Chapter 53
Dafne could run from Basta but she couldn't stop him following her. It didn't take him long to catch up her. She wasn't exactly running, just walking quickly. He strode next her asking her to stop. When she kept going, he grabbed her arm and pulled her to a halt.
"Let go," she said.
"I will if you promise not to storm off," Basta replied.
"I'm just going to the kitchen," Dafne pointed at the doorway she had been heading towards, "I'll get into trouble with Mortola if she comes back and I'm not there."
"She won't be down for a while. You have time to talk to me."
"I don't want to talk at the moment."
Dafne tried to wrench her arm away but Basta held firm.
"But I do want to talk dear heart," he said, "And even if you break free, I'll keep following you and grabbing until you listen to what I have to say."
"I don't feel like listening at the moment," Dafne said, "Can't we just talk later?"
Basta frowned,
"When is that going to be? I don't know when I'm going to see you next. I can't leave this house knowing you're angry at me. And don't tell me you aren't because you are."
Dafne sighed,
"Yes I'm angry with you. But I'm also angry at myself so I'd really like to think things through before..."
"What do you mean you're angry at yourself?" Basta interrupted, "You didn't do anything wrong."
Wrong. Did that mean he was admitting that what he had done was wrong?
"I might not have broken Giulio's nose," Dafne said, "But I'm your girlfriend and when you do bad things, it makes me feel like an accomplice."
"Accomplice?" Basta said, "You shouldn't feel like that. You're the last person who could call themselves my accomplice. You're the one who's always telling me off about hurting other people."
"Yes but me telling you off all the time didn't stop you from breaking Giulio's nose or threatening to cut his face," Dafne said, "So when those sort of things happen I feel responsible because I've failed to get through to you," she hung her head sadly, "Maybe I'll never get through to you."
Basta's hand cupped her cheek forcing her head up to meet his gaze,
"Don't say that. I do listen to you. I know you want me to be good," he stroked her cheek, "But I can't do that at the moment. Capricorn only wants me to do bad things and I have to do them. I don't have any choice."
"Capricorn didn't order you break Giulio's nose," Dafne pointed out, "That was your decision."
She reached up to prise his hand away but his other hand intercepted her, pushing her hand back to her side.
"I know it was," Basta said, "But it was a mistake dear heart. A stupid mistake. I was just really angry and I forgot..."
"Forgot that I was watching?"
"No," Basta almost hissed, "I forgot myself. I forgot the person I'm supposed to be for you."
Dafne's shoulders sagged,
"Wouldn't you rather be the person you enjoy being? I saw your face after you hit him. You..." she shuddered to remember his gleeful expression, "You looked so happy."
"I wasn't..." Basta said, "I wasn't happy. I'm only happy when I'm with you."
Dafne wanted to believe that but she couldn't.
"But you were smiling," she said.
"That's just because of the rush," he explained, "the rush that comes from doing... that sort of thing. You get caught up in the moment. You feel powerful, in control..."
"At the expense of another person," Dafne pointed out.
Basta frowned,
"Yes well power only comes from dominating other people."
"That sounds like textbook Capricorn to me," Dafne said.
Basta sighed,
"I'm quoting him yes but I learnt that lesson before I even met Capricorn. Do you remember me telling you about Father Aldo? What he used to do to me?"
Dafne nodded.
"He did those things because he had complete control over me. There was nothing I could do about it. The orphanage was the only place that wanted bastas like me. So I had no choice but to stay and put up with Aldo's punishments. Do you know what it's like to feel absolutely helpless, to have no control over your life?"
Hello! I've felt like that the whole time since you've brought me to this stupid village! Dafne wanted to scream at him.
"Eventually I got so fed up with going hungry and getting beaten that I thought the outside world couldn't be any worse. So I ran away and found that it was better. It was tough getting by but I was in control. And then Capricorn came along offering me power and I jumped at the opportunity. It wasn't enough to just eke out an existence. I wanted power because if I had power no one could ever make me feel weak or helpless again. It would always be the other way around."
