Chapter I
Where was I?
The eccentric room bathed in a deep shade of red made my body twist, while my pupils tried to focus the rest of the furnished four walls.
The place I couldn’t recall in my memory and its luxury was something new to my senses.
My head hurt.
The bed, as the rest, was covered in gold, the silky sheets that wrapped my body, candidly white.
When I felt half naked I found myself unable to move a muscle and as I realized that I had forgotten everything except my own name, my nausea intensified, even though my stomach was sadly empty.
I tried to stand but my leg was injured, and a clean bandage was wrapped around it.
It was still morning, and the last thing I recalled was snow. Scarlet snow...
Maybe I had injured my head too, and that was indeed why I didn’t remember anything.
I tip toed to the big shelf and took a book, it was about Italian culture and was written in Latin.
I felt like I had read it many times, and knew what it was about just by looking at the cover.
My hand trembled, I wandered if that was my house or if I was just a prostitute taken in by some charitable old man.
I looked around the room. And again.
No sign of an old attire I could’ve been wearing before the happenings.
Just my figure in front of the mirror, wearing a cream silk nightgown.
My skin was pale and freckles embellished my cheeks. My lips a curved pink line. I remembered my name.
When I headed to look out the window, I realized it was in fact a noble property, the garden drew a beautiful rose carpet through its vastity.
A knock paralyzed me and the perpetrator waited for my response.
In front of it, paying attention to the silence, the door opened pushed by a gorgeous, little woman, that referred to me as My Lady.
“Master is waiting for you.” She whispered jumping as she came closer, bouncing her little breasts.
After apologizing for the unexpected entrance she excused herself saying she thought I was still resting.
I smiled uncomfortably, as to point out my nudity.
She bowed, making it seem a very small deal, as I thought it wasn’t, and opened the grand wooden closet on the back of the room.
“Just choose what you like best.” Pointing out the beautiful gowns my mind went blank. I was clueless and maybe that master of hers could’ve explained something to me.
A beautiful laced impero dress caught my attention.
The perfume the cloth was releasing was sweet, but somehow a strong scent, left to stand, then sealed inside the old dresser.
I took it in my hands and the color looked too gaudy for me to wear.
“Could you wait for me outside?” I asked after she provided me underwear and a corset, clearly not used to what I was demanding.
“What about the corset, my Lady?”
She smiled, still maintaining a strong respect towards me.
“I won’t wear it.”
The petit maid looked at me, as I was taller than her. She shamelessly stared at my breasts and smiled again.
“As you wish...” Bowing, she finally left.
After putting on the flashy sangria dress, I quickly turned the golden handle, revealing a long hall as bright as my room in front of my eyes.
The color red was still present in the big wooden furniture, together with greek marble statues, mostly representing female nudes.
On the walls, italian paintings, with ancient carnival theme adorned them elegantly, with luxurious masks hanging right by them.
I looked around and noticed the maid was no longer there waiting, as I thought she was.
When a beautiful piano tune reached my ears, I decided to follow it, forgetting a little about my very first purpose.
Hobbling slowly I continued to go towards it.
As the song got louder and my steps shorter, my hand didn’t shake the moment I turned the handle from the big two doors.
Inside the music room a broad man was playing the piano, a melancholic tune.
It didn’t stop as I stepped in, otherwise it just slowed down elegantly.
The fireplace was out and the cold almost unbearable.
A deep voice started to speak, just when I was about to take a second step.
“How was your night?” The man asked, before turning around.
I winced, as too shocked by the sudden call.
“... It was... Very pleasing but-”
“I’m truly happy, my Lady.” When the man with jet black hair turned to face me, I noticed something was off. Not in his voice, that was soothing and not menacing, he was also wearing normal clothes. A square cut cotton shirt and a pair of beige trousers, but the thing that startled me the most was the eye mask he wore. An inscrutable black one, that matched his hair perfectly. The rest of his strong features was still visible.
I put on a confused expression.
The man smiled as he got up to reveal a big height difference between us.
Stepping closer, he took advantage of my surprise to lightly kiss my hand.
“I gladly contemplate that you’re indeed better.” His big hand caressed both my cheeks, tracing my freckles.
I looked above just to meet his black eyes, as intense as sun rays.
He was looking at me, scanning my every inch. I felt like trembling under his stare.
When I finally managed to speak, and my confusion disappeared, I replaced it with confidence in my strong tone. I stepped back.
