Fools' Gold by Philippa Gregory Page B

buys expecting to make a profit and so the value goes up and up. It could be anything that they are running after. It could be nobles or shells, or diamonds or even houses. Anything that can be exchanged for money – so that its value can be seen to increase. If more people want it, they outbid each other, and the price rises.’
    ‘But one day it will burst like an over-full bladder,’ Ishraq predicted. ‘The trick is to make sure that you have sold before that day arrives.’
    ‘And how do you know when that day comes?’ Luca asked her, and was surprised to see the anxious look that passed between the two young women.
    ‘Why, I was hoping you would know,’ Isolde confessed. ‘We have bought some nobles.’
    ‘You have?’ Luca laughed. ‘You are speculators?’
    The girls nodded, wide-eyed as if they had frightened themselves.
    ‘How much?’ Luca asked, sobering as he saw how serious they were.
    ‘Ten and a half nobles,’ Isolde confessed.
    He made a soundless whistle. ‘How did you get them?’
    ‘I sold my mother’s rubies,’ Isolde confessed. ‘Now of course I am afraid that I will never be able to buy them back.’
    ‘Will you tell us when you think we should sell?’ Ishraq asked him.
    He nodded. ‘Of course, I’ll do my best. And we’ll be in the market every day, watching the prices.’’
    ‘And they are gold, solid gold – we tested them,’ Ishraq reminded him. ‘Whatever happens they can’t fall below the value of gold.’
    ‘Perhaps Luca will win his fortune?’ Brother Peter said, turning to them with a letter in his hand, deaf to their conversation. ‘Luca, you have been invited – actually, we have all been invited – to an evening’s gambling, in a neighbouring palace, the day after tomorrow. A letter of invitation came while you were out. Our name seems to have got about already, and the lies we have told to pass as a wealthy family. There was an invitation to a banquet also.’
    The two girls looked up.
    ‘Shall we go?’ Luca asked.
    ‘I think we have to,’ Brother Peter said heavily. ‘We have to mix with people who have these gold nobles to discover where they come from and how much English gold is circulating. Milord himself said that we would have to gamble to maintain the appearance of being a wealthy worldly family. I shall pray before we go out and when we come back. I shall pray that the Lord will keep me from temptation.’
    ‘For any woman is certain to fling herself at him,’ whispered Ishraq to Isolde, prompting a smile.
    ‘And shall we come?’ Isolde asked. ‘Since I am to play the part of your sister?’
    ‘You are invited to visit with the ladies of the house.’ Brother Peter handed over a letter addressed to Signorina Vero.
    ‘They think I have your name!’ Isolde exclaimed to Luca and then suddenly flushed.
    ‘Of course they do,’ Brother Peter said wearily. ‘We are all using Luca’s name. They think I am called Peter Vero, his older brother.’
    ‘It just sounds so odd! As if we were married,’ Isolde said, red to her ears.
    ‘It sounds as if you are his sister,’ Brother Peter said coldly. ‘As we agreed that you should pretend to be. Will you visit the ladies while we go gambling? Ishraq should accompany you as your servant and companion.’
    ‘Yes,’ Isolde said. ‘Though gambling and a banquet sound like much more fun than visiting with ladies.’
    ‘We are not going to have fun,’ Brother Peter said severely. ‘We are going to trace false gold and to do this we will have to enter into the very heart of sin.’
    ‘Yes indeed,’ Isolde agreed but did not dare look at Ishraq whose shoulders were shaking with suppressed laughter. ‘And we will do our part. We can listen for any news of gold while we are talking to the ladies, we can ask them what their husbands are paying for the gold nobles on the Rialto and where they are getting them.’

Next morning, Freize, Luca and Brother Peter went again to the Rialto Bridge to see