‘You cannot pay back a friend – though that cheeky sod Vindex reckons I ought to keep trying!’ Her laugh was deep and earthy, a laugh that should have come from someone fat and drunk.

‘I reckon friendship with Vindex costs everyone a lot.’ Flora laughed again, a bubbling sound. She drank a lot, but Ferox had never seen her the worse for wine. ‘I’ll pass today, all the same – unless you have changed your mind!’ He grinned, a rare gesture that always made him look younger.

‘You’re as bad as he is!’ Flora flushed with pleasure. ‘You know I’m retired – and old enough to be your mother.’

‘Would you talk to me a while?’ he asked.

‘Still business, eh? Well, you know you don’t have to ask.’

‘Was Titus Annius a guest here?’

That surprised her and she raised her thin, well-plucked eyebrows. The slave appeared and placed two blue-green cups on the table. A slim girl aged about twelve with thick, mousy hair appeared with a flagon each of wine and water. Flora poured her glass unmixed, and waited for the slaves to leave. ‘Good kid, that one. She’ll have to decide soon which way she goes. Her mother raised enough to buy her freedom, but where would she go if she doesn’t work here? Not easy for a girl on her own and there’s a lot of bastard men out there.’ She drained the glass and poured herself another.

‘Well, that’s as maybe,’ she said after a moment. ‘And if you were another man we’d talk about that and the struggles of life and move on. But you’re not like that, and never give up. I guess it’s not my business why you want to know, and there’s no need to tell me.

‘Yes, the centurion came here, regular as clockwork every third month. Didn’t favour one girl over another, didn’t talk much, but they said he was kind enough – no trouble, he just got on with it. Not like you, singing to them for hours before getting down to business!’ She laughed again. That was another old joke. Ferox had not come here for years except to talk to the mistress, but she swore than when he used to visit he had always got drunk and started to sing. ‘They quite liked it, tell the truth. You’ve a nice voice.’ Ferox could not remember anything about those times and still wondered whether this was Flora’s little joke.

‘How about Flavius Cerialis?’

‘Huh! Trying to be clever again.’ She waved her glass at him, and it must already have been almost empty because nothing spilled out. ‘Well, don’t bother with me because I’ve seen it all and don’t get shocked, and you should know that I’ll tell you what I wouldn’t tell most.