Shadows in Bronze

'A glass or two at mealtimes to help him digest. Why?'

'That day I came, the flask he collected would have done duty at a gladiators' victory thrash.'

Helena considered it. 'Perhaps he likes to leave some on the table for the slaves who wait on him?'

'Perhaps!' Neither of us believed it, as both of us knew. Time to talk business, since flirting had been ruled out.

'If you've already been to Nola and back, you've had a busy day. So what's so urgent?'

She flashed a tired, rueful smile. 'Falco, I owe you an apology.'

'I expect I can bear it. What have you done?'

'I told you Aufidius Crispus had never been to the villa – then the infuriating man arrived as soon as you left.'

I gloomily used my thumbnail as a toothpick. 'In a litter with a fancy gold prong on top, and slaves in saffron livery?'

‘You passed him!'

‘Not your fault.' She ought to have known by now that if I was ever annoyed she had only to expose me to that grave, apologetic look. I was not annoyed but she did know, judging by her expression, which was having a tricky effect on me. 'Tell me about it?'

'It appeared to be a sympathy call. I was told, he had come to talk to Marcellus about his son.'

‘Prior arrangement?'

'Looked like it. I think my father-in-law rushed his lunch with me so the men would be able to talk in private when Crispus arrived.' Modest women expect to be excluded from male get-togethers; Helena was openly annoyed.

'They took the flagon,' she acknowledged. 'You never miss much!'

I grinned, enjoying the flattery. I also enjoyed her secret glint as I let her manipulate me – then her swift, sweet, honest laugh when she noticed I knew. 'Don't suppose old Marcellus told you what they discussed?'

‘No. I tried to hide my interest. He passed the visit off with a comment about Crispus making himself agreeable… Ask me why I went to Nola with Marcellus?'

I leant closer with my chin on my hands and requested obediently, 'Helena Justina, why did you go to Nola?'

'To buy you a bucket, Falco – and you've never even looked at it.

XL

It was a highly desirable bucket – a handsome shape, good capacity, the bronze gleaming like sunshine on Lake Volsinii, its rivets secure, and a ring-moulded handle to give a firm grip.

'Superb. How much do I owe?'

'You could pay a lot more, for much less-' She told me and I paid up, pleased with the bargain she had got for me.

'Very few people can buy a good bucket. I told Larius I could rely on you.'

'Talking of him ' She dived under her stole, which she was keeping in the bucket while the evening stayed mild. 'I bought this to help you cheer him up.'

It was a miniature stag, also in bronze, small enough to sit in the palm of my hand and beautifully modelled. I made the right noises, but Helena Justina could spot insincerity at a stadium's length: 'Is something wrong-are you offended?'

'Jealous,' I confessed.

'Fool!' Laughing, she dived in again. 'Your mother asked me to look out for these for you.' Next she gave me a parcel about six inches long, heavy, and wrapped in cloth.

It was a set of spoons. Ten. Bronze. I tried the balance: beautiful. They had pleasing egg-shaped bowls, slightly elongated in the length. The hexagonal handles were straight, then turned down and curved into a rat-tail fixture on the bowl; they had moulded knops by the elbow joints, picked up by a complementary finial…

'Well, my cold gruel should taste a lot better out of these!'

'Wipe them with a cloth when you wash them, so they won't mark – do you like them?'

They were superb. I told her that. Whatever they cost must be more than my mother could possibly afford; I was reaching for my funds again, with a sharp pain in the purse area, when she muttered, 'Those are from me.' It was just like her. No one in the Didius family had ever possessed a full set of matching spoons. I was overcome.

'Helena-'

‘Just enjoy your gruel.'

She was playing with a finger bowl. I lifted her free hand – the left – kissed her palm, then gave back the hand. A bracelet of spindle-shaped blue firence beads shivered on her wrist. Nothing else. No silver ring.

So that was it.

I held my ten spoons tenderly, though I felt like a noblewoman's plaything who had been bought off. I made no attempt to control my face. I should have done. Because as I sat in resentful silence the Senator's daughter turned to look at me. And she immediately realized what I thought about the reason for her gift.

I had made a mistake.

One of those moments. Two seconds, to destroy an entire relationship.

One stupid, wrong expression that shatters your life.

XLI

In the following few minutes I watched more doors close against me than I had ever even noticed were ajar.

'I have two pieces of information, Falco.' Her flat tone confirmed that assisting me had withered to a distasteful public duty. 'First, my father-in-law went to Nola because Aufidius Crispus had invited him as his personal guest at the Nola Games.' She looked as if she had just wasted an hour on a manicure for an important dinner party, then broken a nail against the doorlatch on her way out. 'Crispus was the host all round; he paid for the Games.

'A good show?' I asked carefully. It was not the first time I had insulted a friend – or a woman – but I normally liked to minimize the damage this did to myself.

‘Athletes, chariot races, thirty pairs of gladiators, a bullfight-'

‘So can I expect to find Crispus at Nola?

'No; it was a one-day spectacle.'

‘Ah! Is he very public spirited – or standing as a magistrate?'

‘Neither.'

'But he was courting support?

Teasing information from Helena had never been harder. Luckily the chance of putting me in my place made her slightly more talkative: 'It's obvious, Falco. Campania, at the height of the holiday season. What better opportunity for an ambitious man to approach influential Romans – quite privately? Half the Senate will be here at some time this summer-'

'So Crispus can entertain, coerce, manipulate- all without attracting suspicion! In Rome if he gave public entertainments half the Forum would be taking bets on what he wanted-'

'Exactly.'

‘Yet here he only looks like a great-hearted, gregarious type enjoying his holiday!' This time she merely nodded. ‘Well! That explains why Crispus won't ingratiate himself with the new Emperor, the man is planning regal moves himself. Vespasian may not be the only voter in Rome who does not go along with it-'

'Oh, I wish I believed that -' Overcoming her reticence, Helena Justina beat one hand on the table. 'Why must people have so little faith in the Flavians?'

‘Vespasian and Titus are a credit to Rome. There's no scandal; and that's no fun.'

'Don't be so fatuous!' She rounded on me bitterly. 'The only decent Emperor in our lifetime! But Vespasian will be pushed out of office won't he? Before he has started, before anyone even gives him a chance to show what he can do-'

'Don't despair yet.' By nature Helena was a fighter and an optimist; I dropped my hand over the one she had smacked down. 'This is not like you!'

She broke away restlessly. 'Aufidius Crispus is wickedly powerful. He has far too many well-placed friends. Falco, you must stop him!'

'Helena, I can't even find him!'

'Because you're not trying.'

'Thanks for the flattery!'

'I don't need to boost your confidence; you have a high enough opinion of yourself!'

'Thanks again!'

‘What have you achieved chasing Crispus? You're pottering in the sunshine on this lead-selling lark – you aft, pretending to be an entrepreneur! I suppose you've been showing off to all the women who run wayside wineshops -'