It was very dark and cool inside – especially after the sunlit street with bright colours of flowers and the sea. We came into the hall and I noticed white mourning lilies on a round table. The drooped flowers reflected in a deep-black pool of its lacquered surface. I gently touched the smooth petals, trying to hold back my tears. Ricardo put his hand on my shoulder.

"This is one reason why I asked you to come. For you now it's better to be with us... with your family. "

"Yes, I got your letter. I couldn't imagine that you would be... that you would feel so sorry about it. "

"She was also my mother," he said, and that sounded a little like a rebuke.

Most of the time our parents had to live separately from each other. I was born weak and sickly, so the family doctor recommended I be taken away from the damp air mists of Venetta. My mother and I settled in the Brenta valley, not far from our estate in Patava, while father and Ricardo stayed in the city. I think my mother was glad to stay away from my father – a rough and domineering don Granacci. Unfortunately, they didn't get along very well. Even when he died ten years ago (another conspiracy or something) my mother refused to return to Venetta.

"You said "one reason". What about the other one?" I turned around just to see a kind of confusion on his lovely face. Yet it disappeared almost immediately.

"It's good that you came today. We're expecting Count Arsago in no time. You only have a few hours to get dressed. "

Here we go again...

I knew it.

"Ricardo, I can't. Not now... Don't you understand? For goodness sake, our mother died only two months ago! "

"Oh, Madonna! Why are you making a scene again?" he rolled his eyes to the painted ceiling. "All the girls in Venetta would be happy to take your place!"

I tensed, watching him was walking back and forth. He didn't change at all. An unexpected obstacle on his way instantly made him burst with anger.

"Besides, " he added with a little hope to make me change my mind, "this marriage had been already approved by the Council of Ten, and I'm in no position to argue with them."

"The Council of Ten can't sell me to the Count as if I were a cow," I said.

In fact, they could. It is true that Venetian patrician families have a lot of privileges. But in return the Council controlled every aspect of their lives. Especially if you wanted to inherit the Senate seat from your late father. And Ricardo did. Therefore, we couldn't buy lands outside the Venetian Republic – we only could possess the property within the reach of the sacred Golden Griffin. And my future husband had to be picked by the noble men of the Council as well.

The only reason was conspiracy – that the Council was afraid of even more than of a plague or the invasion of the tarchies. The Senate couldn't tolerate strengthening of any of its parties. And despite of the outward unity there was a constant dog-eat-dog opposition inside.

Meanwhile, Ricardo received an unexpected help from the women's quarters. First I heard the steady tapping of a cane on the marble tiles. Then came a lean figure, dressed all in black from head to toe. A heavy turtleneck gown excluded even a little hint of women's attractiveness, and white lace collar made wrinkly grumpy face even more sallow. That was signora Assunta, my father's sister and my ever-nagging aunt. We never got along.

"The cloister air doesn't seem to be doing you any good," she said instead of greeting. I cringed under her sharp hostile stare. "You're as pale as death, my girl. Ricardo, let her come with me."

She looking skeptically at my rumpled skirts and windblown hair. "God knows how much time we'll spend getting THAT ready before the guests come."

"I'm not going anywhere!"

It seemed that Ricardo decided to change tactics. He approached me and gently took my hands in his.

"Julia, I swear I will delay the wedding as long as possible. I know how you feel. But I have to admit, things aren't going very well now..."

"We're broke. That's what you mean? " I asked coldly.

"I'm doing my best, but the sea expeditions are more trouble than profit these days. The tarchies jostle us from the South, the northern pagans seize our markets one after the other, and the pirates waylay in the sea..."

He ruffled his hair and for a minute I could see a seventeen-year-old boy who had to deal with our whole business after father's funeral. Three ships, trade expeditions, negotiations with captains and with merchants, each of who were struggling to wrest from us a bigger piece of the pie. Sure enough Rico had been working really hard to provide his mother and little sister a comfortable carefree life in the countryside. Now it was my turn to help him somehow.

