Game Log

To Mondavi Island

Game Date: 04/28/06
To do: write letters of introduction, pack trunks, avert bloody conflict with Masacci family.

Redi, Quartus 13, afternoon

After taking Gabrielle home, Salvador went to the Barozzi palace, to ask Countess Morena to discretely let her husband know that he'd be visiting later in the evening to request a letter recommending him to the prince as an excellent choice for viscount. Morena was pleased to do this; having her friend as viscount could only be good for Monfalcone, and for their other shared interest.

As he was about to leave, Salvador caught sight of a Donati guardsman, battered and bloody, dragging in a similarly wounded prisoner. He recognized the guardsman, Alfredo, as one of the four who had left a few hours ago with his mother. He hurried to help Fredo with the prisoner and to get an explanation.

Alfredo, clearly ashamed and not a little afraid of Don Salvador's reaction, reluctantly disclosed that his mother's carriage had been set upon by highwaymen. The horses had spooked because of gunfire and charged off a bridge, taking the carriage with them. The guards had fought, and fought well! He and his man were the only surviving fighting men. He had done what he could to look along the shore of the river for Donna Teodora or any servants that had been in the carriage, but he was sorely wounded and had the prisoner to guard. He had not seen her anywhere and so had made his way back to Monfalcone as quickly as he could, bringing this dog with him to present to Judge Bernardo Donati to answer for his crimes.

Salvador brought Alfredo and his news back to the Donati palazzo immediately, where there was a great uproar. Cristoforo organized a search party which, at her own suggestion and with her husband's permission, Lady Donati joined. She could use her Sorte to follow Teodora's strands. Salvador and Marco mounted horses to ride off as well. Alfredo was further questioned about the attack, but he knew little. The highwayman he had captured only begged for his own life and not revealed anything of use.

Father Donati was summoned from his prayers at Santa Sophia. Stricken by the news, he apparently turned to his fiancee for comfort - or at least, for more poison. Ellen was disturbed by the request, the moreso because this time it was for something quite deadly. His excuse - that it was to provide an escape for an innocent man about to be tortured - was vaguely plausible, but suspicious given the timing. Hesitantly, she agreed to it, stipulating that it would take some hours and she would require access to Gabrielle's facilities again. (Privately, she hoped that Gabrielle would not agree or else a few hours would be too long.)

Angelo's next conference with Gabrielle raised at least Francesca's eyebrow. What business did he have with his sister-in-law? He apologized for missing their appointment when she reminded him of it, then asked if Ellen could use her alchemical lab, offering the same excuse as earlier. Gabrielle was less credulous than Ellen, but agreed to lend out her key anyway - having Angelo owe her a favor wasn't a bad thing at all. Angelo collected Ellen and they left.

Meanwhile, the rescue party found the half-submerged carriage; one servant, bruised and dazed, was perched on top. She'd come to after Alfredo had left and had been waiting, not sure of what to do next. After she was pulled from the river, she told them that she'd seen Donna Teodora being swept along downstream, clinging to one of the carriage doors that had been ripped free. Gianina confirmed that the strands headed downriver, back toward Monfalcone.

They led, eventually, all the way back to Monfalcone, and then to the orphanage of the Sisters of Enlightened Reason. The orphans, bringing in the day's laundry as dusk came on, saw the half-conscious woman in the water and had dragged her out. The sisters hadn't recognized Teodora, as her clothes were ruined and her veil was gone; she seemed to be a noblewoman, but perhaps the sisters could be excused for not announcing their find before learning who she was and why she was half-drowned in the river. They turned her over to the Donati at once, of course.

Francesca had sent a servant to await word from Bernardo; the lad returned, announcing that the judge was on his way with news. He got there just after the search party returned with Teodora; in the bustle that followed as she was settled in and doctors called, he kept his own counsel.

Angelo had just missed him, arriving at the jail shortly after he'd left. The jailer let him in, of course; Father Donati often ministered to the prisoners. He couldn't locate the man who'd attacked his mother and asked the jailer about him; the man shrugged and said the fellow had died of some apoplectic fit while he was closeted with Judge Bernardo. He'd asked to speak to the judge, privately, and the request had been granted, for all the good it did him. Probably, in the jailer's learned opinion, he'd bled out inside, from all his wounds.

