Chapter Seven

The mother is excited to give Emerenzian his first lesson. But she is surprised at how excited she really is. Maybe it is because of how she will be doing a one-on-one interaction with someone who wants her help.

Mariaisabella has to keep her guard up though. She has been used before. Back when her husband still kept her around, his associates and their wives would pretend to like her. They did this so that they could get close to Stronzo.

Sometimes it would work, and sometimes it wouldn't. However, during those times of deception, Mariaisabella thought that she actually made friends.

But after being used over and over again, she decided to stop interacting with her husband's associates. This made Stronzo mad, and he punished her severely. After this, the couple started to distance themselves.

But she can tell that Emerenzian is different. He seems so kind. And although she only met him a few days ago, he has a kind aura.

A knock on her door alerts his arrival. She opens the door and smiles. Emerenzian really does look like his father with the exception of his hazel eyes and freckles. He seems nervous and is wearing more formal attire.

"Emerenzian, come in. We will start by learning the alphabet and then do some common words. Does that sound good?" Mariaisabella asks. Emerenzian responds with a nod and enters the house. They walk up the stairs to the upper floor and enter the office.

Mariaisabela internally smiles as the boy marvels around the home's decor. If he loves the home so much, then he would adore the castle. Both of them sit at the sitting table with the seats on the opposite ends. The woman clears her throat and begins.

"Now, Emerenzian. Before we start, you must tell me how much you know," Mariaisabella informs. She doesn't want to sound too forward, but it will help him in the long run.

"I am familiar with a few letters in the alphabet. But words are still too complicated," Emerenzian admits. He never had the luxury of reading or writing. But he didn't need that when working on the farm or trading in the market.

They spend the next hour going over the Italian alphabet. Although he struggles, he is getting the hang of it. Mariaisabella might go on and say that he is a fast learner.

During the lesson, their seats shift the two closer together. And soon, they are right against each other. Every so often, Emerenzian will brush himself onto the mother. The woman will feel tingles from every touch from the young farmer.

It was distracting to Mariaisabella. She has never been so intimate and close to anyone except her husband and children. The older woman would glance to her side, and see him smile as he focused on pronouncing the letters on the page.

It feels good to help. No other person gave the woman a chance in the castle. So seeing Emerenzian be excited to learn from her made her feel useful.

She enjoys this feeling.

Once they finish, they decide to take a break. Mariaisabella gets up to get both of them refreshments. But the woman abruptly stops her tracks when her foot goes through the rotting wood floor.

Mariaisabella screams obscenities, catching the attention of the young man.

"What is the matter?" Emerenzian asks behind her. The mother turns her head, and with an annoyed face, and directs her hands into the stuck foot. The young man immediately stands and kneels in front of her.

Mariaisabella watches with appreciative eyes as the young man carefully pulls out her foot. As the mother inspects her foot, Emerenziano presses his palm around the hole.

"Mariaisabella, your floor in your office is rotting. I don't mind fixing for you," Emerenzian offers. Guilt settles into Mariaisabella's chest. She doesn't want him to work when he is spending his time learning.

"It is fine, Emerenzian. I don't want to make you work while I teach you," Mariaisabella insists. The young man looks up and smiles, making the woman feel a little less guilty.

"How about we make a deal. While you teach me, I will help fix the home. What do you say?" Emerenzian stands up and walks towards the mother. With a small nod, Mariaisabella seals the deal.

Both of them spend the rest of the lesson downstairs. They manage to go over the Italian alphabet with flying colors. Once they are done, Mariaisabella walks Emerenzian to the door.

"Emerenzian, you do not need to wear your best clothing for me. You did a great job with the alphabet, and we will now go through reading Italian," Mariaisabella reassures. The kind man is going above and beyond to impress her. But she is happy to help.

Emerenzian does something that surprises her; he hugs the woman. Even though the woman hesitates, she slowly wraps her arms around the tall man. And for some reason, it feels right to be in his arms.

No one, except for her daughters, has ever given the woman a hug. Mariaisabella feels so safe in his arms and it reminds her of her dreams in the fields. Mariaisabella wants to stay in his arms forever, but they eventually break the hug.

Emerenzian opens the door and with a wave, returns home to the farm.

Mariaisabella closes the door and leans against the wooden frame. She can feel her face heat up. The handsome man is making the mother feel emotions that she didn't know she had.

Little does she know, it is only the beginning.