Again made to feel important by the errand, Sophie took Ketsia's hand, and they skipped off together toward the palazzo.
Nicoletta sank onto the green carpet of grasses, her knees giving out on her. "It's possible I will have gray hair before this wedding takes place," she said to Maria Pia. "Cristano, the dolt, told Don Scarletti he had ruined me."
Maria Pia shrieked her outrage so loudly that birds rose into the air from the treetops, scattering across the sky. She made the sign of the cross in every direction, including over Nicoletta three times. "That boy needs a good hiding! Has the Don ordered you back to the villaggio?" There was a hopeful note in her voice.
"He did not believe Cristano. They are having a talk." Nicoletta tilted her head, frowning. "Maria Pia, do you remember that boy from the villagio over on the other side of the hill? The odd-looking one who did not grow up in his mind? He would be so sweet, smiling at everyone, but when someone would cross him, he would go berserk. He was first an angel, then a devil, as if he were split in half. I would never have believed it if I had not seen it myself." Nicoletta wrung her hands. "Could someone appear perfectly normal and yet hide madness within? Could he be ever so quiet and calm yet capable of throwing a woman off a tower?" she asked worriedly.
Maria Pia glanced at the soldiers to ensure they couldn't overhear the conversation. "You think the don might suffer such an affliction?"
"I do not know if such a thing is possible." Nicoletta watched the maze for signs of a violent confrontation. As always, from the moment she had arrived at the palazzo she felt as if she was being watched. She glanced up at the ramparts, and, sure enough, amidst the gargoyles with their hard, flat eyes she spotted Portia's daughter. Margerita thought herself protected by a squat, hulking stone creature, but her crimson dress billowed out with sweeps of the wind. She seemed to be always lurking, watching with hate-filled eyes.
"I will not be the wife the don needs, Maria Pia. I cannot entertain the aristocrazia as Portia said I must." Nicoletta nervously swept back her hair. "I cannot live this life with all eyes watching my every move. I want to go home where I belong. I almost wish the don had believed Cristano. I think I could manage Cristano, but there is no one who can manage the don. He frightens me in many ways. I do not trust my own reaction to him."
Maria Pia murmured vague reassurances, patting Nicoletta's shoulder helplessly. Even she could not save Nicoletta from the don.
Nicoletta smiled at her a little grimly. "I am surrounded by enemies, but I do not know if they are mine or the don's. There are many secrets here, things I do not understand. Someone is always watching." She glanced at the soldiers some distance away. "And those guards are serious about following me." A mischievous grin replaced her melancholy mood, her irrepressible good nature refusing to be defeated. "At least they did not enter the room with the dressmakers."
Maria Pia smiled in spite of herself. "You are scandalous, bambino.."
Nicoletta stood as Giovanni sauntered out of the maze. At once her heart beat fast at the sight of him. He was so tall and powerful and good-looking he took her breath away. But he was alone, and he looked ruthless, implacable. Nicoletta glanced past him in an attempt to see Cristano, but he didn't follow Giovanni out of the labyrinth. She stood very still, waiting for the don to reach her side.
Giovanni reached out to wrap a length of her shining black hair around his hand. "Do not look so frightened, cara. I will not lock you in the tower, at least not yet. But my heart cannot survive all these men who seem to be worshiping at your feet. We must marry soon, or I shall be fighting duels on a daily basis." He tugged on Nicoletta's hair until she was forced to step close to him. His teeth flashed at her. "You are beautiful, piccola. More beautiful than I can say. I suppose I cannot blame the young men."
Nicoletta looked at his hand. His knuckles were scraped, and a spot of blood marred his immaculate shirt. Her eyes widened in horror, and she turned anxiously toward the labyrinth in hopes of seeing Cristano.
"The boy is fine," Giovanni assured her. "He attempted to insist on his untruth, but I could not allow him to continue misusing your good reputation. He will think about his folly over the next few days."
"Perhaps I should attend him," Nicoletta said fearfully. "I do not think so, Nicoletta," the don said with a hard note of authority in his voice and a hard cast to his dark features.
"Maria Pia must see to him, then," she insisted. "The boy would not welcome a woman witnessing his present discomfort."
