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Twenty-One

D o you think he will come?” Sanchia leaned over the rail, her gaze anxiously searching the crowd milling on the dock below. “I don’t see him and it’s almost time to sail.”

Lion gently pulled the hood of the laurel green cloak over Sanchia’s shining auburn tresses. “Lorenzo always keeps his promises. He’ll be here.”

“But what if—there he is!” She pointed to the familiar elegant figure moving lithely through the crowd. “He looks well. I was afraid the illness might have lingered.”

“You worry about everything these days,” Lion said indulgently. “He wrote months ago that he had recovered his health.”

“Then why did he stay in Rome? Alexander was dead and he could not touch Borgia after the duke doubled his guards. I thought he might be ill and not wishing to worry—he’s carrying something.” Sanchia’s eyes widened as she recognized the familiar mahogany chest. “Dear lord, it’s—”

“The Wind Dancer.” Lion’s expression lit with excitement. “Santa Maria , he has the Wind Dancer!”

Pain knifed through Sanchia as memories swelled.

The dungeon at Solinari, Piero’s solemn, wondering eyes as he had gazed at the statue in the salon, the Pegasus staring sightlessly at Caterina and herself as they wept for their dead, Damari tying the Wind Dancer on his saddle as he unfolded horror after horror to Sanchia.

Her hands clutched at the wooden rail with white-knuckled force.

“How in Hades did he manage this?” Lion turned and saw her face. “What’s wrong? Are you ill again?”

“No.” She tried to smile. “It brings back so many memories. Mandara…”

Lion’s hand covered her own on the rail. “Mandara’s gone. We’re starting a new life, cara . The memories will fade.”

“Dio , married over four months and still holding hands and cooing like turtledoves.”

They turned to see Lorenzo striding up the gangplank. “It’s enough to make me shudder.” He came toward them, a smile on his face. “Or, as my friend Luigi would say more crudely, vomit.”

“You are well?” Sanchia asked.

Lorenzo put the chest containing the Wind Dancer down on the deck. “Very well.” His gaze searched her face. “And you, my dear Sanchia, are blooming.”

“I’m with child,” she said simply.

“Ah, that is good. Renewal.” He turned to Lion. “I’ve brought you a present.”

“I see you have.” Lion clapped him on the shoulder. “Madre di Dio , how on earth did you get it?”

“On the night Alexander died I went back to the Vatican.” Lorenzo grimaced.

“Or rather Luigi carried me to the palace, for I was not yet myself. Michelotto Corella demanded the keys to the pope’s private treasury the moment Alexander breathed his last and made off with a hundred thousand ducats, together with a fortune in plates and gems, and took them to his master, who was too ill to accompany him.

I managed to appropriate the Wind Dancer while Corella was stealing whatever else his men could carry.

” A pleased smile touched Lorenzo’s lips.

“I understand Borgia was most irate with Corella for failing to bring him the statue with the other treasures.”

“I imagine he was a trifle upset,” Lion said dryly. “Borgia needs every asset he has since the papal monies have been cut off. I’ve heard he scrambled desperately to save his power even to striking a bargain with the new Pope Julius.”

Lorenzo nodded. “I’ve been watching with great interest as he starts his slide to hell. You know that Julius has now imprisoned Borgia until he agrees to give the passwords that will cause his commanders to yield Borgia’s strongholds in the Romagna?”

“You think he will do it?”

“Eventually. But that doesn’t mean Borgia will be defeated. He’s a brilliant man with a will of iron. It takes a great deal to rend iron, but I now have the time to make his destruction complete.” He paused. “I’ve come to say farewell.”

Lion stiffened. “It was planned that you come with us. You’ve changed your mind?”

“Borgia still lives.”

“But you said yourself he’s losing power.”

“His destruction is not certain. I must make sure.” Lorenzo met Lion’s gaze. “Damari’s death was too easy.”

“I assure you he didn’t find it so.”

“He didn’t have time to see everything he had built falling away from him. I’ll make sure Borgia will be aware of every step of his downfall.”

“Where do you go? Rome?”

“Perhaps.” Lorenzo gazed down at the crowds on the dock. “Though I’ve been thinking about returning to Mandara.”

“Mandara!” Sanchia gazed at him in bewilderment. “But there’s nothing there.”

“The vineyard is still there, and the winery. I could build a small cottage.”

Lion shook his head. “You? In the country?”

“There’s an order and symmetry to the growing of the grapes that has a certain appeal for me. The process is much like the bringing to harvest of any bold endeavor.” Lorenzo started to turn away. “The vineyard’s as good a place as any to watch and wait for opportunity to ripen.”

“Wait.” Lion gestured to the chest on the deck. “Take this with you.”

Shock jarred Sanchia. “Lion…”

Lorenzo swung back to face him. “You don’t want it?”

“Of course he wants it.” Sanchia tried to steady her voice. “He loves the Wind Dancer.”

“But I also love my wife.”

“It’s part of your family,” Sanchia said. “You told me—” She drew a deep breath. “I would not deprive you of it.”

