Fearless Francesca

Chapter Fourteen

For the next few days, Annabelle had vanished almost into thin air and no one had noticed until Francesca grew suspicious. Everything was peaceful but since Annabelle’s return, Francesca was wary of any possibilities. The fear of Giovanni returning to his previous state scared her immensely.

Within a month, Francesca had finally caught glimpse of a familiar blond face. To her surprise it was Annabelle. The girl had grown haggard, her eyes underlined with dark circles. She never looked up from her work and silently seethed as she did what she was ordered to do.

Francesca wasn’t sure how to approach this girl, the one that had dared threatened her once before had succumbed into such misery. She made her way into the kitchen and when Annabelle had looked up; her eyes were pierced in anger. The girl flipped her things off the table and marched right up to her.

“You, it’s all because of you!” She screeched as she swung her hand at Francesca’s face.

To her surprise, her hand was stopped by none other than the old maid Caterina.

“You should watch your tongue girl,” Caterina said calmly as her iron grip was held on the girl’s wrist.

Annabelle took one look at the old maid and threw her head back laughing. A hysterical kind of laugh that could be dubbed as the loss of sanity. She took a step forward at the both of them.

“You should have never been brought here as the house’s lady, Giovanni loves me. No matter what, I have everything he could have ever desired,” she spat, a fury raging in her eyes.

“How funny, you’re nothing but a heathen whore,” the old maid defended as she spoke up before Francesca could. “I have watched you run off to the brothels when you were done with your work. Are you that desperate for money and men to sell your body off? You’re dirtied and sinned. No man in his right mind would take you.”

“What do you know you old hag?!” Annabelle screamed as she slapped the old maid’s hand away from her. “Because of you, my child died. You killed him, you killed Giovanni’s son!”

Francesca was taken aback, the insides of her stomach feeling naseauted. She had remained silent but she couldn’t take this for much longer. She felt faint headed. So Giovanni still took her to his bed. She swallowed and wanted to crumple up.

“What is the entire ruckus going on here?” A voice muttered. Giovanni had made his presence clear now as he quickly took his strides toward Francesca.

Annabelle stared and began to wail, laughing and hiccupping at the same time, “You used to look at me that way! You still would if the child was alive. I would be the proper mistress of the house!” She threw the items from the table off in rage.

“You and I are over. What the hell do you mean if the child was alive?” His stormy eyes looked up and he took Francesca into his arms.

“Old maid Caterina murdered him. She beat me until I bled your son’s dead corpse out of my body!” She screamed as tears poured out.

Old maid Caterina had held the girl’s wrists firmly. Her eyes confident and she stood with utter pride.

“Is it true?” Giovanni murmured as he looked over at the woman who had practically raised him from birth. She couldn’t be capable of such deeds, never.

“Yes.” The old woman replied with a calmness that was unusual.