Chapter 10 - The Fall of the Bellini Dynasty
Within forty-eight hours, the Bellini empire ceased to exist.
Their warehouses along the Calumet River were seized.
Their bank accounts were frozen by federal injunctions.
Their soldiers pledged allegiance to the Moretti flag or fled the state.
The streets of Chicago were calm.
The docks ran smoothly under Luca’s undisputed leadership.
At the Moretti mansion, the west sitting room was cleared of wedding gifts.
The heavy velvet drapes were opened, flooding the room with warm afternoon
sunlight.
In the center of the room sat Elena’s grand piano.
Beside it was a workbench covered in chisels, hide glue, fine sandpaper, and
slabs of ethically sourced polished bone.
I stood by the soundboard, my sleeves rolled up, carefully aligning the action
of middle C.
Footsteps sounded on the hardwood.
Luca walked in.
He wore a soft gray cashmere sweater and dark trousers.
He held two porcelain cups of coffee.
“How does she look?” he asked, setting a cup on the workbench.
“Better than she has in twenty years,” I smiled, wiping sawdust from my cheek.
“The soundboard is pristine. The spruce aged beautifully. She just needs the new
keys voiced.”
Luca looked at the six replacement keys I had hand-carved and set into place.
They matched the original keyboard perfectly.
Seamless.
Whole again.
He pulled out the piano bench.
“Will you play something?”
I hesitated.
“I only know simple hymns my mother played at church.”
May you like
Luca took my hand, guiding me to sit beside him on the wide bench.
“Play for me, Emma.”
