Flora chuckled. ‘Perhaps without the pictures.’ She thought for a moment. ‘Might warm her up though, poor thing. Not a lot of joy in her life. As I say – emperor or slave, it doesn’t matter.’

‘Do you know much about her?’

‘You don’t give in, do you?’ She stared at him, glancing at the flagon of wine and then changing her mind. ‘If you weren’t a friend I’d let you wonder. Still, truth is that I don’t know that much, just bits and pieces I hear from the girls or when I keep my ears open. A blind man could see that the marriage is not founded on love, but then how many really are, especially with the rich?’

‘Keeps you in business.’

‘Cheeky lad, aren’t we?’ Flora glared at him and then tilted her head from side to side. ‘You know enough of the world to know that the likes of me will never be short of business. There are some, you know, who are happy, really happy. Take Aelius Brocchus and his wife. Not the brightest, either of them, but they’re well matched and content.’ Her admiration was mixed with wonder at such good fortune.

‘Do you know everyone, Flora?’

‘You know the old joke about the most famous whore in Antioch. They asked her whether she knew every man in the city, and she said no, but there was one part of all of them she knew about.’

‘They don’t usually tell it that way.’

‘Just because I grew up in a sewer doesn’t mean I have to live there whether I want to or not. Now, do you want to know what I can tell you or not? No skin off my nose either way, you’re the one who asked. Good, then shut up for a moment and let me speak. The Lady Sulpicia had to marry him. She’s got a brother in exile and a father up to his neck in debt. Cerialis has money, lots of it, although no one is quite sure how he got it. He’s also got the favour of the emperor – the new emperor – so might help with influence, and he’s a kind man even if he’s only marrying her for her name and her ancestry. He’s a fool, if you ask me, and I speak as a professional, because that’s a beautiful woman, so if I were him I wouldn’t be wasting so much time with whores who don’t really give a curse about him.’

‘Brother in exile?’

‘Thought you’d pick on that. Seems it’s the second time. Was a young officer on the fringes when they caught Saturninus. Might even be one of your victims?’ When the Legate Saturninus rebelled against the Emperor Domitian it had not lasted long before his plans fell apart and he was deserted. The investigations ordered by the vengeful ruler had gone on a long time, and Ferox had spent months examining charges. He had done his best to blot out the memories of those dark days, but some of the faces returned in his nightmares.