You have slaves?

Changying sat at the large kitchen table with her research notes spread out around her as the three women who comprised Wang's sisters-in-law who lived in the city, worked in the large kitchen making traditional Italian Christmas cookies for their children to take to school on the last day for their teachers and friends.

"Okay I've got it," Carmen said suddenly. "Rich people hire live-in nannies and cooks right?" She waited for Changying to nod. "Well imagine that those cooks and nannies were paid one lump sum into a bank account and never had to touch it because all of their day to day living expenses had been taken care of. They still work seven days a week or, at least, are on call seven days even if they are given a day off now and then." She paused letting that sink in. "Now tell me how that is different to a cook or a nanny choosing to sign a contract that gave her the same thing except that she wore a collar. They do the same job, they see to their owner's needs, they can quit and walk away at any time, no one forces them to do anything they don't want to do."

"Okay, so how do the families find people who want to live like that?" Changying was still trying to wrap her head around the caste system that seemed to be at the root of family life for these women.

"They advertise, of course, it's a job like any other job," Bianca chimed in. "You're obsessing over the word slave. They are just employees at the lowest level of the pay grade. Maids, gardeners, labours, cooks, nannies though they weren't always considered slaves, most nannies were plebs. They have a higher pay rate, better conditions and more responsibility than the slaves."

"So Plebs are freemen who come and go as they like and the family didn't like the nannies having that freedom?" Changying asked.

"Exactly, now you're getting it," Carmen smiled. "See there is nothing sinister or illegal about it. The older generation just takes the traditional line about it all. We don't enforce the old style collars in favour of using a sturdy but pretty chain that could pass for jewellery. On the farm, though, it's very traditional."

"You have slaves?" Changying was shocked.

"Well I have a maid and a cook," Carmen admitted. "That's why I come here and help Emily bake, I can't boil water on my own, and I like the kids to think I made the biscotti. We all do, Emily has a maid, Bianca has a maid, a cook and a nanny."

"No gardeners?" Changying teased.

"No need in the city, one of my cousins has a landscaping business, they come once a week and maintain it," Emily said not realising Changying was teasing them. "What has all this got to do with the family history?"

"Well as I was going through it all I found all these cousins that don't seem to sit at any of the twelve tables. I thought," she paused and blushed, "That maybe the slaves were you know," her voice faltered as she tried to explain what she thought, "Sex slaves and the cousins were maybe illegitimate children to the men who sit at the table."

"The family does not run a brothel, Changying," Emily said defensively.

"Oh, I didn't mean that at all," Changying said aghast. "I'm sorry, I was thinking more about courtesans, you know the ones who were trained in giving pleasure specifically for high-ranking officials."

"It happens," Carmen came and sat with Changying. "We call them kept women. They get paid a lot more than the house or labouring slaves, and they live very separately from the rest of the staff and family. Most of those cousins you speak of are the Patricians, the skilled workers and friends from good families who immigrated with the twelve sons to help build communities here. Jack's father and grandfather immigrated with Papa and his father. He's a cousin not by blood but because of who he is in relation to the table."

So how do I discern a cousin by blood as your children are, and a cousin by proximity?" Changying asked becoming more confused by the multiple layers of the family. "It's no wonder no one has been adequately able to make sense of this history despite it being only three generations old."

"Two generations," Emily corrected her. "Papa has not named his successor. It could be any of the younger sons. My father was the youngest of his family and had four older brothers, yet he was named the head of the table when the time came."

"The truth is that the cousins and uncles and aunts don't matter," Carmen said, "Only the family that sits at that table and their direct descendants matter in that book. Once the successor is named he and his family will fill the next pages and the rest of us will fade out," she smiled.

"I doubt Uncle Robin or Zachariah considers themselves as faded out," Bianca laughed.

"Well that makes it easier at least," Changying said. "Thank you, Wang has been preoccupied lately, and I didn't want to bother him with all my questions. I think I have the history of this table back as far as the House of Lorraine will allow, but I have a few loose ends to follow up on to see if I can date it back further. Now that I don't feel like I need to place all your extra cousins I think I can get it to a good place before we go to the farm."

"It's rare to have someone not connected with one of the families go out to the farm, it didn't go so well last time," Emily came from the kitchen to sit with the other women. "I have to be honest and say that Ben hasn't told me much of what's been preoccupying Wang," she said not wanting to say too much in front of Bianca and Carmen. "Be careful at the farm, though, you know Baozhai will try and trip you up every chance she gets."

"Oh yeah, Baozhai is more than a little possessive of Wang," Bianca laughed. "If it wasn't illegal to marry your brother I bet she would have had him down the aisle as soon as they turned eighteen."

"That's disgusting," Carmen laughed despite her words. "I'll get it," she stood hearing the timer on the oven beep.

"Well, at least, you've done your research so you won't be shocked by the step back in time that will greet you down there," Bianca continued to laugh. "Papa rules like a king; the men all do as he commands and all the women know their place."

"Are you okay, Emily," Changying ask seeing the woman visibly sag in her chair.

"Just a little tired, we've been baking all morning," Emily smiled and straightened in the chair.

"Oh Emily not again! How could Ben do this to you after last time," Carmen looked at her in alarm willing her to deny that she was pregnant again..

"Ben didn't do anything," Emily shook her head.

"Then you won't mind me calling Jack because you're looking more than just a little tired," she said sceptically.

"No don't call Jack I will be right after a cup of tea and a lie down this afternoon," She lifted her hand to smooth back her hair from her face and smile. "Don't you worry Ben about it either. I didn't sleep well last night, that's all."

"Then there is no reason not to call Jack," Bianca fished her phone out of her pocket.

"They're all at that family lunch including Jack, don't call him now. Ben will just worry. I promise I will see him later today or tomorrow," Emily's voice took on a pleading tone.

"I can be discreet," Bianca rolled her eyes and put her phone to her ear.

"Hello my handsome husband, how goes the family lunch was it as fun as you thought it would be today?" She paused for him to answer. "I can't wait to hear all the juicy tidbits," she laughed. "Is Jack there?" she asked. "Oh, you know me I am a disaster in the kitchen I slipped on some butter or something and think I twisted my ankle, could you get him to come over to Ben's place?" She paused again, "No I'll be fine, and Carmen drove today, so I don't have to worry about getting home. I just want him to check it out." She laughed easily into the phone. "Yes the girls are fussing around me, even Changying, I'm in good hands, you enjoy yourself, and I will see you tonight."

"See, no problem," she turned back and smiled at Emily. "The only time I have ever seen you look this exhausted was when you were expecting BJ. Tell me you haven't ignored all of the warnings and done it again."