The Family Auditore – Chapter 5 – A New Life
Early March 1475
It was Carnevale time in Florence.
Though the celebration was not as pronounced as in Venezia, but the festivities, food, and fun were there to be had by any who wished. It was the time to celebrate before the long forty days of Lent before Easter when people were expected to give up vice, sexual intercourse, and other indulgences. However, during Carnevale, it was a party to make people remember why they gave up such vice in the weeks to come.
Easter was late this year falling in April.
Giovanni stood on the balcony of the palazzo watching the merriment below him. His family was making ready for the games. Though Giovanni did not like to allow his daughter-in-law to wonder far from the Palazzo on her own, she would be masked in full Carnevale regalia and accompanied by Ezio who soon would be sixteen, a handsome young man who was following in his brother's womanizing footsteps, and Federico, now nineteen, her husband.
Claudia, Giovanni's daughter would be with him and Maria to make sure her virtue remain intact. Drinking to access often led both men and women to do things that they normally would not do, but with inhibitions low, a young virgin girl or wife needed to be watched over lest a man find her and seduce her or worse force himself on her without even realizing it.
Isabelle walked outside. She was wearing a dress that Maria had found for her and a beautiful mask with gold on the white. Her thick hair was under a veil cover. Federico and Ezio stood beside her. Carnevale was a fun time of the year for those younger.
It did not take long for Ezio to spot Christina and pull her into the crowd for a dance. Federico took his wife's hand and led her to the dancing people in the square. Everyone there was anonymous and that was part of the fun.
His wife was enjoying herself and that was what mattered to Federico. He watched her as she watched the fireworks above them and danced a little to the music. Her husband joined her and danced with her.
After sometime and too much wine her husband pulled her toward an alley. She was laughing as he pulled her out of sight of the people on the streets. She was startled as he pressed her to the wall and began to lift her skirts his brain fuzzy and body warm from too much of the sweet wine that was available in abundance.
"Federico!" She gasped. "This is madness!" She gasped as his hands worked up under the thick petticoats and up passed her stockings tied above her knees on her thighs. His hands cupped her beautiful full buttocks and he pulled down her cloth under garments with a tug. Her breath hitched as he moved to free himself from his own pants.
"I like madness." He grinned as he pulled off his mask to look at her. She was squirming in protest, but was not making an attempt to move away from him.
He pulled off her own sitting it on top of her large hat that rested on her head and where the veil hung from. He pressed his mouth first to hers in a deep bruising kiss and then lifted her legs up to his waist as he entered her. He held her up by holding her buttocks, gently rubbing them as he thrust into her. She was pressed up on the wall as he held her. Her hands fell to his shoulders.
"Do you want me to stop?" He asked as he kissed her neck near her ear under her veil.
He had to be joking. She whimpered and her legs moved against his hips. "Just do it." She gasped leaning forward as he smiled and thrust into her and they moved together hurriedly. It was enticing that they could be caught and thrilling, though they both wished to finish before they were.
She whimpered and bit her lip as he grunted into her neck. He thrust twice more, slowly savoring the feel of her own body clenching on him. She gasped and collapsed. He held her, supporting her against the wall as he panted. He then grinned at her, his face looking very boyish and flushed.
"I love you." She laughed as he set her on her own feet. He lifted the warm still warm underwear from his pocket and smiled as he sniffed it with a flourish. They smelled of her and he loved it. It almost made him harden again, especially when she looked up at him wide eyed.
"Perhaps I should keep these." He said wiggling his eyebrows at her.
"Naughty!" She gasped.
He laughed lightly and helped her step into them before his hands set about arranging her skirts back the way they were. He fixed his own garments as well and smiled as she stood there still a little shaky from her orgasm. He then brushed off her back and then helped her press her mask back on. He chuckled kissing the masked cheek as they walked back out.
He pulled his on and laughed. "See no one saw, my sweet."
They moved back into the crowd and rejoined his family.
ZzZ
There was someone who had seen.
Vieri de' Pazzi had been drinking heavily and managed to get a girl to go back with him to an inn room. He had sported with her for the better part of an hour before she fell asleep on the bed.
He could hear her light snoring from where he was on the balcony that was in an alleyway. He sighed rearranging himself. It had been worth it. He had needed a woman in the worst way for several weeks now.
He looked down. A couple, young dressed for Carnevale. The man insistently pressed her against the wall. Vieri smiled and ran his tongue over his teeth as the man lifted a stocking covered leg up to his hip. The multi-layered petticoats were kilted to her lower thigh, but the treasures she had beneath remained hidden from view.
Still Vieri gasped as he watched the man remove the mask from the girl. God in heaven she was beautiful. Her face was not Italian. Her skin was too dark olive, Spanish perhaps. Those eyes were haunting. Even from his position above them he could see their deep depths. As the man moved and she climaxed fairly soon after, her face showed the pleasure her male companion brought her.
After a few moments they rearranged themselves.
