Cazanaro E-Book

alastair macleod

• Herausgeber: BookRix
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2016

Beschreibung

In 16th century southern Italy, a noble woman loses her husband and finds herself under pressure to marry her husband's creditor. She struggles with her unwillingness to do so and with the Catholic rules of re-marriage.

Fate intervenes; Saracen pirates attack the coast, sweeping her and her daughters deep into the conflict between Muslim and Christian.

Leseprobe

Alastair Macleod

Cazanaro

To those thought to be lost BookRix GmbH & Co. KG81371 Munich

Cazanaro

Norman knights, encouraged by the Pope and their own ambition had gradually extended their power throughout southern Italy overthrowing Lombards and defeating Byzantine overlords and Arab controlled territories. Yet while Muslim power waned in Spain it rose in the Eastern Mediterranean after the Ottoman Turks took Constantinople in 1453, Muslim pirates began attacking Christian Greek islands and the coastal communities of Italy.

Calabria. The toe of Italy – the year 1531

Henri of Cazanaro was lost at sea. His ship with his treasure went down in a storm off Bovalino. There was only one survivor, Makario, a Greek sailor.

In the citadel of Cazanaro, Donna Alessandra, first wept then became afraid.

At home Henri had many creditors, expecting to be paid from this voyage. Henri was a merchant; this trip was to the south of the Ionian Sea where he had business with the Knights of Malta.

Donna Alessandra with her profligate ways had been mainly responsible for these debts. She was forever ordering silks, elegant furniture and expensive perfumes.

A few days after the discovery of the loss of the ship, the servants announced there were gentlemen to see her.

In the reception hall of the citadel she was confronted with Don Locri, Don Bovalino, and Don Squillace. Each man had respectfully dressed in black.

Don Locri, taller than the others, with his hair rather long and lank, spoke first.

“We bring our condolences Donna Alessandra, for your loss; it must be a great blow. Don Bovalino here reports that despite much floating wreckage there was no sign of the body of Henri on the shore. We can only assume he was drowned.”

Donna Alessandra bowed her head and wept.

“We regret the passing of such a great man. We three have a particular interest in the loss of your husband." He paused momentarily;

"He owed us a lot of money.”

“I am aware of that,” said Donna Alessandra. “He was bringing the payment with him on board the vessel.”

At this point a dark clad figure joined Alessandra, her eldest, Marietta, a girl of seventeen.

Don Bovalino spoke;

“The Greek sailor who survived confirms Henri was at the loading of the vessel but did not see him on the voyage.”

“What are you trying to imply?”

“Nothing dear lady,” said Squillace, “we are merely relaying the facts.”

“These are difficult circumstances, yet the debts remain,” continued Locri. “The tradition is “blood or in kind”.

“You plan to kill me then Don Locri?” said Alessandra in alarm.