4. “Signore! Please turn!” The tailor poked Niccolo with his needle to get the master’s attention.
5. With a yelp and a grumble, Niccolo snapped back to attention and turned slowly to allow the tailor to check the hem along the front of his new tunic.
6. The tailor passed his needle through the fabric a few times before tying a final knot and smoothing the pleats. “You may move about now; I’m finished.”
7. Niccolo stretched a bit and pivoted to face the mirror. He rotated his body to review the tailor’s work. He tested the seams and cuts and, impressed with the work, went to his desk to gather the coins he owed as payment.
8. He unlocked a drawer and pulled out a small purse that had grown considerably lighter in the past few days.
9. He dumped the coins out into his palm and counted them out carefully. The tailor was packed up and ready to go now. He stood in front of the door, waiting patiently for his payment. “Four coins for my suit, two for my son’s, and one for delivering it.” Niccolo counted them again as he placed them, one by one, into the old man’s outstretched hand.
10. He pocketed the coins and gathered his tools before leaving the room to make his way to the Costa house down the street to deliver a new suit of somber clothes to the young master Moretti.
11. Niccolo went back to his desk and unrolled a page from the household ledger. He scribbled “-7” onto the bottom of the column of expenditures and recalculated the total.
12. He sighed and pushed the page away. This funeral he was planning was turning out to be more expensive than he had planned, but he felt he could spare no cost for his beloved Renee. A woman as beautiful in life as she deserved to be beautiful in death as well.
13. But then there were the added costs of the carts to represent his mother and father. They had been buried for a while now, but there was never a formal funeral. They had to be represented in the procession he was planning. Not to mention the costs of food to feed dozens, extra help hired to prepare it all, proper ornamentation for the carts and body, new clothes for himself and Giac, and paying Heather’s wet-nurse to look after the baby.
14. The baby. Alessandra, now. The christening had happened just yesterday. It had been an extremely private affair- only himself, Giac, Caterina, Heather and their husbands were present. If it had been up to Niccolo, he would have skipped the ceremony altogether but one had to keep up appearances. Plus, Heather and her husband, Cosimo, had agreed to be Alessandra’s godparents; connections to a noble family of their rank was a stroke of good luck.
15. She was christened Alessandra Renee Moretti, following her mother’s last request. Niccolo could see his wife again now, lying pale and weak in her bed, dying but talking of the future of her daughter. Name her Alessandra, Nic. I’ve always wanted to name a daughter that and now I can- a fit of coughing had stopped her words. He still saw her, lying there helplessly as she shook with the effort it took to lift a glass to her mouth and stop the attack-
16. But he mustn't dwell on such thoughts. He wiped away the tears that had begun to leak out. There was work to be done and he would accomplish nothing just sitting there. He pulled the ledger close and began to count…
17. * * * “When is father coming to get us?” Giac asked his sister’s wet-nurse as she rocked two cradles, one on either side of her chair.
18. “I cannot say, young master. Best be asking the mistress that question. She’ll likely know more than I.”
19. Giac tipped over a few blocks he had been using to construct a bridge. It was boring to be shut away in the nursery all day with two infants. The only time he was able to be on his own was at school, but even that was beginning to lose his interest. His father hadn’t come to teach his lessons since his mother died and they no longer walked home together. He longed for the days when shew as still alive, waiting with a kiss and a bowl of hot soup when he arrived.
20. He kicked over the rest of his structure and stood. He had to be strong. He had to prove that he wasn’t a baby, his mother had said so. Just before she died, she told him that he had to be brave and look after his sister like a good older brother should. Giac took the nurse’s advice and left the room in search of Heather.
21. She was where she always was at this time of day. Outside in the garden, relaxing by the pond with a book. When she heard his footsteps approaching, Heather put the book aside and motioned for her young cousin to join her .
22. “What’s on your mind, Giac?” “When’s father coming back? It’s nice here, but I want to go home.” Heather frowned. How was she supposed to tell her cousin that Niccolo had asked her to look after his children on a long-term basis. They likely wouldn’t be seeing their home before Alessandra’s first birthday. Niccolo didn’t want he children growing up around such a gloomy and empty home, but from her assessment of the situation, Heather thought it would be quite a while before her uncle recovered from the blow Renee’s death dealt him.
23. Instead of delivering the bad news, she forced a smile and said with as much cheerfulness as she could muster, “You’ll see your father in two day’s time. Remember, it will be your mother’s funeral and, speaking of which, you’ve recently had a package delivered for you. The tailor dropped off your new clothes; they’re still on the table in the entry hall. Why don’t you go put them on?”
25. Heather picked up her book again but turned the pages half-heartedly as she tried to think up some diversions for her grieving cousin.
26. His new clothes itched, but Giac didn’t complain. He sat quietly by his cousin as they rode back to his father’s house. He didn’t ask any questions or talk much and watched as the scenery rolled by.
