BLOOD MOON RISING - english version

~ Chapter 5 ~

"You dumb bitch! Now look what you've done!" Bianca sat on the floor and clasped her aching elbow. "Bruises look so ugly!" she whimpered. "Wasn't it just enough to tear my dress?"
"Hardly as ugly as your character," Catherine replied unaffected, rubbing her cheek. "If you slap me again, it won't be just a bruise and a torn dress, believe me."
"You didn't have to be so rough with me!" Bianca bit her lips. "Master Hall will not be pleased if he sees you are damaging his goods!"
She picked herself up and carefully felt for the bruise on her elbow. Her light skin was reddened and it already showed a round, slightly blue coloration where she had hit the door with the bone part. Carefully she moved her arm and grimaced as pain flashed through her. She shot a poisonous look at Catherine who, however, was just twisting her eyes annoyed instead of feeling sorry for Bianca and caring for her.
"It's not broken just because you fell against a door once," grumbled the redhead who was really fed up with Bianca's exaggerated behaviour. Her cheek was still burning from the slap and oh, she bet her best petticoat that Bianca had enjoyed slapping her. Since she had taken the place of the pretty Italian, who former held the position of a Madam, her life had got much more difficult. Bianca and her had never been friends, but now Bianca was constantly trying to regain her position, teasing and scheming and attempting everything to make Catherine look bad.
"You think... he actually heard that?" the black-haired woman suddenly asked more quietly and looked at the black-painted wooden door. Suddenly she seemed meek, as if she had suddenly noticed that her behaviour had been impossible.
"Guess so." Catherine replied and crossed her arms. "It was hardly a subtle knock."
"Will you stop picking on me?"
"Will you stop acting like a spoiled princess? Let me remind you, it wasn't me who casted you from your self-appointed throne, my dear."
"But you've always wanted it!"
Suddenly Bianca looked like she was about to cry.
"You with your airs and graces and your..."
Catherine shouldn't know what Bianca was about to throw at her, because at that moment the door opened and Hall entered the corridor. Faced with two ladies in front of his office, one almost in tears and with a torn sleeve on her dress, the other with a reddened cheek and, despite the late hour, still in her dressing gown, he frowned in confusion.
"What's all the yelling about?" he asked noticeably upset and Catherine pulled her head in a bit. But then, however, she stretched her chin confidently. After all, she was the Madam and had to keep her posture!
"Bianca helped herself to Rose's things without being asked. I caught her in the act," she replied in a firm voice. "She also thought it was a good idea to slap me in the face."
The corners of Hall's mouth twitched in amusement.
"So, you hit her," he turned to Bianca, who was still clutching her elbow in an exaggerated way. The Italian was a pretty thing, black-haired, brown-eyed and with an enchanting little pout.
"She dragged me down the stairs, Mr Hall. I nearly fell! And then she pushed me against the door when I couldn't walk as fast as she wanted."
"She's lying."
Hall twisted his eyes. There were moments when he was just overwhelmed with a house full of women and he actually expected his Madam to have the ladies under control. Catherine obviously had to grow into this role a little more. At the moment she looked at least charmingly angry with the fading handprint on her cheek and the sparse clothing.
"Is there a problem, Mr. Hall?" suddenly a second male was heard.

Alfred raised his eyebrows in astonishment as he gazed at the scene before him in the corridor. To his left he saw Mr Hall standing next to a black-haired lady whose green dress had a large tear on its sleeve. She seemed tense and not in the least embarrassed about this situation; if anything, she had raised her snub nose in indignation. Leaning against the banister to his right stood a redhead, all but challengingly naked except for a black corset and a gaping white dressing gown. Teasingly and very visible to the eye of a searching observer, her venus mound peeked out from under the pointed end of the corset, a curly triangle of reddish-brown trimmed hair surrounded by the cream-coloured skin of her legs and Alfred's mouth suddenly became dry.
He swallowed. Hard.
And Catherine smiled.
"Good morning, sir."
Catherine withstood his gaze as she walked towards Alfred on her silly pink silk slippers, her hips swaying. He tried to avert his eyes from her all too obvious charms and the wolf in him was panting.
"I've never seen you here before," she said and greeted him with a slight nod. Her smile was so sweet that Alfred didn't really notice the sharpness of her words at first. "We are closed." she suddenly told him noticeably harder and put her hands on her hips. "Come back tonight. Now the girls are asleep."
She sounded as if she was used to ordering others around and getting her way.
"Catherine," Hall calmly admonished her. "Mr Taylor is here to clarify this unfortunate incident with Rose."
Bianca now also took a look at Alfred, who suddenly seemed interesting for her. Men who were not customers were rarely met here. Alfred hinted a greeting nod of his head and for a moment Catherine looked at him - then she thoughtfully put her index finger to her lips.
"Ah, so you're the agent."
Catherine noticed the brass pin on his lapel now. She stretched out her hand and stroked the metal with one finger, tracing the eye symbol as if she recognized it.
"You must be the first agent visiting this house who hasn't taken this thing off before." she then said in a teasing tone. Hall coughed discreetly.
"Catherine, darling. Please take care of Bianca here now, will you? We'll talk about this later. Mr Taylor and I have to finish our talk." he said, and the redhead shared a quick glance with him.
"Anything you say, Mr. Hall."
Bianca scurried silent past Alfred without even looking at him and Catherine followed her up the stairs, but stopped on the second step and turned back to the two men once more.
"Well, we'll certainly see you again, Mr Taylor," she said, smiling at him once more.