I was unsure if I could, but I nodded. “Yes.”
His hungry mouth touched mine again and he picked me up, carrying me across the room to the bed and lying me down carefully. On the boat, the need had been urgent, hasty, and passionate. This time, he attended to my needs in a way my other lovers never had. With the softest touch of his tongue and stroke of his hands along my hips, I reached a plane of existence I never knew was real. As I rode out each wave of pleasure, I struggled to push his face away. It was too much. But, after each plea for respite, I begged for more to counter the request.
By the time he was done, I collapsed and sank into the covers beneath me like they were a fluffy cloud. Antonio slid up from where he’d been working his magic between my thighs and lay beside me. When I moved to return the favor, he placed a hand over my stomach and held me in place. All he did was hold me. He asked for nothing else. No man had ever done that before. My job required me to fulfill fantasies, but this was not work. This was love and I never wanted to give it up.
***
A whisper made me clench my closed eyes in protest. “Evelina.” The forbidden, deep voice spoke again. If the man were a dream, I didn’t want to wake up. His strong hand gave me a little shake and I finally opened my eyes.
“Antonio.” I sighed breathlessly and smiled. “Mm, it was real.”
He smiled in return, placing a tray over my lap when I sat up. “You have slept late. The first meal of the day has already been served.”
“Sorry. Did you stay with me all night?” I asked, using a silver spoon to gather some of the hot soup. Also on my plate was a portion of pasta, meat, and something to drink I had never had before.
“Until morning, yes. There were some things I needed to attend to.”
My attention, still on the drink, caused me to barely listen. I picked up the cup with both hands and inhaled the scent. The smell equaled heaven and my mouth watered. “What is this?”
“Chocolate. It is worth more than gold or silver. No one else here knows about it. Another secret between you and me.”
A tiny bit anxious, but intoxicated by the scent of the foreign chocolate, I lifted the drink to my lips and cautiously took a sip. It was the beginning of yet another love affair. One that would never end. The chocolate, rich and thick, tantalized every taste bud. It would have been bitter, but I could taste the sugar and vanilla beans that sweetened the beverage.
“This is the best thing I have ever tasted.” Almost as good as sex. I thought, but wisely left that part unsaid. “Where does it come from?”
“The chocolate beans come from across the ocean. I have a friend in Spain where the drink is popular. They crush them up into a fine powder.”
Amazed, I took another sip. I had been introduced to many foods during the Renaissance feasts, but never chocolate. “Thank you, Antonio.” Then, the wheels in my mind started turning. “We should travel across the ocean to the New World.”
Antonio shook his head and sighed. “Do not start that again. The trip would be too much for a woman and it is uncharted land. This place that they call America is far from ready for you to explore.”
“I could do it. Giulia is on equal footing with every man here. There is no reason I would not be fine.”
“I will hear nothing else about it.” He said.
“Forget I said anything. Living in the now.”
“Correct.” Once again he sighed, but stole a glance at me out of the corner of his eye. I could see a faint smile despite how much I frustrated him and maybe a hint of something else. An idea forming. “You would really journey there with me?” He asked, after two seconds earlier telling me to drop the subject.
“Yes. Anywhere.”
Days spent in my lover’s arms rapidly pushed worries from my mind. As my concerns faded, I nearly forgot about the impending return of Dante Sanuto and the dire obligations I would have to face. Nothing else mattered but Antonio. I was young and in love in the greatest city in the world. Art and music surrounded me. The fact that an outbreak spread across the city and worsened each day evaded me.
“Dance with me.” Antonio extended his hand and I accepted with a curtsey.
“There is no music.” I said. We were sequestered in my room, as often was the case.
That’s when the romantic musical notes drifted from below and into my open window. I released Antonio’s hand and ran to see where the sweet tones were coming from. The notes reminded me of the song my music box played. Below, a lone man in a boat skillfully glided a bow across the strings of a violin to create the lovely sound. The man and the music were one. I closed my eyes briefly, losing myself in the beauty, before returning to Antonio and taking his hand once more.
