Page 53 of Love Set Apart
“We were no’ able to find her or Robert. Perhaps they’ve heard and decided to run away.”
“If that’s the case, we’ll ken soon enough. In the meantime, I’ve got something I must do. Do ye think ye could convince Concini to come over here?” Edna asked. The man was across the room waiting for Marie to reappear.
“I’ll see what I can do. Ye have a plan?” Angus asked, eyeing her with some concern.
“I do. I’m going to spell him so that he tells me what he’s been up to.”
“Why doona ye just come with me? It would be easier. Getting him to leave his spot when he’s waiting on Marie might no’ work.”
“Ye’re probably right.” Edna glanced around the room. No one was paying them any attention and so she took his arm and walked with him to Concini.
“Good day to ye, sir,” Angus said as they approached him.
Concini gave a slight nod of his head, acknowledging them, but then looked away.
“Sir, may I ask something of ye?” Edna had to get his attention if the spell were to work.
Concini looked at her with such disdain that it threw Edna off for a brief moment.
“Well, what is it you want?” Concini asked, his impatience showing.
“I just wondered what color yer eyes were.” Edna stared into his eyes.
Concini looked at her as if she’d lost her mind for only a moment before he became mesmerized and unable to look away.
Edna worked her magic on him. “Are ye the one behind the betrothal?”
“I am.” His voice was without emotion. The spell was working.
“What exactly are ye up to?” Edna asked, knowing that it had to be more than she currently knew.
“I wanted the land,” he said.
“Monsieur Toussaint’s land?” Edna tried to keep her face impassive so that anyone watching wouldn’t be too curious about their conversation.
“Yes.”
“Did ye get it?” she asked.
“Yes. When he came to the palace to speak with the Queen Mother I was there. He explained his position and that he wished his daughter to be taken care of.”
“Ye mean he told Marie that he was penniless?”
“Yes. She told him she could not help him, but I convinced her that I could with a little help from her. I offered to take care of his debts and find a husband for his daughter. Monsieur Toussaint agreed, of course. I chose Barbieri because I hated him and knew he was more interested in money than a wife. He would do anything to stay in the good graces of the Medici family in Italy. After Toussaint was dead and there were questions about the dowry, which I certainly was not going to pay, Marie became irritated with me. I could not allow her anger to come between us and so I told her Barbieri had cheated her family in his business dealings with them and that he said some unkind things about her. It was quite easy to sway her. She wanted her revenge and so she will make him go through with the marriage.”
Edna couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “So, Marie kenned about this all along.”
“Yes. She did it for me. It cost her nothing at all.”
“Ye will undo what ye have done. Ye will tell Marie that Emilie is free to marry whomever she wishes. Ye will tell her that ye have lied to her about Matteo.” She then silently placed the thoughts in his head that would work to hopefully change Marie’s mind. She then made it imperative that he speak with Marie about Matteo as soon as she arrived. When Edna released him, he turned away. Everything went the way she planned it. He had no recollection that she’d even spoken to him. Angus took her arm and maneuvered them away to a spot where they could see and hear everything that might occur once Marie arrived.
They didn’t have to wait long. Marie appeared and Concini was at her side the moment she sat down, whispering in her ear. It took only a moment before she stopped him.
She sat back in her throne with a look of disbelief on her face. “Are you telling me that the things you told me about Barbieri were not true?”
“I was lied to, Marie.” He bowed his head as though he were a young lad being chastised by his mother.
“And the things he said to you about me?” she asked.
