"Bessarion Comnenos?" she suggested. "Or Antoninus? Was he not a friend of yours? And Andronicus Palaeologus?"
He froze. "God Almighty! That?" His face was pale.
"Do you know something that could be of danger to someone? Or of use?"
"And they'd poison Maria?" He was aghast.
"Wouldn't they?" she asked. "What was Antoninus like? And Justinian Lascaris?" She almost stumbled over the name.
"They were close friends," he said slowly, remembrance sharpening in his mind as he found the words. "Justinian cared about the Church more than he let on, I think." He frowned. "Antoninus was different. When he was with Justinian, he was thoughtful, loved beautiful things. But when he was with Andronicus and Esaias, he was just like any other soldier, enjoying the moment. I never knew which was the real man."
A shadow crossed his face. "We were going to have a great party the night after Bessarion was killed. Esaias and Andronicus were going to be there. Andronicus planned to have races first-that was Antoninus's idea, like the old days, before the exile. Justinian loved horses, too. He always said we'd know we really had our city back when we opened the Hippodrome again."
"Was Justinian going to be at the party?"
"No. Antoninus said he had to be somewhere else. But what the devil can this have to do with Maria?" Anger darkened his face again. "Just cure her! I'll find out who did it."
It was pointless to argue any further. Anna thanked him and walked away, leaving him staring out across the city toward the western headland and the old Hippodrome.
She turned over everything that he had said. Was the party important? It had been canceled because Antoninus was arrested that day. Had he betrayed Justinian? For what? They had executed him anyway. Or was Zoe right, and it had been someone else? Perhaps Esaias?
What was supposed to have happened at that party? Which was the real Antoninus-the partygoer, drunkard, and lover of horse races whom Georgios had described and she had heard about from others? Or the man of passion and intelligence whom Justinian would have wanted as a friend?
Anna discovered the nature of the poison afflicting Maria Vatatzes-it was administered through the stems and leaves of the flowers that arrived fresh every few days in Maria's room.
Maria was recovering, but it was too late to save her reputation from the whispers about her virtue. Her marriage to John Kalamanos was canceled. His family would no longer countenance it, and he yielded to their wishes.
Maria was devastated. Even though she was almost in full health again, she threw herself onto her bed and sobbed. There was nothing Anna could do to help. It was unjust, but there was no recourse.
Anna had not been long home after what was her final visit to Maria when Simonis came in to say that there was a gentleman to see her. It was after dark, and Leo was still out on an errand. Anna could see the anxiety in Simonis's face.
Anna smiled. "Show him in, please. I expect he has some matter to discuss which is urgent, if he calls at this hour."
Georgios Vatatzes entered in a towering rage. His face was flushed and he stormed into the room, slamming the door behind him with Simonis barely through it.
Anna squared her shoulders and stood as tall as she could, but she was still several inches shorter than him and half his weight.
"Have you discovered something?" she said as stiffly as she could, but her voice wavered a little, giving her away. She sounded like a woman.
"No, I haven't. In God's name, what does it matter who poisoned her?" His voice was thick with rage. "The Kalamani have withdrawn their offer of marriage, as if our family were unclean. It stains all of us. They won't remember it was some unknown poison, all they'll think of was that the word went around Maria was a whore! You let the filthy gossips say whatever they wanted when you could have told them the truth."
"You could have said it was poison," she countered. "I was not free to."
"Who's going to believe us when you wouldn't back us up?" He was drunk, slurring his words. "The poison worked, didn't it? It didn't kill her, but she might as well be dead." He was standing so close to her that she could smell the acrid sweat on him and the odor of wine.
Her breath was ragged. "You could have told anyone you wished to that