Prelude

In the 152nd year of the Ming Dynasty, Sir Henry Greywood, English trade envoy to the Chinese Emperor’s court, packs his belongings in readiness for the long journey home to England. His eight year tenure in Beijing has seen a mixture of gains and losses. His biggest loss was when his wife Charity died of a fever two years ago, leaving Sir Henry with sole responsibility for his now eighteen and nineteen year old daughters, Angelina and Marianne. Both young women are of marriageable age, and Sir Henry needs to return to England to find them suitable husbands. In his opinion, both women are getting too friendly with local young men, despite Sir Henry’s best efforts to keep his daughters confined. His daughters’ Portuguese governess is unequal to the task of chaperoning them in public. He would replace her if there was a suitable alternative among the few Europeans living in Beijing. Hiring a local woman would be unthinkable ... his daughters are already damaging their marriageability by turning ‘native’.