will not last forever and you could be caught in your
might-have-beens like that old fool Mirella."
"But Cristano would be one of those cocksure, handsome husbands who is
always making enormous demands on his wife while ever looking to greener
pastures, Maria Pia. I would not be a wife likely to smile with forgiveness and
pleasure when he returned to my bed." The very thought of sharing a bed
with him was repugnant to her, so much so that she shivered and rubbed her
arms. "I know Cristano will mean well, yet he will strike his wife if she
looks at another man and blame her for the attention of another man's smile. He
thinks much of himself; he will expect his wife to care for the children and
home all alone while he spends his time idly drinking and gaming with the men.
This is not a marriage to me." Nicoletta broke off another piece of cheese
and grinned at Maria Pia. "I shall remain with you."
Maria Pia made a show of rolling her eyes and crying to the heavens for
patience, but, all the same, she looked pleased. "You are probably right
about Cristano." With a reluctant sigh she gave up the dream of settling
Nicoletta down through marriage to the handsome youth. "Being a peacock
and having a quick temper, he should marry a woman who will not stand out quite
so much to other men."
Nicoletta raised her eyebrows but refrained from commenting. She had a
difficult time understanding how other women accepted the fate of becoming wife
and helpmeet so eagerly when she felt the loss of freedom would be intolerable.
Married, she would never be able to live the way she was expected to live. She
had always roamed free. Because of her differences, she did not have to adhere
to the many unspoken rules that bound other women. It hurt to see childhood
friends like Lissandra make disastrous matches, yet they really had no choice.
Nor did many of them appear to realize that their marriages could go wrong.
They seemed to harbor the illusion that matrimonial bliss would instantly ensue
upon their arranged unions, even to men who were uncaring or cruel. Lissandra
would be a brood mate and a workhorse for her husband, and she would die at an
early age without ever knowing true love.
Nicoletta pressed two fingers to her forehead, to the sudden painful
throbbing brought on by her thoughts. She glanced out the window at the
beckoning hills. At times like this, she wanted to disappear into nature's
embrace and be free of such continual battering at her emotions.
Maria Pia shook her head sharply. "Oh, no, you cannot go out there. If
you do, I will not see you again for days. You are no longer a
bambino
to run and hide when you do not want to face something." She waved a hand
at the window and the mountains beyond. "Once you find your way to the
hills, even I cannot call you back."
"You still call me a
bambina,"
Nicoletta pointed out with a
teasing smile, forcing a brightness she did not feel.
"I should not put up with your foolishness," the older women
reprimanded, but in truth, she could not bear to see Nicoletta unhappy. No one
in the
villaggio
could, not for long. When Nicoletta smiled, she brought
them the sunshine. Maria Pia's gaze traveled lovingly over the young woman. Not
even her worn and faded clothes could dim her natural beauty. "I do not
see how we can so disguise your womanly appearance, Nicoletta." Her gaze
fell on the small bare feet. "Where are your shoes?" she asked as she
so often had to.
Nicoletta shrugged, unconcerned. "In truth, I do not know. Nor will I
be needing them. I think bare feet will add to the illusion of a child."
She laughed softly. "Ketsia has quite a task keeping track of the things.
Yet it keeps her occupied and out of trouble—and perhaps relieves your worries
at the same time."
"Donna Maria Pia!" Cristano's booming voice nearly shook the hut.
"I must speak with you."
Maria Pia wrapped her shawl around her shoulders as she shuffled to the
door.
Nicoletta made a face. "Do not let that vain peacock into
might-have-beens like that old fool Mirella."
"But Cristano would be one of those cocksure, handsome husbands who is
always making enormous demands on his wife while ever looking to greener
pastures, Maria Pia. I would not be a wife likely to smile with forgiveness and
pleasure when he returned to my bed." The very thought of sharing a bed
with him was repugnant to her, so much so that she shivered and rubbed her
arms. "I know Cristano will mean well, yet he will strike his wife if she
looks at another man and blame her for the attention of another man's smile. He
thinks much of himself; he will expect his wife to care for the children and
home all alone while he spends his time idly drinking and gaming with the men.
This is not a marriage to me." Nicoletta broke off another piece of cheese
and grinned at Maria Pia. "I shall remain with you."
Maria Pia made a show of rolling her eyes and crying to the heavens for
patience, but, all the same, she looked pleased. "You are probably right
about Cristano." With a reluctant sigh she gave up the dream of settling
Nicoletta down through marriage to the handsome youth. "Being a peacock
and having a quick temper, he should marry a woman who will not stand out quite
so much to other men."
Nicoletta raised her eyebrows but refrained from commenting. She had a
difficult time understanding how other women accepted the fate of becoming wife
and helpmeet so eagerly when she felt the loss of freedom would be intolerable.
Married, she would never be able to live the way she was expected to live. She
had always roamed free. Because of her differences, she did not have to adhere
to the many unspoken rules that bound other women. It hurt to see childhood
friends like Lissandra make disastrous matches, yet they really had no choice.
Nor did many of them appear to realize that their marriages could go wrong.
They seemed to harbor the illusion that matrimonial bliss would instantly ensue
upon their arranged unions, even to men who were uncaring or cruel. Lissandra
would be a brood mate and a workhorse for her husband, and she would die at an
early age without ever knowing true love.
Nicoletta pressed two fingers to her forehead, to the sudden painful
throbbing brought on by her thoughts. She glanced out the window at the
beckoning hills. At times like this, she wanted to disappear into nature's
embrace and be free of such continual battering at her emotions.
Maria Pia shook her head sharply. "Oh, no, you cannot go out there. If
you do, I will not see you again for days. You are no longer a
bambino
to run and hide when you do not want to face something." She waved a hand
at the window and the mountains beyond. "Once you find your way to the
hills, even I cannot call you back."
"You still call me a
bambina,"
Nicoletta pointed out with a
teasing smile, forcing a brightness she did not feel.
"I should not put up with your foolishness," the older women
reprimanded, but in truth, she could not bear to see Nicoletta unhappy. No one
in the
villaggio
could, not for long. When Nicoletta smiled, she brought
them the sunshine. Maria Pia's gaze traveled lovingly over the young woman. Not
even her worn and faded clothes could dim her natural beauty. "I do not
see how we can so disguise your womanly appearance, Nicoletta." Her gaze
fell on the small bare feet. "Where are your shoes?" she asked as she
so often had to.
Nicoletta shrugged, unconcerned. "In truth, I do not know. Nor will I
be needing them. I think bare feet will add to the illusion of a child."
She laughed softly. "Ketsia has quite a task keeping track of the things.
Yet it keeps her occupied and out of trouble—and perhaps relieves your worries
at the same time."
"Donna Maria Pia!" Cristano's booming voice nearly shook the hut.
"I must speak with you."
Maria Pia wrapped her shawl around her shoulders as she shuffled to the
door.
Nicoletta made a face. "Do not let that vain peacock into
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