Read Online Liquid Desires by Edward Sklepowich - Free Book Online

an affair with another woman! What would I do then, I ask you? Even if Barbara says she wants to know the truth, how could I be the one she hears it from?” She shook her light blond head firmly. “She’s asking you to do something molta delicata ! But I’m not so sure if you should have agreed! I’ll tell you one thing. If Alvise had been unfaithful to her, Barbara would never have found out—absolutely never! He would not have left anything behind to incriminate himself. He never would have wanted to hurt her. If he knew something like this was happening now—”
    As to what Alvise would have done, Oriana didn’t say. She left it to Urbino’s—and perhaps even her own—imagination.
    â€œSomeone must have been telling this girl stories. Barbara has enemies here. She’s had them from the first and she’ll have them until the day she dies—may it be many, many years from now.”
    â€œEnemies, Oriana? Who?”
    â€œBarbara’s right! Sometimes you are so absolutely American! Hasn’t Italy done you any good? Of course the poor dear has enemies. We all have enemies—even innocent little you! I wouldn’t be at all surprised if it was one of Barbara’s enemies who put the girl up to it.”
    â€œDo you know of any in particular?”
    â€œâ€˜In particular,’ Urbino! You are amusing. As if dear Barbara doesn’t know herself. But if it embarrasses you too much to ask her, I’d suggest her archenemy, Violetta Volpi.”
    â€œVioletta Volpi? I don’t believe Barbara has ever mentioned her.”
    â€œHer maiden name was Grespi. I don’t know her well but I think she has a sister. A branch of the Grespi family are comaschi —silk manufacturers—in Como.”
    Urbino shook his head. The name Violetta Grespi meant as little to him as Violetta Volpi.
    â€œShe’s led a pampered life,” Oriana went on, as if pampering were something alien to her. “A nurse who looked after Filippo knew her. She’s a painter now. She was on the point of marrying Alvise when Barbara came along. Violetta Volpi never seems to have forgotten how ‘the Englishwoman almost ruined her life,’ as the nurse said she used to say, but perhaps Barbara would like to forget it.”

9
    â€œI most certainly have mentioned her!” the Contessa said when Urbino phoned her that evening from the Palazzo Uccello. “I mentioned her as recently as yesterday at the Caffè Centrale! You’re not going to be any help to me if you don’t pay more attention.”
    â€œAs I remember, Barbara, you mentioned a woman who was with Alvise when he rang the Wilverlys’ bell. Was it this Violetta Grespi—or Volpi as she’s now called?”
    â€œExactly, caro . And perhaps you’ll also remember that she tried to latch on to Silvestro afterward. She was eager to make a good marriage—and she did. A respectable man with a respectable income. Bernardo Volpi owns an import-export business in Mestre. He’s almost an invalid these days—his heart or his liver, I’m not sure. You have to understand that I don’t court information about Violetta Volpi—any more than I go out of my way to be told what nasty things she might be saying about me. To be honest, though, I’d like to believe that it’s Violetta Volpi or someone like her who’s behind this. I’m far less frightened of any lies that this Flavia person might be telling than I am of it all turning out to be the truth. I know you don’t like to hear that, caro —not when I’ve asked you to get at the bottom of this—but I assure you again that no matter how afraid I am of the truth, I have to know it. Don’t hide anything from me. Don’t protect me. Just be gentle.”
    Her voice had been gradually getting softer but when, after a brief pause, she spoke again, it had a harsh, sarcastic