You can't say that Capricorn doesn't make you feel weak and helpless, Dafne thought, but I guess you're okay with that because you get to have power over everyone else.
"The only problem with that kind of power is that it isolates you," she said, "It makes people stay away from you because they're afraid. Is it really worth it? Besides Silvio and I, do you have any other friends?"
Basta pondered this a moment,
"Pietro maybe," he said.
"Do you trust Pietro?" Dafne asked.
"Well I don't trust him around you," Basta said, scowling.
"So does he really count as a friend?"
Basta sighed,
"I guess not. He's more of an annoyance. But so what if I don't have any friends besides you and..." he trailed off sadly. He obviously missed the boy. That didn't fail to move her. It reminded her that there was at least one other person he cared about besides her. He gave a growl of frustration, "Stupid boy, taking off like that. No consideration for how we would end up."
"He did the right thing. I don't blame him," Dafne said, "He didn't belong here anyway."
"He belonged with us though," Basta said fiercely, "I didn't think he would run off without us, especially you."
Dafne tried to keep her face blank. He didn't want to leave without us but I made him.
"Maybe we'll find him someday," she said, "If we ever leave."
Dafne wasn't ready to tell Basta the truth yet. She wasn't sure how he would react to learning that Dafne had given Silvio and Netta a destination to hide from capture. A small part of her feared that he might take the information to Capricorn. She had to be sure he was committed to escaping first.
She scolded herself. Here she was once again jumping to escape when she wasn't even sure she should be with this man anymore. She couldn't leave the village with a man prone to uncontrolled acts of violence. It would be like releasing a tiger from its cage and taking it home. It was bound to end badly.
Basta even spoke violently,
"If we do find the boy, I'll wring his neck," he said.
But Dafne knew this was one at least threat Basta wasn't serious about.
"You don't mean that. I know how fond you are of him."
"I'm not fond of him at the moment," Basta growled, "I spoilt him rotten you know I did. Gave him lots of bridge duty because he loved the dogs. Let him live in my house along with his girlfriend's stupid cat. A cat I have to apparently take care of from now on. Ungrateful little bastard."
A faint smile pulled at Dafne's lips. He sounded like a disproving parent.
"He didn't do what he did to spite you. He did it because he's in love with Netta and didn't want to see her get hurt. You can understand that can't you?"
Basta stroked her face again,
"Yes I can. I feel the same way about you don't I. That's why I'm doing what I can to get you back."
Dafne sighed,
"Look I accept that you need to do what Capricorn tells you. I hate it but you don't have a choice. But how you act outside of his orders is completely up to you. If you keep on breaking people's noses..."
"I'm not going to..." Basta interjected hastily.
"Let me finish," Dafne said gravely, "If you do, you won't have to worry about Capricorn giving me back. They'll be no point because it will be over between us."
She saw the worry build on Basta's face as he processed this.
"What do you mean over?"
"I mean I'll break up with you," Dafne answered.
Basta's hands seized her shoulders, shaking her as if he were trying to shake the notion out of her.
"No. No you can't do that. You can't break up with me."
"Please stop shaking me," Dafne said.
Basta stopped but he didn't let go, gripping her tightly.
"But you can't!"
"I don't want to," Dafne said sadly, "But I can't be with someone who gets off on the rush of hurting people. It worries me that you enjoyed doing what you did back there. If you enjoy doing that kind of thing, why should you want to stop?"
"For you little mouse," he replied, "I'll stop enjoying it for you if that's what you want."
"That's not enough," Dafne said, "I don't want to force you. It should be something you want to do," she sighed, "Let's face it. You like your work and you don't want to leave the village. You're only telling me what I want to hear."
"That's not true, I..."
"Yes it is. You've been against leaving the village since the beginning."
"Okay yes, yes I have," Basta admitted agitatedly, "But I don't want you to break up with me. So I'll do what you tell me to."
"What's the point? You'll only end up resenting me. Maybe it's just better if we..."
