There is no way out of this basement under the Black Tower. The mighty damp walls are saturated with human suffering and the cold of death. The accusation brought against Cosimo de' Medici by the powerful Cardinal is too serious to hope for a successful outcome. There is no hope. Cosimo faces unbearable torture and a shameful execution. But Cosimo’s wife, the charming Contessina, does not think so. Nature has endowed her with the wonderful ability to play many figures at the same time. What was she up to? Why did she need the love letters that her mother so carefully keeps in a secret box?