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Council of Inquisitors’ investigations. De Amo loved his daughter, and she was his only child. Scoffing, Luis thought, If not me, who else would look after the madwoman lying in the bed? He was sure that the inquisitor would not want his daughter living with him, for at times, she looked as though demons possessed her. Some might even call her a witch … the spawn of the devil. Would De Amo arrest and punish his own daughter? Would he throw her into a prison cell or have her burned at the stake? No, he would protect her, insisting that she was kept hidden in Sagrat’s castle, sheltered by her husband.
    He shook his head in dismay. A healthy Peráto child would have further secured his position with his father by law. Having a grandson would have ensured the longevity and prosperity of the Peráto and De Amo families. And for the sake of his grandson, the inquisitor would have been only too happy to prop up Sagrat’s coffers.
    Sagrat was facing financial ruin because of the previous duke’s mismanagement of funds. Had he thought more about his town instead of worrying about Castile, Sagrat would not be facing its present troubles. He’d been one of the few Aragonese nobles to give his financial support to the king and queen’s war in Granada, and his generosity had been unwarranted and irresponsible.
    Competition with Valencia for trade and fishing rights was fierce. Jewish taxes were diminishing, as each day more of them left the town. Their skills as artisans and leather makers had been critical to Sagrat’s financial well-being. But their businesses were now being shunned by Christians trying to force them out. Even the most respectable Jewish moneylenders had lost their trade, because of a royal decree. Why should the Jews stay? They had nothing left and no hope of a decent future.
     
    Josefa stirred and opened her eyes. Her feverish wild stare bore into him like daggers. He sighed involuntarily, lifted her limp hand, and pressed her palm to his lips. “Are you well, my lady?” he asked her.
    “Don’t touch me. I’m tired,” she said, pulling her hand away and tucking it under the covers. “And I hurt down there.” She pointed between her legs with her other hand. “Where’s my dolly? Where is Pepita? I want her to sleep with me. I want her.”
    She hasn’t even asked about the baby, Luis thought, disgusted. Had she forgotten about it? “Do you remember delivering a son?” he asked her.
    “Yes, it was horrible. The old man that was here said it was a boy child... I don’t play with boys... I only like girl dollies.”
    “Are you not happy? Our son is a strong boy,” Luis tried again. He choked on the lie he had just spoken, but he needed her to hear him say that they had a fine son. Who knew what her tongue would let slip to her ladies should she know the infant was dead. “Rest a bit longer. You must build strength to nourish him …”
    “Where is my dolly?” she said sullenly. “I want her … I want her now!”
    Luis picked up the closest alabaster doll and threw it on top of the bed covers. Josefa began to cry. “That’s not Pepita! You’re a bad man!”
    Luis walked from the room, closing the door behind him. Let her weep. I don’t have to listen to her, he thought.

 
     
    Chapter Four
     
    With a pensive expression, Luis sat in a cushioned chair in his office. The past two hours had passed swiftly, and in that time, Cabrera had been disposed of. He and the town’s treasurer had been the only other two people privy to the baby’s death. Josefa, her ladies, and the guards remained ignorant of that truth, for Saul Cabrera had snatched the babe from the chamber as soon as he’d seen its breath falter. At least he’d done something right, Luis thought.
    He studied David, who was standing before him, and tried to get the measure of him quickly. Secrecy was the key to success. Persuading the young man to do his bidding would require a subtle yet decisive approach, and if he