There was a long silence. “I always thought he’d come back to me. I . . . I never wanted to admit it, but I always hoped he would.”
“He’s not going to, Maria. That’s why I want you in the Casa Montescue. You’re safer there, for now. He won’t know.”
Maria laughed wildly. “Oh yes, he will! Do you know why I wouldn’t come to the Casa Montescue? Because it’s where his new mistress lives! Or his old mistress, I should maybe say. The bitch said she’s known him for years—from before I met him. That means during his days with the Montagnards.”
“Alessandra?” asked Kat, faintly. “My sister-in-law?”
Maria nodded. “I didn’t mean to tell you.”
“I thought it was Angelina Dorma.”
Maria snorted. “She’s just had Marco’s baby.”
“It’s not Marco’s,” said Kat fiercely.
Maria gaped at Kat as she worked it out. Then, snorted just as fiercely.
“Sister—I think we’ll kill him! Your Marco is an idiot.”
Finally, at that point, reaction set in. All the adrenaline, possibly—almost certainly—killing two men, running away, the emotionally shocking revelations. The two girls clung to each other, sobbing their hearts out, while a stoical if puzzled gondolier took them on to the Casa Montescue. He did shrug, once. The city was going to war, after all. Many strange things would happen tonight.
It was Kat who stopped crying first. She swallowed. “Maria. When was Caesare in Venice first?”
Maria sniffed. “Three years back. When there was that plague outbreak.”
“My brother was still alive then. It can’t be true. I mean I believe you about her being there with him now, because . . . because she said things about Caesare. And she got jealous as a cat when she thought I might be seeing Caesare Aldanto. I wondered how she knew him. But she couldn’t have been false to my brother.”
“Was he ever away from home?” asked Maria, dryly.
“Naturally. He went to Istria and the Dalmatian Islands. We had property in Spleto before Emeric conquered it. And he was off to the mainland a few times . . . He always used to bring me things.” Kat felt the longing for those carefree days in her voice.
Kat heard the snap of teeth from Maria. “Kat. I feel like that woman scorned you spoke about. Let’s see how far jealousy will take that bitchy sister-in-law of yours. You pretend to be one of his lovers too. And we’ll add Angelina. If she just pushes us once . . .”
“Why not?” said Kat viciously. “I suppose that, like us, she might just be another woman whose life has been ruined by a . . . rotten figlio di una puttana—but she’s made my life a misery, to say nothing of old Madelena’s. Madelena would kill Alessandra if she knew. My brother was the apple of Madelena’s eye. Let her take one step out of line, and we’ll go for her.”
* * *
When they arrived at the Casa Montescue, their plan was ready. A whispered question to Madelena, as she opened the door, established that Alessandra was in one of the small salons upstairs. “Go get Grandfather, Madelena,” Kat ordered softly. “Bring him to the corridor just outside the salon. But keep him outside the room until the right moment.”
Madelena’s brow creased in puzzlement. “You’ll know when it comes,” hissed Kat. “Just do as I say.”
* * *
When they entered the salon, Alessandra was inspecting her fingernails. She didn’t even look up; just stared at Maria’s bare feet. “Grandpapa said you’d gone out to fetch a new servant. It’s about time we had some younger maids! I was going to say I need a new one, but I want someone who doesn’t have dirty bare feet.”
“She’s not a servant, Alessandra!” snapped Kat. “She’s a companion for my night expeditions.”
Alessandra snorted. “It’s a bit late for a duenna, isn’t it? Your reputation’s in tatters anyway.”
“Not as much as yours, you slut,” hissed Maria.
Alessandra finally looked up, straight into Maria’s angry brown eyes. “You!” she screamed, leaping to her feet and retreating behind the chair. “You’re supposed to be dead! Caesare—” She broke off, gasping.