"Stop," Basta said fiercely, putting a hand over her mouth to make sure he stifled the words, "We are staying together. Before you said if I do something like break Giulio's nose again. That means you're giving me a chance so let me have my damn chance, little mouse. You're going on as if you want to break up with me. I know I put you through a lot of grief but I make you happy as well. I know I do. You were perfectly happy a little while ago on the bed. Doesn't that count for anything? Well answer me!"
Dafne rolled her eyes and pointed at his hand over her mouth. Basta removed it with embarrassment so she could talk,
"I'm not denying that you make me happy but..."
"And you love me don't you?" Basta cut her off.
Dafne sighed,
"Yes I do," she answered honestly, "I do love you."
Basta smiled somewhat bitterly,
"You know that's the first time you've actually said that. That you love me. You have bad timing little mouse, choosing to say it the moment you're trying to break up with me. You should have said it sooner."
"I was waiting for the right moment," Dafne replied, "I know this isn't it but you kind of forced my hand by asking me. And I'm not trying to break up with by the way. I'm just trying to think things through. That's why I wanted to be alone."
"But I can't leave you alone," Basta said, "If I leave you alone you'll just convince yourself that I'm bad for you."
A self-deprecating laugh escaped Dafne's mouth.
"I always knew that Tiger Eyes," she said, looking into his amber eyes, "Like Giulio said I know what you do for living. I know what you use your knife for. But I didn't fall in love with you because you held me at knife point and forced me. I fell in love with you because you were kind to me and to Silvio. You also saved Sara. I know you regretted it afterwards but it showed me that you're capable of doing the right thing," her face turned solemn, "But what you did to Giulio today, it makes me wonder if Sara was just a fluke..."
"No it wasn't," Basta insisted, "Really. How about this, I'll make it up to Giulio. I'll do something nice for him."
Dafne looked at him uncertainly,
"Like what?"
Basta shrugged,
"I don't know. I'll think of something. But would that make you feel better?"
"I... I suppose it could," Dafne said.
I hope you're not just going to find him a horseshoe so his luck will change. Those things don't work.
Basta pulled her into an embrace,
"Just give me the chance to make it up to you little mouse. Forget all this nonsense about breaking up with me. What did you call me before? Tiger Eyes?"
"Yes. That's what your eyes remind me of. A tiger's."
"Really? Capricorn and I went to a zoo once and there were tigers."
Dafne started laughing, she couldn't help it,
"You and Capricorn went to the zoo."
"What's so funny about that?" Basta said a little defensively.
"I don't know. I'm just picturing you and Capricorn walking around a zoo with all the tourists. Was he wearing his red suit?"
"He always wears red."
"I bet people were staring at him just as much as the animals."
"Actually they were," Basta said, "It was kind of embarrassing. Every second child pointed at us and said 'look at that funny man wearing red'..."
Dafne erupted into more giggles.
"Don't laugh. It was annoying. Capricorn kept sending me over to sort them out when I was trying to look at the animals."
"How did you sort them out?" Dafne asked uneasily.
"Oh I just pulled my knife out and told them not be rude."
"Didn't their parents put security onto you?"
Basta sighed,
"Yes. They eventually turned up and forced me to leave. I didn't have a choice. They threatened to call the police and this was back in the days the police weren't eating out of our hands. So I had to wait in the car until Capricorn finished looking around."
"Wasn't he kicked out with you?"
"No. He wasn't the one threatening kids with a knife."
"But he was one ordering you to do it. He could have at least gone with you when you were thrown out."
Basta shrugged,
"He still had things he wanted to see."
Dafne stared at him exasperatedly,
"How can you defend him? He abandoned you. He got to see the animals when you didn't."
"I got to see the tigers though," Basta said, steering the conversation away from Capricorn, "I liked them. They looked really powerful. Do you really think my eyes look like a tiger's?"
"Yes, they're a similar colour and they're very intense."
"Is intense good?"
"Kind of scary good," Dafne said as she looked into them, "It's hard to look away."
