Letter to Francesca from Vinca - One

To Francesca De Savona

My dearest cousin and friend, you did kindly ask that I send you word upon my safe arrival in Siena. And now I take time to honor that request.

Never have I seen so many people; the streets seem always busy with lord and beggar alike. Papá secured us a lovely villa with a small garden. His paints and canvasses look divine in the upper story with the light streaming in through the windows. His patron, a merchant of standing, stopped to speak with him not long after we had been in our new home. I only heard the voice echoing in the hall for Agneta would not permit me to show my face. Though he sounded a man of maturity with power and prestige. Papá is most fortunate and skilled in his art to have captured the attention of such a man.

In this place it seems Agneta’s displeasure with me is greater than any I have experienced before. It is fortunate that she will not challenge Papá for she dislikes that he teaches me his great work or that he trusts me alone with his correspondence and business. I do believe she is quite vexed that he would permit me to even travel with them to Siena when she would rather I have remained in Piombino with Blasio. And while it is that I have love in my heart for my all of my brothers, Blasio is the least understanding that I yet grieve for my beloved Simon and would arrange for me to wed again before his blood is cool in death.

I have little time to write now but I will make another letter later to send to you my dearest.

Vinca