Lory, oh so confident Lory, seemed to hesitate, and Anne felt some kind of wicked satisfaction over that.

"No. I'm not allowed to talk to ye. There's a letter for ye from Alice."

She looked at her cousin, all dressed up and painted. Anne couldn't believe that it was true, even now. Could Lory really sell her body after a lifetime of hearing how evil such a thing was?

"Suppose she doesn't know yet she's not allowed to talk to ye."

She felt a little bad, and more than that: sorry, for what Lory felt she had to do. But it was very depraved.