Although well-educated in the techniques of dance, the delicate movement and soft embraces Antonio and I shared could not be taught. Something deep down inside me resonated with him as we flawlessly expressed our needs, desires, and dreams in fluid motion.
“You are an angel sent to save me.” He whispered with a lightness of breath when he held me close, then dipped me backward and let his lips brush down my chest. Slowly, I was raised up to face him again.
“Save you from what?” I asked, as I was spun around and he pulled me close again, this time with my back to his chest.
“Myself.”
I had no idea what he meant, but the reverence his voice held for me nearly hid the hint of self-loathing that accompanied it. Our bodies swayed back and forth together, as if we had all the time in the world and yet none at all.
***
Lighthearted and happy, I headed to my mother’s for a visit the next day. Antonio had been gone when I awoke and Giulia had said something about an important letter being delivered. It had been difficult to leave the house without my bodyguard’s knowledge, but with a little stealth, luck, and a substantial tip to the gondolier, I succeeded.
“Evelina!” My mother called out and hugged me tightly. She didn’t look well, but once again, I hardly noticed at first. I had been too self-centered.
“How are you? I apologize for not visiting lately. Everything has been crazy.” I said as she led me inside.
She brushed a hair away from my face and smiled as we sat down. “I am well enough. Tired. Must be the weather.”
“I hope you recover soon.”
She nodded. “So the arrangement suits you? With Dante? You are simply radiant today.”
Mother had warned me about the dangers the hearts of men posed. I looked down at my hands and didn’t answer. As hard as I tried, I could not find a good way to phrase what I wanted to say.
“It’s the other. The dark haired, young one.” Her perception shouldn’t have surprised me, but it did.
I nodded without lifting my gaze. “Yes. Dante has been out of town. Perhaps, I should tell him the truth, but I’m afraid of him. Sometimes he is kind, but others, there is something dark that I see.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her bite down on her lip as she thought about it. “No. It would be a severe insult.”
“What do I do?”
“Keep it a secret.” She stated flatly. “You would not be the first girl to marry a man she did not love and find happiness and true love through an affair.”
Unfortunately, they weren’t the words I wanted to hear. Nodding and exhaling a sigh, I reluctantly agreed. “Antonio says the same. I worry that I cannot do it.”
“You will because you have to.” A fit of coughing caused her to reach for a cup.
“Rest.” I said softly, picking up the drink and handing it to her. Suddenly, I regretted bringing my troubles home. “You are right. The love would no doubt be less appealing if it were not forbidden.” I wasn’t convinced, but I wanted to give her a reassurance.
“I am proud of you, Evelina. I know life is far from perfect, but you are smart and a good woman. You deserve to be happy no matter what it takes.”
“Thank you.” I reached out and patted her hand. “I will come see you when you are feeling better. Ma
ybe tomorrow if you are not busy.”
“I would like that.”
During my previous visit, my mother had been vibrant and healthy. I knew I should have spent more time with her instead of focusing on my life with Dante and now Antonio. How could I have known time was running out on the relationships that meant the most to me?
***
On my way home, I stopped by the alleyway where I had seen the prostitute the first night I had stayed with my aunt and uncle. I’m not sure why exactly. Maybe it was to convince myself of how far I’d come since then. The filth in the corridor, the lair of dark deeds, gave off a stench like death.
Out of some weird respect, I headed to the front door of the house. What I saw made me take a few steps back. A large red cross marked the door. My hand went up to my mouth. The force of my palm against my trembling lips did little to stop them. I’d heard stories about the plague. This was a different era. Surely, the red mark had to mean something else. As much as I had disliked my aunt and uncle, I would have never wished such a horrible death on them.
Lingering around a quarantined home was the last place I needed to be discovered. I made my way back to Dante’s mansion and went straight to my room. Giulia called out in her deep voice from behind me, but I didn’t stop running until I was safely behind my locked door. Hurriedly, I stripped off my dress and tossed it out the window into the water below. Slowly, the fabric became saturated with water and disappeared from sight.
