The Wind Dancer (31 page)

"I've heard tales of such a thing."

"You would make an exquisite queen."

Her gaze was drawn once more to the piece in his hand and her cheeks grew warm.
"You're wrong. I'm not at all queenly. The lady Caterina should play that role."

His index finger rimmed the crown on the chess queen's head. "It's true the artist who
sculpted these pieces used my mother as a model, but there's more than one kind of
majesty." He set the jade queen down on the board.

Sanchia's breath of relief escaped in an audible rush and she immediately felt foolish.

"The idea of such a life-size game appeals to me." Lion smiled at her across the room. "I
think we'll play it some day soon."

"I'll not be here to indulge in your fancies."

"No?"

"I told you I wouldn't stay. I told you I was only waiting until I was sure there was no
child."

He went still. "And you're certain now?"

"Yes, my flux started three days ago."

"I must admit to disappointment. I was hoping for a child." He gazed at her thoughtfully.
"Why did you not tell me before?"

"I did not wish... what difference does it make?"

"Could it be that you were enjoying our time together and didn't wish to mar it?"

"No." She ran her fingers nervously through her hair. "I mean, yes. It hasn't been
unpleasant but--"

"And you have discovered you have a liking for me?"

She watched him without speaking as he stood up and circled the table to come toward
her.

"We've shared laughter and thoughts these past days." Lion stopped before her, studying
her expression. "I had hoped you would find something in me to like as well as fear."

"I do not fear you."

"Then why are you standing there barricading yourself against me?" He gently unclasped
her arms that were still folded across her breasts and placed them at her sides. "I've never
cared before whether any woman had a fondness for me, but I find it necessary that you
do." He paused. "At least, you do not dislike me any longer?"

"We have had many pleasant hours together. I found you very... amiable."

His hands moved up to cup her shoulders. "Sanchia, tell me truly."

She felt helpless. If she told him the truth, he would be able to wound her and yet he had
left himself open to hurt. Abruptly she knew she couldn't inflict pain on him. "I have
found many qualities in you to like."

She was rewarded by a brilliant smile. He leaned forward and gave her a quick, hard,
honey sweet kiss. Then his hands were gone from her shoulders and he stepped back.

"No more. You see how tame you have me? Soon I'll be caviling at your every frown and
composing sonnets to your enchanting eyebrows like a true courtier."

Tame? She almost laughed aloud when she recalled how blatant had been his sensuality
as he had toyed with the chess piece. He was tough, amorous, and lusty--and would
always be so, no matter how hard he tried to cloak it.

"I haven't noticed you caviling of late."

"Oh, but that's because you haven't been frowning at me. Can't you see how delightfully
we deal together? We would enjoy our hours out of bed as much as those in it." His eyes
were suddenly twinkling. "Well, a slight exaggeration. Perhaps not
quite
as much."

She shook her head.

"Dio, what a stubborn wench you are. I should never have brought Piero here. He's
obviously teaching you to be as obstinate as he is."

The words were spoken lightly but their very carelessness aroused her wariness. "You
wouldn't take him away?"

He shook his head, his smile fading. "You do not know me as well as I hoped. I don't
demand gifts back because none are given in return."

She had hurt him. She had an impulse to reach out in comfort, but she had already
yielded too much. "I love him."

"Lucky boy. I have to plead for your admission of your liking for me and he's freely
given your love." He shrugged. "Oh, well, I did not ask for love, did I? I suppose I should
be grateful that you're teaching me the gentle art of patience." He turned and strode
toward the door. "I'll leave you now. I can tell you're becoming nervous of me." He held
up his hand as she started to protest. "Why else would you be talking about running away
again? It appears I must return to my strategy of attack."

"Attack?"

"Attack and defense. The oldest game on earth. The game we've been playing all this
week." He looked intently at her. "But the game is almost over, Sanchia. Why not give up
now and save us both time and effort? If you don't do it today, you will tomorrow, or
next week or next month." His voice lowered to compelling persuasiveness. "You like
me. You lust after me. Why not live with me? There would be no shame in it. I would kill
any man who offered you insult. You're a loving woman and, if you cannot love me,
would you not like your own child to love?" His gaze swept down her body to her
abdomen. "My mother says I'm unnatural not to want an heir of my own, but I have cared
nothing for a child before this time." He paused. "Now I believe I'd like to have a child
by you."

