Free Rose Red by Flora Speer Page B

was Andrea. She thought Valeria might have a
few answers for her about the actual state of his
health.
    On her way to the kitchen, Rosalinda passed
the room that Bartolomeo used as his office. There he kept the
account books for the estate, and in the late evenings after the
ladies had retired, he worked upon the history of the Farisi dukes
of Monteferro that he was writing. It was not at all unusual for
Eleonora to be in the room with Bartolomeo, either discussing
matters having to do with the estate or reading the most recently
completed pages of the history.
    Rosalinda paused at the open door, intending
only to stick her head inside and tell her mother where she would
be. What she heard kept her rooted to the spot where she stood. Her
mother and Bartolomeo were talking about Andrea.
    “There is no question in my mind that he is
nobly born,” Eleonora said. “Just think, Bartolomeo! What an
opportunity presents itself in the person of that young man.”
    “I have no wish to contradict you,”
Bartolomeo told her, “but a nobleman who has been wandering alone
in the mountains must have some tragic event in his past. It is my
belief that Andrea has gone into exile, either because he was sent
away from his home by his family as the result of a scandal, or he
left by order of the authorities wherever he once lived, or perhaps
he has fled to avoid imprisonment.”
    “All the better for us,” Eleonora insisted.
“Many fine and capable men are exiled because they disagree too
vigorously with their governments or because they are fleeing rival
family members. There is no disgrace in exile, which is a kinder
fate than imprisonment or assassination.
    “I believe that Andrea is the weapon for
which I have been waiting all these years,” Eleonora went on.
“Heaven has sent him into my home and made him obligated to me for
saving his life. Now I will use him as heaven must have intended me
to do.”
    “Use him?” Bartolomeo repeated. “Madonna
Eleonora, what are you planning?”
    “If I place an army of mercenaries at
Andrea’s disposal and offer him a high office as reward for his
efforts, he may be willing to help me regain control of
Monteferro,” Eleonora said. “Which, from what Luca told us during
his last visit, will also mean taking over neighboring Aullia,
since the Guidi family now controls both cities.
    “Then, at last, I will force the Guidi into
exile, as I was once forced to leave my home,” Eleonora went on.
“And I will imprison that miserable wretch of a dwarf, Niccolo
Stregone, for the rest of his life! Since the Guidi have already
conveniently killed the treacherous duke of Aullia for me, and
doubtless the duke’s entire family with him, we can forget about
them. Perhaps I will grant the governorship of Aullia to Andrea.
But only if he first shows skill in managing my army.”
    “Raising an army will cost you all the money
you have deposited with the House of Nardi,” Bartolomeo objected.
“If you lose this gamble, you will have nothing left with which to
make another attempt. And Andrea may not be willing to fall in with
your plans.”
    “He will if I wait until the perfect moment
to approach him. That young man has the necessary spirit,” Eleonora
said. “You have heard how he bandies words with me, how clever he
is. And how careful to keep his own secrets.”
    “Those same secrets may defeat us before we
begin,” said Bartolomeo.
    “Have you lost your courage, old friend?”
    “No, but I do worry about your daughters,
whom I love as if they were my own children. Knowing you, I am
certain that you have thought of what will happen to them. If
Andrea is all that you believe he is, then gratitude for his life
or not, he will surely demand one of those girls in marriage in
return for helping you.”
    “Let him but help me regain Monteferro for
Bianca and her future children, and I will marry Andrea myself if
he asks for me!” Eleonora declared with a laugh.
    “Your late husband always