Frankie stood and blocked Mary Woods’s path to the door. “Whatever you do … your work … please start it on my behalf.” The woman turned her head to me in triumph before replying to Frankie.

“Grand ladies promise much and perform little. I need payment before I start.”

“And if it has no effect, do you return the payment?” I asked. I could not credit what was happening.

“It does work,” snapped the woman, “and if the husband is protected by angels, or by devils more powerful than mine, then it is better the marriage is left intact.” At that she simply held out her hand. Frankie did everything on account, she never had coin. She tugged a large diamond from her finger and handed it over.

“My lady!” I protested.

“This is very precious. It is a token of my good faith but must be returned when I pay you the proper fee. Do you wish for coin or a gift?” said Frankie.

“Three shillings,” said Mary Woods, poking the ring down the fleshy fissure between her breasts, whose vastness defied attempts to cram them under lacings.

“Come to me in ten days to tell me how you do,” said Frankie.

“And for payment,” Mary reminded her. Frankie opened the door herself. The washerwoman bobbed a meager curtsy to her and ignored me.

As soon as the door was shut, I rounded on Frankie. “That woman is a charlatan or a witch! How could you allow her here, let alone tell her you want rid of Lord Essex. The penalty for witchcraft is hanging!”

“She is not some poor hag from Pendle.”

“The difference may not be obvious to a jury. You gave her jewelry that can be identified as yours!”

“I had no coins,” said Frankie. “Essex gave me the ring, I never liked it.”

“Your impatience will undo you.”

“Too much patience and Robin will be married to someone else. I do what I have to.”

“You must retrieve that ring and never see Mary Woods again,” I said, almost shouting. Frankie narrowed her eyes at me.

“You’d better be gone before the snow is impassable,” she said. She marched into the cabinet and slammed the door but it was thin and without a latch and rebounded with little noise.

I should have done more to stop Frankie paying Mary Woods that day. I already suspected that her yearning for Robert Carr would lead her to foolish acts that even her love for me would not restrain. I wish with my whole heart that I had fished that ring from between that laundress’s monstrous breasts and chased her out with a poker.

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