From the highest star

16

"Beatrice is beautiful ... you are enchanted! You will look beautiful at your wedding" Beatrice put her hands on the red taffeta dress, she had buttons set with quartz and amethyst gems, precious embroideries and various jewels, she had a dress and then a precious leather jacket, she felt like a princess. "Mother ... Giuliano will never love me, he swore to protect me but he loes another woman" "My dear Beatrice ... you will see that with time it will change" The girl lowered her face and nodded.

Medici Palace
"it seems wrong to feel so much happiness, I'm afraid they will take it away from me" "Every bride has her fears," Lucrezua told her daughter. "I had them too" they all turned to Clarice. "Are you and my son happy?" "Of course" "He has great respect for you" "Lucrezia Ardinghelli is very beautiful" after Clarice's words, silence fell. Lucrezia turned around. "Lorenzo is young ... privileged, he is not used to giving up what he likes" "At our first meeting he said that if I had ... given my heart, he would have promised before God to take care of them" Lucrezia got up and approached the girl. "You too are beautiful and more than deserving of his affection, give my son some time and he will give up his youthful pleasures and will not do it because he is obligated" "Madonna ... I give us visits" said a servant, interrupting the conversation.

"Messer Foscari ... it's a pleasure to have you here, Lorenzo must talk to you" "Of course Madonna ... do you remember my daughter Novella?" "Yes ... Bianca is happy to have you at her wedding ... please come"

"Messer Foscari ... I told you about a marriage between your daughter and Giuliano, but ... I made an agreement with Giulio Ridolfi, he too is highly respected in Venice and they would listen to all his advice ... and mine brother Giuliano and Giulio's  daughter are very close ... I'm sorry ... but you will still be guests at weddings "

That afternoon
Bianca reached Guglielmo accompanied by Lorenzo, they were all gathered, Beatrice was next to her mother and Agnese, she looked at Giuliano who was next to Novella. The couple smiled as the priest surrounded them in marriage.

"Agnes ... shall we dance?"
Cosimo approached his sister and wife. "Sure" Beatrice was left alone, looked at Giuliano who was also alone, took two glasses of wine and approached him. "I won't ask you to dance if that's what you've come to ask me" "Oh ... my dear Giuliano I know you are not capable!" She said smiling. "I'm not capable? Who told you?" "The rumors are circulating ..." "I can dance" "Show it to me" He looked at her, took both glasses of wine from Beatrice's hands and drained them to the last drop. Beatrice laughed and he took her hand. They started dancing and when their eyes met, they lit up. "So the rumors I've heard that you can't dance are false" "Yes ... I don't understand where you heard it" "The rumors go around" Then he froze, staring at a fixed point at the bottom of the room. Beatrice turned and Simonetta was in the exact spot where Giuliano was looking. "Excuse me Beatrice" passed the glass to the girl, accidentally spilling it on him. But he didn't turn around, I went straight towards Simonetta, Clarice went up to Beatrice. The girl's eyes filled with tears, and without looking at her cousin she left the room and went to the garden.

He was crying, there was nothing else he could do. "Beatrice!" She quickly wiped away her tears. "Are you OK?" "I do" "Do not lie..." "I can't live with the knowledge that I'll marry a man who doesn't even look at me" "... who do you tell ... Lorenzo has a lover, Lucrezia Ardinghelli" "... you will see that Lorenzo will change ... he is a good boy ... not that Giuliano is not ... but he likes life too much ... he certainly cannot live it at its best with a wife" "But what are you saying Beatrice ... isn't it true ... you are fantastic and he will understand it" "I'm sorry ... tell Bianca I'm sorry ... I'm going home" "Okay ... goodnight" the girl gave Beatrice a kiss on the cheek and returned, Beatrice headed home.