Chapter Seven

Felicità had been disgraced to let Dante lead her back to Debito's small home, to collect a few things and hurriedly tidy up as she made her departure. There was no time for big changes, anything to rectify how bad it likely looked to Dante as he came in the door, but she felt a little better about leaving it that way. On went her knives, not having felt the precaution necessary in tow of the other Tarocco, and she was sure to stand tall now as she pulled on her gloves stiffly.

A quick glance around the bedroom and she was sure she had everything, thinking quickly, and she was tense for a moment as a bold consideration came to mind.

Shucking off her gloves again, feeling foolish to be upset, Felicità laid them over one another demurely on the pillow she'd been using and she turned around.

"We can go." She said proudly, lifting her chin a little as she turned to face Dante and his folded arms. He didn't approve, an easy deduction from his posture ever since he'd appeared at the Isis, but Felicità made a solemn face at him in exchange. She wouldn't be cowed, not in this moment, and he nodded once as he stepped aside to lead her back out the front door. She had a shaming walk up the main boulevard to deal with, but the long trek was nothing compared to feeling Luca and Dante watching her. Luca had been waiting at the road for them, looking unruffled, and Felicità had been all too happy to ignore him.

What she couldn't ignore was the dark look on her father's face.

"Papa…" She sighed, stopping there at the front doors as the other Tarocco brought up the rear.

"No, do not speak." Mondo rumbled, standing there and letting his wife touch his arm. She might temper his emotion, might not, but she wasn't looking at her daughter now as she focused on trying to support her husband. "Running off in the middle of the night, staying out of the mansion for days… taking up some sort of ramshackle residence with someone you are less than politely housed with. It's unbecoming. Needless to say the duties you ignored, the things you've simply left untended in Sword and the needs of the island's people."

Muscles tight as she took her scolding, Felicita didn't look away from the tall man. He was right, even only in the smallest respects. She had neglected her duties, as much as she had helped anyone she came across, and she knew there would be more than her fair share of problems returning to her serie. After all, they had had every right to elect someone else too take her place after such a mess.

"Papa, I understand." She said firmly, glad to have her chance to speak suddenly as his lecture gave way to a pause for shaming. "It was wrong of me to neglect the duties of my serie. It was wrong of me to leave so suddenly and to leave my duties untended. However, this is unfair." And, emboldened, she was glad to stare him down and say so.

"Oh?" He questioned, one eyebrow lifting in disapproval as he allowed her to speak.

"Yes, unfair." She said, nodding firmly. "This wasn't serious- I should be punished, yes, but I don't understand why you're punishing Debito. He was kind to me and he only did what he did because I asked him to. He was a good friend to me. That shouldn't be some reason to ban him from the mansion when we all work here. That's unfair! He has every right to be here with the rest of the Family."

"Luca's told me about Debito and his acts of compassion." Mondo told her sternly, seeing her eyebrows rise in confusion and happy to step forward to touch her shoulder. "You'll be confined to your official duties as head of Sword. I don't want to see you in town without some event or proper pretense. My decision stands." He moved past her calmly, happy to converse with Dante to make sure the older man understood his desires to keep the Coin leader from the grounds. She fumed, looking speechless for a moment as she stared at his back, and she was doubly infuriated to see her mother standing there calmly.

"Mama," Felicita was glad to let her take her hands, hurrying forward to take counsel with the older woman. "this cannot be just. Debito was only doing what a good friend would do. Pace, Liberta… we're all friends. I asked him for his help and I was upset, and he was very kind, and-"

"Felicita, we can talk about this later." She murmured, squeezing her hands softly before one hand came up to right her pigtail delicately. She could see she was upset, shocked by the sudden scolding from everyone, but she wasn't about to disrespect her husband now as his anger still bubbled beneath the surface. "Please go inside, let the girls take care of things… we'll have tea and talk about today." She saw Luca approaching, kissing her daughter's forehead, and she let her go calmly. "Luca, thank you for letting us know about these affairs. You take such good care of my princess."

Felicita stiffened as Luca approached, happy to take Mama's praise now as he came to escort her into the mansion, and she turned her head subtly to one side to scorn him.

"Thank you, Mama," Luca hummed, happy to take a hand and bow his head gratefully. "I only want what's best for Milady's well-being. Knowing she was so far from home, in such questionable circumstances, I could do no less."

"'Questionable circumstances'?" Felicita blurted, looking affronted as she whipped her head around to look at him. She could hardly believe her ears, stunned by the accusation, and her insides bunched up defensively. "You told me you grew up together -you, Pace, and Debito- and he has been a good friend and a loyal Family member."

"Loyal, yes, but chaste," Luca corrected, straightening up calmly. "I think not. It isn't becoming for you to hole up somewhere so salacious on your own." While his cheeks got a little pink, Felicita was sure her cheeks went the colour of her father's hair at the insinuation and she gritted her teeth a little.

With nothing coming to her lips, nothing but something she doubted her mother or father would be pleased to know she'd learned, Felicita had to keep silent. Luca had caught their ears, obviously told them something less than what had happened, and she banished the thought now as she bit the inside of one cheek and turned away again. She needed to see her girls, let them know she was alright, and she was looking forward to a long bath and fresh clothes.

Her desk would no doubt be filled with papers, forms to be signed and everything to be read and organized, and she needed to find some composure and time to confront Mama and Papa about this again.

The way she 'accidentally' closed her doors on Luca every time was merely a mistake, she assured. She was just distracted. She took quite a bit of pleasure in firmly closing doors behind her as he called out for her to wait.