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She shook her head. “In truth, you did me a favor. I moved quickly and took over a number of Caprino’s enterprises. Being a woman, I was not able to assume fully Caprino’s place, but let us say I now possess considerably more power than when last you saw me.”

“I rejoice in both your success and my small part in it.” Lion’s tone was mocking. “Though I must confess I was tempted to slice your pretty throat as I did Caprino’s.”

She stiffened, and her gaze darted to the bellrope across the room. She forced a smile. “Why would you want to do that?”

“Caprino had only one way of learning that our destination was Solinari. Naturally, I put a few questions to him about the name of his informant.” Lion smiled.

“The only reason I didn’t come after you, Giulia, was that I blamed myself for mentioning it within your hearing, and Caprino said he suspected you withheld the information until you thought it would do him no good.

His venom was so great that I was forced to believe him. ”

Giulia let her breath out in a rush of relief. “I meant no harm. It was only business.”

“And you’re an excellent businesswoman, are you not?” Lion took a step closer. “That’s why I’m here. I have a proposition to make.”

Giulia’s eyes glinted with sudden interest as she leaned back in her chair. “I’m always ready to listen to a proposition as long as there’s profit in it.”

“There’s profit. I wish you to draw Damari to Florence. Sanchia said you had dealings with the man at one time.”

“Once.” Giulia made a face. “However, I acted through Caprino.”

“But he knows your name?”

“Of course, everyone knows of my casa. He asked Caprino specifically for one of my women.”

“Do you know what he did to her?” Sanchia asked fiercely.

“It was not my concern,” Giulia said quickly. “The girl made no objection to going. In truth, she was filled with happy anticipation.”

“She could not have known—” Sanchia shook her head. “He is a monster.”

“It was not my concern,” Giulia repeated, adding in a lower tone, “he was not supposed to kill her. He cheated me.”

Sanchia gazed at her in disbelief and opened her mouth to speak, but Lion cut in quickly, “We wish you to send a message to Damari telling him you have Lionello Andreas and his slave, Sanchia, under your roof. Say we fled to Florence and begged you to take us in, and that you hear he will pay dearly to get both into his hands.”

“Why would you come to me instead of Mandara?”

“There is no longer a Mandara.”

“Indeed?” Giulia was clearly astonished. “It seems you have more reason to want vengeance against Damari than I believed. What is your purpose in drawing him here?”

“What do you suppose?”

Giulia nodded. “And he wants you enough to come here to capture you?”

“More than enough.”

“And how much are you willing to pay for my help?”

“Five hundred ducats.”

“It’s not enough. There is risk aplenty.”

“It will have to do. I have no more to give you.”

“I will think on it.” Giulia stood up. “Come back tomorrow.”

“I want your answer now,” Lion said bluntly. “And I’ll have it now.”

Giulia smiled faintly. “You were not always so impatient.” She hesitated, a frown furrowing her wide brow. “Very well, the bargain is struck.”

“Good. We’ll speak more on this later.” Lion helped Sanchia to her feet. “We have no place to stay until Damari arrives. Will you give us two chambers?”

“Two?” Giulia’s smile became malicious. “If you require two chambers, she must not be giving you as much pleasure as you claim. I warned you it would be so.”

“Sanchia has been ill.” Lion turned to the door. “And she is not well yet. Will you give us accommodation or not?”

“Certainly. It will be my pleasure.” Giulia moved gracefully to the door. “Perhaps it’s best that I have you under my eye. I don’t think it would be safe to tease Damari with a prize he wants and then not be able to produce it.”

“You have only to offer, not produce.” A sudden sharpness had edged Lion’s tone.

Giulia smiled sweetly over her shoulder. “A mere slip of the tongue, caro . Come this way. You’ll naturally occupy the chamber that pleased you in the past, and we’ll find something suitable for the girl.”

“I am not ill,” Sanchia hissed at Lion as they followed Giulia down the hall. “I’m quite well now. Why did you tell her—”

Giulia had stopped before a door and abruptly turned to face them.

“This will do for you, Sanchia.” She opened the door.

“I’ll send up a tub and hot water for a bath.

” She sniffed delicately. “That horse odor is quite reminiscent of the way you smelled when first you came here. I do hope you’ve gotten over your aversion to soap and water. ”

Sanchia bit her lip to keep back the stinging reply that trembled on her tongue. She must not let the woman anger her. Lion had said they needed Giulia. “Thank you, I would like a bath.”

“Will you need me?” Lion asked, the familiar frown of concern on his face.

“No, I will not need you. I’m perfectly well.” Sanchia entered the room and slammed the door behind her, immediately resenting the sound of Giulia’s low laugh.

Why was she so angry? She should have ignored Giulia, not let the woman’s manners prick her. Yet there was no doubt Giulia’s spite had disturbed her composure. It was stupid to let Giulia trouble her when she had not done so in the past.

But then she had not known she loved Lion.

And she had not known how it felt to have him inside her body, the hot, dizzy pleasure as he plunged and lifted her to his every stroke.

Santa Maria , her body was coming alive, stirring with lust and anticipation at the thought of the next time Lion would come into her.

Not only her body, but her emotions were being reborn.

She was experiencing lust, anger, jealousy.

Yes, jealousy of the hours Lion had spent in Giulia’s bed.

Jealousy of her beauty and her knowledge of how to please him.

It was clear the woman wanted him still; she had made no overtures, but the invitation had definitely been implied. Would that invitation be accepted?

Lion had possessed no woman since he had taken Sanchia that night in the tower room, and no one knew better than Sanchia that he was a man of strong desires.

Sorrow had emptied them both of everything but tenderness and the desire to comfort and receive comfort, but, if she was coming alive, who was to say that Lion’s desires were not also awakening?

Cristo , and what a damnably inconvenient time for that to happen with Giulia Marzo at hand not only to stoke but to appease his lust.

Sanchia took herself to task—she had been through so much she had thought she was done with petty emotions.

She knew suddenly she wanted desperately to live fully…to feel, to nurture her rose gardens as Caterina had told her to do. She wanted to bear children and know love as it was meant to be.

The Medusa had left her alive and by all that was holy she would live that life.