She felt sure that the furnishings and the goblets on the table were connected with the Order of the Rosy Cross.
She did not like to ask the Marquis outright in case he would feel it embarrassing to talk about religion at such a secular moment as a dinner party.
It was certainly a dinner that Vada was unlikely to forget.
Never had she seen such a varied array of exotic dishes or so many different wines.
There was a wine for every course and the courses themselves all seemed to be comprised of unusual ingredients. Some were delicious, but others she pushed to the side of her place and hoped that no one would notice that she was not eating them.
The Marquis, who was sitting next to her, kept pressing her to try the wines and, as she did not like to keep refusing, she took a tiny sip of
