While Probus was speculating on the gruesome end that awaited Calvus, Stilo and Zosimus, Ruso was wondering whether Severus really had done away with Ennia’s fiance down in Rome, or whether that had just been a boast to keep Zosimus in line. And whether there really was a hoard of cash in Rome that nobody now knew how to find, or whether that had been another lie. He said, ‘How’s Claudia?’
‘She’s over at my house, confined to bed. I’ve been across to the Senator’s place. The winery looks as though there’s been an earthquake. I’ve never seen such a mess.’
‘And the gatekeeper?’
‘I don’t know, Ruso. I’m not here to give health reports on all the staff.’
For once, Probus had a good excuse for being bad-tempered. ‘Now that I can speak freely,’ he said, ‘I’d say Severus got what he deserved. He was implicit in the murder of my steward, he was unfaithful to my daughter and he tried to swindle me out of a very considerable sum of money.’
‘And your investors.’
Probus cleared his throat. ‘Naturally, now that the truth about the sinking of the Pride of the South has been brought to my attention and a proportion of the stolen money has been recovered, my investors will all be fully reimbursed and compensated. In the circumstances, it’s the honourable thing to do.’
It was the only thing to do if Probus were to salvage his business. For a moment Ruso almost felt sorry for him.
‘Of course, I still don’t condone you allowing your sister-in-law and that woman — ’
‘Tilla,’ prompted Ruso.
‘I don’t condone your allowing them to go to Arelate when I had specifically asked for the whole business to be kept quiet.’
‘Cass was making inquiries about the loss of her brother,’ said Ruso, not pointing out that they had not sought his permission anyway. ‘You gave her reason to believe he might still be alive and then told her nothing more. What was she supposed to do?’
‘I was doing everything I could to trace him!’ snapped Probus. ‘I’m not inhuman, Ruso. Justinus was a good man.’
‘You did give the appearance of only being interested in your cash flow.’
Probus’ eyes met his own, and for a moment Ruso almost thought he caught a hint of contrition.
‘Now, about this business last night.’
‘There wasn’t time to get reinforcements,’ Ruso explained. ‘I did my best, but — ’
‘No need to be modest. I’ve come here to thank you. You’ve been loyal to Claudia all along. Last night she tells me you saved her life.’
‘It was Zosimus who finally got the staff to cooperate. By the time I got to her she wasn’t in any danger. The horse had stopped.’
Probus’ brief moment of vulnerability vanished. His face hardened. ‘Are you suggesting that my daughter is not telling the truth?’
‘I think she’s a bit confused. I think everybody was.’
‘Hm.’ For the first time Ruso could recall, Probus seemed unsure what to say next. Finally he offered, ‘I have been giving Claudia’s situation a great deal of thought.’
Ruso, not sure where this was leading, tried, ‘Of course.’
‘I’ve come to the conclusion that I may not always be the best judge of what is good for her.’
Not knowing whether he was supposed to agree or disagree with this, Ruso cleared his throat.
‘Frankly, Severus was a disaster.’
‘He certainly was,’ Ruso agreed with a fervour that he hoped made up for his prevarication.
‘You’ve proved a loyal friend to her, and although I have very grave doubts about the wisdom of this, I have agreed to bring a message saying that she would be prepared to consider a reconciliation.’
There were many things Ruso could have said in reply to this, but none of them occurred to him until several hours later. While he was waiting for a set of coherent words to assemble themselves in his brain and make their way to his mouth, he found himself scratching one ear until it hurt.
‘Is it the hair?’ demanded Probus. ‘Rather a shock, poor girl. But it will grow back, you know.’
‘It — it’s not the hair,’ stumbled Ruso, adding truthfully, ‘In fact I think it suits her short. Perhaps not green, though.’
‘Financially, we are still very secure,’ Probus assured him. ‘And I suppose you could master some sort of rudimentary business skills?’
‘I really don’t think — ’
Probus got to his feet. ‘Well, you don’t have to give her an answer straight away. But it would cheer her up.’
‘Not for long,’ said Ruso. ‘I’m flattered, but I’d be hopeless in business, and she’d only get exasperated again.’
‘Yes,’ agreed Probus, surprising Ruso with a smile. ‘That’s exactly what I told her. Well done, Ruso. It seems you do have some sense after all. I take it you’re still hugely in debt?’
‘Of course.’
‘Come and see me sometime next week and we’ll work on rearranging your loans. Oddly enough — ’
Whatever Probus found odd was lost in the sound of more hammering on the door. Ruso apologized and went to see what the latest crisis was.
To his surprise, the interruption was caused by Flora. Seconds later he was pulling on a clean tunic and apologizing again to Probus. With a strong sense of foreboding, he stepped out into the garden and braced himself to deal with ‘Gaius, Mother says you’ve got to smarten yourself up because Lollia from next door’s turned up with Marcia’s gladiator and his aunt, and Marcia’s hiding in the bedroom.’
85
Ruso ran both hands through his hair, buckled his belt and opened the door of the bath-house. As Probus strode away towards the garden gate, Arria was hurrying down from the porch. Across in the yard, Lollia Saturnina scrambled out of the back of a cart, and an anxious-looking woman who was presumably the aunt hurried forward and opened the yard gate for her.
Lucius said, ‘I need to leave this on my hair for another half-hour,’ and made to retreat back to the bath-house.
‘What was it you were going to tell me about the accounts?’
The tone of Lucius’ ‘Ah’ suggested that he had been hoping his brother would forget to ask. ‘We seem to have a bit more money than we thought.’
‘How much more?’
‘About two hundred.’ Lucius coughed. ‘Exactly two hundred, in fact.’
Ruso slumped against the door-frame.
‘It was in a bag that had slipped down behind the trunk.’
As Ruso said, ‘I don’t want to hear this,’ a chorus of petitions rang out.
‘Will somebody tell me what’s going on?’
‘Can I have a word, Ruso?’
‘Gaius, go and tell Marcia she’s got to come out!’
‘In fact,’ said Ruso, ‘I think I haven’t heard it. Use it to pay the wheelwright.’ He stepped forward and closed the door behind him. ‘Did somebody say Tertius is here?’
Ruso climbed up into Lollia’s vehicle and knelt beside Tertius on the straw. The lad was still horribly pale, but there was no more haemorrhaging, the toes were the right colour, and the wound did not seem to be inflamed or excessively swollen. Neither, according to Tertius, was it very painful. ‘Gnostus gave me some of his potion, sir.’
‘Yes,’ said Ruso, reaching across to take his pulse. ‘I’m going to have to find out what’s in Gnostus’ potion. Tell me, Tertius, how is it you keep turning up unexpectedly like this?’
The lad managed a smile, although he was too weak to lift his head. ‘Now that I’m not a gladiator, sir …’ He paused for breath. ‘I’d like to ask your permission to marry Marcia Petreia.’
‘I still don’t understand why.’
‘Because I love her, sir.’
Ruso released the pulse. ‘I meant, why aren’t you a gladiator?’
The lad shifted to get more comfortable and winced. ‘My aunt prayed to Christos for me, sir.’