feet, exchanging blows with a great hulk of a man. Foreseeing the inevitable outcome of such a battle, Christopher seized Diego by the back of his coat and dragged him clear, Diego valiantly flailing punches left, right and centre, confused as to who was a friend, who an enemy. Milly rushed downstairs and opened the street door just as Christopher shoved Diego through. Flipping a half-penny to redeem his cloak, Christopher swiftly followed, slamming the door shut behind him.
‘Oh Lord! How can I get them to stop?’ groaned Milly, worried now for Master Rich’s apprentices and Christopher’s friends.
‘Not much fuel left for that fire, my sweet,’ Christopher replied. ‘Don’t worry yourself.’
Sure enough, with a few exchanges of insults that turned the air blue with their coarseness, the scuffle subsided to a war of words as the two sides parted, both feeling they had come out on top.
Diego had fallen on to his hands and knees, nose dripping blood on Milly’s rush mats. He looked like a wild beast brought to bay, quivering with the aftermath of a struggle for life. Milly hurried to his side.
‘Oh, Diego, you’re hurt.’ She gently brushed the tightly curled hair on the top of his head.
He sat back on his haunches, his livery ruined, his face battered. He wouldn’t meet her eyes. ‘Nothing to speak of. Do not concern yourself.’
But Milly was already halfway to the little kitchen to dampen a cloth for his nosebleed. ‘Don’t you tell me not to worry, Diego; I just saw you almost torn apart by those mindless mastiffs. If they want to bait a bear, they should go to Bankside.’
‘What started it?’ Christopher asked, leaning back against the pattern table, taking care not to crush the expensive fabrics spread out for the morrow. He crossed his ankles and examined his fingernails. ‘Fights don’t erupt without cause.’
Diego stood up stiffly, holding the linen rag Milly had given him to his nose. ‘They took exception to my face, sir. That was the only cause they required.’
Christopher reached into a workbasket to toy with a pair of scissors. ‘I regret to hear that, but you must realize, Master Moor, that your presence outside Mistress Porter’s shop at such a late hour will do her reputation no good. If you were her friend, you would leave her alone.’
‘Oh, tush!’ interrupted Milly. ‘Why can he not visit me when he likes? I have Uriah and a houseful of girl-apprentices of my own to keep everything decent – stop being so silly. And what about you? The late hour has never stopped you calling by for supper and a gossip, has it?’
‘But I am not a foreigner, Milly; I’m a neighbour,’ Christopher said patiently, annoying her with a tone that suggested he was explaining something very simple to a slow child. ‘Master Diego’s presence will be remembered, discussed, and his connection to you chewed over by the unkindest scandalmongers in Cheapside. Business will suffer. You are still new here – still on trial.’
‘In that case, I had better go,’ said Diego bitterly.
But Milly wasn’t going to let him be run off again by interfering players who should know better.
‘No, you will not. You ,’ she dug him in the chest with the tip of one finger, ‘are going to come upstairs to my parlour and have supper. You are going to stay until I’ve treated your injuries. Henny and Old Uriah will join us so that no one can speak ill of your visit – God knows they both gossip enough as it is; they might as well spread a helpful rumour.’
Diego dabbed his nose, which was no longer bleeding. ‘Are you certain, mistress?’
‘Yes. Come along.’
With a defiant glare at Christopher, she conducted Diego to the stairs. ‘Go on – I’ll be up when I’ve warmed some pottage for us all. I swear you are swaying like a drunkard – you must be seeing double too.’ She turned back to the player. ‘You are welcome to stay, Christopher. And thank you for your assistance earlier out
‘Oh Lord! How can I get them to stop?’ groaned Milly, worried now for Master Rich’s apprentices and Christopher’s friends.
‘Not much fuel left for that fire, my sweet,’ Christopher replied. ‘Don’t worry yourself.’
Sure enough, with a few exchanges of insults that turned the air blue with their coarseness, the scuffle subsided to a war of words as the two sides parted, both feeling they had come out on top.
Diego had fallen on to his hands and knees, nose dripping blood on Milly’s rush mats. He looked like a wild beast brought to bay, quivering with the aftermath of a struggle for life. Milly hurried to his side.
‘Oh, Diego, you’re hurt.’ She gently brushed the tightly curled hair on the top of his head.
He sat back on his haunches, his livery ruined, his face battered. He wouldn’t meet her eyes. ‘Nothing to speak of. Do not concern yourself.’
But Milly was already halfway to the little kitchen to dampen a cloth for his nosebleed. ‘Don’t you tell me not to worry, Diego; I just saw you almost torn apart by those mindless mastiffs. If they want to bait a bear, they should go to Bankside.’
‘What started it?’ Christopher asked, leaning back against the pattern table, taking care not to crush the expensive fabrics spread out for the morrow. He crossed his ankles and examined his fingernails. ‘Fights don’t erupt without cause.’
Diego stood up stiffly, holding the linen rag Milly had given him to his nose. ‘They took exception to my face, sir. That was the only cause they required.’
Christopher reached into a workbasket to toy with a pair of scissors. ‘I regret to hear that, but you must realize, Master Moor, that your presence outside Mistress Porter’s shop at such a late hour will do her reputation no good. If you were her friend, you would leave her alone.’
‘Oh, tush!’ interrupted Milly. ‘Why can he not visit me when he likes? I have Uriah and a houseful of girl-apprentices of my own to keep everything decent – stop being so silly. And what about you? The late hour has never stopped you calling by for supper and a gossip, has it?’
‘But I am not a foreigner, Milly; I’m a neighbour,’ Christopher said patiently, annoying her with a tone that suggested he was explaining something very simple to a slow child. ‘Master Diego’s presence will be remembered, discussed, and his connection to you chewed over by the unkindest scandalmongers in Cheapside. Business will suffer. You are still new here – still on trial.’
‘In that case, I had better go,’ said Diego bitterly.
But Milly wasn’t going to let him be run off again by interfering players who should know better.
‘No, you will not. You ,’ she dug him in the chest with the tip of one finger, ‘are going to come upstairs to my parlour and have supper. You are going to stay until I’ve treated your injuries. Henny and Old Uriah will join us so that no one can speak ill of your visit – God knows they both gossip enough as it is; they might as well spread a helpful rumour.’
Diego dabbed his nose, which was no longer bleeding. ‘Are you certain, mistress?’
‘Yes. Come along.’
With a defiant glare at Christopher, she conducted Diego to the stairs. ‘Go on – I’ll be up when I’ve warmed some pottage for us all. I swear you are swaying like a drunkard – you must be seeing double too.’ She turned back to the player. ‘You are welcome to stay, Christopher. And thank you for your assistance earlier out
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