Page 283 - Revelation

Svetlana de Rohan-Levashova. Revelation

Isidora-4. The Loss

A little while later Caraffa almost dragged me along the corridor with a contented
smile on his face until we stopped in front of a heavy door generously decorated with
patterned gilt. He turned a handle and... Oh, ye Gods!!!. I found myself in my favourite
Venetian room, in our dear familial palazzo...

I looked around dumbstruck. The "surprise" came like a bolt from the blue! I did
my very best to calm my heart, which was about to jump out of my chest; breath escaped
me. Thousands of recollections spun around me, pitilessly plunging me the wonderful
years which were lived through a long time ago and now almost forgotten, which had
not yet been ruined by the malice of the cruel man who for some reason recreated them
here (!) my happy world which had been lost long since... The miraculously
"resuscitated" room was full of every personal thing and sweet trifle dear to my heart!
I was afraid to stir in order not to frighten off the marvellous apparition from my past,
unable to take my eyes off the agreeable surroundings I had been accustomed to a long
time ago.
– Do you like my surprise, Madonna? – Caraffa asked, being enormously content
with the produced effect.
The most unbelievable thing was that this strange man sincerely did not
understand how deeply he wounded me with his "surprise"! On seeing HERE (!!!)
that, which once was the real "hearth" of my family happiness and peace, I wanted to
do just one thing – to throw myself at this terrible "holy" Pope and strangle him in a
mortal embrace until his horrific black soul left his body for good... But instead of that
I tried to pull myself together to prevent Caraffa noticing how my voice trembled and
replied as calmly as possible:

– Forgive me, Your Holiness. May I be alone for a while?
– Of course, Isidora! The appartments are yours now! I hope you like them.

Did he really not realise what he did?! Or, maybe, he perfectly realised everything
and it was just his restless brutality that was "having fun" and, being incapable of
moderation, inventing new tortures for me?! Suddenly the burning thought flashed
through my mind. What had happened to the rest? What became of our wonderful
house which we all loved so dearly? What became of the servants and all others who
had lived there?
– May I ask Your Holiness what happened to our family palace in Venice? – I
asked in a hoarse whisper. – What happened to those who lived there? You did not
throw people out on the street, did you? I hope not, they don’t have any other place to
live, Holiness!

Caraffa made a wry face.
– For Goodness’ sake, Isidora! They are the last thing you should worry about
now. Your house, as you certainly understand, has now become the property of our
holy church, and everything that may relate to it is no concern of yours!
– My house, as well as everything it contains, Your Holiness, after the death of
my dearly beloved husband Girolamo, belongs to my daughter Anna as long as she

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