Rachel shook her head. "I have not seen her since John took me from Madama Tilia's house." Her black hair was wound in braids around her head, exposing her small ears, made to look smaller still by the large gold hoops she wore in them. Similarly, a gold necklace with a jeweled pendant emphasized the slenderness of her neck. Her arms and hands seemed weighed down with bracelets and rings. The Tartar must be showering her with gifts. "And Madonna Sophia gave no hint of her plans when she visited you at Madama Tilia's?" Friar Mathieu asked it as if it were the most natural question in the world. _My God, what would Sophia be doing at Tilia Caballo's? At a brothel!_ Simon felt his stomach clench. He did not want to hear Rachel's answer. "No, Father. The last thing she told me was that everyone would be leaving Orvieto soon. And when we did, I would not have to stay with Madama Tilia anymore. I begged her to take me back with her to Cardinal Ugolini's, but she said she could not. Later that day John came for me. I never spoke with Madonna Sophia again." She looked uneasily at Simon. Sophia had said she knew about the girl only through the gossip of servants and townspeople. Could this girl be lying about having met Sophia? But she would have no reason to do that. So it must have been Sophia who lied about never having met Rachel. He felt as if a dagger had struck him in the back. And she had certainly never said anything about going to Tilia Caballo's. How could he learn the true connection between Sophia and Rachel without making Rachel suspicious? "That is just it, Rachel," he said. "Things have been happening so rapidly, and I was away from the pope's court and the Tartar ambassadors for months. Sophia and I have not had time to talk to each other or to send messages. But when I last saw her, she asked me to look after you. She cares very much for you." Rachel smiled faintly. Her lips were a pale pink. Her eyebrows were black and straight over her dark brown eyes, giving her an earnest look. "Oh, yes, Your Signory. I know she cares for me." "Are you also from Sicily, Rachel?" Simon asked. "Did you know Sophia's family in Sicily?" "No, Your Signory. I am from Florence." Florence. Florence was controlled by the Ghibellini. "Does anyone in your family know you are here with this Tartar? Is there anyone you would like me to get a message to?" Rachel's eyes widened and filled with tears. "They are all dead, Your Signory. And if any of them were living, I would rather be dead myself than have them know what has happened to me." "Then Sophia is the only friend you have in the world?" Simon waited a moment, then tried a blind guess. "Perhaps Sophia has gone back to the place where you first met her." "No, no," said Rachel. Suddenly, she looked terrified. She shrank back from Simon. _She is dreadfully frightened_, Simon thought. Friar Mathieu was right. Sophia was hiding something. Anguish stabbed Simon again.