Poor girl, I thought — that was exactly how her father had regarded her, although as an unattractive daughter she was not even a valuable chattel. I said, in an attempt to be comforting, ‘Your fate would not have been so dreadful. My patron Marcus is a just and honourable man.’
She turned on me. ‘Then I would have been used to ruin him. My servants are all spies, and Marcus is known, in Rome, to be a friend of the Governor Pertinax. The Emperor fears him — no doubt in time my father’s spies would have found some excuse to bring about his downfall. Already there are whispers in the court that Pertinax is to be moved from his command — to some other post, perhaps, where he is away from the disaffected legions.’
I was staring at her.
‘You doubt me? Then you should talk to Zetso about it. Octavius heard him crowing about this to some handsome charioteer, one evening in the Circus Maximus — bragging of his master’s influence. That is how I knew of it. I am not well versed in the intrigues of the city.’
‘Octavius frequents the circus?’
She smiled. ‘Not often, no. He went because my father was there. The foolish boy had heard rumours of an unbeatable horse and driver, and was hoping to win some money on the races in order to offer for my hand. Thought it would impress my father. Being Octavius, of course, he lost what little money he had.’ She said it with affectionate irritation. If Octavius attained his wish, I thought, and took Phyllidia to wife, he would not have the easiest of lives.
I nodded, slipping the little bottle carefully into the folds of my toga. There was a cord threaded through a glass eyelet near the stopper, and I looped that around my belt where it would be safe.
‘Well,’ I said, ‘I will do my best for him. I’ll take this to my patron. He will be pleased.’ That was true. Marcus was more likely to be impressed by a phial of poison, even if it had not been used, than by all the information in the world. For good measure, I decided, I would go back to the heap and take him the moustache, however malodorous it was. I could always hire a slave to carry it for me.
Phyllidia inclined her head. ‘And I will send for a little bread and water to sustain me. There will be no meals served in this house, of course, until after the funeral, and I will observe the public fast — but I see no reason why I should go hungry.’
‘You do not altogether mourn your father?’
She met my eyes then, and I was shocked by the fire in them. ‘I will tell you the truth, citizen. I stole that poison with the intention of drinking it, but the idea of giving it to my father instead had occurred to me. I was almost ready to do it. Fortunately, I was spared the necessity — by accident or design. And I warn you, citizen, I do not greatly care which it was. Even if it was shown to be a murder, I should not wish to bring a case against. . whoever did it.’
She meant it. Under Roman law there is no case without an accuser. ‘I see,’ I said softly. ‘Though the Emperor himself might take an interest. I will send a servant with your supper.’
She had turned quite white, with little patches of scarlet on her cheeks. And with that I left her.
Chapter Fifteen
My first thought was to attend my patron. The interview with Phyllidia had delayed me, and Marcus is not in any case a patient man. Pausing only to collect my cloak from the alcove where I had left it and to glance into the servants’ ante-room in case there was now a slave available (there wasn’t), I hurried to the door with the firm intention of stepping through it and making my way to Marcus with all available speed.
The doorkeeper had other ideas. Instead of opening the door at my approach, he stepped out in front of me with a ferocious scowl, and the thick baton at his side found its way menacingly into his hand. ‘You were thinking of leaving, citizen?’
It was not an encouraging opening. Obviously I was thinking of leaving or I would not have been making towards the door. However, over a long life I have learned never to quarrel, if I can avoid it, with a man who is bigger and younger than I am and armed with a baton.
I flashed the man a hollow smile. ‘I am under orders to rejoin my patron, doorkeeper, but there are still no slaves in evidence. I was resigning myself to a long lonely walk through the town.’
The smile was strictly unrequited. I remembered with unease that the doorman had been suspicious of me from the beginning. I did not expect him actually to strike me — after all I was a citizen, albeit a unprepossessing one — and I was known to be a protégé of Marcus. That alone should afford me a little protection — which was indeed why I had mentioned him at all. But from the look on the doorman’s face it would not take much to have him wield that baton.
‘Have no fear, citizen,’ the doorman said, with a nasty sneering emphasis on the final word, ‘you will not be walking through the town, lonely or otherwise. My master Gaius wishes to see you. He is awaiting you in the librarium.’
‘Gaius?’ When I had left the old man earlier he had not seemed eager to keep up the acquaintance.
‘I do not know what you have done to offend him, citizen, but he sent down his page a moment ago with orders to stop you leaving. I understand he is not best pleased with you. Now, have I to lock this door, and accompany you upstairs with this baton, or will you go up quietly yourself?’
I can make a choice, when it is presented clearly. I said, ‘I will be honoured to attend upon him again.’
The doorkeeper looked unimpressed. ‘Then I suggest you do it quickly, citizen. My master is an old man, but he can be fearsome when roused.’
It was hard to imagine the querulous old magistrate deserving that description, but I turned away obediently and retraced my steps up the stairs that I had so recently come down. I was, frankly, puzzled. What could have occurred to visit the wrath of Gaius on my head?
I tapped apologetically on the door. The young page opened it, and I was shown in to where Gaius was waiting.
The doorman was not wrong. Gaius was furious. He was sitting on a stool beside the table, and he rose to face me as I came in. His thin face was white with anger, and his eyes blazed. Even the dog crouching at his feet could sense the mood, and rose at my approach to growl at me menacingly.
‘So, you have come.’ The voice, customarily no more than a rusty whisper, had become a croaking bellow. ‘Well, I warn you, citizen, I am most displeased. Asking intrusive questions of me is one thing — I am an old man and a magistrate and I am accustomed to defending myself in the senate. But this is different. Phyllidia is more than my guest, she is my ward — or will be very shortly. I will not have you distress her in this fashion.’
I was surprised that the news of my escapade had reached him so soon. Phyllidia must have gone to him at once. The dog was straining at me in an unpleasant fashion, only restrained by Gaius’s hand upon the chain. I glanced at it nervously.
I said, as soothingly as possible, ‘Most respected Excellence, I assure you there was no disrespect intended. I went to her room simply to attempt to find a phial of poison which I knew was in the building somewhere. It is unfortunate that she surprised me searching in her travelling chest, but I was acting under the orders of my patron-’
Gaius lunged towards me with a roar. ‘You were doing what? Searching her possessions? Under my very roof? As if matters were not already bad enough! By Juno, if you were not a citizen I should have you flogged for this.’ For a moment I feared that he would strike me himself, or loose the dog at me, but instead he thumped his bony old hand down on the table with such force that his writing papers rattled, and the page boy in the corner flinched. The dog howled and sat down, eyeing me with mistrust.