John came into the kitchen and gave her a kiss on the forehead. ‘I shall be late home,’ he announced with satisfaction. ‘And no doubt drunk.’

‘No doubt,’ Hester said with a smile. ‘Goodnight, husband.’

They came home earlier than she expected. She was putting out the candles in the rarities room and raking out the fire when she heard the front door open and John stumble into the hall with Ashmole and his companions.

‘Ah, Hester,’ John said happily. ‘I am glad you are still awake. Elias and I have been doing some business and I need you to witness it for me.’

‘Can it not wait until the morning?’ Hester asked.

‘Oh, sign it now and then we can put it away and have a glass of port,’ John said. He spread the paper before her on the painter’s table in the window of the rarities room. ‘Sign here.’

Hester hesitated. ‘What is it?’

‘It’s a piece of business and we need a witness,’ Elias said smoothly. ‘But if you are uneasy, Mrs Tradescant, we can leave it until the morning. If you want to read every paragraph and every sentence, we can leave it. We can find someone else to serve us if you are unwilling.’

‘No, no,’ Hester said politely. ‘Of course I can sign it now.’ She took the pen and signed the paper. ‘And now I shall go to bed,’ she said. ‘I give you goodnight, gentlemen.’

John nodded, he was opening a case of coins. ‘Here you are,’ he said to Ashmole. ‘In good faith.’

Hester saw the antique milled shilling piece passed to Elias.

‘Are you giving away one of our coins?’ she queried in surprise.

Ashmole bowed and pocketed the coin. ‘I’m very grateful,’ he said. He seemed far more sober than John. ‘I shall preserve it very carefully as a precious token and a pledge.’

Hester hesitated, as if she would ask him what pledge John had made to him; but one of the men opened the door for her and bowed low. Hester curtsied and went out and up the stairs to bed.

She was wakened by the bang of her bedroom door as John stumbled into the room and then by the shake of the bed as he dropped heavily on to it. She opened her eyes and saw that he had fallen asleep at once, on his back, still wearing his clothes. Hester thought for a moment that she could get up and undress him and get him comfortable in bed. But then she smiled and turned over. John’s drinking bouts were rare but she saw no reason why he should not wake up in the morning in some slight discomfort.