‘Aurelia? Is that you?’
She made a show of adjusting her necklace before looking up. ‘Gaius! What a surprise.’
‘I could say the same thing, seeing you here.’
‘You’re very handsome in your uniform,’ she ventured.
He grinned, looking boyish. ‘Do you think so?’
Aurelia wanted to pay him more compliments, but she could feel a tell-tale flush beginning on her cheeks. ‘I came here to ask Mars to grant Quintus and Father his protection,’ she said quickly.
His face grew serious. ‘I thought as much.’
‘The priest was happy with the sacrifice, and the omens were good.’
‘Mars be thanked! I shall include them in my prayers too, as always.’
She wanted to kiss him, but all she said was, ‘You’re a good man, Gaius.’
‘Quintus is my best friend, and your father has always been kind to me. It’s the least I can do.’
‘What brings you to the temple, and in uniform too?’
‘You’ve heard how Hannibal’s rabble has been laying waste to Etruria?’
She nodded, grateful that Capua was hundreds of miles from the conflict. It didn’t bear thinking about what might happen if the war came further south. ‘It’s dreadful.’
‘I won’t tell you some of the things I’ve heard,’ he said with a frown. ‘But the good news is that the consul Flaminius is shadowing the enemy. He’s trying to push Hannibal into a position where he and Servilius can strike him from both the rear and the front.’
‘That is worth praying for,’ she said, determining to ask the gods more often that Rome was victorious.
‘It’s not just that.’ He gave her a conspiratorial wink. ‘There are rumours that the local contingent of socii troops is to be mobilised.’
Shocked, she didn’t take in his meaning at once.
‘Soon I might be sent north, with my unit. Aren’t you pleased for me?’
Aurelia felt lightheaded. How could she be pleased? She wanted to rage and scream, to beg him not to leave her as well. ‘It’s so dangerous. Quintus and Father, they-’
‘They’re still alive, despite the setbacks our forces have suffered. The gods protect brave men such as they. With any luck, they’ll do the same for me.’ His eyes were bright with courage and enthusiasm.
‘I will miss you, Gaius.’ If only you knew how much.
‘I’m not going yet. But when I do, your new friend will keep you company. I’ve heard all about him from your mother.’ Another wink. ‘You won’t even notice I’ve gone.’
Aurelia felt even worse. He didn’t seem jealous of Lucius. ‘I shall pray for you,’ she whispered. What if he never comes back? I have to say something, I have to. ‘Gaius, I-’
Gaius was so excited that he didn’t hear her last words. ‘By your leave, I’ll go inside to make my offering.’
‘Of course.’ She watched him go, her heart thudding off her ribs. Surely, any chance she had of winning him over had just vanished.
‘Quite the dashing young soldier, isn’t he?’
She spun in shock. Phanes was watching her from the shadow of the colonnaded walkway that ran around the temple’s courtyard. How long he had been there, Aurelia didn’t know. She hadn’t noticed him on her way in. Despite the slaves who stood behind her, fear coursed through her, and she studied the gloom to either side.
‘Don’t worry. I’ve left Smiler and Achilles at home.’
‘How long have you been watching?’ He hadn’t been there when she went in, she was sure of it. What had he heard?
‘Long enough. I thought you spent all your time with Lucius Vibius Melito nowadays,’ he said slyly. ‘That’s Martialis’ son, isn’t it?’ He strolled forward. Sunshine glittered off his oiled hair.
‘What if it is?’ She wanted to leave, but her fear that he had noticed something between her and Gaius froze her every muscle.
‘A handsome lad, as you said.’
‘He looks good in uniform, like my brother. Like most men.’
‘You seem worried that he might be sent to war.’
‘He’s dear to me. I’ve known him since I was a child,’ she said casually. ‘He and my brother Quintus are best friends.’
‘May the gods protect him if he is sent north. Rome has lost too many sons in recent months,’ said Phanes, his tone oozing sincerity.
‘He’s Oscan, not Roman.’ She could not bear his calculating eyes on her any longer. ‘Mars will give our forces victory, and Gaius will be there to celebrate it,’ she declared, moving past him, and grateful for the slaves’ presence at her back.
‘My compliments to your lady mother,’ he called.
Aurelia didn’t deign to reply. She just wanted to get away.
Phanes launched his final barb. ‘Does Melito know your friend?’
Despite her best efforts, Aurelia stiffened. She forcibly relaxed her shoulders and turned with a surprised look. ‘But of course. He will miss Gaius too.’
Phanes nodded as if she’d given him the answer he expected. ‘I’m sure he will.’
She left him to it. All the way back from the temple, Aurelia’s unease grew. Phanes had put two and two together about her feelings for Gaius — why would he have made such a comment if he hadn’t? Had she done enough to allay his suspicions? Gods, don’t let him tell Lucius, she worried. If there was even a seed of doubt in Lucius’ mind about her intentions, he would never consent to a betrothal. If all things were equal she wouldn’t have minded that, but it would bring ruin down on her family. Curse him!
Eventually, Aurelia managed to achieve some sort of calm by telling herself that the Greek could not have read too much into the situation. She couldn’t quite shake her disquiet, however. Phanes probably had spies throughout Capua. As she neared Martialis’ house, she watched the people in the street sidelong: a boy selling fruit juice from a handcart; a stonemason and his apprentice repairing a wall; two old men gossiping in the warm sun; a woman selling trinkets from a small stall. Any one of them could be in his employ, she thought bitterly. As the Greek had already proved, even in Martialis’ house she was not beyond prying eyes.
Aurelia felt like a rat in a trap.
She made up her mind. From now on, she would have to avoid Gaius, and make much more of Lucius. She had to, for her family’s sake. It felt as if the last of her liberty had been taken away. Before, she had at least been able to play at being free to make her own decisions. Not any more.
Near Lake Trasimene
‘Tell me what you saw again,’ ordered Corax. The bright moonlight lit up his features but not his deep-set eyes, making him look even more forbidding. Quintus, who had been ordered to attend him along with Big Tenner and the rest of their section, was glad that the centurion was on his side.
‘As you know, sir, the ground opens out after the pinch point to the east of our camp,’ said Big Tenner.
‘Yes, yes.’
‘The area is half-moon shaped and about a square mile in area, sir. At the eastern end of it, another ridge comes down to the water’s edge. Hannibal has put his camp on the heights there, overlooking the road. We scouted along the shore towards the enemy for about half a mile, but then we started seeing groups of Numidians. If we’d gone any further, they would have ridden us down.’
‘You saw nothing on the hills to the north?’ asked Corax.
‘No, sir. On the way back, I even sent a five-man section to search the lower slopes. They didn’t find a thing.’ As Corax chewed on that, Big Tenner let out a little sigh. Quintus knew why. Tenner had reported when they’d returned to the camp, which lay just to the west of the entrance to the narrows. Then he had had to repeat it all to Flaminius himself. Now Corax was making him do it all over again. Behind Tenner, Quintus shifted on his haunches. Rutilus glanced at him as if to say, ‘How much longer will this take?’ Even in the poor light, Urceus looked downright pissed off. It was unsurprising. They had been scouting since early morning. All of them were tired, sunburned and thirsty. Quintus’ stomach rumbled with hunger, but he said not a word. Until their centurion dismissed them, they had to sit tight. Surely, though, the grilling would not go on for much longer.