and stopped short. "Santa Maria, what
is that?"
They were crossing the Mercato Nuovo where bankers with ledgers and fat purses sat at
their green-covered tables. However, it was not the bankers at whom Vasaro was staring
but a plump man surrounded by a crowd of snickering onlookers. "Am I mistaken or is
that obese personage peeling down his hose?"
"Oh, that's only a bankrupt," Sanchia said indifferently. "In order to be discharged he has
to strike his naked buttocks three times on that black-and-white marble circle that marks
the site of the symbolic Chariot of Florence."
"How undignified." Vasaro's lips suddenly began to twitch with amusement as he
resumed walking across the mercato. "Lion was worried that you might beggar him. I
must warn him if he does becomes bankrupt, it most certainly must not happen in this
illustrious city."
"I did not ask for so much. It was necessary to--"
"Peace." Lorenzo held up his hand. "I'm not interested in your protests and explanations.
Let me have a little blessed silence for a time."
They walked in silence for a short while until Lorenzo finally said, "Giulia's house is
around the next corner." He cast a glance at her. "I wonder if she'll let you through her
front door. I found Madonna Giulia very particular about all the appointments of her
establishment."
She frowned. "I won't steal anything."
"Your larcenous nature wasn't what I was referring to." He wrinkled his nose. "You have
a great and profound need for a bath."
"I'm clean. I bathed only this morning. It's the--" She stopped as they turned the corner,
her eyes widening in pleasure as she caught sight of the impressive two-story house.
"What a truly splendid casa. It looks as grand as a palazzo. You wouldn't think a whore
could do this well for herself, would you? It seems strange that men would be foolish
enough to pay so much to fornicate with a woman when the pleasure lasts for such a
short time."
His lips twitched. "It doesn't seem strange to me. But then I, too, am one of those foolish
men."
She turned and looked at him speculatively. His manner was so icy, so remote it was
difficult for her to imagine him rutting with one of the strumpets in this splendid house.
"Do you really fornic--"
"I think you've asked quite enough questions for the moment," he interrupted as he took
her elbow and nudged her toward the elaborately carved door of the front entrance. He
didn't look at Sanchia as he opened the door and murmured, "And yes, on occasion, I
most certainly do."
"If you want your little slave girl to be permitted to spend the night here, I think you'd
better come along and intercede with Giulia." Lorenzo stood leaning on the jamb of the
doorway of Lion's chamber. He covered a delicate yawn with his long, slender hand. "I
settled Sanchia's flock in their new nests but I refuse to involve myself between two
quarreling women."
"Where is she?" Lion stood up and moved quickly toward the door. The glimmer of
malicious mischief underlying Lorenzo's pretense of boredom always boded trouble.
Cristo, what was wrong now? Nothing had gone as he had planned since he had caught
sight of Sanchia on the piazza this afternoon.
"In Giulia's chamber." Lorenzo followed him down the hall. "We'd no sooner crossed the
threshold than Giulia appeared in the hall and took offense at your little Sanchia's... " He
paused before continuing euphemistically, "unusual fragrance. She insisted on calling her
servants and dragging the child up to her chamber for a bath."
"Which Sanchia clearly needs."
"But which Sanchia clearly doesn't want. When I last saw her she was being forcibly
restrained by two of Giulia's maidservants while Giulia herself was undressing her."
Lorenzo opened the door of Giulia's chamber. "Ah, I see they have her in the tub. What
wonderful progress."
"Why won't you
listen
to me, you stupid woman? I don't need a bath." It was Sanchia's
voice, the tone almost as fierce as when she had spoken to Giovanni.
Lion strode into the
is that?"
They were crossing the Mercato Nuovo where bankers with ledgers and fat purses sat at
their green-covered tables. However, it was not the bankers at whom Vasaro was staring
but a plump man surrounded by a crowd of snickering onlookers. "Am I mistaken or is
that obese personage peeling down his hose?"
"Oh, that's only a bankrupt," Sanchia said indifferently. "In order to be discharged he has
to strike his naked buttocks three times on that black-and-white marble circle that marks
the site of the symbolic Chariot of Florence."
"How undignified." Vasaro's lips suddenly began to twitch with amusement as he
resumed walking across the mercato. "Lion was worried that you might beggar him. I
must warn him if he does becomes bankrupt, it most certainly must not happen in this
illustrious city."
"I did not ask for so much. It was necessary to--"
"Peace." Lorenzo held up his hand. "I'm not interested in your protests and explanations.
Let me have a little blessed silence for a time."
They walked in silence for a short while until Lorenzo finally said, "Giulia's house is
around the next corner." He cast a glance at her. "I wonder if she'll let you through her
front door. I found Madonna Giulia very particular about all the appointments of her
establishment."
She frowned. "I won't steal anything."
"Your larcenous nature wasn't what I was referring to." He wrinkled his nose. "You have
a great and profound need for a bath."
"I'm clean. I bathed only this morning. It's the--" She stopped as they turned the corner,
her eyes widening in pleasure as she caught sight of the impressive two-story house.
"What a truly splendid casa. It looks as grand as a palazzo. You wouldn't think a whore
could do this well for herself, would you? It seems strange that men would be foolish
enough to pay so much to fornicate with a woman when the pleasure lasts for such a
short time."
His lips twitched. "It doesn't seem strange to me. But then I, too, am one of those foolish
men."
She turned and looked at him speculatively. His manner was so icy, so remote it was
difficult for her to imagine him rutting with one of the strumpets in this splendid house.
"Do you really fornic--"
"I think you've asked quite enough questions for the moment," he interrupted as he took
her elbow and nudged her toward the elaborately carved door of the front entrance. He
didn't look at Sanchia as he opened the door and murmured, "And yes, on occasion, I
most certainly do."
"If you want your little slave girl to be permitted to spend the night here, I think you'd
better come along and intercede with Giulia." Lorenzo stood leaning on the jamb of the
doorway of Lion's chamber. He covered a delicate yawn with his long, slender hand. "I
settled Sanchia's flock in their new nests but I refuse to involve myself between two
quarreling women."
"Where is she?" Lion stood up and moved quickly toward the door. The glimmer of
malicious mischief underlying Lorenzo's pretense of boredom always boded trouble.
Cristo, what was wrong now? Nothing had gone as he had planned since he had caught
sight of Sanchia on the piazza this afternoon.
"In Giulia's chamber." Lorenzo followed him down the hall. "We'd no sooner crossed the
threshold than Giulia appeared in the hall and took offense at your little Sanchia's... " He
paused before continuing euphemistically, "unusual fragrance. She insisted on calling her
servants and dragging the child up to her chamber for a bath."
"Which Sanchia clearly needs."
"But which Sanchia clearly doesn't want. When I last saw her she was being forcibly
restrained by two of Giulia's maidservants while Giulia herself was undressing her."
Lorenzo opened the door of Giulia's chamber. "Ah, I see they have her in the tub. What
wonderful progress."
"Why won't you
listen
to me, you stupid woman? I don't need a bath." It was Sanchia's
voice, the tone almost as fierce as when she had spoken to Giovanni.
Lion strode into the
Similar Books
