The Family - Mario Puzo [162]
As these forces approached Senigallia, the town quickly surrendered. But Andrea Doria, commander of the fortress, insisted on surrendering only to Cesare.
As Cesare waited for the time of this meeting, he ordered his most loyal troops placed nearest to the city, while those of the other commanders occupied an area farther from the city gates.
At Cesare’s order, his loyal commanders met with a small group of infantrymen outside the gates of Senigallia in preparation for accepting the surrender of the citadel. This group also included Paolo and Franco Orsini, Oliver da Fermo, and Vito Vitelli.
At Cesare’s direction, the party entered the gates to meet Commander Andrea Doria in a local palace, where the terms of surrender were to be worked out.
As they passed into the city and the massive gates closed behind them, Cesare laughingly remarked that the suspicious citizens were taking no chances on the papal army sacking the city while the talks went on.
Entering the small palace, they were led by Cesare to an octagonal, peach-colored reception room with four interior doors, a large conference table, and peach-colored velvet chairs.
The conversation was relaxed while they drank from goblets of local wine the servants had poured. There would be no fighting here, and Paolo and Franco Orsini, Oliver da Fermo, and Vito Vitelli, the former conspirators, were glad to be accepted again, especially to be a part of a campaign that was already successful.
Cesare walked to the center of the room. Removing his sword, he suggested to his commanders that, this being a peace parley, they join him in disarming before the arrival of Commander Doria. They readily followed his lead, handing their weapons to one of Cesare’s aides. Only Vito Vitello looked concerned—for the city gates were closed and their own troops were hundreds of yards outside the city walls.
“Gentlemen, please be seated,” Cesare commanded. “Senigallia has always been a significant port, but it will, I believe, be far more significant after today. You have all richly deserved your rewards and you shall have them. Now!”
On the word, “Now,” two dozen heavily armed men burst into the room from all sides. And in less than a minute Paolo and Franco Orsini, Oliver da Fermo, and Vito Vitelli were tied securely to their chairs.
Cesare, his eyes black with intensity, said, “So, gentlemen. For your reward allow me to introduce my good friend Don Michelotto.”
Michelotto bowed and smiled. He detested treachery. Taking his garrote from an aide, he moved from one disloyal commander to the next, strangling each one in turn as the others watched in horror.
Upon his return to Rome Cesare was greeted warmly by both the citizens and the Pope, who was waiting with his envoy at the gates for his arrival. Since his conquest of the Romagna, Cesare smiled more readily; he seemed as pleased with himself as his father was, and had no doubt that all of Italy would soon be under his rule.
Secretly, the Pope and he had even spoken of turning over the tiara to him, or at the very least crowning him as king of the Romagna. But first he must take Tuscany, which until now his father had refused to allow.
In his apartments that night, as Cesare relaxed and enjoyed the memory of his victories, he was brought a box with a note from Isabella d’Este, the sister of the duke of Urbino, whom he had deposed.
When Cesare was staying at her brother’s palace in Urbino, he had received a message from her, begging him to return to her two precious statues he had confiscated with the castle—one of Cupid, the other Venus. They held sentimental value for her, she had explained, and mentioned nothing of her penchant for collecting antiquities.
But now that she was Lucrezia’s sister-in-law, he had been taken by her pleading, and immediately had some of his men carry the statues to her. In this note she thanked him for his kindness, and sent a little something in return.
It was a large box, wrapped with silken ribbons and tied with golden bows. As he opened it, he found himself