Carpathian 00 - The Scarletti Curse

together? I must know if you two shared anything to eat or drink."
    The man was shivering almost uncontrollably. He clenched his teeth to keep them from chattering. "You are certain of what you are doing, letting in the cold this way?"
    "We must bring the fever down quickly. Both of you are far too hot. And the room reeks of sickness. It Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
    is not good. Come, come, girl, hurry now." Maria Pia did not like the way the don's black, piercing eyes took in Nicoletta's graceful, soothing hands as they moved over the child. Deliberately she shoved herself in front of the younger woman, pretending to examine the patient. "Well, Don Scarletti? Did you two partake of the same comestibles?"
    "We shared a portion of soup. Sophie could not finish it. I helped her." The words revealed far more of the man than he might have thought.
    Nicoletta glanced at him; she couldn't help herself. He was il demonio, the demon, his family under a terrible curse. He was arrogant and aloof, cold and unyielding, his neighbors terrified of crossing him, yet he had shared a bowl of soup with a child, perhaps to prevent her from being punished for failing to finish her meal. It was the first nice thing she had ever heard about him, their dictator, their don, the man who held the power of life and death over her people.
    Maria Pia coughed to get her attention. Nicoletta quickly resumed her charade as shy, inconsequential apprentice to the healer Signora Sigmora, hunching as she closed the window and straightened the curtains. Two servants peeked in timidly with buckets of hot water and armloads of rags. The taller male servant behind them carried fresh coverlets folded in his arms. None of them entered the room but lingered out in the hall. Nicoletta had little patience with them and took the water and rags rather abruptly, setting them down before whisking the coverlets out of the third manservant's hands. With her foot she forcefully slammed the door closed on them, hoping it hit them right in their noses.
    Maria Pia hissed softly at her, scowling fiercely to remind her the don was watching. Nicoletta and Maria Pia went to work. While Maria Pia bathed the child to bring down her fever and clean her, Nicoletta scrubbed the room and the bed. Maria Pia consulted with her "assistant" in whispers quite often. Seemingly under the older woman's watchful eyes, Nicoletta combined various potions, ensuring the medicaments were mixed properly. It was Nicoletta who assisted the child, pulling the small body into her arms, rocking her gently while she fed her tiny sips, coaxing and soothing with whispers of encouragement as the devil in the corner watched them with a steady, relentless black stare.
    Only when the child made a feeble attempt to drink on her own did he finally stir, sagging against the wall as if his legs could no longer support his weight.
    Maria Pia went to him at once, helping to ease his large, muscular frame into a sitting position. "He is burning up," she said with a nervous glance at Nicoletta.
    Nicoletta lay the child carefully on the bed, drawing up the coverlet. The blanket caught her attention.
    Neat little stitches, beautiful workmanship, the pattern so dear and familiar. For a moment she could hardly breathe, her throat clogged with painful memories. She traded places with Maria Pia, as if the older woman needed to examine the child while her assistant took care of the basic needs of the second patient.
    Nicoletta used the excuse to run her hands over the don's hot skin, to examine him and "feel" his illness.
    Don Scarletti was all roped, sinewy muscle, as hard as a tree trunk beneath her gentle, exploring fingers.
    She skimmed over him lightly, soothing him with her touch.
    Suddenly his fingers circled her wrist like a vise, holding her still while he examined her hand. He stared down at it curiously.
    Those pain-filled eyes saw far too much. Nicoletta tugged to get her hand back, her heart slamming uncomfortably in her breast. She jerked away from him, moving out of range, back into the shadows, Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
    drawing her shawl more tightly around herself. There was danger in his close scrutiny. Maria Pia and Nicoletta had perfected their illusions, the reversal of roles that ensured Nicoletta's safety, guarding her
    "differences" successfully from the eyes of those who might suspect her a witch