Fabiola could take no more. 'Fine,' she snapped. 'Find an honest farmer and offer him a contract to supply all our food.'

Catus quailed before her anger.

Fabiola gentled. He'd never been given this degree of responsibility before. 'The doormen will be here for the foreseeable future,' she explained. 'We have to feed them. Getting our supplies direct is an excellent idea, and one you're well capable of sorting out.'

His chin lifted. 'Thank you,' he muttered.

'Come to me when you've found the right man,' said Fabiola. 'I'll have the lawyers draw up the correct paperwork.' Leaving Catus grinning like a fool, she hurried off in search of Docilosa. It was good to sort out minor problems like this, but the sense of real urgency that had been tugging away at her would now not be denied.

Fabiola would always wonder how the situation might have unfolded if the cook had not accosted her when he did. As she entered the long corridor, she heard a woman screaming. The noise was not like the ecstatic cries that some of the prostitutes used to encourage their clients. No, thought Fabiola in alarm, it was the sound of someone who was absolutely terrified, and in fear of her life. She broke into a trot. 'Vettius! Benignus!'

Ahead of her, Fabiola could see Docilosa, only a few steps from the reception area. Nearer to the source of the screams. Her servant's head was turning from side to side, searching for the right room. Finding it, she moved to its door.

Fabiola cursed. It was the one commonly used by Vicana, the new British slave with red hair and fair complexion. To her horror, Docilosa's hand reached out to lift the iron latch. 'No,' screamed Fabiola. This was not what should happen. 'Wait for the doormen!'

Ignoring her, Docilosa pushed wide the door. 'Stop it,' she cried at once. 'Let her go.'

The volume of the screams grew deafening. Above them, Fabiola could hear a man cursing. 'Bitch,' he cried. 'Just do what I tell you.' There was a loud slap, and the woman's cries stopped abruptly.

Docilosa took a step inside. 'Leave the poor girl alone,' she muttered, her voice shaking. 'Don't hurt her.'

'Mind your own damn business, you ugly old cow,' snarled the man.

Docilosa entered the room completely. 'Stop it!'

There was a chilling laugh. 'Want a piece of this, do you?'

Terrified herself now, Fabiola sprinted towards the doorway. As she did, the doormen appeared round the corner from the reception.

Too late. They were all too late.

There was a choked cry, such as someone makes when they trip unexpectedly. It was followed by the sound of a body falling to the floor, and then the air filled with screams once more. 'Shut up, you little slut,' cried the man. 'Or you'll get the same.'

Fabiola slid to a halt in the doorway and her stomach turned over at the sight inside. 'No,' she whispered. 'Please, no.' Docilosa was lying quite still on the floor, her back to Fabiola. Blood was already pooling around her – damning evidence. Over her stood a naked man holding a reddened dagger, his grizzled features contorted in rage. Cowering on the other side of the bed was a sobbing Vicana, her tear-stained face white with fear.

At first, the man didn't even notice Fabiola. He seemed crazed, or drugged. 'That'll teach you,' he muttered, poking a foot at Docilosa. 'Interrupting my fun like that.'

A towering fury took hold of Fabiola. She knew this creature, had slept with him on many occasions in the past. It was Memor, the lanista of the Ludus Magnus, from whom she'd wheedled information about Romulus. 'You whoreson,' she hissed, her nostrils flaring. 'What have you done?'

Memor looked up, and his eyes cleared. 'By all the gods,' he said appraisingly. 'You're a real beauty. Why weren't you out there to be picked from? I'd have chosen you first anytime.'

Fabiola didn't answer. Although all her instincts screamed at her to run, she moved towards Docilosa. She couldn't stop herself, nor could she help her temper. 'A shame my brother didn't kill you when he had the chance, you piece of filth,' she cried.

His eyes narrowed. 'What are you talking about?'

'Romulus,' she threw at the lanista. 'The one who ran away. You told me about him.' Confusion twisted Memor's face, but then Fabiola saw the realisation hit. 'By Mercury,' he breathed. 'I've fucked you before.'

Fabiola hawked and spat in his face. 'I hated every moment.'

His lips peeled back with anger. 'You told me that Romulus was your cousin!'

'I lied. The same as when I told you that you were a stallion,' she sneered. 'Limp-pricked old goat.' Fabiola's heart lurched as the words left her mouth. She was only a few paces from Memor and his knife, and the doormen hadn't yet arrived. Should have kept my mouth shut, Fabiola thought.

She was right.

'You whore,' screamed the lanista, lunging forward with his blade.

Panicking, Fabiola dodged backwards. Memor's dagger whistled past, coming within a fraction of gutting her. She glanced back at the door. It was too far for her to reach. Where were Benignus and Vettius?

'Prepare yourself for Hades, because that's where you're going,' muttered Memor, his eyes staring madly. 'Like this ugly bitch.' He kicked Docilosa in the belly. She gave a faint groan.

Fabiola could not take her eyes off his blade, which was covered in her servant's blood.

The lanista edged forward, leering. He wasn't watching the floor, wasn't prepared for Docilosa's hand to reach out and grab weakly at his ankle. Memor stumbled. Then his other foot landed in the pool of blood, and he skidded. Losing his balance, he fell awkwardly to one knee. Furious, he stabbed Docilosa a number of times in the back and belly.

Vicana screamed at the top of her voice.

Hating herself, Fabiola retreated to the doorway. An instant later, she was manhandled into the corridor by the two doormen. Bundling into the room like a pair of raging bulls, Benignus and Vettius laid into the lanista with their metal-studded clubs. One of the blows alone would have crushed his skull, and the enraged pair landed more than half a dozen each before Fabiola managed to stop them. 'That's enough,' she screamed. 'Stop it!'

Breathing heavily, and spattered in blood and grey brain matter, they stood back.

'He's dead,' Fabiola shouted, looking down at the smeared mess of hair, flesh and bone fragments that was Memor's head. Tears sprang to her eyes.

Vettius was surprised by her reaction. 'Of course he is.'

'I wanted to grill the bastard about Romulus,' Fabiola sobbed. 'He used to be his owner.'

A rattling breath from Docilosa attracted everyone's attention.

Overcome with remorse, Fabiola dropped to her knees by her servant's side. Docilosa was alive – barely. Fabiola ripped open her dress, cringing at the first bloody, open-lipped entry point she saw. It was small, yet had caused so much damage. Memor's knife thrust had been expert, entering her chest on the left side, just below the breast. Puncturing one lung, it had probably pierced the heart as well. A mortal wound. His other blows would have killed too, albeit more slowly. For now, they just increased the blood loss. Fabiola didn't think that one person could have so much in them. Docilosa's dress was drenched in it, and so was the floor around her. Her eyes were stretched wide, and staring into nothing. Her mouth gasped open and shut like a fish out of water, trying – and failing – to get enough air in.

'I'm sorry.' Fabiola grasped one of Docilosa's reddened hands in both of her own. 'You were right. I should know better.' She looked beseechingly at her servant. 'This is my fault too. If we hadn't argued, you wouldn't have been in the corridor when Vicana screamed.'

A stream of fine bloody bubbles dribbled from Docilosa's lips on to the tile floor.