CHAPTER 5

INTERLUDE

The trap is set

I AWOKE TO the sound of songbirds. I looked around, and not recognizing my surroundings, had a moment of panic. I was in a wide bed, wrapped in luxurious coverings, in a large, well-appointed room. I closed my eyes and tried to recall just exactly what had happened and how I ended up here.

I remembered accompanying the Contessa to her manor, my seduction at her hands, and then…nothing. How I got to this room in her manor, if indeed that's where I was, was beyond my recollection. I admit to being disappointed that I wasn't in the Contessa's own bed, but maybe it was as I suspected and there was a husband in the mix. If so, how would she explain my presence?

I sat up in bed and took stock of my predicament. I had no idea what time it was or why I had not been sent on my way last night. I glanced down; I was still unclothed, my bare chest crisscrossed with the evidence of the Contessa's nails. The euphoric satisfaction of last night's activities quickly gave way to a renewed yearning deep in my bones. I wanted to have her again, and while she wasn't here now, the fact that she had not put me out into the street must mean she had plans to revisit our liaison.

At least I could hope.

The other reality that quickly made itself known was I was parched, like a man who hadn't drunk for a year. I swung my legs off the side of the bed and was immediately overcome by a wave of dizziness that nearly knocked me on my back. I closed my eyes and sat still, waiting for the sensation to pass. After several minutes, I felt more like myself and opened my eyes, and that's when I spotted the water pitcher and glass on the table next to the bed. I poured a glass and downed it in one swallow, then refilled it, drinking this one more slowly.

With my immediate needs satisfied, I set about finding my clothes. A quick perusal of the room revealed no sign of them, though there were underthings folded on a chair in front of the fireplace; a simple linen shurt and a pair of common breeches. No cioppa, hose, or shoes, though I suppose what was there was better than nothing. I quickly dressed then wandered over to the window to get a glimpse of my surroundings.

The window opened onto a walled courtyard that spanned what looked like the length of this wing of the house, with a large ornate fountain at the center. There were several seating areas arranged around the space, with potted, fruit-laden trees dotting the areas between. Halfway down the wall was a tall iron gate, the stone supports of which were wrapped in thick bracts of roses in a shade so dark they appeared almost black. More blooms spilled over the wall at intervals, and I assumed the gate led to an expansive rose garden. To have the land for such a spectacle must mean we were truly well outside the city.

I didn't see anyone about in the courtyard nor hear any signs of life stirring within the manor; perhaps everyone was downstairs. I didn't know the protocol in the house and where I fit into it, but I hoped there was someone who could tell me where my clothes were and give me a ride back to the city. Thus resolved, I opened the door and made my way outside my room.

The hallway I found myself in wasn't the same one I had used to accompany the Contessa to her room last night. This one was darker, more narrow, and not as elaborate, and I wondered how I had gotten here without any knowledge of the trip. Had I been carried, and by whom? Surely not the Contessa, so perhaps someone in the household? And how did she explain that? All questions to hopefully be answered as soon as I saw the Contessa again.

I stood for several seconds considering both directions, then picked one and started walking until I came to a staircase. I was starting to descend when I encountered a young maid carrying a tray. She saw me at the same time and a frown creased her face.

"What are you doing here?" she asked in a flustered voice. "I was just bringing you your meal."

I moved to take the tray from her hands, but she shrugged me off. "You must go back to your room."

Whatever she was carrying smelled delicious and I heard my stomach growl in response, but I didn't need her to serve me and told her so.

She looked around and lowered her voice. "You should have stayed in your room. After you eat, I will bring water and towels for your toiletry. The Contessa likes her…guests to be clean."

What an odd thing to say, I thought. She indicated for me to go ahead of her, and seeing she wasn't going to take no for an answer, I turned and headed back in the direction of the room where I had awakened. She followed me inside and set the tray on a low table in front of the fireplace, then busied herself shaking out and straightening the bedclothes and drawing back the curtains to let in the day's light. I sat down in one of the chairs by the table and looked over the offerings on the tray.

