while." She
shook her head and blinked back the tears stinging her eyes. How stupid to cry now when
she had managed to stay dry-eyed all through their farewells. Elizabet wept when
confronted with any change, and Sanchia had seen tears in Bartolomeo's eyes when they
had left him with Messer Arcolo. But Piero hadn't cried. He had only gazed at her with
those fierce blue eyes and grasped her hand so tightly it had hurt for several minutes after
Sanchia and Lorenzo had left the baker's shop. "But Piero will be safe with Elizabet.
She's very loving and--" Her voice broke and she drew a deep breath. "They'll all be
much better off than they were with Giovanni."
"And what of you?" Lorenzo's gaze searched her face. "Do you think you're better off
too?"
"I don't know." She looked directly at him. "Am I?"
"I, too, do not know the answer." A faint smile touched his lips. "Lion has never had a
slave before. It's going to be interesting to watch his reaction to the situation."
"And you'll like that, won't you? I think you must always stand back and watch as if
we're all players for your entertainment." She was silent a moment and then asked, "If he
doesn't have any other slaves, why did he buy me?"
"I think I'll let him tell you his plans for you."
She grinned coaxingly. "Don't you want to watch my reaction, too? If you tell me, I'll
promise you that my response will be very satisfying."
Lorenzo smiled in genuine amusement. "Are you also trying to manipulate me? You
must enjoy walking along the edge of a precipice."
"I'm sorry." The vitality in her face faded and she suddenly looked like a weary child. "I
suppose it's become second nature. It's not that I mean to... " She stopped and then
continued haltingly, "I'm afraid. He
frightens
me."
"Lion? You certainly didn't act frightened when you persuaded him to provide a
handsome dowry for your little friends. On the contrary, you were exceptionally bold."
"Only because it was something I had to do." She moistened her lips. "He makes me
feel... " She paused, searching for words. "I feel like I do in that last minute before I steal
a fat purse. Scared and trembling but excited too."
"Hmmm. Interesting."
"Help me." Her hand clutching the wool shawl at her breast tightened. "I didn't feel
helpless with Giovanni, but I do with Lord Andreas."
"Why should I help you? Lion is my friend and you're nothing to me." He spoke with
complete detachment.
Sanchia's hopes plummeted. "I can't think of any reason why you should help me." She
paused, considering. "Unless it's because you'd find it more amusing to make things a
little easier for me. A scared mouse scurrying around Lord Andreas wouldn't be nearly as
entertaining for you."
He suddenly chuckled. "You are anything but a scared mouse." He paused. "Lion's fair.
Serve him well and he'll not misuse you."
Sanchia felt a surge of relief as she thought she recognized the slightest break in the wall
that Lorenzo Vasaro used to distance himself from everyone around him. "He has the
manner of a great lord. Is he very rich?"
He was silent a moment, and she began to think he wasn't going to answer. "He's lord of
the city-state of Mandara. He has great wealth but only the one fief. His father was a
condottiere and raised Lion to follow after him. Lorenzo de' Medici gave Lion's father
Mandara in payment for waging war against one of his less friendly neighbors."
"Where is Mandara?"
"To the south. Between Florence and Pisa."
"And now Lord Andreas is the lord of the city?"
Vasaro nodded. "Since his father died some thirteen years ago. Lion continued as
condottiere and maintained his father's armies until he decided to disband them two years
ago and return to Mandara." Vasaro gazed at her inquiringly. "Well, have you gouged
enough from me to abate your fears?"
"No." She sighed. "I suppose you wouldn't reconsider and tell me why Lord Andreas
bought me?"
Vasaro didn't answer.
"I didn't think so."
"Then you shouldn't have wasted--" he broke off
shook her head and blinked back the tears stinging her eyes. How stupid to cry now when
she had managed to stay dry-eyed all through their farewells. Elizabet wept when
confronted with any change, and Sanchia had seen tears in Bartolomeo's eyes when they
had left him with Messer Arcolo. But Piero hadn't cried. He had only gazed at her with
those fierce blue eyes and grasped her hand so tightly it had hurt for several minutes after
Sanchia and Lorenzo had left the baker's shop. "But Piero will be safe with Elizabet.
She's very loving and--" Her voice broke and she drew a deep breath. "They'll all be
much better off than they were with Giovanni."
"And what of you?" Lorenzo's gaze searched her face. "Do you think you're better off
too?"
"I don't know." She looked directly at him. "Am I?"
"I, too, do not know the answer." A faint smile touched his lips. "Lion has never had a
slave before. It's going to be interesting to watch his reaction to the situation."
"And you'll like that, won't you? I think you must always stand back and watch as if
we're all players for your entertainment." She was silent a moment and then asked, "If he
doesn't have any other slaves, why did he buy me?"
"I think I'll let him tell you his plans for you."
She grinned coaxingly. "Don't you want to watch my reaction, too? If you tell me, I'll
promise you that my response will be very satisfying."
Lorenzo smiled in genuine amusement. "Are you also trying to manipulate me? You
must enjoy walking along the edge of a precipice."
"I'm sorry." The vitality in her face faded and she suddenly looked like a weary child. "I
suppose it's become second nature. It's not that I mean to... " She stopped and then
continued haltingly, "I'm afraid. He
frightens
me."
"Lion? You certainly didn't act frightened when you persuaded him to provide a
handsome dowry for your little friends. On the contrary, you were exceptionally bold."
"Only because it was something I had to do." She moistened her lips. "He makes me
feel... " She paused, searching for words. "I feel like I do in that last minute before I steal
a fat purse. Scared and trembling but excited too."
"Hmmm. Interesting."
"Help me." Her hand clutching the wool shawl at her breast tightened. "I didn't feel
helpless with Giovanni, but I do with Lord Andreas."
"Why should I help you? Lion is my friend and you're nothing to me." He spoke with
complete detachment.
Sanchia's hopes plummeted. "I can't think of any reason why you should help me." She
paused, considering. "Unless it's because you'd find it more amusing to make things a
little easier for me. A scared mouse scurrying around Lord Andreas wouldn't be nearly as
entertaining for you."
He suddenly chuckled. "You are anything but a scared mouse." He paused. "Lion's fair.
Serve him well and he'll not misuse you."
Sanchia felt a surge of relief as she thought she recognized the slightest break in the wall
that Lorenzo Vasaro used to distance himself from everyone around him. "He has the
manner of a great lord. Is he very rich?"
He was silent a moment, and she began to think he wasn't going to answer. "He's lord of
the city-state of Mandara. He has great wealth but only the one fief. His father was a
condottiere and raised Lion to follow after him. Lorenzo de' Medici gave Lion's father
Mandara in payment for waging war against one of his less friendly neighbors."
"Where is Mandara?"
"To the south. Between Florence and Pisa."
"And now Lord Andreas is the lord of the city?"
Vasaro nodded. "Since his father died some thirteen years ago. Lion continued as
condottiere and maintained his father's armies until he decided to disband them two years
ago and return to Mandara." Vasaro gazed at her inquiringly. "Well, have you gouged
enough from me to abate your fears?"
"No." She sighed. "I suppose you wouldn't reconsider and tell me why Lord Andreas
bought me?"
Vasaro didn't answer.
"I didn't think so."
"Then you shouldn't have wasted--" he broke off
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