Chapter 39
Benito hadn’t missed the subtle little signals Aldanto was passing to those shadow-lurkers canalside. Benito knew those shadows, knew them for Giaccomo’s. Knew how much they cost. Was totaling up that cost in his head, and coming to a sum that scared the socks off of him.
All that—for Marco?
Oh, hell.
He began doing some very hard thinking about the time they hit the Grand Canal. He’d made up his mind by the time they reached the house in Castello.
Aldanto helped to get Marco as far as the kitchen, then let Maria take over; he headed for the sitting room, and stood looking out of the window in the dim sunlight, arms crossed over his chest, handsome face brooding and worried. Benito made himself a silent shadow following him.
“M’lord—” he said quietly, as soon as they were alone.
Aldanto started—barely visibly; controlling an automatic reaction of defense. Benito’s quick eyes caught it all, and his evaluation of Caesare rose considerably.
Damn—he’s good. If he can pull his reaction after all this—he’s damned good. Better’n anybody I’ve ever seen.
“What?” the man said shortly, obviously not in a mood for more nonsense.
“M’lord,” he said soberly, as Caesare regarded him over one shoulder. “I—I’m sorry about the—” he gestured, flushing, “—where I hit you.”
“You’re sorry?” The ex-Montagnard was actually speechless.
“M’lord—listen a minute, please? I didn’t know what to think. Thought maybe you might have—well—Marco might be worth a bit, to the right people.”
“Thought I might have turned my coat again, is that it?” Aldanto looked very odd; a little amused, and maybe a little understanding.
“M’lord, I didn’t blame you—I was thinking maybe somebody’s been leaning on you. If I was you, reckon I’d swap a kid for Maria, if I had to—hard choice, but—that’s the way I’d be doing it.” Benito kept his eyes on Aldanto, and thought he saw a thoughtful gleam there.
“So—hey, I thought, you didn’t have Marco, you might use me to get to Marco. So I let you have it where it could count, so as I could scat.”
“I’m afraid, boy,” Caesare said quietly, “that this once you were wrong.”
Benito preferred not to think about what that peculiarly phrased sentence might mean if he examined it too closely.
“Look, m’lord, I told you—you got a hard choice to make, you make the best one you can. Happens I was wrong this time—but I’m sorry, hey? Now—” Benito got down to business. “I think my brother cost you more than you could afford, no? I’ve got eyes—and I know what Giaccomo’s rates are—”
Aldanto’s own eyes narrowed speculatively, but he said nothing.
“M’lord Caesare, I used to figure there was one person worth spending all I had to keep alive, and that was my brother. Now, I figure there’s two—”
He felt, more than heard, Maria come in behind him. That was all right; nothing he was going to say now that he didn’t want Maria to hear. “Well, maybe three, except Maria back there can take care of herself, I reckon. But the other one’s you. We owe you, m’lord.”
Aldanto turned to face him fully. “I may be able to salvage something from Marco’s poetry,” he said dryly. “I wish he’d told me about it earlier.” He shifted his weight to one foot. “But what is the point of telling me something I know?”
“It’s this, m’lord—Marco, he’s good, ye know? I’m not good—I’m trouble. I don’t know how, but the Dell’este—my grandfather—always knew that, even when I was a kid. ‘You take care of Marco,’ he told me. ‘The good ones need us bad ones to keep them safe.’ ”
Aldanto’s right eyebrow rose markedly. “I’m not exactly popular with the Duke of Ferrara, boy. How do you think he’d feel about the company you’re keeping now?”
Benito shrugged. “That’s not my problem. He just told me I was to take care of Marco.”
Aldanto looked pensive, but he said nothing. Benito continued, nervously, but determined. “M’lord, I—” he waved his hands helplessly “—I guess what I want to say is this. You got into this mess because of us. It cost you. You didn’t have to do it. Well I’m guessing. But I figure you might need help. Well, from now on, you say, and I’ll do. Whatever. However. For as long as you like. And there’s some things I’m not too shabby at.”