didn't appear frightened when you were arguing with that baker about your pretty
Elizabet's dowry."
"That was different. Messer Benedetto had to be made to realize what a bargain he was
getting in Elizabet. He has a very prosperous shop and could make a much better match
for Alessandro. I was worried that if he wasn't totally satisfied with Elizabet he wouldn't
accept Piero." She turned to look at him. "Thank the saints you were there. You helped to
settle it far more quickly than I'd hoped."
"Me?" He lifted a brow. "I said nothing."
"I know, but that didn't matter. You made him feel uneasy and he wanted you gone. I
think you must make most people uneasy."
"I don't appear to intimidate you," he said dryly. "Did no one ever tell you that it's not
wise to be so frank? Many men wouldn't like to be told their presence makes one
uneasy."
She looked at him in surprise. "But you don't mind. You've lived with it so long it's
become a part of you."
"You're very perceptive." He studied her face. "You read people well. I noticed that with
Messer Arcolo and then again with Benedetto. You sought out their desires and motives
and then used them to suit yourself."
"It was necessary," she said simply. "Sometimes our wits are the only weapons we have.
Haven't you found that to be true, Messer Lorenzo?"
"Yes." He was silent a moment. "But I wouldn't attempt to manipulate Lion as you did
the good baker. It might prove dangerous."
"I wouldn't do that. I've given him my pledge." She tried to smile. "But it would make me
feel better if you'd tell me something about Lord Andreas. I've never belonged to anyone
but Giovanni and that wasn't like being a slave at all."
"Indeed? Because he was so kind to you?"
She shook her head. "Oh no, Giovanni is too selfish to be kind to anyone. It's too much
trouble for him. When I was a child I resented him, but when I came to realize what a
stupid man he is it was easier." She shrugged. "All I had to do was give him what made
him comfortable and he would leave me alone."
"Manipulation again," Vasaro murmured. "Taking in three children off the street doesn't
seem the act of a selfish man."
"I had to convince him that it would be a purely selfish thing to do," Sanchia said.
"Bartolomeo and Elizabet are brother and sister and lived next door to Giovanni. When
their parents died of the fever three years ago they had no relations to help them and I
couldn't let them be tossed into the streets. So I told Giovanni how clever everyone
would think him if he took them into the shop. It would be as if he had three slaves
instead of one--and without having to pay an extra ducat for them. I promised I'd see to
it they were no trouble and that I'd share my food with them."
"Evidently you kept your word. You're skin and bones."
She made a face. "It didn't work. There was never enough food to go around. Then when
Piero came to live with us, I knew something would have to be done. I was a slave, so I
could work for no one but Giovanni, and every time I asked him for extra money he
would threaten to throw the children out."
"So you began to steal." Vasaro's tone was expressionless. "That particular bit of charity
could have cost you your hands."
She winced. "I know, but it wasn't charity." They started across the Ponte Vecchio, which
was lined almost exclusively with the shops of prosperous silk merchants and goldsmiths.
Sanchia saw none of them as she gazed into the cloudy waters of the Arno. "They were
my family. I was afraid but I'd still do it again. I was so alone before they came."
"And now you're alone again."
"Nothing lasts forever." She added philosophically, "I would have had to do something to
protect Elizabet soon anyway. She's too pretty and that's a danger for a woman. And
Giovanni was drinking more and more and the business was failing and that meant
Bartolomeo would have had to take a position elsewhere."
"And Piero?"
"Piero... " Her expression became wistful. "I hoped I could keep Piero for a
Elizabet's dowry."
"That was different. Messer Benedetto had to be made to realize what a bargain he was
getting in Elizabet. He has a very prosperous shop and could make a much better match
for Alessandro. I was worried that if he wasn't totally satisfied with Elizabet he wouldn't
accept Piero." She turned to look at him. "Thank the saints you were there. You helped to
settle it far more quickly than I'd hoped."
"Me?" He lifted a brow. "I said nothing."
"I know, but that didn't matter. You made him feel uneasy and he wanted you gone. I
think you must make most people uneasy."
"I don't appear to intimidate you," he said dryly. "Did no one ever tell you that it's not
wise to be so frank? Many men wouldn't like to be told their presence makes one
uneasy."
She looked at him in surprise. "But you don't mind. You've lived with it so long it's
become a part of you."
"You're very perceptive." He studied her face. "You read people well. I noticed that with
Messer Arcolo and then again with Benedetto. You sought out their desires and motives
and then used them to suit yourself."
"It was necessary," she said simply. "Sometimes our wits are the only weapons we have.
Haven't you found that to be true, Messer Lorenzo?"
"Yes." He was silent a moment. "But I wouldn't attempt to manipulate Lion as you did
the good baker. It might prove dangerous."
"I wouldn't do that. I've given him my pledge." She tried to smile. "But it would make me
feel better if you'd tell me something about Lord Andreas. I've never belonged to anyone
but Giovanni and that wasn't like being a slave at all."
"Indeed? Because he was so kind to you?"
She shook her head. "Oh no, Giovanni is too selfish to be kind to anyone. It's too much
trouble for him. When I was a child I resented him, but when I came to realize what a
stupid man he is it was easier." She shrugged. "All I had to do was give him what made
him comfortable and he would leave me alone."
"Manipulation again," Vasaro murmured. "Taking in three children off the street doesn't
seem the act of a selfish man."
"I had to convince him that it would be a purely selfish thing to do," Sanchia said.
"Bartolomeo and Elizabet are brother and sister and lived next door to Giovanni. When
their parents died of the fever three years ago they had no relations to help them and I
couldn't let them be tossed into the streets. So I told Giovanni how clever everyone
would think him if he took them into the shop. It would be as if he had three slaves
instead of one--and without having to pay an extra ducat for them. I promised I'd see to
it they were no trouble and that I'd share my food with them."
"Evidently you kept your word. You're skin and bones."
She made a face. "It didn't work. There was never enough food to go around. Then when
Piero came to live with us, I knew something would have to be done. I was a slave, so I
could work for no one but Giovanni, and every time I asked him for extra money he
would threaten to throw the children out."
"So you began to steal." Vasaro's tone was expressionless. "That particular bit of charity
could have cost you your hands."
She winced. "I know, but it wasn't charity." They started across the Ponte Vecchio, which
was lined almost exclusively with the shops of prosperous silk merchants and goldsmiths.
Sanchia saw none of them as she gazed into the cloudy waters of the Arno. "They were
my family. I was afraid but I'd still do it again. I was so alone before they came."
"And now you're alone again."
"Nothing lasts forever." She added philosophically, "I would have had to do something to
protect Elizabet soon anyway. She's too pretty and that's a danger for a woman. And
Giovanni was drinking more and more and the business was failing and that meant
Bartolomeo would have had to take a position elsewhere."
"And Piero?"
"Piero... " Her expression became wistful. "I hoped I could keep Piero for a
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