Look for a chance to patch things up with Albina

Once dinner is over, you pace through the halls of your estate, looking for Albina. You feel that it's important to apologize for your crassness earlier...if for no other reason than to make sure her being upset doesn't get in the way of anything you'd like to do here.

You find her crossing through the villa's courtyard, where a small garden lies. She hasn't noticed you, on her way to somewhere else, but you call out to her: "Albina!"

Hearing your voice, she freezes, then turns to you, dropping her eyes to the ground. "Lord Gaius."

You chuckle. "Albina, we've known each other since we were children. There's no need to be so formal..." You sit down on a small marble bench and pat the seat next to you. "Come, sit with me for a moment." She does so, though she seems to be doing so more out of obedience than anything else. She's still not meeting your eyes. You sigh slightly. "I wanted...well, I wanted to apologize."

Now for the first time she looks up and meets your eyes. "Apologize? For what, Lord Gaius?"

You scowl slightly. "You know for what. For the way you caught me with your **** earlier."

She shrugs, but still looks cool toward you. "It's your money that paid for the purchase of Polyxena. She belongs to you, technically, and you were entirely within your rights."

You snort. "I know that. But something can be within my rights and still not be, well, right. I should've been more courteous in _how _I used her. Blocked the door, or let you know that I would want privacy. I wasn't expecting...to do what I did. {if Polyxena=5}And I certainly shouldn't have been so bold as to demand you lend a hand. {endif}But I had been on the road for a couple of days and, well..." You shift slightly, suddenly uncomfortable, and look away from her. "Well, men have certain needs, Albina. We're not children any more."

"I know that. You think I don't know that?" she snaps. "It's...fine. I understand how things work; like you said we're not...children." She's not looking at you now, either. "I know how things go between a man and a woman who's there to serve him, and I know that men need relief. Especially young men like you." She sighs slightly. "It was just a...a rude reminder of the fact that we're not children any more and we don't know each other as well as we used to." She glance at you sideways. "And it's...not wholly normal in this house. My father never uses Polyxena - or any of the **** women - for sex."

You raise an eyebrow, surprised. "Really? Your mother must be quite talented."

"Gaius!" This breaks the ice finally as she shoves you and giggles. You grin, feeling like you can breathe again. "But really, Gaius. Is Polyxena...all right?"

You shrug. "She seems to be. In fact, if you want the full truth, she offered herself to me - the whole thing wasn't my idea. But even if your father doesn't use the slaves this way, it may happen. It's pretty common in Rome{if Betua > -60}; in fact, I have a little Gaulish **** back at home that I use partly for this purpose{endif}. But I will try to be...discreet here, to avoid disrupting the established pattern of the house."

She frowns. "What, you couldn't just restrain yourself? For however long you're here?"

You sigh slightly. "I suppose I could try..."

She snorts. "Well, it's not my place to tell you what to do with your own slaves. I do think it would be good if you didn't do it in front of anyone again, though." She stands and dusts herself off, clearly done with the conversation. You watch her go, slightly sadly, and call out to her just as she reaches the door into the house.

"I'm sorry again, Albina! Good night."

She pauses, silhouetted and unreadable from the torchlight behind her. "I know, Gaius. Do as you must. Good night."

Then she's gone.