“Guilia!” I knew the woman would no doubt still be fuming outside my room. “Will you send a servant with items for bathing, please?”
“You bathed this morn!” She yelled back.
I opened the door and glared at the brute. “Do it, now.”
In a huff, the bodyguard called out to the nearest servant girl and ordered her to retrieve the necessary items. “Do not think I will hide your behavior from the master of the house.” Giulia said when she returned to guard my door.
“Yes, I am quite certain he will want to hear your complaints instead of enjoying the sensation of my lips against his skin.” I slammed the door in her face while she looked on in surprise at my behavior.
A short time later, the servant returned. Being so fearful of contracting the Black Death, I nearly scrubbed my skin raw. The chance had to be slim. I hadn’t been inside the house. Not even that close, really. Better to be safe. One thing was for sure. I was not ready to die a gruesome and painful death.
***
Giulia spent the rest of the evening outside the door to my room. The guard no doubt knew of the risks that awaited me in the city. Poor districts suffered the most in times of plague. Wealthy people tended to be cleaner and live in better conditions. This helped them avoid contracting the illness. No wonder Giulia been upset with me.
The hour was late and Antonio had not joined me. Most of our days were spent together. Every night, his arms circled around my waist as I slept. I decided he had found out about my solo adventure. Being punished made me furious.
After waiting until I could no longer keep my eyes open, I fell asleep. Later, a noise at my window woke me. Darkness filled the room, but I could make out the silhouette of a man. I started to scream, but he had crossed the room and covered my mouth with his hand before the sound could escape.
“Shh. It is Antonio.” He removed his palm.
My eyes squinted to see him as he lit a candle on the bedside table. The flame flickered, revealing his form. “Why did you sneak in? How did you sneak in?”
“Giulia is camped out in the hallway. She is terrified of what Dante will do if he finds out you left.” He reached out and touched my cheek. “I did not want to raise suspicion so I climbed down from the upper level and came in through your window.”
“That is far and there is little to hang onto.” I held his other hand with mine.
“I know, but I needed to see you one last time.” Briefly, his voice cracked and he looked away.
“What do you mean by that?” I spoke calmly, but only barely.
Antonio bowed his head. He started to speak. Stopped. Tried again. “I received a letter from Master Sanuto. He requested that I leave immediately to handle his business out of the country. His arrival is set for tomorrow. He missed you.”
“Wait. Dante will be home tomorrow and you are leaving? When?”
“Now.”
It would have hurt less if Antonio had curled his large hand into a fist and punched me in the stomach or face. “How long will you be gone?”
Abruptly, my hand was released and my lover stalked across away to the window he’d entered the room through. “Never.” His back was to me. He didn’t have the decency to say it to my face.
“Surely not forever?” I refused to believe what he said.
“This affair has always been temporary. I cannot stay with you.” That’s when he turned to look at me with an expression that held no tenderness.
He was leaving. I ran forward to stop him. I grabbed his arm and held on as hard as I could. “Please. One last time, I beg you to take me away. I love you.”
“It is over. I cannot love you. Goodbye, Evelina.” Easily, he freed his arm from my grasp and disappeared out the window.
I leaned outside, scanning the darkness. It appeared that he had jumped, but I saw no sign of him when I gazed down. There had been no splash of water to indicate he’d landed in the canal. When I turned my gaze upward, he was nowhere in sight.
***
“I hate you, Antonio.” The pillow beneath my face choked the continuous sobs along with my words. Tears wet the soft fabric. My nose stuffed up and I had to lift my head from the pillow to breathe.
I should have known better than to trust him. For maybe two seconds the angrily thought words halted my tears. But, his scent surrounded me on the bed where he’d taken me, claimed me as his own, loved me.
Growing frantic, I slid out of the bed and grabbed the manly, sexually aromatic sheets and tugged them off the bed. I struggled to tear them apart, shred the torturous reminder of Antonio to pieces. Frustration caused me to growl when I couldn’t rip the fabric. Limply, I lowered my arms and let the sheet fall from my grasp.
