Once more a steady stream of men gathered outside Santa Maria delle Grazie. Some arrived with fresh hopes having been turned away at the end of a day when Leonardo’s time was insufficient to view them. A pair of strapping apprentice blacksmiths radiated confidence as they joked and teased one another. Amongst the newcomers was a handsome teenager Leonardo had spoken to when posting his bulletins in the city.
‘Good morning,’ Leonardo said, eagerly shaking the youth’s hand. ‘Over here by the light if you would be so kind.’ The young man nervously obliged. He had a wispy layer of fuzz on his unshaven face while his fair hair mingled with a red blush hung in tight curls that dropped gently over his neck and shoulder blending perfectly with the pale complexion of his virgin skin.
‘I’m glad yo
