‘Er, please allow me.’ He smiled, attempting to affect some manners. He opened the door and ducked under the frame. His small party followed. The warm smoky fug wrapped itself around the new arrivals and the glow from a fire and several tallow lamps seemed quite brilliant after the darkness of the alley. A few heads turned to inspect the new arrivals and Cato saw that many of the customers were off-duty legionaries, dressed in thick red military tunics and cloaks.

‘Put the wood in the hole!’ someone shouted. ‘Before we all fucking freeze.’

‘Watch it!’ Macro shouted back angrily. ‘There are ladies present!’

A chorus of hoots sounded from the other customers.

‘We already know!’ A legionary nearby laughed as he goosed a passing bar woman carrying an armful of empty pitchers. She yelped, and spun round to deliver a stinging blow before skipping off to the counter at the far end of the alehouse. The legionary rubbed his glowing cheek and laughed again.

‘And you recommend this place?’ Boudica muttered.

‘Give it a chance. I had a great time here the other night. It has atmosphere, wouldn’t you say?’

‘It certainly has an atmosphere,’ said Cato. ‘Wonder how long it’ll take before a fight breaks out.’

His centurion shot him a dark look before turning to the two women. ‘What’ll you have, ladies?’

‘A seat,’ Boudica responded tartly. ‘A seat will do nicely, for now.’

Macro shrugged. ‘See to it, Cato. Find somewhere quiet. I’ll get the drinks in.’

While Macro steered a way through the throng to the bar, Cato looked round and saw that the only place left was a rickety trestle table flanked by two benches, right by the door they had just entered. He pulled back the end of one bench and bowed his head. ‘There you are, ladies.’

Boudica curled her lip at the roughly hewn furniture presented to her, and might have refused to sit had her cousin not quickly nudged her forward. The younger woman was called Nessa, a brown-haired Icenian with blue eyes and round cheeks. Cato was well aware that his centurion and Boudica had arranged for her to come along to keep him distracted while the older couple continued their peculiar relationship.