Teodora was between life and death, but there was nothing to be done but let the doctors do their work. Things were settling down and eyes were turning to Bernardo when Angelo arrived; the judge seemed satisfied, though not pleased, to see his brother. He reported that, before his sudden death, the highwayman had confessed that the Masacci family had hired him. With Tomasso dead and Antonio wounded, removing Teodora from the picture would prepare the way for a full-out attack on the Donati.

The news was grave. Cristoforo swore, although he seemed pleased to be able to finally do something. Antonio started making plans immediately - to be interrupted by Salvador, who wanted a single day to try and remedy everything without bloodshed. Antonio paused. It would not do to be unprepared for an attack, but with things they way they were, avoiding an attack altogether would be more prudent. He could give Salvador one day, no more, to do what he could. Salvador followed up especially with Cristoforo, who was spoiling for a fight, to make sure that things didn't escalate the next day.

Angelo wanted to talk to Bernardo; Bernardo really wanted to talk to Angelo. The judge didn't say much, but it was pretty clear that the highwayman hadn't pointed to the Masacci after all. Angelo brought Bernardo to Santa Sophia and introduced him to Pietra, then explained the Fate Knot. Bernardo was sympathetic to the problem, but didn't think that killing their mother was the right answer. He'd ask his wife Lucia if there was anything that could be done about this. In the meantime, Teodora wasn't going to be threatening anyone from her sickbed. Angelo indicated that he wouldn't make another similar attempt on Teodora's life.

Voltadi, Quartus 14

Salvador paid his brother Bernardo a visit the next day, to reconfirm what the highwayman had said. Bernardo stuck to his story, but allowed as how the highwayman may have been lying to save his own life. After all, if he were hired by the Masacci, the Donati might keep him alive to learn more of their plans. It was unlikely, but the sort of desparate play a condemned man might make. Armed with this official admission of doubt (and a report from Father Donati that Father Masacci also doubted that her father would do such a thing), Salvador went to the Masacci palace, unarmed.

Giorgo Masacci and his wife recieved the young man with some surprise, offering insincere condolences and expecting to hear some bargain to stave off the attack that, if it hadn't been planned before, was certainly in the works now. Salvador instead boldly suggested that the Masacci and the Donati together make a statement as to the falsity of the rumors now going around town, that there was to be a war. Don Giorgo was affronted at first - how dare this young man suggest that he need to state that he didn't attack Donna Teodora, as if such an action were not clearly beneath him? But Salvador continued smoothly on, emphasizing that this wouldn't be so much a statement of guilt or innocence on the matter of Donna Teodora, but rather a moral action condemning the damage done by the rumor-mongers and gossips.

Giorgo considered. He had little to lose from that. He was just as pleased not to be forced into an immediate attack as well. While the Donati were presenting a tempting target at the moment, old Vittorio had many more sons than Giorgo did. He would want his nephew Don Matteo to look into matters before they took any action, and this would buy time.

But Don Salvador's next proposal was even more outrageous. He wanted Giorgo Masacci to give up his ambitions to the viscounty and instead recommend Salvador! Before Giorgo could order the youth thrown out, Salvador hastened to add that he planned to disinherit himself from his family if appointed, the better to be a neutral agent of the prince. Giorgo was intrigued. Of course he would expect Salvador to remain partial to Donati interests, but with no inheritance coming... a man is more interested in his own fortunes than that of his family. Giorgo thought he could work with that. But why should he, when he could perhaps have the viscounty for himself? What would he get, for giving up his possibility? They haggled for a while before coming to a conclusion that got Salvador his letter. It was a triumphal day for Salvador, capped with an invitation from Countess Odessa to Walk with her and Gabrielle to Charouse, to spend the afternoon there. A fine way to celebrate!

At home, Cristoforo was still looking for a fight. He managed to pick one with Marco, who seemed equally punchy. Francesca purposefully walked in on them, telling Cristoforo that the doctors attending his mother wanted him. The captain hurried off, good son that he was. Francesca, wanting to know more about what was going on, asked Marco about the rumors going around the town. He obliged her, recounting all of the rumors from the obvious (that the Masacci were behind it) to the ridiculous (that the Donati had done this to themselves!). She thanked him, telling him how much it meant to her that he kept her informed on all these matters - and unexpectedly saw sudden guilt across his face. She asked if there was something else she ought to know and, while the answer was plainly "Yes," Marco said, "No" and excused himself, repeating Francesca's own observation that Cristoforo would be back soon, since the doctors hadn't actually sent for him.

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