Chapter Nine #3
She shrugged. “Because you listened,” she said softly.
“The women who went to speak with you yesterday… you listened to them. You let them use their voices and their minds and tell you what this place has meant to them. Only a man of character would have done that, like it mattered. Like the women mattered. Even if your friend had not told me that you were a good man, your actions yesterday afternoon alone would have told me that. Lord Chester would have been pleased.”
A smile crept over his lips. “Thank you, my lady,” he said. “I can understand your concern and I am glad that it has been alleviated. As for my uncle, I can see your devotion to him. I am sorry that I suggested that it might have been anything else.”
She waved him off. “I suppose given what Aphrodite’s Feast is, that was understandable,” she said.
“But I only looked at Lord Chester like a father. My own father is a caddish man, selfish in every way. Lord Chester was the first man who showed me that not all men are like that. Other than my brother, he was the only man who was ever kind to me.”
Jareth’s smile grew. “Then I hope in some small way, I can show you that also,” he said. “Now, I really must get some fresh air before I faint like a weakling. I will speak with you later.”
Desdra let him go. She’d said what she needed to say, hopefully enough to prove to him that she was necessary here.
And she would remain here for as long as he would allow it.
Feeling somewhat relieved, she returned to her ledgers as the sun rose and day broke.
She could hear the shouts from the street below, from people going about their business.
It promised to be a normal day.
“Des?” There came a knock at the door. “May I have a moment of your time?”
Desdra looked up from her ledger to see Anosia standing in the open doorway. She waved the woman in.
“Of course,” she said. “How are you feeling today? Better?”
Anosia came in, smiling. She was wearing a beautiful green garment, with green stones around her neck and gold earrings. Her hair was lavishly done, with ribbons and curls, and she smelled of roses. She looked like any other fine lady in a fine home as she took a seat at the table.
“I’m perfectly healthy,” she said. “That little sniffle I had a few days ago never became any worse. Of course, the physic made me eat pickled lemons and had me drink hot apple cider, but it did the trick. I am cured.”
“Good,” Desdra said. “Do you have a full day scheduled?”
At Aphrodite’s Feast, the women kept their own client schedules.
Most brothels had a single woman who managed the women who worked there, but not at The Feast. Each woman was like an independent business, and they had to pay the house half of everything they took in on a daily basis.
To keep them honest, Zeus, the head of The Guardians, kept track of the men in and out and what services were rendered.
Anosia produced her silk purse, one that matched her dress, and put a large handful of coins on the tabletop.
“That is from yesterday,” she said. “I will bring you my ledger later. I wrote everything down from yesterday in it.”
Desdra took the coins off the table and put them into a basket that was on the shelf behind her. “I will count it later,” she said. “Bring up your ledger and I’ll match it against Zeus’.”
“Shall I fetch it from him?”
“Nay,” Desdra said. “There is no immediate need for it. I have not yet received the accounting from everyone, so I will wait to go over everything all at once. Now, let us speak on something more pleasant. You spoke with Lord Chester’s nephew yesterday? What did he say?”
The subject shifted to Jareth, and Anosia nodded to the question. “I spoke to him,” she said. “Truly, Des, I do not know what I was expecting of our new lord, but a very handsome knight was not among my thoughts.”
“He said that you told him your story,” Desdra said. “How did he respond?”
Anosia shrugged. “Kindly, I suppose,” she said. “He said he was at the Battle of Lewes. That is where my husband was killed. I wonder if he knew him but am afraid to ask. We are not supposed to reveal our true identities here.”
“But he is your new lord,” Desdra said. “He has a right to know who you truly are. You should ask him.”
Anosia thought on that a moment. There was distress in her eyes as she sat back in her chair, averting her gaze.
“I wonder if I even want to know,” she said quietly.
