Several weeks previously, I had mentioned to her my financial woes. It took courage; I feared she would think I befriended her solely for advantage. As a daughter of the King’s Chancellor, I thought she would have little notion of the consequences of debt. Her kind are immune from arrest for it; George and I risked imprisonment if we could not improve our situation. Our embarrassments had arisen, in the main, through our friendship with Frankie. The slight amelioration in her marriage and the transformation of her appearance resulted in other courtiers hoping I could work the same effects on them. As spring opened into summer, I found myself advising ladies how to make their own façades as impressive as their titles and grand houses. On occasion, I was also asked to accompany George. He would let blood and examine the stool; I would offer cordials and suggest a change of wardrobe. In this manner we saw to inner health and outer beauty, and demand for our services outstripped the time we had available. Rather than this vexing our clients, we became ever more sought after. How strange is life at Court.

However, our growing acclaim raised us to more elevated circles, requiring greater outlay to maintain appearances. Our eventual expectation was a knighthood for George and a Court position with a generous stipend, but our coffers were draining in the meantime, what with buying or renting suitable clothes and hiring a carriage in which to travel, to keep our finery clean as we moved between London and the Court at Westminster. The coachman and groom were not in livery, of course, but still they had to be paid. Our other major outlay was gambling. I hated it and so did George, but anyone seeking preferment must indulge. With no wars to occupy our noblemen, they defend their honor with duels and high-stakes wagers. We did not play at their tables but when invited to join a smaller game it was an insult to refuse. A courtier needs a thousand a year at the very least, an earl five thousand, and that is if he has no official position; much more if he has. Hospitality and entertainment, a well-appointed town house, clothes, traveling coach and town carriage with grooms, drivers, footmen, horses, livery and stabling, and gambling; these are the barest requirements for a nobleman and do not include the hangings, furniture, glassware, plate, cabinets, spices and other luxuries that come from around the world to London’s docks and bring additional honor to the homes of those who can afford them.