‘When it turned out that he was working with Macro,’ Vespasian said, finishing Corbulo’s sentence.
‘Oh, you heard?’
‘Yes, you just told me.’
‘So I did.’
‘Gentlemen, I am so sorry to have kept you waiting.’ Antonia appeared in the doorway causing them both to jump to their feet.
‘Domina,’ they said in unison, bowing their heads.
‘I hope that I haven’t inconvenienced you?’
‘Not at all, domina,’ Vespasian replied as she walked towards them with Pallas following, ‘it is I that am inconveniencing you.’
‘With a rather strange request from somebody whom I consider to be a friend.’
‘I’m sorry to ask this, domina, but I hope that you will understand when I explain what brings me here.’
Antonia stopped in front of him, her piercing green eyes bored into his; he felt the potential menace that lurked behind them and quailed. The nervous look on his face caused her to raise her eyebrows and then smile. ‘The land deeds of the properties that Narcissus has been buying up in Egypt on behalf of my son, Claudius?’
Vespasian’s mouth dropped open.
‘And you are worried that not reporting this act of treason to the proper authorities would be construed as treason on your own part?’
Vespasian nodded.
‘And so you brought my dear friend Corbulo as a witness of the most unimpeachable character and requested a formal meeting so that you could keep a copy of the minutes?’
‘Yes, domina,’ Vespasian managed to mumble. ‘How did you know?’
‘It’s what I would have done, had I been in your position.’
‘I mean, how did you know about the land deeds?’
‘Because since I discovered that there may be more to my idiot son than meets the eye I’ve made it my business to know everything that goes on in his household. How I know is something that I may divulge later.’ She turned to Pallas. ‘Is the Consul here yet, Pallas?’
‘Yes, domina, he and dinner await you in your private room.’
‘Excellent. Have Magnus bring the chest there. Gentlemen, we should eat.’ Antonia turned and walked towards the door.
Glancing at Corbulo, who shook his head slowly and tutted, Vespasian followed her, feeling totally out of control of the situation.
‘Decimus Valerius Asiaticus, may I present Titus Flavius Vespasianus; Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo I believe you already know,’ Antonia said as they entered her private domain where the Senior Consul for the final six months of the year stood waiting, admiring the intricately glazed bay window that dominated the room.
Asiaticus turned and nodded a brief greeting to Vespasian and Corbulo before addressing Antonia. ‘Lady Antonia, may I ask what is so urgent that I am summoned from my dining table?’
‘Consul, I do apologise; I hope that my cook has created some dishes that will make up for your spoilt supper. Gentlemen, shall we recline? Consul, please take the couch to my right; the two younger gentlemen to my left.’ She settled onto the middle one of the three couches set around the low walnut-wood table, leaving the men in no doubt that it was an order, not an invitation.
Pallas clapped his hands and three slave girls, each carrying a pair of slippers, appeared from the serving room next door; they took the men’s togas and swapped their sandals for the slippers and then retreated as two more went around the diners washing their hands and spreading napkins out on the couches before them.
Vespasian hoped that he had managed to hide his disappointment at Caenis not being present to attend to her mistress.
Once they were all settled with full cups of wine and the gustatio had been set out on the table Antonia dismissed the slaves and Pallas took up his customary position by the door.
Antonia spooned a small portion of anchovies onto her plate. ‘Gentlemen, we shall fend for ourselves without anyone to wait upon us. Consul, I owe you an explanation.’ She paused to make sure that the three men were following her lead and helping themselves. ‘When Vespasian arrived here late this afternoon asking for a formal meeting and bringing the esteemed Corbulo along as a witness I made an educated guess as to what it was concerning. Pallas, ask Magnus to bring in the chest.’ The steward stuck his head around the door to pass on the order to an underling outside as Antonia continued. ‘I immediately understood his fears and so sent for you.’
Vespasian now realised the cause of the long wait.
The door opened and Magnus entered with Capella’s chest.
‘Put it on the table, Magnus, and then go and find some supper for you and your companions.’
Magnus mumbled something incomprehensible and left the room, leaving the four diners staring at the chest.
‘Vespasian, I know that this is not a formal meeting — that would be impossible to grant in the circumstances — but as you are now reporting your discovery to the Senior Consul as well as myself I believe that it should cover you from any charge of treason.’
‘Yes, domina,’ Vespasian replied, in awe, as ever, of Antonia’s ability to read his mind.
‘Treason, Lady?’ Asiaticus was alarmed.
‘Yes, Consul, treason,’ Antonia confirmed, taking a sip of her wine. ‘Treason committed by my useless and idiotic son whom you, for some reason that eludes me, consider to be a friend. But no matter. Vespasian, open the chest.’
Vespasian got to his feet and slid the keys from around his neck and, placing them into the locks, lifted the lid.
Asiaticus and Corbulo both strained their necks to see what was inside.
‘Those, Consul,’ Antonia said without bothering to look, ‘are the deeds to seven very large grain-producing estates in Egypt. They were purchased secretly, over the last three years, on behalf of Claudius by an agent of his freedman, Narcissus.’
‘But that’s…’
‘Treason, Consul, I know. No one, not even I, may buy property on that scale in Egypt without the permission of my brother-in-law, the Emperor.’
Asiaticus looked at her aghast and drained his cup; his appetite had disappeared in an instant. ‘But what do you intend to do about it, Lady?’
‘That, Consul, is what you are here to discuss. Pallas, would you pour some more wine for my guests? Meanwhile, Vespasian can tell the Consul how he came into possession of this thing.’
When he had finished his short account of the events, Antonia gave Vespasian an appraising look, nodded her head and ordered the next course to be served. He had not left out any of the details concerning either Capella or Flavia — apart from his personal motives — as he had realised that Antonia already knew the story, though how, he could not guess.
Once the slaves had left them with two roast suckling kids in a honey and cumin sauce, Antonia turned to Asiaticus. ‘So the question is: why has Narcissus gone to all that trouble to get the deeds to Rome when he could quite happily have kept them in a secure underground safe in any of his patron’s new properties in Egypt?’ She asked in a manner that suggested to Vespasian that she already knew the answer.
‘It does seem a lot of effort to go to, not to mention the risk of them being discovered by Tiberius’ agents or even lost.’
‘Which they were.’
‘Yes indeed, Lady, which they were. I can only assume that they are worth more to Claudius here than they would be in Egypt, but why, I don’t know.’
‘Nor did I, until recently.’ She paused to carve off a few slices of tender meat from one of the kids and waited for her guests to do the same. Finally content that everyone around the table had sufficient and were at least picking at the succulent dish, she continued. ‘You may not be aware, Consul, that my grandson Gaius Caligula is conducting an affair with Macro’s wife, Ennia?’
The look on Asiaticus’ face confirmed his ignorance. ‘But I thought that he was getting married in Antium; the Emperor will be arriving there for the ceremony at the close of the festival of Apollo.’