Before they sat to eat, Signore Palagio gave Papa the first of his family’s wedding gifts for Maria, carried in a decorated wooden jewellery box. Maria would wear the jewels and clothes during the wedding celebrations and thereafter Guido would take back possession of the treasures. Mamma Lucrezia came closer to see. From within the box, Papa pulled out first a headdress bedecked with peacock feathers, silver pearls, enamelled flowers and gilded spangles. He handed it to Mamma Lucrezia, who inspected it most keenly before showing it to Maria. Then he held up a garland of plumes and pearls, and then two more strands of luminous pearls. Mamma Lucrezia made a noise of delight and Maria smiled broadly. Papa carefully replaced the items into the box.

‘These are indeed beautiful and of great value,’ he said to Signore Palagio. ‘We are honoured by your generosity.’

‘I will expect the first payment towards Maria’s dowry within the day. The rest you may pay in coin and gifts at the time of the wedding,’ Signore Palagio replied.

When the formalities were done, the party sat and Mamma Lucrezia called to the servants to pour the wine. The meal began well enough. Signore Palagio, sitting at the head of the table to the right of Papa, described the countryside outside of Prato where the Palagio villa was located; they hunted deer and rabbits, and had well-established groves of pear trees and olive trees. He talked of Friar Savonarola’s greatness and Papa did not challenge him. Mamma Lucrezia fussed about the table, ensuring the wine was replenished before any glasses were empty and insisting Guido try her specialty dishes. Luna sat beside Maria and ate in silence. Every now and then she pressed her hand against her sister’s and in that way felt safe.

‘I understand you still attend gatherings of the Platonic Academy,’ Tommaso Palagio said to their father.

‘Indeed,’ Papa answered. ‘Though of course these days there is only the occasional lecture or conversation.’

‘More the better too,’ Guido interjected. ‘It is wrong for men of different standing to come together thus.’

‘My son prefers private, more sophisticated forms of reflection,’ Signore Palagio explained.

‘The Academy is a respected place of debate; its members may not all be as fortunate as us but even bakers and weavers can be thinkers. You may be surprised to hear that one of the University of Bologna’s professors will address us, on the publication of Joannes de Monte Regio’s last work, the Epitome of Ptolemy’s Almagest.’

Signore Palagio raised his eyebrows. ‘A worthy guest to be sure.’

‘We are curious men who search for harmony and perfection in the subjects we explore.’

‘Sounds like heresy to me,’ Guido said.

Luna hadn’t noticed his brows before. They hung across the wide space between his eyes most ungraciously.

‘There you are wrong; it is the ultimate contemplation of God.’

Luna listened to her father with pride.