She swallowed to ease the tautness of her throat. "No."

"Yes," he said softly. "I can give you a babe to love and cherish. You want a child,
Sanchia. Let me give you what you need."

His words were weaving velvet ribbons of emotion, binding her, luring her. She shook
her head desperately. "There is too much risk to my feelings."

"But the risk seems less now, doesn't it? And, as time passes, coming to me will seem
less and less fraught with danger. I have no intention of giving up when I'm so close." He
smiled. "One night you'll let me come to your bed, and after that I'll never leave it." He
bowed. "Buona sera, cara."

Cara. That sweet, loving endearment he had used only once before to lure her helplessly
into a storm of danger.

Now he was drawing her into danger again and she might be incapable of stopping him.
Because that danger was gradually being transformed by Lion into a semblance of a
welcoming beacon to guide her from the storm itself.

And she suddenly knew Lion was right: some night soon she would be swept away by his
determination and her own tumultuous feelings into welcoming him into her bed.

She turned abruptly from the door and gazed down at the chessboard, her heart pounding
hard. She would be caught, held as closely as the jade queen in Lion's grasp.

It mustn't happen. But how to prevent it? She was his property, a captive in his house. He
had only to reach out and she was there for the taking, and as long as that opportunity
existed so did her danger of yielding.

Yielding. The thought brought a surge of disgust with herself in its wake. She was not a
weak ninny who would submit either to her own temptation or to Lion's will. She took a
step closer to the table and picked up the knight with which Lion had launched his game.
It was time she stopped playing a defensive game and considered what she could do to
save herself.

She set the knight back on the board, her brow wrinkling.

Attack?

Why have you come to see me?" Caterina Andreas leaned back in her throne-like chair
before the fire. "You know you have no place at the castle. I don't want you here."

"Nor do I want to be here. We've discussed this all before." Sanchia gazed coolly at
Lion's mother. "But I found it necessary to seek you out tonight for a reason I'm sure
you'll approve. I want to leave Mandara at once. Will you help me?"

Caterina gazed at her silently for a moment. "Why do you need my help?"

Sanchia laughed. "Why would you think? I'm your son's slave and he will not permit me
to leave him. Don't you think I could use help?"

Caterina's lips twisted. "Could you not whisper a plea for your freedom when he lies with
you? I've heard a man is weak and pliable in his mistress's hands in that moment."

"I do not lie with him." Sanchia added, "Yet."

A flicker of interest crossed Caterina's features. "He goes there every afternoon and does
not come home until after nightfall and you claim he does not lie with you?"

"Yet," Sanchia repeated. She moistened her lower lip. "But he... stirs me, and I won't
deceive you. If I don't leave now, I do not know if I will be able to leave later."

"I see." Caterina studied Sanchia's face. "Then we must be certain Lion doesn't have the
opportunity to 'stir' you again."

"You'll help me?"

Caterina nodded slowly. "I want you gone from here."

"Lion has given orders to all the guards not to permit me to leave through any gate. Can
you countermand his orders?"

"He's gone that far?" Caterina looked surprised. "Indeed, you
must
be determined."

"Can you do it?"

"No," Caterina said. "Lion is lord of Mandara. If he were not in the city, I might be
listened to by the captain of the guard, but not while he's in residence."

"Then can you find a way of helping me slip out of the city unbeknownst to him?"

"That's a possibility." Caterina frowned. "But it will take time to form a plan and make
arrangements. A few days at least. Perhaps as long as a week."

"It has to be now. No later than tomorrow."

"I said it couldn't be done. You must be--" Caterina broke off as she noticed the
desperation in Sanchia's expression. "Ah, he does stir you. Can you not withstand him for
a few more days?"

"I don't know," Sanchia whispered.

