Working for Francesco Pazzi was the last place she expected to find herself. She expected even less to grow to like the job. Falling for him was the biggest surprise of all.
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Word Count: 1380
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Bianca disagreed adamantly with Guglielmo's decision to let Francesco stay in the home, and rightfully so. Francesco had played a part in the murder of her brother and was now the reason for her exile away from her family. Had she not been holding her baby in her arms, I suspected she would have launched herself at Francesco to kill him herself. In the end though, she merely leveled her tear-stained eyes at him in a heady glare, then hurried off to lock herself in the bedroom suite. Not even Guglielmo was allowed in that evening.
"She may come around," Guglielmo sighed. "One day."
Francesco didn't bet on it. "I'll try to arrange to go elsewhere soon, brother. My actions shouldn't have to strain your family too."
Though it visibly pained him, Guglielmo nodded. Bianca would never forgive Francesco. She was having a hard time forgiving Guglielmo who hadn't even known about the plot at all. They wouldn't have a hope of raising their child and finding some peace together if Francesco stuck around to remind them every day of the terrible misfortune.
Francesco stayed up late thinking on all of these things by the fire long after Guglielmo had fallen asleep in the room adjacent to his wife's locked suite. He sat in a low chair to stare into the flames while I sat on a footstool to poke at the fire and keep it burning. If I knew him at all, I knew that he would be up much later yet.
As I hefted another log into the hearth, the fire crackled and sparks jumped. The movement startled him out of his trance, and he shifted in his seat before saying, "You should go to bed, Alice."
"I'm all right."
"Aren't you tired? We've had a long journey on foot."
I didn't bother responding. We both had a long journey. We both had been through much in the past few days. I was no more tired than he was and no more distraught either. Instead, I asked what I thought might have been passing through his thoughts that evening. "Francesco? Are you planning to leave soon?"
His eyes, which gleamed molten in the firelight, flitted up to gaze at me, then trained again on the fire. "I'm afraid I must."
I prodded the embers gently to distract myself. "Where will you go?"
"I don't know. I had friends in Rome, but once they hear the news I doubt they'll still feel friendly towards me."
"If we're going to Rome," I announced, "We'll need to ask Guglielmo for provisions. Do you think he'd give us some?"
His head turned and his brow lowered. This time, he did not break his gaze with me.
Suddenly under his scrutinizing stare, I set down the poker to turn and face him. "What is it?"
