eyes quickly begin to sting as she stares at Angelo. Beppe mutters something she cannot hear. His hold on her hand is now so tight it is almost painful. She wriggles her fingers and he starts, glances at her, then lifts her hand to his mouth and kisses her knuckles.
Swallowing twice, Angelo pulls in a couple of long breaths before continuing. Other than his voice, the room is in total silence. ‘Sebastiano seemed excited by the idea. He agreed that… in return for an hour of Sofia’s time, I could have a bottle.’ He turns to Beppe. ‘Obviously, I needed to get you out of the way, so I went out to the wagons… and…’
Beppe shakes his head slowly, and Sofia can hear him whispering, almost inaudibly, ‘No – no, you can’t have done…’
‘I cut the dog. Cut its leg.’
Everyone in the room draws in a shocked breath. Cosima says, ‘No!’
Beppe begins to rise to his feet, but Sofia grabs his wrist and he sits back down without a word.
‘Once I’d done it, I let the dog out of the wagon and shooed it over towards the kitchen entrance of the castle. There were people there. I saw someone take hold of it and carry it indoors, then I went back to the banqueting hall and told you the animal had been injured.’
Memories of that evening, sharp as if they had happened an hour since, flood into Sofia’s mind and her pulse races.
‘Moments later,’ Angelo says now, ‘I saw da Correggio get up with Sofia’s hand in his. I knew what was going to happen. I could have stopped it but I needed a dose so badly by then that I knew I wouldn’t do anything that might jeopardize the deal.’
He stops, and breathes deeply for a few seconds.
‘He and Sofia left the room, and before long the rest of us were all talking about going off up to the chambers we had been given, and sleeping. My mind was filled with pictures of what must be happening between Sofia and Sebastiano. Beppe came back in with the dog in his arms and asked where Sofia was. I didn’t say – and nobody else knew. He left the room again straight away.’
Remembering her struggles with Correggio in his darkened study, Sofia shivers, feeling nauseous.
‘Then, a few moments later, just as we were leaving the banqueting room, Beppe came racing in saying that Sebastiano had gone for Sofia and that he – Beppe – had hit him and all but knocked him out. I panicked, terrified that I was not going to get the laudanum I had been promised. Sebastiano had not had his time with Sofia – and on top of this, he had been attacked by one of the troupe. I couldn’t imagine he would agree to give it to me.’ He winces. ‘I suppose I shouldn’t have gone anywhere near him, but – oh God! – I wanted that dose so badly by then, it was as though there was someone just behind me, goading me into doing it. Beppe was trying to get everyone out and I should have just gone too. But I didn’t.’
He draws in a long breath and sighs it out again slowly.
‘I ran off towards where Beppe said it had happened, and found the study with little difficulty. Sebastiano was there, just like Beppe had said, still sprawled on the floor, swearing foully and clutching his face. His nose was bleeding. I confronted him. “I’ve kept to my side of the bargain,” I said. “It’s not my fault things went wrong. You owe me what you promised. I’ll help you upstairs, if that’s where it is.” He laughed at me. Sitting there in the dust on the floor, he laughed at me and said I was… I was… said I was pathetic. Said I couldn’t even manage a simple pimping job without cocking it up, and that he wouldn’t ever deal with me again.’
There are tears in Angelo’s eyes now and his voice is shaking.
‘He stood up, steadying himself against the bedpost, still laughing, then bent to pick up his doublet, which was on the floor. And… I hit him. I did it without thinking. I was so angry with him, and so desperate. I picked up an iron candlestick from the table and swung it
Swallowing twice, Angelo pulls in a couple of long breaths before continuing. Other than his voice, the room is in total silence. ‘Sebastiano seemed excited by the idea. He agreed that… in return for an hour of Sofia’s time, I could have a bottle.’ He turns to Beppe. ‘Obviously, I needed to get you out of the way, so I went out to the wagons… and…’
Beppe shakes his head slowly, and Sofia can hear him whispering, almost inaudibly, ‘No – no, you can’t have done…’
‘I cut the dog. Cut its leg.’
Everyone in the room draws in a shocked breath. Cosima says, ‘No!’
Beppe begins to rise to his feet, but Sofia grabs his wrist and he sits back down without a word.
‘Once I’d done it, I let the dog out of the wagon and shooed it over towards the kitchen entrance of the castle. There were people there. I saw someone take hold of it and carry it indoors, then I went back to the banqueting hall and told you the animal had been injured.’
Memories of that evening, sharp as if they had happened an hour since, flood into Sofia’s mind and her pulse races.
‘Moments later,’ Angelo says now, ‘I saw da Correggio get up with Sofia’s hand in his. I knew what was going to happen. I could have stopped it but I needed a dose so badly by then that I knew I wouldn’t do anything that might jeopardize the deal.’
He stops, and breathes deeply for a few seconds.
‘He and Sofia left the room, and before long the rest of us were all talking about going off up to the chambers we had been given, and sleeping. My mind was filled with pictures of what must be happening between Sofia and Sebastiano. Beppe came back in with the dog in his arms and asked where Sofia was. I didn’t say – and nobody else knew. He left the room again straight away.’
Remembering her struggles with Correggio in his darkened study, Sofia shivers, feeling nauseous.
‘Then, a few moments later, just as we were leaving the banqueting room, Beppe came racing in saying that Sebastiano had gone for Sofia and that he – Beppe – had hit him and all but knocked him out. I panicked, terrified that I was not going to get the laudanum I had been promised. Sebastiano had not had his time with Sofia – and on top of this, he had been attacked by one of the troupe. I couldn’t imagine he would agree to give it to me.’ He winces. ‘I suppose I shouldn’t have gone anywhere near him, but – oh God! – I wanted that dose so badly by then, it was as though there was someone just behind me, goading me into doing it. Beppe was trying to get everyone out and I should have just gone too. But I didn’t.’
He draws in a long breath and sighs it out again slowly.
‘I ran off towards where Beppe said it had happened, and found the study with little difficulty. Sebastiano was there, just like Beppe had said, still sprawled on the floor, swearing foully and clutching his face. His nose was bleeding. I confronted him. “I’ve kept to my side of the bargain,” I said. “It’s not my fault things went wrong. You owe me what you promised. I’ll help you upstairs, if that’s where it is.” He laughed at me. Sitting there in the dust on the floor, he laughed at me and said I was… I was… said I was pathetic. Said I couldn’t even manage a simple pimping job without cocking it up, and that he wouldn’t ever deal with me again.’
There are tears in Angelo’s eyes now and his voice is shaking.
‘He stood up, steadying himself against the bedpost, still laughing, then bent to pick up his doublet, which was on the floor. And… I hit him. I did it without thinking. I was so angry with him, and so desperate. I picked up an iron candlestick from the table and swung it
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