Pay The Cat's Meow a visit.

Whilst William’s time would be better served in setting his many business dealings in order, it was the ache in his prick that was the most pressing. Many long months at sea trading goods had built a cargo of his own that he wanted to be unloaded. His loins swelled inside his pant’s leg at the thought of visiting the former whore turned madame Melinda and her host of ladies.

The Cat’s Meow was located well away from the docks in a stately merchant’s house turned bordello. Melinda had worked the sheets for many years until at last wedding the very merchant that owned the now site of the Cat’s Meow. Sadly, he had passed not long after Melinda and he were wed, leaving her nothing but his estate and his considerable debts. Melinda, however, refused to return to her previous profession and had instead turned the house into the finest cat-house in all of Still Water, her girls the very best money could buy. Never once did she lie with a man for money again but made a portion of all that did. Her clientele had been the very merchants her late husband had owed so much gold to. In but one short year, Melinda had turned those accounts around such that nearly all the merchants now owed money to her.

The Cat’s Meow was indistinguishable from the road and the complete opposite of the dock whorehouses that advertised their business. Melinda’s was purely invitation only. Merchants, Governors, Sea Captains, Clergy were all found within these walls.

Knocking on the heavy wooden door, a slot opened to Bill Kent and quickly closed again. The great door swung open on iron hinges and he was greeted by a man dressed near identical to the servant who had answered the door at Governor Restan’s mansion. The difference being that this man could kill with ease and be a fearsome challenge with a sword for even this notorious ship’s captain.

“Captain Kent,” the doorman-come-servant greeted William as he stepped inside. Whilst he might look the part, fine manners hadn’t been in his training.

“Marwan,” William greeted him back.

“Melinda’s in the upstairs drawing-room. Go on up.”

William knew the way. The Cat’s Meow was his regular spot when he was in port. He’d leave the streetwalkers and cheap whores to his sailors. As she stepped through the curtains into the drawing-room, William was greeted by a rush of sounds and smells. Voices engaged in chat and flirtation as well as perfumes to mask all sorts of bodily odours. That great all-pervasive stench of male lust couldn’t be covered though and it set Bill’s pulse racing just as the smell of naval combat did.

Upon seeing the Captain, Melinda excused herself from her conversation on a cushioned seat and made her way over, kissing him on both checks in greeting.

“My dear Bill. You grace us with your presence. Have you come to sample the finest The Cat’s Meow has to offer?” Melinda said with genuine affection at seeing him.

“Melinda my dear, you know all too well the finest lady in this establishment is no longer for sale. Unless you’re telling me, you’d agree to come out of retirement for one last tryst?” William spared with his friend. Whilst he had been a regular customer of Melinda’s previously, he’d always treated her with the utmost respect and decency. Melinda had long since remembered and they had formed a friendship based on respect.

“Oh, William! You’d truly earn the epitaph Bloody Bill if you were to take me in this place,” Melinda responded as they both laughed.

Leading William to a lounge, she waited until he was seated before waving over a boy with a decanter of deep amber liquid. “Please whet your appetite and I’ll bring forth a selection of ladies I’m sure you will be unable to resist.”

William took a crystal balloon glass of the fine cognac but left it undrunk in his hand. It was a particular trait of his that he would always take a glass of the finest liquors but never once be seen trying them. Waiting patiently, William cast an eye around the room as he waited for Melinda to return. He recognised a number of other ship captains currently in The Cat’s Meow. A first mate or lesser rank would never gain admittance past Marwan at the mansion’s door. The most notable of these seafarers was Captain Fulton. Just like Captain Kent, he was dressed in the absolute finest of clothing even as William noted it was a year out of date. Merchants made up the majority of people in the lounge as they did the majority of Melinda’s customers. William did notice a trio of Bishops hiding in a secluded corner of the room.

Melinda returned after a short while with a trio of elegantly dressed ladies, all personally picked by her to appeal to Williams own preferences.