"Giovanni, you have deserted your guest," Vincente greeted, ambling across the courtyard with a secret, taunting grin on his face. He had emerged from the far side of the maze, rounding the square-cut bushes to cross the green carpet of grasses. "You seem unable to pull yourself away from your bride, although I must say, I cannot blame you." He looked beyond his older brother, and a welcoming grin broke out on his face. "Antonello! You have returned at such an opportune time. The famiglia gathers to celebrate the wedding!"
Nicoletta turned with Giovanni to watch Antonello Scarletti emerge from the opposite side of the labyrinth. His clothes were worn and tattered, smudged in places with what looked like blood and dirt. He appeared tired, a tall, handsome man, but very much alone.
Antonello stopped a short distance away, his dark gaze moving over Nicoletta, recognition flaring for a moment in his eyes. Nicoletta suddenly found her bare toes very interesting. Giovanni sighed softly as he looked down at the top of her bent head. Is there any man who has not coveted you?
Nicoletta blushed furiously, the color creeping up into her face so fast that she had no hope of stopping it. She glared at the don. Antonello certainly had not coveted her. She and Maria Pia had simply helped him once, and he had helped them in return. Giovanni looked unrepentant. How is it you already know my brother, then? One eyebrow arched in inquiry, a hint of amusement creeping into his smoldering eyes.
"What wedding?" Antonello asked softly, his voice husky as if from lack of use. "Who is it that is going to be married?"
"Giovanni," Vincente announced cheerfully, a wide grin on his face as he delivered what was obviously shocking news.
Antonello froze in place, his entire body stiffening. His dark gaze jumped to his elder brother's face. "You are to be wed?"
Nicoletta felt dark undercurrents swirling around her, ones she couldn't fully understand, but she was afraid she would drown in them. Something dark and ominous, loomed among the brothers, a sinister shadow that clouded every attempt at happiness.
Giovanni tightened his arm around her, almost protectively. "Nicoletta has consented to be my bride."
She laughed. She couldn't help it, despite the grimness the three brothers seemed to share. She found the don's choice of words amusing under the circumstances. Her laughter was low and contagious as she looked up at her betrothed. An answering smile softened his hard mouth and dispelled the shadows in his eyes. For a moment they stared at one another, lost in their shared amusement.
Giovanni looked his brother over carefully. "Are you hurt? Was there trouble?"
Antonello shrugged carelessly. "Nothing I could not handle."
"Well," Vincente announced loudly, "the entire family has gathered. We need only Damian to complete the family circle." He bowed slightly toward Nicoletta. "Damian is our cousin and our good friend. We all grew up together."
She was aware of the sudden change in Giovanni. It was subtle, very subtle, but her body was up against his, and she felt a thread of iron run through him, his blood suddenly surging hotly. Nicoletta looked up at his face. It was an expressionless mask, a faint, humorless smile fixed there. He looked casual, almost lazy, but he was coiled and ready to strike.
"Have you seen him, Antonello, in your travels?" Vincente continued. "He sent word ahead that he would be arriving a couple of days past. We planned a hunt together. But there is no word from him, and that is unlike him."
"He usually comes by boat," Antonello said. "Have you checked the cove?"
Nicolett
a stiffened, her heart slamming in her chest. She knew. She knew the truth immediately, almost as if Giovanni had shared the information with their strange mind link. Their cousin was dead, one of the men Giovanni had slain on the beach. Her face paled, and her mouth went dry. She didn't dare look at him, but his hand clamping hers over his heart was enough. He knew she shared his knowledge.
His own cousin. A man he had grown up with, a man he called famiglia. She was suddenly terrified. More than ever she wanted to go home, back to the simplicity of the villaggio. No hint of conspiracy lurked there; the people were hardworking and God-fearing. She could count on their stability. Here, in this place of madness, in the Palazzo della Morte, the sands were always shifting, and she could call no one friend.
"When did you last hear from him?" Giovanni asked his youngest brother.
Vincente shrugged. "He sent word some weeks ago that he would be here for the hunt. I think we should send inquiries to his people. Perhaps he has come overland and has stopped at some inn." He grinned. "Damian has an eye for the ladies."
"I will send out runners," Giovanni said, his hand tight around Nicoletta's, warning her to remain silent. "He must attend the wedding."
