The Scarlet City by Hella S. Haasse

Author:Hella S. Haasse
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Chicago Review Press
Published: 1990-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

I wasn’t going to let myself be put off any longer by vague replies. I determined to force Lucrezia to answer me. I knew her well enough now to expect that she would avoid my troublesome questions by claiming illness or fatigue and then going off to her convent or the pleasure house of Belriguardo. After the conversation in which Bembo and Carpi were mentioned, she had refused to receive me for three days. I knew that I must attempt over and over to bring her to the point where suddenly she would have no way out except to tell the truth. Under the guise of confidences and friendly banter, we played a game of attack and defense.

A soon as I broached those forbidden topics—the past in Rome, Pope Alexander, Cesare, Bembo—she drew into her shell. It was this silent duel which made me realize quite well that she was by no means guileless. I could understand Alfonso’s helpless rage at her passive resistance. In her inimitable fashion, she knew how to use weakness as a weapon; subterfuge was her element. In those twilit apartments of hers where she burned perfume in the Moorish custom, her hidden passive power was more clearly noticeable than anywhere else. But she gave nothing away. She had learned to protect herself.

When she noticed where I was heading, she began to give me copious details about the papal palaces, ceremonies and banquets in Rome. She described the Carnival, the celebrations of the Holy Year 1500, the weddings of her two brothers and herself, the triumphal procession of Cesare after his victories in the Romagna. Rome was a colossal backdrop for the Borgia’s chief actors. She became excited, deluged me with a stream of details as if she wanted to dazzle me with images of might and splendor. I didn’t bother to hide the fact that all this didn’t impress me. After all, I could remember something of that lost magnificence. She tried another tack, enlarging upon the background of a great many events which I had witnessed as a child. I listened attentively to this: her words added depth to certain memories. Suddenly, without warning, Lucrezia addressed me directly.

“Why are you looking at me like that? I can’t bear being stared at that way. There’s mistrust, hostility, in your eyes. Oh God, Juan, you haven’t turned against me? Why has everything changed between us? I was so delighted when you came. I have talked with you as I always wanted to be able to talk with a brother.”

“And Cesare then?”

She gasped as though I had slapped her across the face. After that she complained of a headache and sent me away.

That same day, at noon, she rode with a small retinue to San Bernardino. Alfonso let it be known that the Duchess, driven by the need for reflection upon spiritual matters, had retired for an indefinite period to the Clarissas. At mealtime he was unusually quiet. He drummed his fingers continually on the table. When I greeted him, he gave me a long, close look.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.