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
