CHAPTER 2
Susannah
I rang for the maid as soon as Raphael left me. I was extremely hungry now the first part of my craving had been withheld. I smiled thinking of him, knowing there would be time later. I felt heat on my face, imagining it. Jesu, how I love him.
Maria helped me dress and pinned-up my hair. She was my height but heavily built with thick black hair scraped into a tight bun. As she had accompanied Raphael’s mother from Florence, it seemed easier to make use of her skills as a lady’s maid rather than try to find a girl myself. Though she spoke little English and I less Italian, we managed with smiles and goodwill and Raphael’s help when he was there. Perhaps my previous maid Bess’s betrayal, which had nearly cost the life of my dearest friend and Penny’s father, Sam Carter,
