Chapter 1
Almost two months after our departure from Milan, we were in sight of the city of Guadalajara, temporary seat of the court. The facade of the Infantado Palace was ornamented with hundreds of small pyramids like a precious bejewelled fabric, its harmonious shapes soaring to the sky and crowned by a series of elegant mullioned windows, friezes and filigrees of such delicacy that it was hard to believe they were carved in stone.
We entered the main courtyard, enclosed by a double row of arches one above the other. Broccardo opened the door of the carriage, offering me his arm.
“At last you can return to life in civilization.”
I thought I detected a note of melancholy in his voice though. We both knew that the closeness and intimacy which had grown between us during the course of