The meal indicated it was late morning, with an ample comestrio spread before me–slices of roast pork, bread and butter, fresh peaches and artichokes in oil, and a decanter of chilled wine. I tore off a piece of bread and buttered it then poured a glass of wine and sat back to watch her. After a moment she turned and regarded me with a worried expression, and I realized she was probably near my own age, with straight brown hair, warm hazel eyes, and a pale complexion. The frock she wore showed her to be on the thin side, and while not especially pretty, there was something pleasant about her demeanor, enough that had I met her on the street, I would not have passed her by.

"What is your name?" I asked.

She seemed flustered by the question. "Rosetta. Is the meal not satisfactory to you?"

"Pretty name." I grinned at her and was pleased to see it brought a blush to her cheeks. "The meal is fine. I'm just, well, a bit confused. Why am I still here?"

She looked down, avoiding my gaze, and worried at a stray thread from her apron. "You are here at the bequest of my mistress. "

"Yes, so it would seem. But why? I would have thought she'd have sent me on my way by now."

She looked up and met my eyes, and I was surprised to see something akin to sympathy there. "You should eat; you need your strength. After you finish, I will bring you water to bathe. If the underthings you are wearing are unsatisfactory, I can bring you new ones."

"I don't need new underthings. I want my own clothes," I insisted, but she had already turned away and crossed to the door.

"I will be back within the hour," she said as she let herself out, closing the door softly behind her.

Well, that was certainly odd. With nothing more to distract me, I set about finishing my meal, realizing that I was indeed famished. The bread was newly baked, the pork well-seasoned and flavorful, and the fruit juicy and obviously freshly picked, possibly from the potted trees below. I poured the last of the wine and carried my glass back to the window, where I watched a stooped old man come through the iron gates with a large basket of cut roses. He headed across the courtyard and ducked into a door below me.

I turned away, bored, and wondered what to do with myself. While I was still young enough to enjoy a life of leisure apart from my schooling, I was not a layabout. My father insisted everyone in his household be up early to start the day. The only reason to stay in one's room was illness, and I had never suffered as such, so being confined to a bedroom went against my upbringing. Was I supposed to just sit here and wait to be summoned by the Contessa?

Despite Rosetta's warning, I considered leaving the room and finding my own way out. Yes, I was somewhere outside the city and wasn't sure how I would get past the gate I had come through last night, but I realized I wanted to go home. The fact that I was dressed in someone else's underthings with no shoes put a damper on my enthusiasm for the plan, but it didn't make me any less determined to leave. I resolved to bide my time and wait for Rosetta to return, then entreat her to help me get out of here. As enamored as I was with her mistress's company, I had a life of my own to live. For all I knew, the Contessa had already forgotten about me. A woman like that no doubt had her pick of lovers and wasn't likely to miss me.

As promised, Rosetta returned within the hour with a large urn of hot water and towels. She poured the water into the basin located on a stand next to the wardrobe and handed me the towels and a cake of soap. While I stripped off my shurt and prepared to wash up, she gathered the remains of my meal and made as if to leave.

"Hold on,' I called to her.

She turned and regarded me expectantly, her eyes dropping to my bare chest, where the evidence of last night's encounter with the Contessa was on full display. "Yes?"

"I can't stay here. Will you help me?"

"Help you what?"

"Find my clothes and get out of here. Don't get me wrong; I appreciate the Contessa's hospitality, but I have a life of my own and people who will be expecting me."

She seemed to consider my request. "These people, will they come looking for you?"

Her question took me by surprise. The truth was, with the exception of a couple of summer trips to the country to visit one of my uncles, I had never spent the night away from home before. Even with my frequent trysts with maidens in the city, I had always managed to sneak home before dawn to be there when the maid came to wake me. I was an only child and fair to say the pride of my parents, who both doted on me. They would notice if I was gone and were no doubt starting to wonder at my absence today.

"Probably," I replied. "My father would be sending messages to my friends by now wanting to know why I was not at home."

She frowned at me. "That is indeed troublesome. I will be sure to let my mistress know."

"While I appreciate that, can you just help me get out of here?"

She lowered her eyes and shook her head. "I cannot. Perhaps if you explained your predicament to my mistress, she might reconsider."

"Reconsider what?"

"I must go now." She ducked out the door before I could stop her, though this time I noted with alarm the sound of a key turning in the lock.

"Wait!" I called and ran across the room to the door. When I tried to open it, I discovered it wouldn't budge. I couldn't believe she had actually locked me in.

What had I gotten myself into?