At those words, Lucia’s heart was tightened. She already imagined Chiara tied to a pole, above a pile of wood, waiting for the extreme torment, to be consumed before the Roman public in the famous square of Campo de’ Fiori. She suddenly felt that the sweat was beginning to rage on her forehead, dripping occasionally in droplets on the sides of her face. She had to be strong and continue to pretend indifference.
«You see, it’s true that young Chiara followed me. And I would have brought her here to the palace with me, to make her my servant, my handmaid. But in Esinante we were victims of an assault by unscrupulous bandits. While I managed to escape from the clutches of those men, Chiara got the worst of it and was kidnapped. I could have done nothing for her, as I would have put my own li
