“I must go,” I said to Frankie. I threaded my way through the crowd to the entrance hall and allowed the servants to put on my outer clothes. As I went to the door, a massive hand came down on my shoulder. It was the Dutchman. Each time I tried to leave he respectfully, but firmly, prevented me. Frankie pushed her way through the curtain.

“Sir Robert Carr has gone to fetch my brothers, we will leave together,” she said.

“I am sorry,” I said, half-ashamed not to share the tastes of the highest ranks, at the same time appalled by them.

“I am glad to be leaving,” said Frankie, as she was helped into her cloak.

“They’ve gone,” Carr said, when finally he returned. He looked embarrassed and it was clear that Frankie’s brothers had gone off with queanes or, worse, had won the bidding.

I made to leave but again the giant prevented me. I felt panicked. I wanted to be home, watching the faces of my sleeping children, away from this depravity. It seemed that I could not leave without an escort and no one here would waste their time on a married, middle-aged, middling sort like me.

“Mistress Turner, if you would honor me with your trust, I will gladly escort you to your door. I have a guard of four and my own sword and can offer you my protection.” This was all said without a glance at Frankie. Robert Carr was responding to the distress he saw in me and I was moved by that and was sure that Frankie would be too.

“With gratitude, sir, I accept your protection.”

Slowly, Frankie removed her mask. Her cheeks were pink and she looked pure and vital compared to what we had just witnessed. Carr stared at her.

“I too, would be grateful for your protection,” she said, bestowing on him a smile that was brief but warm. He bowed, I think unable to speak, and accompanied us both home, across the river, to our doors. The gaucheness I felt at my own outburst was soothed by his obvious pleasure in rendering us service, and I was grateful to him. Frankie leaned against me in the wherry, laying her head on my shoulder; she thanked me for taking her from that place.

“I cannot think how my brothers expect me to learn anything from Queane Donna,” she whispered, “except how to stomach crudeness.”