not the only thing it wets, if you get my drift.' Luce giggled. 'They'll go home with only one thing on their minds — when can they come back and give it to her properly? She knows her business, does Ma.'
'But Ma said I was only to serve the special customers.'
'Everyone's special tonight, besides, like I say, you don't have to do anything except flirt. You can do that, can't you? And if one of them tries to go a bit too far and you don't fancy it, just give him a playful slap or tell him you're going to fetch some wine and then go and talk to someone else. Mind you, you want to be careful, that can make some of them keener than if you let them have their grope and get it over with.'
Seeing the anxious expression on Elena's face, she added, 'Look, just keep pouring the wine and cider down them; a few glasses of that and they'll not be able to get it up, much less find where to put it if they do. You ever watched a drunk try to get his finger in a latch-hole? Come on, choose your costume soon else the best ones will be gone.'
Luce swept off towards the sleeping quarters where, judging by the giggles inside, the girls were already waiting to claim their gowns.
Elena picked up a bunch of grapes and wandered over to the turf seat to find a place to hang them. It wouldn't be so bad, would it, if it was only what Luce had said? After all, at the feast days back in the village, that's what they'd all done, danced and flirted a little. Wasn't that where she'd first noticed how handsome Athan was, when she saw him with a group of lads at the feast, and observed how every time she'd glanced in his direction, he seemed to be looking at her?
Luce said they came from miles around. Suppose, just suppose Athan was to come here tonight. He might if Master Raffaele had told him where she was. It would be his chance to see her without risk of betraying her hiding place. Elena hugged herself in delight.
Then just as suddenly she was seized by fear as another thought struck her. If Athan knew where she was then he knew she was in a brothel. She had grown so used to living in this place, she had forgotten how it would appear to Athan and his mother, Joan, even to her own mother. Athan would think she was a common whore, that she'd given herself to other men. He'd be disgusted. What if he came and told her he despised her, and that he never wanted to see her again? She couldn't bear that. She couldn't let him find her here.
'Will he come tonight?' a small voice whispered beside her. Looking down, she saw Finch squatting behind the turf seat. For a moment she thought he meant Athan, then she saw the misery etched in his face.
The boy tugged at her skirts. 'The werecat? Holly, will he come back for me?'
It was on her lips to say no, to reassure and soothe the child, but she stopped herself. Once before she had told him everything would be all right, but it had been far from all right, and she knew Finch had been hurt much more by that false promise from her than by anything Hugh had done to him. The slashes on his arms were healing well, but the scars would remain as long as he lived.
She stroked the pale golden curls. 'I don't know, Finch, I don't know if he will come, but there will be lots of people here. Everyone will be together in the garden. You won't be alone.'
'He could still take me to a room,' Finch said in a dead voice.
Elena knew that was true. Whatever Ma's plans, if any man dangled enough money in front of her, he would be able to buy whatever he wanted, she was sure of that.
Finch stared anxiously about him to see if they could be overheard, then he wriggled closer, staring up at her with a look of fierce determination.
'I'm gonna run away today.'
Elena shook her head. 'You can't, Finch, you'd never get past Talbot.'
'I know a different way out. I found it. In the cellars, there's another tunnel. Leads to a gate. It's a way out of here. Talbot doesn't watch that one. He thinks no one knows