A tender smile lit his face. “It’s my choice, Sanchia.

It would please me if you could feel toward the Wind Dancer as I do, but you cannot.

” He paused. “And I will not have it always near to remind you of what you suffered. You told me once that what I felt for you didn’t compare with what I felt for the Wind Dancer.

Perhaps you might have been right then, but you’d be wrong in saying it now. ”

“No, it will be fine. I can—”

“Hush, cara mia.” His left hand reached up to gently smooth the silver lock at her temple. “It’s settled. There’s a legend that says the Wind Dancer always returns to my family. Its return now won’t be by my will.” He turned back to Lorenzo. “The Wind Dancer is yours, if you will accept it.”

“I will accept it.”

“I wasn’t sure you’d want it.” Lion smiled crookedly. “I seem to remember your saying you believed it was a siren luring men to destruction. After Mandara, I thought your belief would be doubly reinforced.”

“I’ve changed my mind.” Lorenzo gazed thoughtfully down at the chest. “It wasn’t really the Wind Dancer that caused the destruction of Mandara.

It was the ambition and greed of men. Damari and Cesare’s ambition and Alexander’s greed.

Together the three of them might have conquered all of Europe.

But in a convoluted fashion, it was the Wind Dancer that put a halt to all their plans.

” He stooped and picked up the chest. “I promise I’ll find a good use for it. ”

“Lorenzo.” Lion took an impulsive step forward. “Come with us.”

Lorenzo shook his head. “You don’t need me. Perhaps I’ll come to visit you someday so that I may learn how fortunate I am to be free of the chains of domestic bliss.”

“You will be welcome.” Lion’s voice was husky. “Always.”

“Lion, you grow maudlin,” Lorenzo said mockingly. “I must leave before you burst into tears and—”

“I would do so, it it would make you come with us,” Lion said simply.

The smile faded from Lorenzo’s face. “That was a foul blow. You…unman me.”

“I love you well.”

“Another blow.” A sudden warm smile lit Lorenzo’s face. “Farewell, my friend.” He turned and strode away from them.

“Stop him.” Sanchia clutched at Lion’s arm. “Don’t let him leave like this.”

“I cannot stop him.” Lion’s eyes glittered moistly as he watched Lorenzo stride down the deck. “He’s made his choice.”

“And you’re too honorable to try to make him waver in it.” Sanchia’s tone was exasperated. “You love him. He belongs to you. Have you not lost enough people who belong to you?”

“This is different. It’s his right to decide.”

“It’s different only because you have the chance to claim him again.” She saw the stubbornness in his expression and grew impatient. “If you’ll not do it, then I will. I will not lose him too.” She took a step forward. “Lorenzo!”

He looked over his shoulder.

“If you will not come now, promise you’ll come when you finish what you have to do.”

“Perhaps.” He turned away again.

“Not perhaps. We do have need of you. Lion has a fancy to build me a fine castle. You know I have no training to run such an establishment. You must teach me.”

“You will learn by yourself.” He continued to walk away from them.

“It’s going to have the finest rose garden in all of France. I’ll need your help in planting it.”

His stride faltered for an instant and then he continued walking.

“If our child is a boy, we’ll call him Lorenzo.”

“God help him.”

“No, you must help him.”

Lorenzo started down the gangplank.

“And if the child is a girl, we’ll call her Caterina.”

He stopped on the gangplank, the line of his spine suddenly rigid. It was a moment before he turned to face them. “Ah, Sanchia, I always did say you were a clever urchin.”

His gaze was a warm caress, embracing them both Then he turned and strode down the gangplank to be lost from sight a moment later in the crowd on the dock.

“Oh, Lion,” Sanchia whispered. “Will we ever see him again?”

Lion’s arms went around her from behind and drew her back against him. “I don’t know.” His lips gently brushed her temple. “You did your best.”

“Because I love him, too.”

They stood watching, still hoping he would return or that they might have a last glimpse of him. They watched even after the gangplank had been raised…even as the ship put out to sea.

“The breeze is cold,” Lion said. “You should go to the cabin.”

It was cold, she thought. The sky was as leaden gray as the sea, and the wind had a sharp bite to it. Not a promising day to start a journey.

“Soon. I want to stand here until I can no longer see the land. It seems strange to realize I may never return.”

“Does that thought make you sad?”

“No.” She hesitated. “Yes. I don’t know.” She nestled back against him. “My feelings change from moment to moment. Only one thing is certain. I want to be with you. All the rest will fall into place.”

The coastline was barely visible now and she had to strain her eyes to see it. Soon it would be gone and they would sail into the unknown.

Dragons waited in the unknown, Lion had said on that night they had sailed toward Genoa.

Well, she and Lion were strong enough to defeat any dragon who dared hurl his flames at them. There might be struggles ahead in that unknown, but there would also be great rewards.

“You’re very quiet,” Lion said. “What are you thinking, cara?”

“Of dragons.” She straightened and squared her shoulders as she turned to smile into his eyes. “And of splendor.”