Read Online Francesca by Bertrice Small - Free Book Online Page A

embarrassed, scrambled after them, attempting to make a trio. Reaching their destination, she reentered the box.
    Duke Titus gave her a sharp look of disapproval before turning to the two young men standing below him.
    “It is time to crown the queen of love and beauty,” he said, taking a wreath of gilded laurel leaves and placing it carefully upon Valiant’s couched lance.
    Valiant moved his stallion sideways but a foot or two and then offered the wreath to Louisa di Genoa. “
Signorina
,” he said quietly, his blue eyes meeting her adoring ones.
    With a blush and a murmur of thanks, Louisa accepted and slowly placed the wreath upon her dark head. A cheer went up from the onlookers.
    “It suits you perfectly,” Francesca said with a smile, kissing her friend’s cheek.
    “I’ve never been the queen of love and beauty before,” Louisa said shyly. “Valiant should not draw attention to me. He should have offered the crown to you.”
    “Or me!” Aceline said angrily. “In birth I outrank you both.”
    “After that scene you caused upon the field you are fortunate the duke allowed you back in the box,” Francesca said sharply.
    “I was only showing my love and concern for Rafaello,” Aceline defended herself.
    “You are ridiculous,” Francesca told the girl.
    “He won’t choose you,” Aceline murmured. “You are barely polite to him. Ohh, I know all about how you scorned and turned down every suitor who came your way,” she continued. “My father sought out information on both of the others chosen to be my rivals. He laughed when he saw who you both were. A
bastarda
and a tradesman’s brat. He said he did not see why Duke Titus had not simply asked for my hand for his son, since it was obvious Rafaello would have no other choice.”
    “I know he won’t choose me,” Francesca said. “And, believe me, I shall be happy to return home to Florence, though my family will be disappointed. But I should not try on the ducal jewelry quite yet, Aceline. I suspect it will not fit your skinny throat.”
    “You had best beware of me, for I also know about Venice,” Aceline threatened.
    Francesca laughed. “I suspect most of the known world does,” she replied. “It was quite an adventure, as I recall it.”
    “Stop it!” Louisa said. “You both shame us all by this quarreling. Are you so perfect, Aceline, that you dare threaten Francesca by repeating lurid gossip? I understand that your father has been shopping you around for two years now and has had no takers.”
    Aceline turned a bright scarlet, but she clamped her lips tightly together.
    Francesca fought back her giggle over that fascinating bit of information. Louisa was correct, and this imbroglio between herself and the French girl must cease. Besides, Aceline was clever. She would turn their squabble so that she would appear the victim and put Francesca in a poor light. It wasn’t that she cared, but old Duke Titus was being so very kind to her. She did not want to disappoint him.
    The summer moved slowly, and Francesca found she was actually enjoying herself. She had a friend in Louisa di Genoa, and she had never had a friend before. Bianca, her eldest sister, had gone away more than two years ago, and her two little sisters had just been too young. They had each other. The three girls rode out together daily into the beautiful forests surrounding the
castello
. They hunted with Rafaello, Valiant, and a few other gentlemen of the duke’s court. They picnicked in the flower-filled meadows. In the evenings they danced informally, played cards, and sang. Oddly Aceline had a very sweet voice, but it did not, unfortunately, make up for her shrewish behavior.
    Although Rafaello spent time alone with Louisa to take any suspicion off Valiant’s attraction to her, and a little time with Aceline, it was Francesca who frustrated him. She managed to find more ways to avoid him. She would slip away into the forest with the two nuns who were her chaperones