Lelia le sai slipped out of the bed and placed a kiss on the man's forhead. The man groaned and muttered that the money was on the table. She curtseyed and dressed quickly before slipping the money pouch into a pocket. She curtseyed again at the door and left.
Once on the street, Lelia hurried towards the market. She was already late, she was meant to be home by three hours before sunset and that was the time now. In her mind she went through what the cook had needed: parsnip, butter and cheese. She was to pay for these things with the money she had earnt for her Patron and hand the change to him.
'Greetings Lelia, how goes the party preparations?' the stallholder asked.
She smiled in a kind return, 'nine parnips please.'
'Only nine?' he said in jest. 'That will be thirty-six coppers.'
She handed over the money and curtesyed once more.
'Tell me how it goes, will you,' the man called. He was a regular customer of hers but she never took the time to remember their names.
She went to the dairy stall to collect the cheese and butter. The dairy maids never liked her so she did not dally there.
When she got home she slid though the gate and around to the servent's entrance where she placed the parsnips into a large basket with other vegetables. The cook looked at her with a long-suffering look.
'You're late Miss Lelia, you know how the Patron feels about that,' the young cook said. He had only been there two months but already knew Patron Stone's temper. 'He's in the parlour, you'de best wait a while and help me with the potatoes, the children are there too.'
The cook had told her to use his name but she was still too shy to say it. Lelia nodded and sat on a small stool. She waited quietly for the Patron to come and scold her.
'Kalib, is that blasted girl here yet?' the Patron looked down to see Lelia working. 'carry on. You, come with me.'
Lelia was pulled down to the basement where she slept. 'What do you think you're doing, I'm to have guests arriving in an hour.'
'He wouldn't let me go.'
Her master looked outside the room before closing the door and coming down the stairs. He removed his belt and ordered her to turn around, which she did in her normal silent manner.
'Will you scream?'
She shook her head.
'You know what to do.'
She removed her shirts and lay her chest across a bench. She held her breath as he raised his belt and brought it thrashing down onto her bare skin. She expelled her breath and whimpered softly. He would not be able to hurt her badly, he needed her to help in the kitchens tonoght. She kept her eyes closed as he continued thrashing her shaking back. Inside her whole mind was in turmoil though she would not scream nor cry. She rubbed her face in the table and waited for the Patron to finish.
He stopped and panted heavily, 'you will meet me back here after the party. Clean yourself up, I will be back shortly to escort you back to the kitchen. Now hand me what the man paid you.'
She lifted herself from the table and nodded. There was an urn in the corner and she dipped a rag into it and wiped her back. The urn was always full in case she displeased the Patron and needed to clean herself. She was taken back to the kitchens to a bemused cook. When the Patron had left the cook asked her if she was okay. She nodded then set herself back to peeling the last of the potatoes. Occasionally she would rub her face or wipe away a tear that fell.
The guests would begin arriving soon.
