Madonna of the Seven Hills by Jean Plaidy Page B

gown, and her lips were faintly carmined. Lucrezia prayed the Cardinal would not notice.
    Giulia, reckless as she was, flushed and with her golden hair falling in tumbled curls about her shoulders, looked a little apprehensive as she came slowly toward them.
    “My father,” said Lucrezia quickly, “this is Giulia who is to marry Orsino. She meant no harm, I do assure you.”
    The Cardinal said: “I believe she did mean harm. She looks full of mischief.”
    “Oh no …” began Lucrezia; and then she stopped, realizing that her father was not at all angry.
    “Come, my child,” he said, “you do not need my daughter to speak for you. I pray you, speak for yourself.”
    Giulia ran to him and knelt. She lifted those wonderful blue eyes of hers to his face, and she was smiling that confident smile which said clearly that she did not believe anyone could really be annoyed with her, if only because of her enchanting presence.
    “So you are to marry Orsino,” said the Cardinal. “My poor child! Do you love the young man?”
    “I love Rome, Your Eminence,” said Giulia, “and the people I meet in Rome.”
    The Cardinal laughed. To Lucrezia’s great relief she knew now that, far from being angry, he was pleased.
    “On these occasions when I visit Lucrezia,” he explained to Giulia as though she were one of his family, “there is no ceremony. I will have it thus. Come, you shall sit on one side of me, Lucrezia on the other, and we will talk to each other of Rome … and the people we meet in Rome.…”
    “You are gracious to me, Your Eminence,” said Giulia with a demureness which did not ring true. “I fear I have behaved very badly.”
    “My child, you are charming enough to dispense with that etiquette which others less fortunate must sustain.”
    Lucrezia noticed, as they sat together laughing and talking, that her father turned more often to Giulia than to herself.
    She was too astonished to feel jealousy.
    And it was thus that Adriana found them.

    Strangely enough Adriana did not appear to be angry, and much to Lucrezia’s relief and astonishment nothing was said about Giulia’s alarmingly bold action.
    Giulia herself seemed to change subtly; she was more subdued and, when Lucrezia tried to talk to her about Roderigo, Giulia seemed lesscommunicative than usual. Yes, she replied to Lucrezia’s insistence, she did think the Cardinal was a very fine man. The finest man she had ever seen? demanded Lucrezia, who always enjoyed hearing compliments about her family. It might well be so, admitted Giulia.
    She would say no more than that and, during the whole of that day, she seemed to withdraw herself from Lucrezia so that the little girl could not help feeling uneasy.
    And when on the following day, hearing the sound of horses’ hoofs, she looked out from her window, and saw the Cardinal riding away from the palace, her first impulse was to call him, but that of course would be undignified. He had come alone, which was unusual, and he had not seen her which was more unusual still. For what reason would he come to Monte Giordano if it were not to see his little daughter?
    It was bewildering. Then Lucrezia thought she understood. Certainly he could not allow Giulia’s boldness of the previous day to go unpunished. Because he was gentle by nature and hated to be present when it was necessary to punish, he had not scolded Giulia but had pretended to be pleased by her company. That was entirely due to his courteous manners; but now he had come back to talk seriously to Adriana; he had come to complain and ask how such a minx as Giulia could possibly be a fit companion for his daughter.
    Lucrezia’s bewilderment turned to misery. She felt sure that very soon she would be deprived of Giulia’s bright company.

    Giulia was gay . She was wearing a new necklace set with emeralds and rubies.
    “But it is exquisite workmanship,” cried Lucrezia. “You possessed such a treasure and did not show it to me