I turned to Silvia. ‘You think it came from Dorn?’
The lady coloured, rather prettily. ‘Otherwise, surely, the courier would have passed him on the road before he reached the villa? I didn’t think of that. Of course, I can’t be absolutely sure. I should have asked the messenger, I suppose, but I was more concerned to send him riding straight off in pursuit. He’d only missed Genialis by an hour or so. But now I think of it, he must have come from Dorn. Some kind of emergency, I suppose — something connected with the weather possibly. It’s the obvious explanation of why my guardian isn’t here. How clever of you, pavement-maker, to have worked it out.’ She turned to Lucius. ‘So it seems the doorkeeper was telling us the truth.’
‘I could have testified to that, in any case,’ I said, earning myself a grateful smile from the slave in question. ‘I have been here myself, laying the new pavements in the entrance hall, for days. Unless Genialis turned up yesterday, after I had gone — which seems unlikely, since he wasn’t at the feast today which he was so anxious to attend — he has not been back to Glevum since you saw him last. And there’s been no word from him. I suggest you send to Dorn — and while you are about it, ask at every public inn between.’
Lucius nodded. ‘You are quite right, of course. I will despatch a messenger at once. Excuse me, Excellence — citizens — I will go and see to it.’ He bowed himself away.
She flashed a smile at his retreating form. ‘How helpful Lucius is. He has been very good. He has even offered me accommodation overnight, since it is obvious that I can’t stay here alone: there is nothing civilized to eat and not even a female servant to be had — the slave market does not operate today. So lacking my guardian, and in the absence of a deciding court …’
Marcus had put on his imperious face. ‘Madam, forgive me, but that would not be proper, in my view. You are an attractive lady — ’ he looked appreciatively at her — ‘and you are a mourning widow, after all. You cannot with propriety accompany a man who — by what you told me when I first arrived — is not in possession of a wife or even of any female relatives. Besides — forgive me — Lucius may be a freeman, and a wealthy one, but he is not a citizen. Genialis is still your official guardian and he would be affronted by the mere suggestion if he knew.’
‘What suggestion, Excellence?’ Lucius, having obviously despatched his slave, was reappearing just in time to hear the words.
Marcus had risen to his feet. He could look imposing when he tried. ‘The suggestion that you should accommodate the lady Silvia at your house. Much more appropriate that she should come with me. I have a large apartment in the town and there are servants there — including female ones — who can attend her overnight. Tomorrow or the next day we may have word from Dorn, and then we can establish how we should proceed. In the meantime — in my role as magistrate — I am assuming temporary potestas.’ He paused and looked at Silvia — obviously waiting for her to express her gratitude.
After the briefest of hesitations she provided it. ‘Excellence, your kindness is more than I could have looked for.’ She held out a jewelled hand to Lucius. ‘And your kindness, naturally, as well. Two offers of protection in a single day — and such protection too! I’m a lucky woman. But His Excellence is right to think of my good name. And he has the authority of law should Genialis decide to make a fuss.’
I could only mentally applaud her tactfulness. She had managed to produce a gracious form of words — almost suggesting that she had a choice, and had opted for Marcus with fluttering regret — though of course in practice she had no choice at all. Marcus had pronounced himself her legal guardian and he had too much authority to be argued with.
Both men, however, were looking gratified — though there was a touch of disappointment in Lucius’s tone, as he bowed over the extended fingers and murmured, ‘Of course. His Excellence is more than generous. You will be safe with him.’
Marcus looked self-satisfied at this. ‘Unfortunately, for a moment, it will not be with me. I shall have to go and arrange this sacrifice and I can’t afford a page at present to accompany you. Libertus, you have visited my apartment, haven’t you? You can escort the lady to the place. My slaves know who you are.’
Behind me I heard Junio give a muffled laugh. I had almost forgotten that he was listening in: he had once been my slave, till I adopted him, and — like my red-haired servants — he knew how to stand by and make himself completely inconspicuous. But I knew what had amused him. My most recent visit to Marcus’s apartment had been undignified — I was effectively under house arrest and had climbed out of the window to escape.
However, I did not allude to that. ‘I’m certain they will recognize me instantly,’ I said — and almost provoked another snigger from my son.
Marcus ignored it; if indeed he heard. ‘Then you can escort the lady there. Tell them I sent you and I’ll call there later on. They are to provide a meal and wait on her meanwhile. It should not be difficult. There is a room prepared and there will already be provision in the house — made ready for the priest from Aqua Sulis when he came, in case he decided that he wished to stay with me tonight, rather than at the temple. But then he didn’t come at all.’
‘And what about the horses?’ I asked, with real concern. I used to be an avid horseman in my youth — I was a Celtic nobleman with stables of my own before I was captured into slavery — but it was many years since I had ridden properly. ‘There are two of them outside and there’s nowhere to keep them at your apartment block. Do you wish me to arrange to have them stabled somewhere else?’
Marcus looked lofty. ‘I will take the horses with me to my villa when I go. You wouldn’t like to ride one back for me, I suppose? Or perhaps you, Junio? Silvia’s attendant can ride the other one. Though I suppose that they belong to Bernadus anyway. He ought to be consulted.’ He turned to Silvia. ‘He’ll be at the curial meeting I suppose. With your permission, I’ll send your Syrian along to his town house speak to him. Unless …?’ He looked questioningly at Lucius.
Lucius shook his head. ‘I had no hand in that arrangement. Let the Syrian go.’
Silvia was rising to her feet. She shook her head. ‘Though remember, Bernadus only came to Glevum for the sacrifice, and intends to go back to his country villa afterwards. Better send your messenger out there.’
‘That will get one of the horses back, at least,’ Lucius agreed. ‘Adonisius can walk back if he needs, I suppose. In the meantime I should go and meet the man from whom I hoped to raise the money — and try to persuade him to wait another day.’ He nodded towards the scarlet-suited pageboys by the wall, who came hurrying forward with the cloaks.
Silvia smiled. ‘From what I hear of Alfredus Allius, he’ll agree to a delay. This deal would make an easy living for him, after all.’
‘Alfredus Allius?’ I murmured in surprise. ‘He was the other witness to my contract with your guardian. A friend of Genialis, isn’t he?’ Somehow, whoever the investor was, I had not expected that.
Silvia turned to me, as Marcus’s young page — having helped his master fasten on his cape — assisted her with hers. ‘You are astonished? I am not surprised. He knows nothing of shipping, as I’m sure you know. But as a friend of Genialis — if you can call him that — he must have seen that the opportunity was there. He was the one who came to us, in fact. Promised to provide the cash to buy my portion of the firm — intending to leave the management to Lucius alone, while taking half the profits. Not a bad return.’
‘And you are sure that you can trust him?’ I said, doubtfully.
Lucius gave his characteristic hearty laugh. ‘I’m sure that I cannot. That’s why the contract stipulates that I can buy him out again, as soon as I can raise the capital. Of course that isn’t likely to be for several years, unless I’m very lucky with some commodity. But one never knows.’ He gave me a wink which told me that he knew very well, and already had a particular commodity in mind. ‘But it gives a man a goal to work for, doesn’t it?’ He took his cloak in turn and — spurning pageboys — put it on himself.