27. He perked up as the cart came closer and closer to his home. From far away, Giac could tell that the house was crowded. There were carriages and horses riding along side people all going in the same direction towards the front door. Heather shifted in her seat and announced that they were going to be let out in the front.
28. Giac nodded and waited for the vehicle to come to a stop, fiddling with his tunic in anticipation of seeing his father again.
29. As soon as he was able, Giac hopped from his seat and went for the entrance, leaving his relatives behind.
30. Just as he had expected, the house was full of people laughing and talking, eating and drinking, and mourning. Giac came into the parlor and stood a moment in awe at the transformation the room had undergone. It had been scrubbed from floor to ceiling, new drapes had been hung, and flowers exploded from the corners.
31. A quick survey of the room showed that Niccolo was not among the guests, so Giac turned on his heel to search elsewhere.
32. The dining hall revealed another crush of people crowded around the sideboard, loaded with food and wine.
33. Giac peered around the bodies and spied his father standing at the back of the room, talking with two people he did not recognize. He pushed his way through the throng and, employing the use of his elbows, pushed his way towards the fireplace.
34. He stood against the wall and waited for a few seconds to see if he would notice his presence or not. When Niccolo didn’t notice the small eavesdropper and went on with his conversation, Giac reached up and gently tugged on his father’s tunic.
35. When he felt the short tug, Niccolo stopped midsentence and turned, surprised to see Giac standing there expectantly. He smiled and ushered his son around his legs to stand between him and his guests.
36. “Signor e Signorina, vi presento mio figlio, Giacomo Moretti.” * The sir and lady smiled at Giac. Niccolo turned and added, “Son, this is a very bright young man I once tutored, Signor Beniamino Boundelmonti and his sister, Signora Viola Boundelmonti. *I present my son, Giacomo.
37. Signorina Viola stooped into a curtsey while her brother nodded in Giac’s direction and answered “Piacere” *. *Pleased to meet you.
38. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, my son and I have some business to attend to.” Niccolo forced a smile and executed a small bow towards the Signorina Viola. The funeral had finally come together and he was finding, much to his pleasure, that he was handling the situation much better than he thought he would.
39. He took his son by the shoulder and gave him a little push towards the door as His guests said gracious goodbyes and turned to converse between them.
40. Giac entered the courtyard, a welcome refuge from the loud conversations that had been going on all at once in the house. There weren’t many people outside, only a few standing in the corners, whispering hushed words.
41. Niccolo followed behind as his son lead the way to the stone table his wife had been laid out on. The ladies, namely Caterina, had spent hours washing and dressing her in anticipation of her being displayed. She had been posed with her hands folded delicately over her chest and was wearing her wedding dress.
42. Niccolo sighed. The wedding dress that she had worn so many years ago, standing under the very same arch where they sealed their betrothal. “Say your last goodbyes, Giac.” He said as he came to stand next to his son.
43. “I miss her already, father.” Giac admitted and tears began to well up in his eyes. Niccolo let his hand drape on his shoulder in comfort. “I do, too, son, but God has called Renee forth to heaven. We cannot change His will.”
44. Giac nodded slowly and wiped his eyes before any tears were able to escape. He stepped up to the bier and spoke softly, “Goodbye, mother.”
46. “Father?” Giac asked before Niccolo got very far away. “Does this mean that Alessandra and I can come home yet?” Niccolo felt his heart drop. The one question he didn’t know how to answer. “Well, son, there are still some things I have to take care of before I can…well, before you can…well…You’ll have to stay with your cousins for a little while longer.” Giac’s face fell, “But father, we-“
47. “Scusate, signori.” * The conversation stopped when Cosimo came into the courtyard. “It’s getting late, Niccolo. We should head out now, if you want to be finished with Mass before dark.” “Of course.” Niccolo said, indicating that Giac should follow him. “We will discuss this later, son,” he added over his shoulder as he walked. *Excuse me
48. Half an hour later, the crowd had formed a silent train behind three carts. One cart in honor of both of Niccolo’s parents who had never had a funeral procession, and the last cart bearing the body of Renee. A priest lead the procession while the rest of the guests grouped in behind.
49. Niccolo and Giac held the honorary positions of being closest to the deceased and therefore nearest to the carts. Though it broke with custom, Caterina fell in behind them, having been so close to the deceased that she could afford to be the exception to the rule.
50. The rest of the women grouped together and waited back by the house. It was their duty to help prepare the feast for when the procession returned from the burial.
51. From his position at the front, Giac put on a brave face and prepared himself to face many stares as they passed through town on the way to the grave site.
52. Next to him, Niccolo took a deep breath to calm his nerves and took a step forward as the carts began to roll. He looked down at his son who was bearing the situation with such resilience that he nearly felt ashamed. Niccolo hardened his resolve as he took his next strides. He had come to find that some things in live were unavoidable, no matter how much he wished them otherwise and now he just had to find the strength to make it through the afternoon.