Nicoletta stared steadfastly at her bare toes. She knew the don could feel the way her body was trembling beside his, the way her pulse beat so frantically beneath the pad of his thumb. One hand went to the nape of her neck in a slow massage. To soothe her? Or to warn her? She stayed very still as she listened to the three brothers talking, their voices oddly alike, while their characters were so different.
"Nicoletta!" Ketsia and Sophie rushed at her, unaware of the dangerous undercurrents, their faces joyful and smeared with white cream. "We brought a treat for you!" The children were hand in hand as they approached the adults.
Nicoletta and Maria Pia smiled a welcome at them as they stopped, suddenly uncertain under the attention of the three men. Nicoletta held out her free arm to them in encouragement, and both girls immediately hastened into her embrace. She was as grateful for their presence as they were for hers.
"Sophie, who is your little friend?" Vincente asked his daughter.
Sophie moved closer to Nicoletta, a fine shiver running through her. "Ketsia," she answered, almost painfully shy again. Nicoletta noticed that Giovanni dropped his free hand onto the child's head, a small gesture of affection and encouragement.
Vincente bowed low and pretended to kiss Ketsia's fingers.
"Have you come unescorted? That was very brave of you." Ketsia erupted into nervous giggling. "Cristano came, too," she explained without guile. "He wanted to see Nicoletta, too. Nicoletta is my best friend."
"Well, then, you must come and visit often," Vincente encouraged. He looked around. "Where, then, is this Cristano?" He smiled at Ketsia. "Your escort should not be so lacking in manners as to leave you alone for long. I fear if he does not correct his errant behavior, another man will swoop you up."
She giggled again, this time blushing, already, at her young age, completely susceptible to the Scarletti charm.
Sophie clutched Nicoletta's leg so hard, her fingers actually bit into flesh through the skirt. The child was shaking.
Instinctively, Nicoletta circled Sophie's shoulders and hugged her. "Thank you so much for entertaining Ketsia for me. Don Scarletti, Sophie has been so good to me, I think she should be in the wedding party along with Ketsia. I will need someone to ensure I remember every thing."
Giovanni smiled at the little girls. "Such as her shoes. She seems to forget them all the time. I would be most grateful to you, Sophie."
Ketsia nodded vigorously. "She does, Sophie. You must help Nicoletta remember her shoes while she is here."
"Nicoletta lives here now, Ketsia," Giovanni reminded her gently. "Was it your job before to help Nicoletta remember?"
Ketsia nodded importantly. "She has so much to do. People from all over seek out Nicoletta because--" She broke off, looking horrified, clapping a hand over her mouth and looking at Maria Pia as if expecting a sharp reprimand. At once tears of remorse swam in her eyes.
Giovanni smiled at her with his abundance of masculine charm. "You must tell Sophie of all your duties, so while you are away, she can look after Nicoletta properly. Of course Sophie must be in the wedding party and attend you with Ketsia, cara. We cannot do without either of them."
Nicoletta exchanged a genuine smile with him, grateful that, with all of his duties, the Don would recognize the little girls' insecurities and help to combat them. Poor Sophie needed attention from her family desperately. "It grows late, Ketsia. Where is Cristano?" She looked to the don, her dark eyes eloquent, begging him to allow her to check on him.
"He was sulking in the maze when last I saw him, and refusing to return to the ladies," Giovanni said, disclaiming responsibility.
"I saw no one," Antonello said, "but I took the short cut through."
"I have never found that short cut," Vincente groused. "I walked only a small distance on the outer edges and saw no one other than Portia out for her daily walk."
"Perhaps he has gone home," Maria Pia ventured, knowing well Cristano's fiery nature. If he was angry or humiliated after his talk with the don he might easily storm off, forgetting he had escorted Ketsia. Yet the child could hardly be expected to make the journey home unattended.
"Perhaps someone should seek him in the labyrinth." Nicoletta glared at the don.
Giovanni regarded her silently for a moment, then summoned one of the guards. They spoke briefly, and the guard quickly did a search of the outer maze.
Maria Pia shook her head. "Likely he has gone, Nicoletta. Likely he will be angry and sulk for days."
