The Family - Mario Puzo [145]
“And your solution?” della Rovere asked. He had expected Ascanio to come to him sooner, but now he felt the need for extra vigilance, for in a time of such treachery one could never be too cautious. Though the servants were sworn to have no eyes or ears, della Rovere and Ascanio alike knew that a few ducats could bring the deaf the gift of hearing and the blind the gift of sight. For those who suffered poverty, gold could always work more miracles than prayer.
And so when Ascanio spoke, he whispered. “When Alexander no longer sits on the throne as Pope, there is the hope our problems can be resolved. And there is no doubt that in a new conclave it is you who will be chosen.”
Della Rovere’s dark eyes looked like slits of black on his pale and puffy face. “I have seen no indication that Alexander is willing to step down. I hear that his health is quite good, and as for any other possibility, it is known that his son is a madman. Who would chance bringing him harm?”
Ascanio Sforza placed his hand on his chest and spoke with sincerity. “Cardinal, don’t misunderstand. This Pope has enemies who would be grateful for our help. And a younger son—one who has truly prayed for the hat of a cardinal. I am not suggesting that we take a hand in any deed that will stain our souls. I am suggesting nothing that would cause us danger,” he said. “I am only asking that we consider an alternative to this papacy—no more, no less.”
“Are you suggesting that this Pope might suddenly fall ill? A drink of wine, perhaps, a spoiled clam?” della Rovere asked.
Ascanio spoke loud enough for the servants to hear. “No one can attest to when the Heavenly Father will call one of his children home.”
Della Rovere digested what Ascanio said, making a mental list of the Borgia enemies. “Is it true that Alexander is planning a meeting with the duke of Ferrara to suggest a new marriage alliance for his daughter with the duke’s son, Alfonso?”
“I have heard little about that,” Ascanio said. “But if it is true my nephew, Giovanni, is sure to get wind of it, for he has taken himself to Ferrara of late. And no matter how hard anyone tries, he cannot be convinced to hold his tongue. I have no doubt that Ferrara will refuse any alliance that involves the infamous Lucrezia. For she is used goods.”
Della Rovere stood up. “Cesare Borgia will capture the territories of the Romagna, and bring them under the control of the Pope. Ferrara is the last remaining territory, and once an alliance is formed the Borgia will own us all. I am certain Alexander would prefer to win by love rather than war. Therefore, he will push hard for this alliance. We must push as hard against it. For he must be stopped.”
Now, with his family back in Rome, Alexander hastened the critical negotiations for the match of his daughter, Lucrezia, with the twenty-four-year-old Alfonso d’Este, the future duke of Ferrara.
The d’Este family was the oldest and most respected of Italian nobility, and everyone thought Alexander’s latest attempt would surely fail. Yet he knew it must not.
The duchy of Ferrara was located in an area of great strategic importance. It formed a buffer between the Romagna and the Venetians, who were often hostile and not to be trusted. Moreover, Ferrara was well armed and well defended, and would make a highly desirable ally.
Yet most Romans found it hard to believe that the aristocratic and powerful d’Este would ever commit the much-adored heir of their proud duchy to a Borgia—a family of Spanish newcomers—despite Alexander’s prestige as Pope and Cesare’s wealth and excellence as a warrior.
But Ercole d’Este, Alfonso’s father and the present duke of Ferrara, was a hardheaded realist. He was quite aware of Cesare’s military