First of all, I must thank my agent, Caroline Hardman of Hardman & Swainson, and my editor, Shana Drehs, at Sourcebooks.
This book was my first foray into the eighteenth century and involved extensive research. I read masses, of course, and visited many exhibitions and libraries—there’s a list at the end of the book—but I also had assistance from numerous individuals, only some of whom I have space to mention here.
I am eternally grateful for the welcome shown to me by the residents of Wilkes Street: Sue Rowlands, who lives in the house where my forbears began their business—and on which I have based Monsieur Lavalle’s residence—and her neighbors, John and Sandy Critchley.
The textile expert and author Mary Schoeser piqued my interest in Anna Maria Garthwaite and gave me an introduction to staff at the Victoria and Albert Museum’s National Art Library, where I was thrilled to discover the final, unpublished manuscript by the previous curator of textiles, the late Natalie Rothstein.
Richard Humphries lent me several valuable books on eighteenth-century weaving and the Weavers’ Company, and my brother, David Walters (former MD of the family silk company), checked technical aspects of the weaving passages. Martin Arnaud corrected my French phrases and added some colorful eighteenth-century French curses. Mark Bills, curator at Gainsborough’s House Museum in Sudbury, was very helpful and my artist husband, David Trenow, made sure that the drawing and painting scenes made sense. All inaccuracies are entirely mine (see my note on the history that inspired The Hidden Thread at the end of the book).
As always, I am hugely grateful to my family and friends (especially “The Grumpies”) for their unswerving love and support.