said, placing a calming hand on her husband's shoulder, “you should go have a
drink to calm your nerves."
Still sputtering, Francesco followed his wife's advice and
left before Violetta threw any hairpins at him.
The danger gone, Allegra flopped back onto the bed, fully intending to
go back to sleep. She'd been getting a
little tired of Sergio anyway. Perhaps
that nice valet Luigi would be interested, now that his messenger lady was getting
married. Or there was the new maid
Vanessa, she'd definitely had a look in her eye.
"...but really dear, what were you thinking?"
Oh, Giulia was still there.
And still talking. Violetta
sighed as she opened her eyes and sat up.
There wasn't really any point in trying to sleep. Giulia wasn't quite as excitable as Francesco,
but she was implacable.
"You mean with Sergio?" Violetta asked, swinging
her legs out of bed, "he was just a bit of fun."
Maybe Giulia would help her with her hair. Not that Violetta needed any help, but
Giulia's updos were always just a little bit crisper--and she managed to fit in
two or three more hairpins than Violetta could manage by herself.
"You know what I mean," Giulia said as Violetta
flounced over to her closet, "I know it runs in the family, but you're too
concerned about fun.
Do you know how difficult it was getting an invitation to Durante
Androsciani's showing without giving away that it was our family that arranged
it?"
"No, but you didn't ask me either," Violetta
sighed, flipping through the gowns in her closet. Not that one, too full, she wanted something
she could move in. Or that one, too
skimpy, she didn't want to look desperate.
"I would have told you not to bother."
"Not that one dear, it makes you look like a
cucumber," Giulia commented before returning to the subject at hand, "would
you care to explain why you just decided to throw away months of work just to
go to yet another party? And not even
one that Androsciani is going to be attending?"
"Because it doesn't matter how well you think you've
covered your tracks," Violetta explained.
Not that one, the lace made her itch in unfortunate places. "There will always be someone who
remembers something he shouldn't. You
taught me that. My way can't be traced
back to you because there's nothing to trace.
How about this one?"
"Not that one, you can't get out of it without looking
awkward," Giulia answered, "and what, pray tell, is your way? Mazini doesn't belong to the Borsato. He and Androsciani don't even like each
other. Oh, not that one either, it still
hasn't been mended since that wedding where you got frisky with the
groomsman."
"It was him or the bride," Violetta shrugged,
"and I didn't want cousin Arturo mad at me because his new spouse tried to
corner me in changing rooms."
Actually, it had been the groomsman and the
bride--Marienne had caught Violetta exiting the changing rooms, and it was her day. Why shouldn't the bride be allowed
to have a little harmless fun too?
Besides, what Giulia didn't know, wouldn't get Violetta in trouble.
"They may not like each other, but they're always
inviting the other over to show off their latest acquisition," Violetta
explained. No, not that one either, it
needed accessories and she didn't want to be carrying anything except for her
hairpins. "They're rivals. That's the point. Durante Androsciani didn't become governor by
being stupid. He knows that any woman
offered to him must be working for somebody."
"But if he takes someone from his rival, then she is a
conquest," Giulia said admiringly. Violetta
knew she'd get the point while Francesco was still sputtering over their
overturned plans.
"Whyyyyyy do I have nothing to wear!"
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