Page 26 of Tempted By the English Marquis
“Can I take it from your reaction, and that of my mother, that he is not someone whom either you or my brother would consider a good match for me?” Serafina asked.
On their circuitous route back from the Trevi Fountain to Palazzo Lazio, they had called in to Palazzo Fonsato to see Serafina’s sister-in-law. The elegant renaissance period palazzo was situated at the northern end of a large cobblestone paved square not far from the banks of the River Tiber.
As soon as they had arrived, Serafina and Augusta had undertaken the obligatory fawning and gushing over of Martina’s latest baby, her fourth, before adjourning to her sister-in-law’s private drawing room.
While Martina had sat and nursed the infant at her breast, the two young women had nibbled politely on sweet cakes and afternoon coffee. They had made small talk for a time, but all the while Serafina sat on the edge of the gilt-framed, blood-red-colored sofa. She wanted to know about the man her father was proposing to marry her off to, a man she knew nothing about.
Martina resumed her seat, handing the baby off to a maid who took the child with her as she left the room. As soon as the door to the drawing room closed, Martina turned to Serafina. Bright tears shone in her eyes.
“I can’t believe he would do this to you. Signore Magri must be sixty-eight if he is a day. He is certainly older than your father and mine. Old enough to be your grandfather.”
Augusta’s hand settled over Serafina’s. The reassuring squeeze did nothing to calm the panic which was rapidly rising within.
An old man. He is marrying me off to an ancient Roman. What if he looks like Julius Caesar?
Of more concern was whether he behaved like the insane Emperor Caligula. She could handle an ugly husband—a cruel one she could not.
“What sort of political power does Magri wield, and why is he so important to my father?” asked Serafina.
She knew Enzo well enough that he wouldn’t consider an aged patrician for his daughter unless there was something valuable to gain from the union. He might treat his children as pawns in his game of political power, but he wouldn’t sacrifice them without there being a heavy return to be made in his favor.
Martina blinked away her tears. She was only six years older than Serafina, but she had always shown her younger sister-in-law more affection than Serafina’s real mother had ever done.
“I don’t know the reason why he is important to your father; Matteo and I are still not exactly in Signore de Luca’s good favor. He barely speaks to us.”
Her brother’s marriage had also been an arranged one, purely for political gain. To Enzo’s undisguised disgust, not only had his son fallen in love with his wife, but he had openly backed the Fonsato family when it came to disputes between them and the de Lucas. In her father’s eyes, Matteo had committed treason.
When the Duchess of Lazio had died a few years previously, Donna Francesca had taken over as the palace’s chatelaine. The rows between Martina and her mother-in-law had struck up soon after, with the result being that Matteo and his wife had moved out of Palazzo Lazio and into her family home of Palazzo Fonsato.
“Let me speak to my husband. Your brother can look into things a lot more deeply than I can. It might, however, take some time before I can give you an answer as to why a union between you and Signore Magri would benefit the de Luca family,” said Martina.
Augusta sighed. “It’s just so sad that Serafina might be forced to marry a man that old. And so unfair that she isn’t being given a choice.”
Martina nodded. “I know that you also have arranged marriages in English society. People often marry for influence and/or money. It’s no different here. As I recall, your future king only married his wife because his father agreed to pay off his debts if he did.”
And look how well that turned out. They separated within a year.
Serafina picked up her cup of coffee and took a sip. She could only hope that Augusta had taken the hint and didn’t continue with any further comparisons between Roman marriages and those in England. If she did, the thorny question of why the Duchess of Mowbray was still in Rome nearly five months after she was meant to have sailed for home might well be raised.
She had gotten as much information as she was going to get this afternoon regarding her future intended husband. Martina would have to speak to Matteo in order to find out anything more.
“Well then, I think it is time Augusta and I left”, Serafina said, quickly getting to her feet. “Thank you for the coffee and the sweet treats. We have been out all afternoon, and if I am late for vespers one more time, I have been told I won’t be getting any supper.”
Martina’s gaze shifted from her to Augusta who, to Serafina’s relief, had followed suit and also risen from her seat.
“Yes, we must be going,” added Augusta.
They made their hurried goodbyes and left. Once outside, Serafina guided her friend out of the square and south toward the river in the opposite direction to home.
“Why did we have to leave so suddenly? And this isn’t the way back to Lazio Palace,” Augusta said, huffing as she followed Serafina’s hasty steps.
Serafina stopped and turned to face her friend. She had endured a long and emotionally tiring day. Her temper wasn’t where it should be, and as much as she liked Augusta, Serafina’s strained humor demanded that she finally ask the question which had been hanging over them for weeks.
“Why are you and the duchess still in Rome? You were meant to be leaving for England in late October. As I recall, when the two of you arrived you were going to be home in time for Christmas.”
Augusta’s head dropped, and she fell silent for a moment. Her fingers twisted tightly together. “I . . . I don’t know. Mama won’t tell me how long we are staying. What has that to do with why we just dashed out of your brother’s house?”
Serafina bit down on her bottom lip, summoning her courage. “Because I have a horrible feeling your mother doesn’t intend to return to England. She has barely mentioned your father since you got here. And while I might find the whole idea of marrying a man old enough to be my grandfather utterly repulsive, I am not reckless. If any sort of scandal touches my family, the chances of my father completing the marriage negotiations to his favor will be in serious jeopardy.”
