He had a point, of course, and I meekly bowed my head. ‘As you say, Excellence.’ Marcus by now was rising to his feet and I realized that the interview was at an end. I scrambled upright too and sketched a hasty bow. ‘I will read this list of names, and make enquiries. And into this man Alfredus Allius as well — since he is your potential rival in this deal. Where should I report if I discover anything?’
‘Oh, come to my villa. I should be here, I think, making arrangements for our travel overseas. If I find myself in town I shall send a message to let you know I’m there.’ He held a hand out in dismissal but I did not go.
‘There is one question, Excellence, with which I need your help. I had a contract with Genialis for a pavement, as you know, which I completed — almost certainly before he died, from what we hear of when he set off on the horse. If I can prove that, can I claim from his estate? And if so, to whom do I apply, if you yourself aren’t here to plead for me?’
Marcus looked flattered, then gave a little laugh. ‘Ah, the pavement. Have no fear for that. The lady Silvia was most concerned that you’d fulfilled your contract and would not be paid — the work was completed in her house, after all. So, as I hold temporary potestas she has asked me to make sure that you receive the promised fee. How much did he owe you?’
I told him and he whistled. ‘As much as that?’
‘I have witnesses to the exact amount,’ I said.
‘I’m sure you do,’ he muttered tetchily. He clapped his hands and two young slaves arrived, so quickly that I was convinced they had been listening to all this at the door. ‘Bring my wooden coffer from my desk!’ Then, as they scampered off he turned to me again. ‘I doubt that I have that much money in the house, but I’ll give you what I can.’
‘As you say, Excellence,’ I murmured sweetly. ‘And I trust you won’t be out of pocket very long. The lady Silvia’s inheritance will reimburse you the expense — unless Genialis can be found, of course, in which case he will be responsible himself and you might even claim a little interest on the sum — since you will have made him an informal loan.’
Marcus brightened perceptibly at this and when the slaves returned he paid me the full fee — as I’d hoped he would. That would solve my nagging problems with the money-lenders: the debt was due for payment at noon in two days’ time, and after that the interest rose with every day’s delay. I hadn’t mentioned it to Gwellia, of course, though I’d been worrying how I’d repay it without Genialis’s fee, but this would cover it four times over — which was a huge relief. I thanked my patron, bowed and was about to take my leave when to my surprise he called me back again.
‘Perhaps in the circumstances, my old friend, on second thoughts you’d better join the search for Genialis yourself. If anyone can find him — dead or alive — it’s you.’
‘But these enquiries? This list of names …?’ I gestured to my purse.
‘You can look into all that after he is found. I’m quite certain that, with your assistance, the search will not take long. You’ll work out what has happened — as you always do!’ And with that he swept off, followed by his slaves, leaving me to pick up Maximus from the slaves’ waiting room and make my own way back towards the gate.
TEN
When I got home and told Gwellia, she was not best pleased. ‘Husband, your patron has no thought for you at all. You have not had a day at home for almost half a moon, because of the weather being as bitter as it is, and now no sooner are you safely at your hearth than he wants you to return to town. While it’s still freezing nightly and the roads are treacherous!’
She was speaking forcefully, busying herself noisily with preparing food and from the way she banged the lids against the cooking pots I could see that she was genuinely upset. So I thought it wiser not to remind her that my search for Genialis might even take me out along the northern road to Dorn — a long way from Glevum on the farther side. Neither did it seem tactful to confess (as I’d intended, now that I had the wherewithal to clear the debt) that I’d borrowed from the money-lenders in the town and needed to go back urgently to pay them what I owed.
I just said gently, ‘Marcus is my patron; I really have no choice. Anyway, I would have to go to town again quite soon. I have a trade to attend to.’
‘And what chance have you of that? He wants you about his business rather than your own. Not that he’ll pay you anything of course!’ She started chopping turnips with such violence that you would think my patron’s neck was underneath the knife. ‘No one would believe you had a household with a wife and slaves to keep!’
There was little I could say to counter this, since what she said was generally true, but I pulled out my purse. ‘At least he paid me for that pavement!’ I murmured peaceably. I was about to tip the contents out for her to see, hoping that the sight of two gold aureii would lift her mood, when I remembered my appointment with the money lenders and decided to keep the one coin hidden in the bag.
I put down the other on the table top, like a street magician producing coloured balls. ‘Enough to pay off Cantalarius twenty times — and even to hire a mule from him for a day or two, if you’re concerned about the weather and think that would be wise!’ I said, expecting first surprise and then her gruff agreement to this compromise.
She put down the bowl of turnips she had been adding to the stew, wiped her hands carefully on her apron skirt and picked up the coin with a sort of awed respect. ‘Marcus gave you this?’ She sounded so incredulous that I thought for a moment she was going to test it in her teeth. But she just weighed it in her palm and laid it down again. ‘Perhaps I spoke too harshly. This is to reward you for helping with the search?’
‘It’s the money that Genialis owed me,’ I explained. ‘I’d contracted for that pavement and I did the work on time. Marcus himself was witness to the fact.’
‘Julia must have told him we were in want of cash, and convinced him that you should be paid. Well, it is kind of her. She has always been particularly generous to us — like the other day, when I went there for oil.’
I shook my head. ‘It wasn’t Julia’s doing this time, it was Silvia herself,’ I said. ‘She apparently insisted that — since I had fulfilled the contract in her house — Marcus, as her guardian, should ensure that I was paid.’
‘So this came from her estate?’ My wife made a little disapproving face. ‘I might have known he wouldn’t pay you so handsomely himself. But I like the sound of Silvia. An honest woman, by the sound of it?’
‘A lively one, as Marcus may find out to his cost,’ I told her. ‘I would almost say “self-willed”. But she’s rich and pretty too — which is no doubt why he offered to step in as guardian. She is coming to the villa later on today, so perhaps you’ll meet her there.’
Gwellia had gone back to adding turnips to the stew. ‘Rich, pretty and self-willed? That sounds dangerous.’ She raised an eyebrow with a wicked grin. ‘I wonder what Julia thinks about her guest?’
It was exactly the thought that had occurred to me, but for some reason I felt moved to say, ‘Oh, Silvia won’t be there very long. Marcus proposes to acquire new furniture and slaves on her account, so she can move back to her townhouse again before he and Julia go away to Rome. Assuming that Genialis is not found alive, by then.’
But Gwellia wasn’t listening. She picked up a spoon and stood looking quizzical. ‘Rome? Why ever does he want to go to Rome again? Surely he arranged all his affairs when he and Julia went there just a year or two ago? What makes him think of travelling all that way a second time? And at just the worst time of the year to make the journey, too!’
I stared at her. I had forgotten that — since Marcus had not after all returned from Glevum yesterday — he could not have sent the promised message to the house; and when I got home myself I had not thought to tell Gwellia any news except my own. And Cantalarius had last called here days and days before, so it was quite possible that — though the news had travelled quickly all the way from Rome — out here in the country, in the house alone, she had not learned about the happenings which had shocked the world.