“That was seven years ago. Seven years since I last saw my love. When I was informed of his death, I was only told that he died in battle, not how he died. I never spoke to anyone who was with him. When his body was delivered to me, I did not ask questions. He was dead and knowing the circumstances would not bring him back. But I find that the more time passes, the more curious I am about it. Like a door that has been left open, not quite closed. Not quite satisfied.”
Desdra could see the pain in the woman’s expression. “Mayhap you will want to know someday,” she said. “Mayhap you will have the courage to ask, because I hope that open door does not remain open and you are forever wondering.”
Anosia nodded wearily. “I know,” she said. “But anytime I hear of the Battle of Lewes, it is almost as if I am hearing the news again. My belly feels strange. I feel sick.”
“Then it is not time for you to need answers yet,” Desdra said. “What did you think of Sir Jareth when you spoke with him?”
Anosia lifted her shoulders. “He seemed kind enough, I suppose,” she said. “He seemed interested in what I had to say. But those men he brought with him—it has been a long time since I have seen a collection of knights like that.”
“What do you mean?”
“Elite, I suppose,” Anosia replied. “You can tell they are well trained, from good families. And one of them—he says his name is Orion—has been quite persistent. You asked me about my schedule today. He is my schedule.”
Desdra looked at her strangely. “What do you mean?”
“I mean that he has already paid for nearly the entire day,” Anosia said. “All of my time. He says he only wishes to play chess. I am very good at it. I hope he knows what he is asking.”
Desdra chuckled. “He shall soon find out.”
“Indeed.”
They shared a giggle before Desdra picked up her quill again. “Will you please ensure that the morning meal has been set out?” she said, returning to her ledgers. “And ask Zeus to bring me his accounts if you see him.”
Anosia stood up, preparing to face the day ahead. “I shall,” she said. Then she paused. “God’s Bones. Today is the day following the Sabbath.”
“It is.”
“The Pope visits today.”
Desdra looked up from her ledger. “It is his usual day,” she said. “Did you not send word to him about Sir Orion?”
Anosia shook her head. “Nay,” she said. “I will do it now and tell him he must come later today. I cannot entertain him when he comes midday as he usually does.”
The Pope was the name they used for a local priest who thought he was being clever by wearing alternate clothing and a mask when he visited.
His real name was Father Ignacio Joseph, and he was one of the priests over at the cathedral that Chester had built.
He was also a man who lived a secret life, one with a love of women and, some said, a secret family.
But he paid well and he was kind to Anosia and another woman named Limenia, who were his favorites.
All he ever asked Anosia to do was sing for him and sometimes dance, but Limenia would remove her clothing and dance for him.
He seemed to like that a great deal. He also paid her very well simply to touch her while she stood still.
He liked to touch her breasts, her buttocks, running his hands over her smooth skin, but he never made any attempt to bed her.
All the man wanted to do was touch.
It was simple enough for Limenia to take his money and let him.
“You could send him word and tell him that only Limenia is available,” Desdra said. “That way, he will not be disappointed if at least one of you is accessible today.”
Anosia nodded in agreement as she moved for the door. But she paused before leaving completely.
“Speaking to Sir Jareth yesterday about my life here was an interesting experience,” she said.
“What I mean is that I simply do not speak of my life here, to anyone, so speaking of it makes me realize how fortunate I am, I suppose. We do have a good life here, Des. I suppose we need to be reminded of that once in a while.”
Desdra simply smiled at her, nodding, as Anosia quit the chamber.
Outside, the gulls were beginning to circle, calling to one another, officially signaling the start of the day.
It wouldn’t have been a normal day at all if some of them hadn’t gathered on her windowsill, looking for food or just being genuinely annoying.
Chester used to throw things at them or make countless trips to the windows to chase them away, but back they would come.
She wondered if the birds knew Chester was gone and were trying to be bold now about claiming those ledges like some men claimed countries. The thought made her grin.
We do have a good life here, Anosia had said.
Desdra couldn’t agree more.
Hopefully, it was going to get better.