68.
“Colossians 3:14: And above
all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. That may be
true for many. And Proverbs 22:6: Train up a child in the way he should go;
even when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
Lady Angeline sat on the
bedding of her daughter in the chamber that belonged to Juliet. She looked at
the tucked-in covers and the decorated items there. She had not been selfish in
adoring her daughter, giving her love and delightful gifts. She has done
everything taught to her as a mother and sometimes as a friend.
“Did I do wrong, Angelica?”
Lady Angeline looked to the nursemaid, who was busy rearranging the items in
the cupboard.
“Pardon me, Lady Angeline.
Age got my ears muffed most times.” Angelica looked at the mother of the child.
The child who was then missing.
“Did I err in my mother
love?”
“If I may say it… No. You
did fine. Juliet was an easy child to take care of, but at her age now, she
held her own thoughts. And manners, I will say.” Angelica smiled. “I had nursed
her since she was a babe.”
“Yes, I know. I try to come
in, but ……” Lady Angeline sighed.
“The role of the mother and…
lady to her lord can be demanding. I knew that from my own lord.” Angelica
smiled. “Oh, Lord. Was he ever demanding? My litter of sods counts for it. I
will not say I detest him anymore since he has died, but we had our moments of
endearment.”
“I am so sorry, Angelica. I
did not mean to bring out your past.” Aldy Angeline said.
“None, so whatever. He is
dead and will remain there… bony perhaps.” Angelica smiled. “I have my litter
though…… grown-ups they are, but still they recalled they have a mother here.”
Angelica touched her left
hand over her bosom.
“Juliet does for you too.
She may run to me often, but when she does, she does ask for you.” Angelica
said.
“It was different for
me when I was her age. I was sent away during my younger days, came back, and
then wedded off before I could say yes. I did get courted for a while, but in
every courtship, we are at our best performance to please the other or, in my
case, my mother. Eventually, it was all about love in a cage, if I am to say.”
“Are you not happy, my
lady?” Angelica took the bold step to ask.
“I am… contented, but seeing
the pain that Juliet is undergoing, I am sad. She wants to decide her life, but
the …… family feud denies her that.” Lady Angeline looked at the nursemaid.
“Tell me of the feud. You were here long, and your mother……”
“Aye, my lady. I am. My
mother was the kitchen cook for the lord and his father then. I was raised in
the kitchen and then sent to do the chores in the corridors. I know the family
well.” Angelica smiled. “The servants… we do talk at times. Whispers and more
to be told were then.”
“Be brave and tell me,
please.” Lady Angeline asked.
“Well, the Capulets and
Montagues were rivals in the trade. They started small like all others but made
headway in the trades. It was said that once Lord Capulet was on friendly terms
with our lord when they first arrived in Genoa. Genoa was then a commercial
power, reaching the peak of its colonial expansion in Asia and dominating the
Black Sea trade routes, particularly through its colonies like Caffa. Angelica
said. “I knew of this from my father then, who was the master servant with the
lord’s father then. He used to tell me these tales when he was at home. I was
his bubbly daughter, ever to smile at him.”
“The city's economy was
robust, fuelled by its powerful merchant families, despite encountering crises
like earlier Black Death outbreaks and the wars that were
ongoing here and there.” Angelica sat herself down on the seat that was by the
bedding. “My father’s father was not spared. His father also died in the Black
Death, but the lord was kind to take him on as a servant.”
“The feud, Angelica?” Lady
Angeline cut in.
“Yes, the feud. It was
initially a trading rivalry and became intense to the point they remained
friendly but not about sharing their meals. The sins of the father were handed
down to them. It was the current lord who set the lasting disengagement. I heard
it was to do with the Ottoman Sultan and some jewels that were taken from him
by the other lord. That act caused a rift that made them enemies.”
“Lord Dante Montague
returned upset. I was here then, and he rumbled on about the other stealing his
glory. He swore then that Lord Gencio Capulet will never be invited to his home
again.” Angelica smiled. “They were never invited anyway.”
“But I knew the lord was
meeting the other ……” Lady Angeline looked baffled. “Outside or at my home
then.”