Vieri was hard again from watching the display below him. He turned back to the girl asleep. He woke her and sank into her depths. She murmured as she woke up to Vieri moving within her, moving deeply, roughly, imagining the girl beneath him whom he had thought to be lovely was the girl below in the alley. The girl below looked now strangely ordinary compared to the exotic allure of the girl had had never seen before and perhaps would not again.
He closed his eyes and came with a yell gripping the girl's hair savagely as he kissed her harshly. He then threw her head back to the pillow and got up with a growl. He walked out the door rearranging his clothing as he went.
She stared after him unsure how she had offended him, but let him go.
ZzZ
Federico had taken his wife to the Arno.
They had sat on a bridge watching the fireworks, holding each other's hands. They spoke of nothing and everything. Federico was falling deeply in love with his wife. Her beauty had made him pleased, but now her intelligence, gentle nature, and soft words moved him further.
They walked home together along the less traveled streets. Guards were patrolling and nodded to them as they walked. They entered the house. The door was still locked. Federico thankfully had a key to the side entrance where they walked around to. They entered the parlor and smiled at each other as they removed their masks.
They walked to his rooms. They were the only ones home minus Federico's youngest brother who was sleeping down the hall and his nursemaid. Federico helped her out of her clothing, which was far more constricting than his own. She took a deep breath and rubbed her sides where the whalebone had cut into them.
He pulled off her undershirt and saw the impressions. "Oh mia Cara." He whispered. He bent his head and kissed her tender flesh. She squirmed as he licked a deep trench. "I am sorry, my love."
"I am well enough." She turned, bare-breasted to him and they released him from his own clothing. They stood together a moment, looking at each other.
He then kissed her deepening the kiss as he walked them backwards. He laid her on the bed, supporting her as they continued to kiss and explore. They whispered to each other until finally no more words were needed.
ZzZ
The girl was lonely during the day when her husband went about doing tasks for his father.
Ezio had to go to work understudying at the bank.
Isabelle heard a whine one day while outside. She opened the gate seeing a small puppy who was so flea bitten and malnourished, the girl instantly took it inside. She took it to her rooms. She bathed it drowning the fleas and then used human delousing powder on them. She then attended to the puppies cuts.
It whined at her, though it wagged its tail. The poor thing was whimpering at her. She shook her head trying to figure out what else she could do. After she fed it some warm milk and tiny bits of meat she let it rest.
Ezio brought her a turtle he had found by the river. She instantly liked the turtle and fed it lettuce. The beast ate out of her hand. She smiled as Ezio grinned at her. "Now you will have some friends until you make more, sister."
"Grazie, Ezio." She said.
Ezio often seemed to go out of his way to see to her as though he knew she was suffering on the inside though she was bearing it.
Federico returned to his wife feeding the saddest excuse of a puppy on her lap while feeding lettuce to a turtle who was beside her on the bed. He stood at the door blinking.
"Isabelle, amore mio. What the hell are they doing here?"
"They are my friends."
"Friends? Why are they here? They are animals."
"I am caring for them."
He walked forward. Federico moved with an odd grace to his movements that very few men had. Giovanni also moved in such a way. Ezio, however, did not. He looked at the puppy who was on its back drinking from a bottle she had found somewhere.
"That needs to go. Look at it. It has hardly any fur." He said.
"No. It is raining. I am not going to make Honey suffer more."
"Honey?"
"Yes." She lifted her eyes to look at him, daring him to say something to her. He looked down at her and again folded his arms.
He narrowed his eyes at her. "That look is not very attractive, my love."
She shook her head and let the puppy up. She rubbed the now very swollen tummy. He rolled his eyes and walked to the balcony doors. A burp caused him to whip around and glare at the small beast who had invaded his life.
"Also why do you have a turtle?"
"Ezio brought him."
"And you like reptiles?" He asked. "You have no idea where that has been."
"Living wild, but he likes lettuce."
"Oh does he?"
She rose to her feet. The puppy moved and snuggled down on the blankets and her husband hissed and started for the bed, but she stopped him. "Let her sleep." She said pressing her hands to his chest.
Federico looked down at his wife and sighed. Those pleading eyes made him melt. He shook his head and then kissed his wife's cheek. "It is a good thing I love you." He commented before leaving the room.
She looked after him and smiled a little in victory.
ZzZ
Later that night when her husband came to bed, Isabelle was reading by candlelight. She was tucked on her side reading yet another book from his father's library. He sighed and undressed and came to her. The bed dipped as he got in and over the blankets.
He came to her and kissed her naked shoulder softly. She smiled and sighed in pleasure as he moved to her neck. He lifted his head and was greeted by a dog tongue to his face. He gasped and shoved the beast backwards with a growl.
She looked at him. "She likes you."
"Belle, love of my life. Why is she here?"
"Where else would she be?"
"On the floor. In a box. On the street where she belongs." He growled and then he saw his wife's look of horror and took a breath.
Belle blew out the candle and laid down, the puppy in her arms.
