realized his worth and paid him accordingly. He should be vice president and respected by all.”
“You know I have no say in what
Nonno
’s decisions arc, Marita.”
“Just promise me not to ruin Franco’s chance. I must insist, Antonietta. You know he works hard and deserves so much more than
Nonno
gives him. One little mistake should be forgiven.”
“It wasn’t a little mistake, as you well know, Marita. You pushed him until he was bitter and angry and wanting your respect. He betrayed his family and our company. He was lucky charges weren’t brought against him and that
Nonno
listened to Tasha’s and my pleas to allow him to stay here. If you’re pushing him again to do something he will later regret, think hard, Marita.
Nonno
won’t forgive another betrayal, not even for the children, and Marita, neither will I.”
“He turned down a huge offer from Christopher’s company to join with them. A merger would be good for both companies. Franco has proved his loyalty even though he knows the merger would make us all wealthy.”
Antonietta sighed. “We are wealthy already, Marita, and there is no advantage to our company from a merger, only on the Demonesini side. You know very well Christopher’s father even tried to court me in hopes of a merger.”
“The families will merge when Christopher marries Tasha.”
A loud crash followed by a bloodcurdling scream of pain interrupted the two women. There was no mistaking a child’s continuous scream of agony. Tasha turned toward the sound instantly. “That’s little Margurite!” She was already racing from the room as she called out the warning.
The screams emerging from the lower story were appalling. Antonietta had never heard anything like it. “Something is really wrong with Margurite.”
“She just wants attention.” Marita pressed her hands over her ears. “Tasha should make her stop that noise, no Scarletti should make such a scene. That’s Tasha’s influence. If Franco hears her, he’ll rush to her side instead of keeping his mind on business as he should!” But she was running even as she complained.
Antonietta listened to her tone, not the words. Marita was terrified, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Antonietta took her hand as they hurried down the wide hall toward the sound of the screams. She had to slow down on the sweeping staircase, not wanting to chance a misstep. Marita suddenly pulled her hand away, pressing back against the wall.
Antonietta could hear Tasha soothing the six-year-old girl. “There, there, Toni’s here now, and she’ll see to it that the doctor comes. He’ll fix you right up. Your madre is here. It’s going to be all right now.” Antonietta judged by the direction of the voice that Tasha was sitting on the floor beside the child right at the bottom of the stairway. She stepped cautiously off the last stair and stopped walking, careful not to trip over them.
Marita screamed, a terrible sound, adding to Margurite’s cries of pain. There was a thud as her body crashed to the floor.
“What is it? What happened to her, Tasha?”
“Don’t mind Marita. She fainted like she always does in a crisis. Here, Toni.” Tasha caught her hand and guided her to the floor beside the crying child. Already the screams were becoming sobs as Margurite tried to regain control. “It’s her right leg. Tell me what you think. Hold still, piccola, it will take only a moment to examine you, and Antonietta is always so gentle. Your madre is fine. She just fainted. You’ve seen her do that before.” Tasha kissed the curly head over and over, brushing at the tears running down the little face. “Watch yourself, Toni, there’s rubble everywhere.”
Antonietta ran her hands gently over the thin leg. Her breath caught in her lungs when she felt the jagged bone protruding. “Tasha is right,
cara mia
, we need the doctor immediately for you. You’re so brave to stay here with Tasha.” She raised her voice, knowing her assistant would be close, drawn by the screams. “Justine! We must have an ambulance at once.” Justine Travis had been her assistant for thirteen years, and she acted as her eyes and ears in the ever-changing household.
“Right away, Miss Scarletti!” Justine answered from where she hovered in the hallway. “Helena is calling straightaway.”
“Tell them to hurry, it’s most urgent!” Antonietta kept her voice calm, not wanting to alarm Margurite. “Try to wake Marita. And get Franco in here.”
Marita moaned. “
Bambina. Mia bambino.
How could this happen?” She kept her face averted, allowing Helena to help her to her feet. “There’s so much blood, and the bone. She’ll be crippled for life.”
“Marita!” Tasha hissed her name. “That’s not helping. Go to Vincente. He must be frightened by Margurite’s cries. Franco will attend her.”
“Yes, yes, you’re right, Tasha.” Marita pressed a hand to her stomach, turned her head, and was sick. “
Grazie
, take care of my poor bambina.”
Franco gathered Tasha and his daughter into his arms. “Helena, take Marita up to the room. She’s ill, and this is too much for her.”
Helena complied, wrapping her arm around Marita while one of the maids immediately began to clean the floor.
Tasha rocked back and forth in an effort to soothe both the child and herself. “Do something Toni, I can’t stand to see her in such pain,” Tasha begged in a whisper. “How did such a thing happen?”
“Hurry, Toni, take the pain from her,” Franco urged.
“Describe for me what you see.”
“The Scarletti coat of arms above
Nonno
’s door has come down. Didn’t we just have that inspected and secured? Margurite was coming out of
Nonno
’s room, and it came right down on her. She could have been killed.” There was a sob as well as anger in Tasha’s voice. “She went to visit
Nonno
but he was gone.”
Antonietta stiffened. The palazzo was undergoing repairs, and she had been with the inspectors when they had gone through her grandfather’s wing of the house. She knew they had paid particular attention to the Scarletti coat of arms, due to the heavy weight of it. “Don’t touch anything. We’ll let your policeman take a look around.”
All at once the home Antonietta loved, the home with which she was so familiar, took on a sinister atmosphere.
Margurite lay against Tasha, keening her distress softly while her father caressed her hair and face, murmuring how much he loved her. Tasha’s fingers tightened around Antonietta. “Do something, take her pain away, Toni. Do it right now, I can’t stand her being in so much pain.”
“The ambulance will be here soon,” Antonietta whispered back, but her hands were still on the little leg. She took a deep breath and concentrated, blocking out the sounds of weeping, blocking out the overwhelming emotions of everyone in the room. She let everything flow through her, around her, finding the deep well inside of her where she could free the energy that was so strong, so much a part of her and her heritage.
Antonietta knew Byron Justicano was capable of healing because the ability to heal was also a part of her family legacy. She couldn’t heal in the same way he did, but she could diagnose a problem, lessen the pain, and speed her people onto the path of recovery. She felt the heat building, spreading, moving through her body to her hands, to the child’s leg.
Almost at once, Margurite became quieter, her sobs reduced to sniffs and small shudders. Antonietta felt most of the tension leave Tasha’s body.
Franco leaned over and kissed his cousin. His face was wet with tears.
“Grazie, Toni. I wish I could do that.” Tasha hugged Margurite closer to her.
“The ambulance is on the way, Antonietta,” Justine said as she picked her way carefully through the mess. “I also notified the authorities. The bolts holding the Scarletti shield are completely sheared through. This was no accident.” Before her employer could protest, she hastily reassured her. “Don’t worry, I was careful not to touch anything and leave fingerprints. I’ve seen enough movies to know you’re not supposed to do that.” She crouched down close to Antonietta. Almost protectively. “This was no accident, and coming on the heels of last night, I don’t think you should take any chances.”