"Even the news of your betrothal can make a big difference, "Ricardo went on, completely unaware of my hesitation. "The Fair Ferroniere" has been delayed for two weeks already. If she doesn't appear soon, the moneylenders will tear me to pieces! But they respect don Arsago a lot – that's the only thing that keeps these sharks on a short leash. I won't let anyone hurt you, Julie..."

I looked away from those pleading eyes. He was all right, of course. When the well-being of the family is on one side of the scale, and the girl's whims are on the other, what is there to argue about?

I wonder what he'd say if my life was on the line.

***

Donna Assunta took me into a small room at the end of the enfilade. As far as I could notice, the front rooms looked luxurious with all these carvings and velvet draperies. The back rooms were quite modest but much more comfortable. The sun rays from a shuttered window illuminating a statue of Madonna in the alcove with a low bench in front of it. One corner was occupied with a huge clothes chest and a big hexagonal mirror in a wooden frame. In the middle of the room the servants had set up a huge tub with hot water.

I noticed that the old woman kept her sharp magpie eyes on me all the time. She herself took off my dull conventual clothes and rubbed my body with a sponge. Then she and two maids dressed me up: a cloud-light silk shirt and a heavy blue dress with rich golden embroidery and pure white foam of lace. Blue is a symbol of marriage loyalty though I didn't want to think about such things at all. There were no pearls on the intricate bodice and shining clasps. Sure − the pearls are tears of sea mermaids, the deceived souls of maids. Inappropriate decoration for a bride.

My heart sank. What should I do? I can't run away now. That was my decision, after all. Let's just hope that Ricardo would keep his promise and try to delay the wedding for a while...

"You look surprised. Don't you recognize your own room?" my aunt asked suddenly.

"Of course, I haven't been here for years," I said. "My mother and I rarely came here."

"You could have come more often!"

I smiled to myself. Every time we came, donna Assunta locked herself in her chambers. Everything annoyed her: the noise, the smell of incense, the improperly prepared dinner – just everything! And every meeting with her sister-in-law ended up with inevitable quarrel after which they sat in separate corners – both extremely offended but dignified. "Could have come more often" – oh, please stop kidding me.

"How do you like your room?" she asked with her voice as soft as honey. "We had it renovated for your arrival."

That was a trap. But fortunately, I was prepared for this kind of questions.

"Oh, yes, auntie. These new light curtains make it look more spacious. And I like the floral border much better. That terrible pattern with sea creatures gave me creeps at night when I was a child."

She chuckled behind my back.

"The convent should have taught you more respect for those who live beneath the waves... But you've always been a stubborn one! Which ribbon do you want today?"

She showed me three ribbons to choose from. I sighed softly.

"This one," I said, pointing to the blue and gold one. "Your gift for my thirteenth birthday."

The old woman grunted and began to brush my brown curls as if she wanted to my hair out. The maids were quite puzzled but said nothing. They must be used to her eccentricities, and they didn't want to be slapped.

When my hair was finally arranged and covered with a gold net, Assunta took two steps back, looked at me up and down and still wasn't happy. She shook her head and left the room to fetch a large chest of wax-polished walnut. Master carved figures of singing birds among the branches of pomegranate tree and now they were glittering bright red and brown in the sunlight. Inside that fine-carved nest I could see a lot of bottles of all kinds. My aunt picked the one and covered my face with chalk-white fard.

"I really don't know what the nuns were thinking," she grumbled. "You have tanned like a common country girl."

"The doctor recommended sunbathing for chest disease," I retorted.

Perhaps I didn't need to worry so much. Donna Assunta was acting as she used to since her niece was born. Nothing suspicious, all common things: keep your back straight and your chin forward; don't smile with your teeth showing, don't be impertinent – bla, bla, bla... A constant need to remain vigilant gave me a headache. So I was really glad to hear a hasty nock at the door. Ricardo, save me, please!

"Are you ready?"

"No."

"Let's go then!"

"Just one moment," donna Assunta bit her lips and gave me a last look. Something was missing there... Yes, just one last detail.

A soft transparent veil hid my hair – a sight of mourning. Now aunt was satisfied. Just for a short while, I supposed. She watched us leaving and then turned to a small marble statue of Madonna. I could hear her voice whispering fervent prayer as the door closed.