Chapter 60

“I was in that uncertain age between boy and man when I met your daughter, and my family ages very well. Look at Marco—at thirty-five, he still doesn’t appear to be much past his majority, does he?”

“That is true,” she said.

“I cannot begin to tell you how sorry I was over the events of thirty-odd years ago. I was planning to approach il Conte, identify myself, and make a formal offer of marriage. Unfortunately, Giulietta acted on impulse and went to see her father without telling me what she was about.”

“I can understand that,” she said, “my daughter was quite headstrong, and she could be more than a little impulsive at times. She thought she could persuade her father to do anything, but she crossed a line…. If I hadn’t been down in Siena at the time….”

The Duke reached over and patted her hand. “We both have much to regret.”

“That is true,” she said, “but at least we have Marco, and thanks to your generosity, I still have my daughter.”