“Rivalry that extended to
your family. They were seen to woo your sister. Oops, am I crossing my boundary
here?” Angelica shuddered with fright.
“No, please go on.” Lady
Angeline looked at the nursemaid. “I will forgive you for any.”
“Oh, bloody well. Your
sister was two-timing then. Pardon my expression. Lord Dante Montague was in
love with your sister, but Lord Gencio Capulet, a scoundrel with his love, was
also pursuing her. We knew… servants talk between families… then he was not
really in love with her, but to taunt our lord was his reason. Eventually. Your
sister was wedded away, and surprisingly it was Lord Gencio Capulet who was in
distress. We were told he joined the army to get away. And even wedded a
barmaid. He was truly heartbroken.”
“What about our lord?” Lady
Angeline asked. “I knew……”
“Our lord was on the ……
rebound and courted you. We were all happy that he was not… depressed.”
Angelica looked at the lady. “I was out of line there. Please forgive me. Those
were my words, my lady. Please do not take it to heart.”
Angelica stood up and then
bowed to the lady of the house.
“No, you were not. I had my
doubts about Dante, but he was persistent. I pushed him off many times. But he
rebounded. I knew I was second in place to Juliette. I …… I did ask Mother to
delay my engagement till I am ready. She consented, but soon… my mother was
ailing, and it was time to marry her last daughter off.”
“I never felt… out of love
if you are concerned. Dante is a lovely man, distant most times with his mind
on the trade, but when he was with me, we… tried to talk. Even of Juliette
sometimes.”
“I was not much of a wife to
him … …. Honestly, I stood by him at times and supported him, but the only
thing holding me to him was Juliet. I love my daughter more.”
“And you should, my lady.”
Angelica smiled. “Juliet is a fine lady, or coming to be soon. Her relationship
with that Romeo Capulet was impulsive but unforeseen, but at times, we are not
the ones deciding their future.”
“I know. I care for Juliet,
but how do I resolve their love?” Lady Angeline sighed. “Without the Montague,
she is lost. She knew no other life besides us. If she goes over to the
Capulet, it will deepen the feud, or lives may be lost.”
“My lady, if I am allowed to
speak my mind … again. They are in love… for now. Anything we do to make them
stay apart may be fatal. Juliet may be strong like you, but in the realm of
love, she is …… still young. She needs to find her own ways there. So is the
young Capulet. They are young as we were but … we made our mistake or decision
and stayed with it. Perhaps they will do the same if we allow it, or they may…
take other measures that we cannot foresee.”
“Angelica, are you telling
me that they will do something stupid like…die?”
“Death to them is the…
gateway to their love… perhaps. We were all young, and faced with such events,
we thought of nothing but fatal options. Silly we were, but at their age, we
were too.”
“What should I do,
Angelica?” Lady Angeline was concerned. “Juliet is all I have.”
“I do not really know.”
Angelica looked to the window. “Out there is a bigger realm to explore. Let
them go and find their own. Perhaps then they may return to us, or not, but we
know that we let them live their lives.”
“You are right. I tied mine
to this…… It may not be perfect, but I have my share of happiness. And sadness.
I thought I could decide my own, but in the end, it was all the decision of the
family. Mine had decided, and now I am her family, and shall I decide for her?”
Lady Angeline sighed. “Juliet shall decide her own. Her family can only bind
her for now, but we must let her go to find her own family life.”
“Perhaps, my lady. Please do
not forget that to be free, you may lose the anchors in your current life.”
Angelica said. “I am free now. I am my own lady with my own life. Not much to
crow about, but I am free. For once, I was also bound by the family call, but
now I am not a slave to any.”
“I think you are right,
Angelica. I should have spent more time with you, but for now Juliet needs me.
I cannot give her the Montague wealth, but there are things she can begin with
to live her life.” Lady Angeline smiled.
“Do what you can, my lady.”
Angelica smiled. “I hope that one day she will be a lovely mother like
yourself.”
“Do you think that when they
have children, what would they name them? Dante Gencio Junior for a boy
perhaps, or Juliette Angeline for a girl?” Lady Angeline laughed. “I hardly
know Lady Sofia at all.”
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