"Well that's a good thing," Basta said, "You can't leave me if you can't look away," he smiled, "Tiger Eyes. I like it. You should keep calling me that."
Dafne smiled,
"Alright... Tiger Eyes."
Basta stroked her face,
"Are we fine now?" he asked, "You're not angry anymore?"
Dafne's smile receded,
"I'm still not happy about what you did."
Basta's face fell,
"I know but I said I would make it up to Giulio."
"You did say that," Dafne conceded, "But I don't know how you're going to do that if Capricorn chooses to execute him."
"He won't execute him," Basta assured her, "He's more useful to Capricorn alive. The worst he'll probably do to him is shut him up in the cages for a while... But if that's the case don't expect me to let him out as my good deed. I'll end up thrown in there with him."
"Well we don't want that. He'll probably kill you."
Basta snorted,
"He could try."
"I don't want to see him try," Dafne said, "It was bad enough seeing him nearly smash your face. I was really worried for a moment there."
Basta smiled,
"I can understand that. I know how much you like my face."
"I admit I'm partial to it the way it is," Dafne said, smiling as she reached up to caress it.
"What are you two doing?" a voice barked.
Startled, Dafne and Basta sprung apart as Mortola strode up to them. She was accompanied by Orlanda and a girl Dafne instantly recognised even though she had never seen her before. She resembled her mother, pale and chubby-cheeked, but she had her father's height. Dafne regarded her pityingly, seeing the fear in the whites of her eyes. Isolda had told her the girl's name, what was it again, Clara?
Mortola didn't allow her the time to think about it,
"Why aren't you in the kitchen?" she shifted her disapproving glare to Basta, "This one isn't your maid anymore. You can't pull her away from working to do as you please. You're supposed to be earning her back."
Basta scowled at the old woman,
"That doesn't mean I can't come see her."
Mortola sneered,
"Oh is that right. Is that what Capricorn told you?"
Basta shifted uneasily,
"No," he admitted, "But he didn't say I couldn't."
"Well why don't you go ask him?" Mortola sneered, "In the meantime..." she stabbed a finger towards the kitchen, "she will stay where she belongs! You heard me, move it you little wretch."
Dafne gave Basta a faint smile, waiting for him to return it before complying with Mortola's order.
"Oh and take this one with you," Mortola said, snatching the frightened girl's arm and hurling her in Dafne's direction, "Capricorn says she's all yours to look after."
"It's alright," Dafne murmured soothingly as she led Giulio's daughter into the kitchen, "None of us are as bad as those two. My name is Dafne."
The girl's eyes darted fretfully around the room. The other maids had stopped their work to regard the new arrival with sympathetic curiosity.
"Claudia," the girl supplied her name in a small trembling voice.
Dafne smiled at her reassuringly.
"Don't worry Claudia I'll take care of you."
The girl tried to smile but it faltered miserably. She took to staring at the floor.
Poor thing, Dafne thought.
"What's all this gawking and slacking?" Mortola's voice exploded into the room, causing Claudia to yelp in alarm, "Get back to work all of you. You too Dafne, move your backside and put yourself and that girl to use."
"It's okay. Come with me," Dafne told the shaken girl gently, leading her over to the bench top where Marietta was eagerly waiting.
"Hi who's this?" she said, shooting Claudia a friendly smile.
Claudia didn't introduce herself. She seemed too busy trying to hold back her tears. Dafne put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"This is Claudia," she answered for her.
"Marietta," the other woman introduced herself to the silent girl, "Trust me the first day is the hardest but you'll get through it."
Marietta said this to be encouraging but Dafne had a feeling Claudia wasn't ready for a pep talk. The girl was no doubt feeling completely overwhelmed. Though she was holding up well, considering what she had probably been through in Capricorn's bedroom. She hadn't broken down sobbing yet. Perhaps she was too afraid to do that while Mortola was around.
"I don't think she feels like talking," she said to Marietta, squeezing the girl's shoulder gently, "That's okay though. It's entirely up to you. Here," she passed Claudia a vegetable peeler, "It might help you take your mind off things."
