‘We don’t stand on such ceremony here,’ she said, and Luna viewed her surroundings with a fresh curiosity. ‘Only the Pope deserves a curtsey; perhaps my husband does, when he’s shown me a particular kindness, but even then …’ she frowned and a light smile crossed her lips, ‘I think, even then, he does not deserve to be treated like God’s chosen one. Here, we are all Toscani together.’ She spread her arms wide as Luna righted herself and, as if she’d commanded it, the sun began to drop behind the building and the light about them bloomed into luminous shades of orange and dusty pink. Everything was mellowed and bathed in a warm glow. Here, there was no press of winter just yet. The air was easy to breathe. Luna saw the mark of the Tuscan sun on the lady of the house too, in the honest lines round her eyes and in her warm welcome. She waited patiently to follow her hostess inside but the lady sighed and did not move.

‘This is my favourite time of day,’ Signora di Novara said.

Luna turned to watch the dusk draw in and it was indeed marvellous, but she didn’t want to stand there in sight of so many servants and this stranger’s unknown expectations of her. She wanted to be taken to her chamber to withdraw in private. Already Signora di Novara’s kind welcome was more than Luna could return.

The men wandered out of the entrance yard, their work finished for the day. Luna searched for Livia amongst them but the carriage had already left. Soon the yard was silent save for the scrape of horses’ hooves, and the lady ordered a boy to retire the horses to the stables before it was too dark.

‘Come, Signorina Leonarda; the temperature drops swiftly once the sun disappears.’

‘Please call me Luna, if that is acceptable?’ Luna said, glad to be finally leaving the yard as she followed Signora di Novara up the steps with as little hobbling as she could manage and into the entrance hall.

‘Indeed, it would be my pleasure to address you as one of our family. You must call me Elisabetta.’ She pulled Luna into a hug. ‘May God give you strength, child.’

The embrace caught Luna unawares and a flush of longing coursed through her so violently that she pulled back. ‘Thank you,’ she mumbled.