“Nothing,” I said, airy. “Twisted little men have twisted little souls, that’s all. Didn’t you know that, my lady whore?”

“I think I will go kiss Laura good night and then retire to bed.” Giulia set down the goat and rose, smoothing stray white goat hairs off her velvet skirts. “I’ll have no further need of you, Leonello.”

“Tonight?” I challenged. “Or ever? I suppose you’ll have me dismissed now. I must say, I shall miss your Pope’s library.”

“Why should I dismiss you?” She turned her head over one shoulder, the same angle of her bare-shouldered tableau of transfiguration. “Just because you’re vindictive for no good reason doesn’t mean I have to be. Thank you for awarding the crown of beauty to Lucrezia, by the way. It was kindly done.”

“The least I could do,” I said. “After that bare-armed simpering of yours made her husband hard as a pikestaff.”

La Bella glanced toward Lucrezia, stricken, and it made me furious. All my insults just so many pebbles bouncing off her grave face, and the thing to pierce her was some hurt to Lucrezia.

My mistress glided off quietly, and I grimaced down at the goat. “Someone should have made you into pie long ago,” I told it, and the wretched creature gave a baaaa and began nibbling my black velvet sleeve.

“Has Giulia gone to bed already?” I heard Lucrezia ask Madonna Adriana, rose-patterned skirts rustling.

“Yes, and in a very poor humor.” Adriana glanced at me disapprovingly. “Leonello was rather unkind to her.”

“It is not polite to eavesdrop,” I remarked to the air, and Madonna Adriana sniffed and drew Lucrezia away from me toward the hearth.

“I didn’t know any man in the world could be unkind to Giulia.” Lucrezia ignored me, leaning her head in to Adriana’s ringletted one. “Even my father—even when he’s furious, all she has to do is wrinkle her nose at him, and he melts. It’s not fair.”

“Nothing’s fair, my love.” Adriana smoothed her former charge’s hair.