They exchanged a grim look.
Real grief gripped Hanno, but not just because of Sapho. It felt as if his chances of ever seeing Aurelia again had just slid off a cliff edge into oblivion. He’d known his dream of being reunited was a fantasy, yet, for all that, it had given him some succour. No longer. ‘Very well,’ he said firmly. ‘I will not try to visit Capua again.’
‘Good.’ Bostar seemed relieved. He aimed his spear up the slope. ‘Let’s find ourselves some game to kill. I don’t know about you, but I’ve had enough misery for today. It’s time for some sport.’
‘Agreed.’ Yet as Hanno kneed his horse onwards, there was no denying the feeling of loss in his heart. It was as if he now had only one brother, not two. It wasn’t a true bereavement, but it felt similar to one. So too did the pain of knowing once and for all that he and his life were totally incompatible with Aurelia and hers. The best he could do, Hanno thought with a fond glance at Bostar, was to appreciate the relationships that he had. He offered up an ardent prayer to Baal Hammon, Tanit and Eshmoun. Watch over my brother and father, I beg you. Keep them safe. They are all I have.
He left out Sapho.
Chapter XVI
North of Capua, two months later. .
‘I’m not sure that this is a good idea.’ Lucius’ voice came from outside the litter.
Aurelia’s stomach twisted, but all he saw was her widest smile as she lifted the drapes. ‘You promised me!’
‘In a moment of weakness. It’s midsummer now; you yourself complain about how hot it is in the middle of the day.’
‘That’s why we’re setting out now, before dawn,’ she replied sweetly. ‘We’ll reach Capua not long after midday. I can take a rest the instant we arrive.’
‘A city is the last kind of place for a woman in your state to visit,’ he grumbled. ‘Open drains. Disease. Rats. Bad vapours.’
‘I’ll keep away from all of those. I’m not an invalid! I’m well able to walk around, you know that. There’s so much I need to buy before the baby comes.’
‘A slave could do it.’
‘They’d forget half of it, or purchase the wrong thing. It’s far easier for me to do it. And don’t forget my mother. She will have come to Capua to see me, probably for the last time before the baby is born.’
‘I don’t know. Maybe you should stay behind. Your mother can always travel here. What if your labour starts early?’
‘That won’t happen,’ Aurelia said with a confidence she didn’t totally feel. ‘Even if it did, Capua is full of surgeons and midwives, each of whom will be as experienced as the woman who lives nearby. What better place could there be to give birth?’
‘It’s asking for trouble to make light of it,’ he said irritably, shifting on his horse’s back. ‘Don’t you know how many babies and women die during childbirth?’
He can’t help himself, mentioning the child before me, thought Aurelia, fighting back bitterness. Since she had told him of her pregnancy, his attitude towards her had utterly changed. True, she no longer had to endure his advances — her mother had been right about that — but much of the time, it was as if Lucius now viewed her as nothing more than a vehicle to carry his son to term. To bring that up, however, would be pointless and might further endanger her chances of winning this argument. ‘Yes, husband. I meant no disrespect,’ she said meekly. ‘But I offered a lamb to Ceres yesterday. The soothsayer could find no reason in the entrails for me not to go to Capua.’
Defeated by the divine, Lucius gave a reluctant nod. ‘Very well. We had best leave now then. I want to be far down the road when the sun comes up.’
‘Of course, husband.’ Aurelia concealed her satisfaction until the drape had fallen back into place. Without doubt, this would be her last chance before the birth to enjoy the sights of Capua. A long period of time on Lucius’ family estate had given her an even greater appreciation of the city’s attractions. Its baths, theatres and good shops beckoned in her mind. There was the prospect of seeing her mother away from her new home; of calling on Martialis; there was a possibility, albeit remote, of seeing Gaius there. The list of things she wanted to do was endless. Once the baby was born, all chance of doing such things would vanish for many months. It was worrying how close the door of opportunity had come to closing. Aurelia gave thanks to Fides for making Lucius keep his word.
As the litter was lifted into the air by a quartet of Lucius’ strongest slaves, she settled back on to the soft cushions and made herself as comfortable as possible. Rising so early didn’t suit her in her current condition. She had grown used to dozing until midmorning. A nap now would help to prevent her feeling too fatigued later. Rocked by the swaying motion of the litter and the murmur of conversation between Lucius and Statilius, it wasn’t long before her eyelids began to droop. Phanes’ image briefly crossed her mind, but she was able to push it away. Lucius’ tactic had worked. Her mother’s most recent letter mentioned how the moneylender had unexpectedly reduced the amount demanded each month. Atia had no idea why, but things were much easier as a result. Content that all was well, Aurelia fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.
Apart from a brief stop to eat a little food, the party — Lucius, Aurelia, Elira, Statilius and a dozen other slaves — travelled without pause, reaching Capua not long after the sun had reached its zenith. The loud churring of the cicadas that had accompanied them all the way was finally drowned out as they passed beneath one of the six stone gateways that gave access to the city. Inside the walls, the air was still and hot. Here the sun could concentrate its attention on the narrow streets that were lined on either side by buildings several storeys high. The temperature in the litter, which had been increasing steadily, rose to unbearable levels. Aurelia was glad to reach Lucius’ city house, a spacious affair with a grand courtyard full of shade and pattering fountains. While he met with clients who wanted his patronage, she spent the rest of the afternoon reclining there, fanned by two slaves with palm branches and sipping cool juices brought to her by Elira.
In the early evening, Aurelia determined to go out. The dreadful heat had begun at last to abate, and she wanted to make a start on her shopping list, which, thanks to the advice of the local midwife, was quite extensive. Lucius was still busy. Apart from recommending she take a slave as protection and authorising Statilius to give her a purse of coin, he barely looked up from his desk when she stuck her head inside his office door. His lack of attention didn’t surprise her. It took something monumental to drag him from his estates’ accounts. Not that she minded. After his earlier outburst, she wanted to escape before he also reconsidered her outing.
Stepping from the cool of the house into the baking warmth of the street was like being slapped in the face. Despite the umbrella wielded by Elira, which shielded her from the unforgiving sun, instant beads of sweat prickled on Aurelia’s scalp, forehead and swollen belly. Her dress stuck to her back. The insides of her thighs rubbed together. Perhaps coming to the city had been rash? Dismissing the notion, she pictured the items on her list: a cradle, swaddling cloths, squares of linen to wash and dry the baby, scented oils to use when bathing. If she could find it, Aurelia had also resolved to buy some expensive perfume as a treat. After that, a visit had to be paid to the stall in the forum that sold spiced sausages. She had been craving them for months. The cook in Lucius’ house had tried to follow her instructions in recreating them, but his version wasn’t a patch on the real thing. Perhaps the stallholder would part with his recipe if she slipped him a few coins. That happy thought helped carry her from Lucius’ house down the quiet residential street to the main avenue that led to the forum.
A strapping farm slave armed with a short cudgel dogged their footsteps. Aurelia soon noticed that more often than not his gaze was directed at Elira’s shapely rear; a sharp reprimand redirected his attentions to their surroundings. With the threat of Phanes removed, there was little risk in being abroad at this hour, she thought, but that didn’t mean there weren’t cutpurses about. The purse Statilius had given her weighed heavily around her neck. A shawl might have covered it from prying eyes, but there was no way Aurelia could have borne the extra layer of clothing. As it was, she was already dreaming about peeling off her wool dress when they got back.