I dreamed of him. Every night Garibaldi visited me, always at the edge of my sight, taunting me. I heard his whisper, Anna, soft and deep. I woke in my bed, the memory of his face fading from my eyes. My ears were precisely tuned to hear his name from even the faintest sound. It drove me mad.
Two terribly long weeks later, I was at the hospital tending to a patient when one of my fellow nurses rushed into my ward. “Hurry! Clean up this mess. Senhor Garibaldi is here, visiting the hospital.”
When I looked at the nurse in stunned silence, she hurried over to me, shooing me from my patient. I tried to get out of her way as casually as I could in an attempt to slip out of the hospital without anyone noticing me. I stopped short when I heard voices. Garibaldi and an entourage of people walked into my ward, blocking my only route of escape.
“Dona Anna, what a pleasure to see you again.” Garibaldi bowed.
“Senhor Garibaldi,” I responded with a nod of my head.
“I was hoping I would see you again.”
“I suppose it’s good that one of us is getting their wish,” I snapped.
“It is a beautiful day. Do you think you could give me a tour of the garden? I understand it is quite impressive.”
I opened my mouth to respond, but one of the other nurses spoke up. “Senhor, if you want to see the gardens, I do believe Dona Francesca would be a better guide.”
“No,” Garibaldi said. “I would prefer for Dona Anna to be my escort.” He turned to his entourage. “You will not be needed.”
“Very well,” I said, suddenly feeling every eye on me. “This way, please, senhor.”
I led him out the doors to the garden. When we were out of hearing range of the others, I turned on him. “What do you think you are doing?”
“Asking for a tour of the garden,” he responded coyly.
“Don’t you act charming with me, Senhor Garibaldi,” I said, pointing a finger at him. “I know very well that you have no interest in plants.”
“And how do you know that? Botany could be my hobby.” He had the audacity to look offended. Though the corner of his mouth tilted upward ever so slightly.
I huffed in frustration. “A sailor interested in botany makes about as much sense as a farmer designing cathedrals.”
Garibaldi tried to stifle a laugh.
“Well?” I asked with my hands on my hips, squinting at him in the bright afternoon sun. “Will you give me an honest answer, or shall I go back to my work?”
He looked down and kicked at an unseen pebble. “I can’t get you out of my head,” he said, looking back up at me with large eyes. “Why do you haunt me?”
I took a few steps back, feeling the shock of the words he said. “Most likely for the same reason you haunt me, but it doesn’t change anything.”
“I don’t want to ruin your reputation—”
“Yes, because asking to speak with me in the garden by myself is not going to ruin my reputation. People talk. You have done plenty of damage already.”
“If you would let me finish, I was going to say that I don’t want to ruin your reputation, but I want to work around this unfortunate matter.”
“‘Unfortunate matter’?” I shook my head. “Is that what we are calling it? I will not be your whore.”
Garibaldi looked stunned by my words. “I would never…I have never…”
“I did not mean to be so harsh, but don’t I get a say in these unfortunate matters, as you call them? I wasn’t the one who wanted to get married in the first place. I wasn’t the one who chose to leave my family. A man gets to go out and live the life that he wants, but me? I have to live by the whims of men who want to work around my unfortunate matters.”
“Well then, tell me, Anna, what do you want?”
“Freedom.” I threw my hands up in the air and looked at him. I no longer felt the strength to fight. “You.”
He was by my side in just two steps. His arms were around my waist. The smell of fresh ocean and sandalwood engulfed me. “Then I believe it is time you make your own rules,” he whispered against my lips.
His eyes held me in a trance. I placed my hands on his broad chest. I could feel his heart pounding in time with mine. As Garibaldi leaned down, I slid my hands up his neck, tangling my fingers in his curls. He pressed his lips against mine, drinking me in.
Giuseppe pulled an eyelash’s length away, making me immediately feel the pain of his absence. “The families of the soldiers are camped out to the south of the docks. You should join us there, tonight.” Unable to speak, I nodded yes.
He stepped away, placing his hat back on his head. “I look forward to seeing you again.” He flashed me a boyish, lopsided smile that made my knees weak. I touched my fingers to my lips; they still throbbed from his kiss as I watched him stride away.
Seven
July 1839
I stared at my reflection in the mirror, running a comb through my hair for the third time that afternoon. As I brushed my long locks, I thought over my scheme to make sure I wasn’t noticed. For all that my family knew, I was going to be spending the evening with my respected friends. I plaited my hair in a braid and repeated my practiced speech: I am going to the Da Gatos’ for dinner. I expect to spend the night.
My mother didn’t even look up from the black beans that she stirred as I walked into our cramped kitchen. I made my announcement, expecting to elicit a suspicious response from her, but I got none.
“Too bad the Da Gatos can’t adopt you. Has your ability to manipulate people started to slip?” Maria sneered.
“Go to hell,” I said to her as I made my way through the kitchen.
“You first, sister.” Maria turned back to her mending.
“Oh, will you two stop?” Our mother whipped around, shaking her spoon at us. “I swear, I never have a moment’s peace when both of you are here!” Bits of bean flew from the spoon. “Anna, if you are going to leave, then leave already! Stop causing so much trouble.”
“Why am I the one getting yelled at?”
“Because whenever there is strife in this family, you’re the one to blame!”
I tried to shake off my confrontation with my sister as I made my way to the Farrapos’ campsite. Dirty sailors moved about as they settled in for their dinners with their wives, women who looked as worn out as the men they catered to. It was in the center of the camp that I found Garibaldi, surrounded by a group of friends. Their shared laughter carried over the business of the camp.
What if his friends didn’t like me? What if they thought I wasn’t good enough for Garibaldi? I paused and contemplated retreating. This is foolish, I thought, smoothing the pale blue skirt that I usually only wore to church. Did I really expect anything to come of this? Then Garibaldi saw me. A large, warm smile spread across his handsome face and every fear I had evaporated.
“Anna! You made it.” He walked closer before bending down and gently kissing my hand. My heart fluttered at the tender touch of his lips.
“This is my fellow countryman, Luigi Rossetti.” Garibaldi pointed to the tall dark-haired man standing next to him. I took in his clean, well-tailored clothing, trimmed in lace. He reminded me of a stern schoolteacher. How could he be a soldier and yet be so immaculately dressed? There wasn’t a single stain or tear.