Cato felt the blood drain from his face and his fists clenched in anger. He opened his voice to shout, and only just managed to pull himself back from the brink of a terrible rage and a desire to tear the old man apart. With the return of self-control, he felt horrified at such a lapse in the rationality he prided himself in. He felt ashamed, and glanced round to see if anyone had noticed how close he had come to making a fool of himself. Only one man was looking his way, a thickset Gaul leaning on the far end of the counter. He was watching Cato closely and one hand had moved towards the handle of a dagger in a metalled scabbard hanging from his belt. Clearly the old Gaul’s hired muscle. He met the optio’s gaze and raised his hand to wag a finger at him, faintly smiling with contempt as he warned the young man to behave himself.

‘Cato, there’s a space by the fire. Let’s go.’ Nessa gently pushed him away from the counter towards the brick hearth where fresh logs hissed and crackled. Cato resisted her touch for an instant but then yielded. They picked their way between the customers, taking care not to spill the heated wine, and sat down on two low stools alongside a handful of others who craved the fire’s warmth.

‘What was all that about?’ asked Nessa. ‘You looked so scary back there at the counter.’

‘I did?’ Cato shrugged, and then carefully sipped from his steaming mug.

‘You did. I thought you were going to go for him.’

‘I was.’

‘Why? Boudica told me you were the quiet type.’

‘l am.’

‘Then why?’

‘It’s personal!’ Cato replied sharply. Then quickly relented. ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean it to sound like that. I just don’t want to talk about it.’

‘I see. Then let’s talk about something else.’

‘Like what?’

‘I don’t know. You think of something. Do you good.’

‘All right then, that cousin of Boudica, Prasutagus, is he really as dangerous as he sounds?’

‘Worse. He’s more than just a warrior.’ Cato saw the frightened expression on her face. ‘He has other powers.’

‘What kind of powers?’

‘I–I can’t say.’

‘Will you and Boudica be in any danger when he finds you again?’

Nessa shook her head as she sipped from her mug and spilt a few drops of wine down the front of her cloak where they glistened with reflected firelight for a moment, before soaking in. ‘Oh, he’ll go bright red in the face and shout for a bit, but that’ll be all. Once Boudica makes eyes at him he’ll just roll over and wait for her to tickle his tummy.’

‘Fancies her then?’