Jenny: In General

She had some sensible skills as well as some points of breeding. He mulled over 'some Latin' for a few moments. He was partial to the Guttersnipe's faintly breathless, affected accent when she read, which was almost cute as it tried to be scholarly. He felt in no way moved to replace the girl.

A lady's maid would mean she had some skill at needlework - embroidery at the most. His eyes moved to her hands: fine, deft, they would do well. Wulf would have seen to that. She would, at least, be a good enough bird to sit in a bit of sunlight and work with her hands. He cleared the ragged feeling away in his throat.

"You may be wondering what a lady's maid is doing working for a gentleman. I am not overly active physically and I have need of your skills. I trust you can sew? I have need of horse blankets. The Guttersnipe - " he gestured toward her " - has just fetched up enough felt to make them, and I need you to put them together. After that we will see to your other capabilities." He frowned at her. "You seem to be a tidy person. I can't abide untidiness in anyone, free or slave. It shows an abominable lack of dignity, at the very least, and smacks of atheism at its core."

He took another drink of water before continuing. As though reading his mind, the pigeon at his elbow slipped the second half of Paul's epistle to Corinth away from the cool glass and began to quietly roll it up. "I have in technicality two slaves, Domitia: you make the second. I am not very fond of my host and I am not accustomed to letting my own wander among his without them knowing they are under my protection. Wulf is a slave only because he chooses to go nowhere else. The Guttersnipe is no one's slave, no more than Gwenhywfar. At the moment I am inclined to think that it would be entirely unsafe for you to be anything but a slave. Now, if you have any questions about your place, you may ask me. I am sure the Guttersnipe can educate you in particular matters."