
At twenty years of age, Gregory Fletcher is content with his life, biding his time as a serving lad for kindly, wealthy relatives in Elizabethan London. Sometimes he wishes for a spark of excitement in his staid existence. The occasional glimpse of Jehan Zanini, the handsome apprentice of a local merchant, adds spice to his dreams.
Out of the blue, Jehan is accused of stealing from an aristocratic customer. Gregory fears he may never see him again and is concerned for Jehan’s liberty and even his life. When Gregory gets the chance to help Jehan escape his fate, he grasps the opportunity without hesitation.
Can Gregory engineer Jehan’s flight from London and the authorities? Might he even clear Jehan’s name? And will their adventure draw them closer or fling them apart forever?

Chapter 1London 1572 As soon as Gregory entered the shop, he was transported to another world. The stink and noise of the city receded, and his senses were replete with the scent of heady cinnamon, underscored with cloves and sharpened by a hint of pepper. Beneath those exotic flavors were the astringent, familiar herbs; rosemary, lavender and thyme, their medicinal qualities mellowed by the aroma of sweet rose petals. After the foul miasma clinging to the overcrowded streets outside, the contrast was pleasantly overwhelming. Master Crossley, the merchant, came bustling forward from the back room, a sycophantic expression on his narrow face. But when he saw his customer was youthful and a serving man at that, his smile dropped and with a haughty nod, he directed Gregory toward his appren