One could only hope.
Claudia accepted it without a word and reached for a potato. She stared at it mournfully as she whittled off its skin. Dafne watched her pityingly before Marietta drew her attention away,
"So," she said with a sly smile, "What did the boyfriend want? You were gone for a long time."
Dafne smiled as she reached for a knife to start chopping up the vegetables,
"Oh he gallantly took me to one of maids' bedrooms to make out."
Out of the corner of her eye Dafne saw Claudia glance at her curiously.
Marietta's reaction was less subtle.
"Are you serious?" she squealed, erupting into laughter.
Mortola heard her and turned sharply in their direction,
"Care to share what you find so amusing Marietta?" she snapped.
Marietta shook her head with false contriteness,
"No Mortola."
"Then shut your trap you foolish girl," Mortola retorted, "You're not here to joke and chatter," her eyes roved dangerously around the room, "That goes for all of you. Do you hear?" she turned to Orlanda, "If any one of them makes so much as a peep, send them straight to me."
With that said, Mortola stalked away. Apparently she had better things to do than keep surveillance over her charges. That was a relief because Orlanda had a more relaxed attitude to the women talking amongst themselves. She was too lazy to follow through with Mortola's order. As long as they did the work, she was fine with it.
"I can't believe you slipped away for a make out session," Marietta said once she was sure Mortola had gone, "That was very bold of your boyfriend. I thought for sure Orlanda would have stopped you guys," she lowered her voice, "But then again she was distracted."
The two exchanged knowing smiles,
"Yes I noticed," Dafne whispered back, "What exactly happened between those two while I was away."
Marietta giggled,
"Oh it was too funny. I couldn't hear what they were saying exactly but you only had to watch their body language. Orlanda was sidling up to moustache man like a cat in heat. And even though moustache man played it cool, you could see the fear in his eyes. You should have seen how relieved he looked when someone out there started hollering. He took off like a flash with Orlanda chasing after him. Do you know what that was about by the way? The shouting. Did you hear it?"
Dafne glanced at Claudia nervously. The girl seemed to have frozen. She had obviously been listening to their conversation.
"Er yes I heard it," Dafne said, choosing to lie, "But I don't what it was about."
Marietta sighed,
"Damn. I'm really curious. I bet Orlanda knows."
"I know," Claudia's voice was a soft quiver, "I know who was shouting."
Dafne turned quickly to see the tears already trickling down the girl's face.
"It was my Papa."
"Your father," Marietta said, looking apologetic. She hadn't expected her enquiry to provoke this reaction.
Claudia nodded, her tears dripping down onto the bench top.
"Yes," she continued on in the same piteous voice, "My Papa works for Capricorn you see. He works for him because Capricorn burned our farm down and threatened to kill us if he didn't. That was three years ago and Papa and Mama sent me and my brother Tonio away to live with our aunt and uncle because they didn't want us living here. Then today two of Capricorn's men came and pulled me and Tonio out of school. I recognised one of them because he had been there when the farm burned down. I could never forget him because of his knife..."
Dafne shifted uncomfortably. She knew who the girl was referring to. She ignored Marietta's gaze as it jumped to her.
"They brought us to Capricorn and he told us that from now on I would be a maid and Tonio would work for him like Papa does. Papa found out somehow and that's why he came to the house. He..." the girl's voice hitched in its distress, "He was trying to rescue us. But one of the men who had come to get us – not the knife man but the other one – he must have stopped Papa and broke his nose because when he brought Papa into Capricorn's room Papa's face was all... all bloody. I almost didn't recognise him. But then he called Beanstalk which is my nickname and I knew... I knew it was Papa."
Claudia buried her face in her hands with a sob. Dafne and Marietta exchanged sympathetic glances before Dafne moved to rub the girl's back soothingly. As she did, she caught sight of Orlanda watching them with a sneer on her face. Dafne glared back.
Stupid woman, she's as bad as Mortola.