The love affair was over. I knew from the pain in my chest that my dreams would never be realized. Something had changed his mind. I didn’t know if he was scared of Dante. A part of me hoped it all was a lie and he’d return to whisk me away.
Footsteps outside my room put me on high alert. Had he returned already? As I ran to the door, I wiped the tears from my now reddened cheeks. I threw it open wide and smiled, ready to forgive Antonio already.
“Dante…” I said, trying not to sound surprised. A shriek threatened to tear from my throat, but I held it back while keeping the smile painfully stretched across my face.
“You appear surprised, my dear. Were you not told I would be returning?” He removed his gloves slowly and placed them on the dresser. An elegant sort of cape draped over his shoulder and flowed to the floor behind him.
Something came over me. Desperation, most likely. I wrapped my arms around the man. I needed someone to hold me, whether it was Antonio or not. “I missed you.” I lied.
He hugged me firmly against him, but his embrace held no warmth. His touch had never been extremely gentle. It was intense, like the man. He pushed me forward and I backed into the bed, sitting down. I looked up at him. His white hair and eyes appeared luminescent.
“Absence made your heart grow fonder?” He asked without expression or emotion.
“Yes, Master.” Heart? The wretched organ still beat even when ripped into bloody shards.
The corner of his mouth curled up a little. “Well, let me give you a night to remember.”
To my shock, I almost forgot about Antonio as Dante ravaged my body. The violent abuse was reminiscent of the night before he’d left for his trip. There was no comfort to make me forget Antonio, just pain, as Dante slammed into me and then lowered his mouth to my throat. The slight sting I expected didn’t
come. Not this time. Instead, Dante bit into my throat roughly and sucked on the wound. I had my suspicions that he might be a vampire, but I was not sure. One thing I did know. He was a sick, sadistic son of a bitch. Maybe the silver lining of the situation would be Antonio’s freedom from Dante’s control.
***
My entire body ached when I woke up the next day. When I turned my neck, I winced. Pain shot up the side. I wrapped a sheet around me, but it did little to stop the chills as I walked over to check my reflection. On the side of my neck, two gashes made me step back from the mirror.
No.
Scared, I check the wounds more closely. The flesh around the tears was turning black. I lifted my hand to my mouth, that’s when I broke into a fit of coughs. Something wet was in my palm. Blood.
“Mistress Evelina, Dante requests your presence downstairs.” Giulia banged on the door a few times. Her mood had not improved.
“In… in a minute.” I dressed quickly and covered the gangrenous looking bite mark. Seeing Giulia’s bruised face caused me to gasp. “Forgive me for causing him to punish you.” I ran downstairs before she could respond.
“Sit and eat.” Dante ordered and a servant pulled out a chair for me.
My nerves shot, I twiddled my fingers in my lap. That’s when I noticed my fingernails appeared discolored. They were darker than normal, though not black like the plague victims. Yet. I curled my hands into fists so I would not see them and closed my eyes.
“Was I too rough on you, dearest?” He lifted a spoon to his mouth without looking at me.
“No, sir. I feel ill.” I knew I had to tell him. Too many innocent people lived in the house. Dante could be infected. Antonio could be… oh god, no.
“I am sorry to hear that. Eat something and you will feel better.”
I stood up slowly and walked toward him. His eyes lifted and his pale eyebrows along with them. “I need to tell you something.”
“Go on.”
After taking a deep breath, I removed the fabric covering the wound on my neck.
Dante cleared his throat and had a strange look of surprise. “I was too rough.” He mumbled, “It should have healed quickly.” Realization dawned on him slowly and then he was on his feet with my head cupped in his hands. He leaned it to the side to examine the injury.
“Gods, it is the Black Death.” He let go of me and shoved me suddenly. I stumbled backward. His voice grew louder, angrier. “Of course you have the plague. You are a whore and have been working the filthy streets after I told you it was strictly forbidden! One of the reasons I asked you not to lay with other men was because I heard about the early cases of the epidemic.”