The Coffee Trader

Still following A

The burgomasters had not ruled Catholic worship illegal in Amsterdam, but it was condoned only if conducted privately, and churches must be unrecognizable as such from the outside. Inside they could be as opulent as the Catholics liked, and the wealthy merchants of the Catholic community had been generous with their donations. The church served as a sanctuary as well; though Catholic worship enjoyed legal protection, papists were not well loved by the populace, the memory of Spanish oppression ru

Ha

Perhaps it had been wrong to seek comfort in the old religion, but A

After the service, the maid chatted amiably as they walked down the stairs, but Ha

This was one injustice she ought not to tolerate. She could hardly rebel against her husband, but her maid was another matter. These threats to report her worship to Daniel were nonsense. Why would Daniel believe the girl? He thought no more of her than of a dog.

They emerged from the church and walked along the Oudezijds Voorburgwal with the other worshipers. Ha

“My veil and scarf, please,” she said to the maid. She spoke faster than she had intended, so the words sounded like an order. She took several more steps before she realized that A

“Come quickly,” Ha

“A woman shouldn’t have to hide herself from the world,” A

“I don’t want to take a stroll.” Sharp words began to well up inside her, and she was in no mood to restrain them. The girl loved to tease, to take liberties, to push the limits of her power, but that was because Ha

“Don’t be a prude. I think we should show the world your great beauties.”

“My beauties,” Ha

A

Ha

Maybe the girl only made sport. She would be waiting just outside the alleyway on Koestraat, that impish grin on her face. Should she run and give A

She walked, but she walked quickly. Outside the alley, crowds of handsome men and women strolled along, a group of children loudly played a game with a ball, and some ragtag jugglers performed for spare stuivers along the canal side. But no A

Then she heard the maid’s voice, her laughter: across the canal and moving away from her, toward the Zeedijk. She waved the scarf in the air as though it were a flag of victory; then she began to run again.

Ha

A

Seeing that her mistress had stopped ru

For an instant she forgot where she was, so clear was the image in her mind of wrapping her hands around A