“Where am I?” My hostility was obvious.
The masked man’s expression became darker but he covered it quickly with a painted smirk.
“A music room... If you’re interested in the library, I’ll lead you there right away.”
“No, I’m not. Where is this place... Why am I here? Why... Can’t I remember at all...” Grabbing the fabric tightly, I projected my ire on him, that was clearly keeping me there.
The man sat down, tapped his long fingers on the mask and looked at my figure.
" I found you in the snow... In a pool of blood.”
“I-in a pool of blood?! I have no injuries whatsoever. I just feel pain and...” I felt pain stinging my leg and remembered I indeed hurt it, but I couldn’t understand where this nameless man was trying to get to.
“It’s been a month... You just woke up.”
My hopes to recover myself and go home ceased to exist. I was in a state of deadly fear. My head started to spin.
“Why did you take me in, Sir? You look like someone too noble to... Someone who’ll turn their back to a poor dying prostitute. If that’s who I am...Or was.”
His hand hit the wooden table hard, just to interrupt my monolog. I saw anger and discomfort written in his eyes.
“Claire, calm down.”
He knew my name, however I had no idea about who this eccentric man was.
Someone who saved me, I repeated to myself, trying not to rage on the only ally I could’ve had to recover my long lost past memories.
I too sat down on the big sofa and crossed my legs, trying to gain composure. His eyes lingered on my every movement, impatient.
I wanted to see his features. Why was he wearing a mask?
“You know my name? Can you help me recover myself... Sir?”
I asked his, politely hiding my short temper, holding onto my patience tightly.
He smiled sarcastically, showing his polished teeth as I couldn’t take my eyes off of the velvety thick accessory covering the upper part of his face.
“Is my name truly necessary?”
He started to send chills down my spine. Why did he really took me in...?
“I believe it is, your Arlecchino mask is quite intimidating.”
I immediately regretted what I said when pure delight appeared on his features.
“So, I distress you to the point I am intimidating or I just make you nervous in some other way?” When he grinned, my eyes squeezed drifting to general suspicion.
“I will be better knowing your name, and maybe your face.” I started to sound truly irritated and maybe just too bold, but he stepped out of his boundaries insinuating to me first.
I thought he would’ve been cross at me at this point but he chuckled amazed.
“You’re talking to a Duke but you still can’t lower your chin, my Lady. Or maybe you’re secretly an empress and the bold one is me...” When a light shined inside his eyes, he stared at me again, and when I realized the thin cloth I was wearing I felt as almost naked in front of his inquisitive glare.
“Who knows, Sir? I don’t... And I’m really scared about it, in fact. What if my family is looking for me? What if I don’t have one?... Where am I to go?” I tapped my leg until it started to hurt again.
“You could stay here...” He almost whispered, losing the ironic tone he used before.
“But- How am I supposed to stay in a Duke’s mansion? I don’t even know what social status I was from.” The Duke smiled sweetly and I couldn’t help but look.
“You can, you wouldn’t be the only woman in here.” He changed expression and so did my look.
“Oh... I-I...” I knew exactly what he meant and I felt a type of curiosity I never knew in my life.
“You look like you saw a ghost, my Lady... Are you alright?” He was truly making fun of me, like I was his personal jester.
“I would nev-”
I was interrupted by a light knock that immediately caught both of our attention.
When they were given permission, whoever was at the door entered elegantly.
Another short, skinny woman entered smiling, but this time wearing a colombina mask.
The young woman smiled at the Duke and walked towards him, shaking her small hips.
I looked at the scene, a little startled by her lack of elegance.
I didn’t know paramour could behave like that out of the bedroom.
But still, something was truly off, why was everyone wearing a mask?
“So, Claire, please make me the honor to stay until you feel recovered and you remember yourself completely. I beg of you.” His eyes were truly honest but the hand that grabbed the girl’s waist was upsetting me.
“You’ll be treated like a queen... He scanned me again, making the girl beside him very curious about my worth “If you’re not one already.” He smiled and with that, the maid whispered something to his ear and went for the door.
I still couldn’t find a truly good motive to stay. But if I didn’t want to wander around Britain without a clue, I would have had to accept his kind offer.
“I... I guess I will accept your invitation, Arlecchino.” The name slipped out without noticing and he laughed out loud, like a entertained child.
“That sounds perfect, Claire. I hope we’ll soon get to enjoy each other’s company.”
