" I wish I were a man,” Cass burst out. “Or a courtesan, even. At least then I’d have some control over my own life.”
“A courtesan?” Mada’s voice sharpened to a screech. “You must be joking. They’re no better than common whores. Today I passed the Rialto Bridge only to see some courtesan’s stays dangling from a mooring post. I can only imagine how they got there.”
Cass turned bright red. She had assumed her stays had ended up in the canal, not looped around a post for the whole world to see.
Mada took her embarrassment for surprise. “Yes, that’s right. There’s a little more to being a courtesan than control. Honestly, Cass, you should feel lucky that you won’t have to wait an eternity to start your married life like me.” She sighed dramatically.
“But what about love?” Cass blurted out, her mind returning to the kiss she had shared with Falco. A warmth bloomed inside her and spread throughout her limbs. How could a feeling so powerful be wrong? "

― Fiona Paul , Venom (Secrets of the Eternal Rose, #1)