The fog was beginning to seep in from the ocean, and the air felt much cooler. Bands of white drifted over the walkways of the palazzo, lending the sculptures an eerie, unearthly appearance. Nicoletta was growing accustomed to the strange images, but she could see that both timid little Sophie and the usually bold Ketsia were becoming nervous.
"I will escort Ketsia home," Nicoletta said. Perhaps Maria Pia was right. Cristano had a fiery temper and more pride than most. After being chastened by the masterful Don Scarletti, he would be too humiliated to face any of them. "I often walk the hills and know the paths well. Besides, I have a need to check on my hillside garden."
Giovanni laughed softly, his mocking male amusement grating on her raw nerves. "I will hardly allow you to roam the hills, Nicoletta. Your roaming days are over now."
"I will escort young Ketsia, and Nicoletta also," Vincente offered, bowing low.
Giovanni's dark eyes were at once hard and glittering. Nicoletta could feel the power running through him, the edge of darkness, the shadow of violence. "Nicoletta will not leave the palazzo. I will send young Ketsia safely to her mother with two of my personal guards. If you wish to accompany them, Vincente, all to the good." He glanced down at Nicoletta. "You are shivering, piccola. You must go inside where it is warmer." Having made it an order, he signaled the soldiers.
Vincente shrugged, hanging on grimly to his smile. "There is no need for a procession for one small child. I will allow the guards to take on the task. If you will excuse me, Nicoletta, I have duties to attend."
"And I must go bathe," Antonello added, bowing slightly toward her.
Giovanni did not relinquish control of Nicoletta, his arm clamping her body to his. "Come, Ketsia, kiss Nicoletta good-bye, for now. I will inform the servants that you may visit whenever you desire to see Nicoletta or Sophie. My guards will escort you home and will tell your mother, that you are always welcome here and that they will attend to your safety on your return journeys. No tears now. You do not want Nicoletta to be sad."
"Do you mean it?" Ketsia demanded.
"I do not say things I do not mean," the don said softly.
Ketsia hugged Maria Pia, Sophie, and Nicoletta, the last so hard and long that the don was forced to pry her little fingers from Nicoletta and gently send her on her way with two of his personal
guards. Finally the child walked off, tall and straight and self-important between her very own soldiers.
"Thank you," Nicoletta said, in spite of herself. Giovanni Scarletti was a paradox to her. On the one hand, she sensed he was a dangerous, violent man, and yet he could also be gentle and thoughtful. It was difficult not to be intrigued by him. Not to be drawn to him.
She looked up at him and instantly was lost in the depths of his eyes. She saw so much need there. An intense hunger. Blatant desire. Hot flames that threatened to consume her if she dared to go near them. Her fingers curled against his chest.
Giovanni moved her back toward the palazzo under Maria Pia's watchful eye. Sophie walked with them, looking curiously from one to the other. Ketsia would have asked a million questions, but Sophie was more reserved and always restrained herself until she could be alone with Nicoletta.
"I have much work to do, Nicoletta, but I trust you can manage to stay out of trouble and away from other suitors until such time as I can be with you," Giovanni teased her. He held the door for the women to precede him through.
Laughter bubbled up out of nowhere. "I never get into trouble, Don Scarletti. I do not know where you should have gotten such an idea." Deliberately Nicoletta winked at Sophie to include her.
Sophie hastily covered her mouth to keep her smile from showing. She had never heard her uncle Gino tease or be teased. He was the head of the household, and everyone was afraid of him. She had never heard him use that low, caressing voice before either.
"Perhaps it has something to do with looking out my window and finding you in a tangled heap on the ground with an ardent young man." That drawling caress was back in his voice, brushing Nicoletta's skin like the touch of fingers. "Stay with Sophie, cara, so I can breathe again."
"You breathe just fine," Nicoletta said, her soft laughter turning the heads of the servants and the guards.
Giovanni had recently noticed a strange phenomenon in his home. It was as if Nicoletta's smiles were contagious. Many of the servants and soldiers now wore answering smiles on their faces. In the gloom shrouding the palazzo, Nicoletta was a ray of sunlight. His hand curled around the nape of her neck, his head bending low until he pressed his brow against hers. "I do not think our wedding can come soon enough to suit me."