She turned her attention back to the weeping girl.
"I can't begin to imagine how awful that must have been for you," she murmured, "I'm really sorry."
I'm really sorry Basta broke your father's nose even though you think it was Pietro. I'm sorry Basta bought you here. He was forced to because I would have been punished if he hadn't. I'm sorry Capricorn chose you to be his replacement maid because Netta ran away. I'm sorry your brother has to be Silvio's replacement. I'm sorry!
But the girl didn't know any of this. If she did, she wouldn't have let Dafne comfort her that was for sure. She wouldn't have continued to confide in her as she did now, lifting her wet face from her hands,
"It was awful but I was so glad to see Papa even though he had been hurt. I went to hug him but that woman Mortola grabbed me. That made Papa really angry and he yelled at Capricorn that he could at least let us hug him. But Capricorn said Papa didn't deserve it because of the way he acted. He..." her voice stumbled with fear, "He told Papa that if he did anything foolish like that again he would kill us and Mama as well."
The girl was shaking like a leaf as she repeated Capricorn's pronouncement. Dafne immediately pulled her against her and held her protectively.
"You mustn't think about that," Dafne told her, "I know your father Claudia. I know he wouldn't do anything to put your lives in jeopardy. That's why he started working for Capricorn in the first place. Not because he wanted to but because he wanted to keep you all safe."
Dafne's words must have had an effect because the girl's trembling subsided.
"You... you know my father?"
Oh yes I know him and he really hates me.
Dafne nodded,
"Yes and your mother. She's the one who made me this dress. See?"
She stepped away from the girl so she could show off her mother's handiwork in full.
"She's very talented," Dafne went on, running her hands down the dress appreciatively.
Claudia smiled fully for the first time.
"Mama's always been good at making clothes," she said with pride, "She used to make all my dresses before..." her face turned sad again, "Before Capricorn burned our farm down."
She sighed, eyeing Dafne's dress longingly. The garment represented the mother she hadn't seen for three years.
"How is Mama?" she asked.
"She's... strong," Dafne answered based on her own observations, "She's a strong woman. But she misses you very much. I can tell."
"I miss her too," Isolda's daughter replied, "She always sent us letters and packages but it wasn't the same as actually seeing her."
"I'm sure that now you're here you'll be able to see her," Dafne said.
Excitement filled the girl's face but it was quickly washed away by doubt.
"Are you sure? Mortola said she's the one in charge of the maids. Would she really allow me to see her?"
"Probably not," Dafne lowered her voice conspiratorially, "But Mortola isn't everywhere at once. We maids often leave the house to serve meals at the church and to wash clothes. There are opportunities for you to slip away to see your mother. Your father too."
"What Mortola doesn't know can't hurt her," Marietta chimed in, "And Orlanda's silence is easily bought."
Their words seemed to reassure the girl but there was one more worry on her mind,
"My father's been taken to the cages," she told him, "I'm not sure what they are but Capricorn said he was shutting him in there so he could cool off. I don't know how long that will be. Will that be a problem if I want to see him?"
"I don't think so," Dafne said, a plan already forming in her head, "I know a certain person who will be able to help you out there. I'll have a talk to him for you."
Claudia clasped Dafne's hands gratefully,
"Thank you so much," she said, "That would mean so much to me, if I could see them and if my brother could see them too, if that's possible."
"I don't see any reason why not," Dafne said, relieved to see the girl's melancholy cast aside by the prospect.
Orlanda didn't share her sentiment though. It wasn't as much fun for her to spy on a happy girl.
"Get back to work you three," she barked from across the room, "I've let you yabber on for long enough."
"Who is this certain someone you know, Dafne?" Marietta purred as they returned to the vegetables. She looked as if she already knew.
Dafne smiled,
"I think you have a fair idea."
Marietta smiled back, tapping her finger on her nose,
"It's all about who you know isn't it?"
"Exactly," Dafne replied, hoping very much that Basta would show up for dinner at the church that night.
To be continued...