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She could see the gold of hot sand in his hair, and the turquoise of coral seas in his eyes. Her gaze took in his tanned brow and cheeks, and the paler shaved skin above his upper lip upon which she could discern a prickling of blonde stubble. A single gold earring glittered in the lobe of his left ear, the kind of ring that sailors wore to pay for their burial if drowned at sea and washed up ashore. She thought of his face against the winds of the oceans as he spoke.
    ‘Manteo returned to Virginia with the second expedition sent by Sir Walter to establish a fort there, and now he’s come back again with General Lane and his men.’
    ‘You mean those whom Sir Francis has rescued?’
    Master Kit raised an eyebrow. ‘We did as they begged after a wrecking storm blew up. Would you like to hear more?’
    Before she could answer, he had clapped Manteo on the shoulder,and ushered him back towards her. Master Harriot followed together with a crow-footed gentleman with grizzled hair on a head that seemed too big for his gangling body. His fingers were long and graceful and wrapped around a cylindrical leather case of the kind that might be used for carrying papers. He clutched the case to his breast as Master Kit made the introductions.
    ‘Master John White, gentleman limner, artist and mapmaker.’ The man with the large grizzled head gave her a short bow.
    ‘… And Master Thomas Harriot, distinguished astronomer, linguist and mathematician.’ The younger man with high cheekbones bowed as well.
    She curtseyed, but her attention moved back to Master Kit as he invited all three to enlighten her about the new-found land of Virginia.
    ‘It is most goodly,’ Master White began.
    ‘Of a vastness beyond comprehension,’ Master Harriot continued.
    ‘… Abounding with fruit and animals: deer and conies, fish and fowl …’
    ‘The soil is so fertile that it yields crops with little toil.’
    ‘… Grapes and melons grow freely …’
    ‘… The strawberries there are four times bigger than here in England …’
    ‘Great cedars grace the hills fairer than any in Lebanon.’
    ‘… The people are gentle so long as treated fairly …’
    She soon lost track of who was speaking, watching Master Kit while they painted pictures in words of promise, and she saw their enchantment as a paradise in her mind.
    ‘Virginia can be likened to a second Eden: a clean, pure land free of vice and corruption.’
    She turned to Master White whose words had startled her, sensing a shiver of affinity running like quicksilver down her spine. A
second Eden
. A land where life could begin anew. What would she give to go there? Her mouth opened just as a puzzling question occurred to her.
    ‘But why did you leave this country if it is so fine?’
    Master White shuffled uneasily, and she felt his tension, supposing he must have come expecting to speak to the Queen and would be apprehensive because of that.
    ‘A settlement cannot be sustained without farmers and builders, women and children. Our New World colony needs workers and families to have hope of continuance.’
    Women.
The word rang through her thoughts; they wanted women. Would they be going back, and would Master Kit be going too? She turned to the Indian, who had barely spoken, wondering whether he thought of his homeland as any less of a delight.
    ‘Master Manteo,’ she began, trying to fix on his dark eyes and not his savage markings. ‘How would you describe your country?’
    The Indian scratched his chin. ‘It smells sweeter than this.’
    Master Kit laughed loudly, and the cheerfulness flashing from him made her smile briefly as well. She wanted to ask more, but Lady Howard interrupted, bidding them proceed to the Presence Chamber since the Queen wished to greet them.
    ‘You as well,’ she murmured to Emme under her breath. ‘Her Majesty has tired of hearing General Lane’s grievances.’
    They swept past Bess Throckmorton, with the French Ambassador leaning over her as if