Dramatis personae

Merchant Supplier

Agent for the Peruzzi Society of Florence. He sells Alice raw silk on credit. He dresses like a prince and speaks English with a thick accent. Alice owes him 12 shillings.

Distant Relative

A widowed cousin twice removed from Alice's mother's side, Cecily kept a fuller's yard in Southwark until her husband's death left her scraping by on his debts. She has a sharp tongue, quick hands, and a habit of appraising cloth by rubbing it between thumb and forefinger before she speaks. Word of Alice's growing trade in silk reached her through a carter, and she has come seeking either work or a loan against future service.

Merchant

A Flemish silk merchant's apprentice who brings bolts of Lucca silk to Alice. He communicates through gesture and observation rather than words, demonstrating a shared merchant's understanding with Alice about quality textiles.

Rival

A wealthy, smug silkwoman who undercuts prices. Wears gaudy wool. Alice hates her.

Alewife/Neighbor

Brews ale from her house two doors past the conduit on Cheapside. Her front room is where the women of the street gather after None to buy a jug and trade news. Margery knows who owes whom, whose husband is straying, and which merchants are about to go under. Her ale is thin but her information is reliable. Alice stops by when she needs to hear what is really happening in the ward.

Complicated

A widowed ale-brewer from Wood Street, three years older than Alice. Steady, self-possessed, maddening. He looks at her in a way she notices and refuses to dwell on. They talk about business. They are not talking about business.

Merchant

An apprentice working for a Venetian merchant who brings damask and other fine fabrics to Alice. He communicates through gesture and nods rather than words, and demonstrates understanding of Alice's expertise in evaluating cloth quality.

Alderman

The Alderman of Alice's ward (Cheap). A Woolmonger. He sets the local taxes and settles disputes. Stern, old-fashioned, and terrifying to cross.

Apprentice

12 years old. Clumsy with thread but eager. Alice is teaching her the trade.

↳ something remains unresolved between you

Friend

Wife of a cobbler on Milk Street, two doors down. Alice's age. Loud, warm, a reliable source of neighbourhood gossip and the only person on Cheapside who makes Alice laugh without trying. She brings hot pottage when Alice forgets to eat. Alice would never admit how much she relies on her.

Mother

Alice's mother, a former silkwoman who taught Alice the trade. Sharp-eyed, critical of Alice's weaving tension, but fiercely protective. Lives in the dower house of her late husband.

Messenger

A young servant or apprentice of Hugo Brewer who delivers messages on behalf of the brewer. He brought Alice word about an ale tasting, suggesting regular communication between the brewing household and Alice's workshop.

Friend/Source

Clerk to the Sheriff. Nervous and sweaty. He provides rumors about the King and Queen.

Guild Warden

Overseer for the Mercers' guild, which increasingly encroaches on the silkwomen's trade. Polite, bureaucratic, and persistent. He has been asking questions about Alice's Italian supplier. She does not like how carefully he smiles.

Merchant

A Genoese silk merchant who visits Alice's workshop with high-quality fabric. He does not speak English, but they communicate through direct understanding of textile quality and trade. He represents a significant source of joy and professional satisfaction for Alice.

Confessor

Priest at St. Mary-le-Bow. Smells of old incense. Tries to get Alice to donate candles.

Neighbor

Runs the cookshop next door. His oven warms Alice's wall in winter, but the smell of burning onions in summer is unbearable.

Merchant

A silver merchant with delicate hands who purchases damask from Alice and commissions further bolts. He represents a significant business relationship and a source of income that brings Alice joy.

Debtor

A minor linen merchant who has a habit of buying on credit he cannot always cover on time. He always has an excuse, always seems genuinely apologetic, and Alice keeps extending him credit anyway. She keeps running into him.

↳ something remains unresolved between you