"Let me think." Caterina rested her head against the high back of the chair. "Sit down.
Together we should be able to find an answer to this problem."

Sanchia sat down on the stool Lion's mother had indicated and folded her hands in her
lap. Her position was one of subservience and yet, curiously, she didn't feel at all servile
at this moment. The silence between them was companionable and she felt a strong sense
of kinship toward Caterina Andreas.

"Ah, I've thought of it." Caterina leaned forward, her dark eyes gleaming in the firelight.
"A solution that will suit us both very well and turn the good Messer Vasaro's words back
against himself."

Sanchia frowned in puzzlement at the reference to Lorenzo, but leaned forward to listen
eagerly as Caterina started to speak.

"Lion!"

About to go out the door, Lion turned at the sound of his mother's voice. She was rushing
down the stairs toward him.

"You mustn't leave now. I'll require your presence at supper tonight." Caterina had
reached the last step and paused with her beringed fingers resting lightly on the bannister.
"We have guests and it would be rude to ignore them."

"Guests?"

"Only a dozen or so. Messer Guido Ralzo and Fra di Bresgano, Lucretia Montagno and
her daughter, Mona. Messer Della Rosa and his son who recently has returned from the
university at Ferrara."

Lion's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What are you at, mother? You take little pleasure in
entertainments of this kind. I can't remember the last occasion when you invited anyone
to sup with us."

"Then it's time I did, isn't it?" Caterina asked with a bland smile. "It's my duty to the
citizens of Mandara. And your duty, too, Lion."

"I must go."

"Yes, I know. We've seen little of you since you've come home." Her tone sharpened.
"Would it do you harm to sit at the table for one meal with your mother?"

Lion hesitated. "If you had let me know you had invited half the city of Mandara, I would
have--"

"A dozen guests is not half the city." She smiled faintly. "Though I'm planning a more
festive entertainment in a week's time to which we'll invite five times the number.
Naturally, since I've given you warning, you'll be happy to attend."

"We shall see."

"Yes, we shall see." Caterina moved forward and placed an affectionate hand on her son's
arm. "But I think you'll be persuaded to play the host. I don't ask a great deal of you,
Lion."

His expression softened as he looked down at her. "No, you ask very little. You rule
Mandara much better than I."

"Nonsense. I merely devote time and effort where it's due. If you'd give up this playing at
the building of boats and return where you belong, there is no telling what we could do
with Mandara."

"But why would you wish to improve on perfection?" Lorenzo asked as he descended the
steps. "Besides, what could you have here that you don't have now? If Mandara were
larger and more powerful, you'd also have more poverty and corruption." He smiled as he
stopped before Caterina and Lion. "No, Lion is right, Lady Caterina. Mandara is truly
blossoming under your benevolent rule."

"There are times when I don't feel at all benevolent," she said turning to face Lorenzo.
"And this is one of them, Messer Vasaro."

"But I'm sure you'll soon recover to become your usual gracious self." Lorenzo bowed
mockingly. "Run along, Lion. With a hostess so exquisite at the table, your presence
would be superfluous."

"No," Caterina said through gritted teeth. "At least stay for supper, Lion. I will make no
argument if you wish to leave afterward."

Lorenzo looked at her with surprise. "Compromise? Now I wonder why you're
willing--"

"I'll stay," Lion interrupted impatiently. "But I'll leave immediately after supper."

"If you like." Caterina's hand squeezed Lion's arm. "It will be delightful to have you with
us for even a short time. Thank you, Lion."

"As Lorenzo said, no one will notice I'm at the table but if it pleases you I'll--"

Bianca's excited laughter trilled from the landing. Lion's gaze lifted to see Bianca
rounding the curve of the stairwell. "Oh, Lion, is it not wonderful?" She called over her
shoulder, "We're having such a superb time, aren't we?"

"A splendid time."

Lion froze as his gaze traveled past Bianca to the woman now coming around the curve
of the stairwell.

Sanchia paused for a moment on the stairs to look down and meet Lion's stunned gaze.
"My lord." She nodded and then turned to Bianca, who was now affectionately linking
her arm with Sanchia's.