He hissed and tried to touch her, but she twisted dropping his hand to the bed. Realizing he had raised her own anger he shook his head and rose to his feet and wrapped a robe about him. There was a thunder crash and the dog whimpered piteously. Federico heard his wife murmur gentle words to the stray.
He walked to the door half expecting her to call to him to stop him, but she did not. He shook his head and shut the door.
In bed Isabelle started to weep. Her tears fell to her pillow, but those on her face were licked up by Honey. Isabelle had too much pride to call Federico back to her. She shivered realizing how cold she was without his body heat beside her. She snuggled around the dog and shivered more.
ZzZ
Federico moved to the guest room, but his father was walking up from a late night in his office. Giovanni looked at his son in mild amusement. "You two had a row?"
"She has a stray with her." Federico hissed.
"And…"
"It is in our bed."
"I see. Did you at least try to talk to her?"
"It is my bed. My wife should be the one in the guest room." Federico hissed.
Giovanni laughed outright. "Try that and see how often she lets you touch her for a month." He patted his son's shoulder. "Patience my son. She will come around. Annette has told me the puppy is ill and the girl is trying to play nurse. She has so few friends. Indulge her a little."
Federico hissed and shook his head.
He walked into the guest room and closed the door.
ZzZ
Federico found his wife and her new pets outside in the courtyard.
She pretended not to notice him there as he walked out of the palazzo. He spotted her watching the puppy. Honey was not moving around much as she sat in the grass. Isabelle did not even look up when she felt his large hands on her shoulders. He felt her tense, coil as if she were expecting some sort of argument or beating.
He sighed and looked at the puppy who whined at her mistress. He narrowed his eyes at it. As the girl moved to pick it up, he noticed it was bleeding. Shaking his head a little he moved and took the beast from her.
She gasped startled and cried out, fearing he was going to hurt her. Federico clicked his tongue at her. She reached for her pet like a small child, fearful about what was to come. He lifted a small piece of cloth he had in his pocket and gently wrapped it around the puppy's bleeding leg. When Isabelle realized what he was doing, she immediately quieted. When he was done he set the puppy back in her arms.
She looked up at him and half smiled. "Thank you." She said softly.
He nodded and stooped for a kiss. She tilted her head up. He kissed her chastely and then turned and walked away.
The puppy whimpered and the girl set her down and then looked about for her turtle who had found a sunny rock near Maria's herb garden. She smiled and sat back down.
ZzZ
It was night.
Isabelle had asked Annette to keep an eye on her stray puppy. Annette agreed when Isabelle explained she needed to patch things with her husband. Federico was making ready for his third night in the guest room when he heard a soft sound at the door.
He paused pulling on his sleep shirt and looked up as his wife entered. He took a breath as she padded on bare feet to him. Her small little feet were always so cold. He would hold them to warm them at times.
She looked so small in her white chemise that hung to her calves her hair was loose about her shoulders. God help him, he wanted so much to lose himself in her hair and body, but he remained where he was.
"Yes, Isabelle?" He asked. He sounded even cold to himself.
"I…" She looked down. "I wanted to have you back in our bed, husband."
"Oh?" He asked folding his arms.
"Honey is with Annette."
"Indeed." He shook his head. His pride was getting in the way and she was offering an olive branch. He gently lifted his hand to her chin and lifted her chin. She lifted her violet eyes to him and he looked down at her. He then bent and kissed her softly, tenderly, his hands wrapping in her hair.
She pulled back and took his hand. "Come to bed." She said softly.
He nodded, mutely following her back to his bedroom. Below in the main hall, Giovanni was looking up and chuckled as the girl led her husband back to their room. Federico was walking without question like a man totally smitten.
Federico followed her into the room. At once she pulled off his sleeping shirt and began to give him small kisses against his collarbone and breast. He looked down at her as she moved downwards. He realized her intention and closed his eyes as she took him in her mouth.
He held her hair and head as she sucked and licked him until he cried out and his warm heat filled her mouth with its salty taste. She swallowed quickly and pulled back looking up at him. He opened his dark eyes as he panted, looking down at her.
She walked and picked up a glass of wine and drank a swallow before she turned back to him. He had moved to her and was gently holding her from behind and pressing his body to hers. He kissed her throat and neck.
He pulled her chemise up and over her head and they sank onto the bed together. Federico nuzzled her breasts before looking up at her. "I love you, Isabelle."
"I know. I am sorry, Federico. I just wanted to help." She said.
Her voice sounded so small, all the anger he had left, which was not much evaporated. He kissed her nose and then held her to him, warming her body with his own. "You are cold, Cara."
"Yes." She said.
He nuzzled her. "Let me warm you."
She smiled up at him and kissed his cheek as he moved behind her and pulled her against his frame. She sighed feeling his arm wrap around her hip bringing her closer until she was molded to him. She felt his breath against her shoulder as he arranged the blankets about them.
All was well with the Auditore newlyweds.