Danger in the Wind (19 page)

“Why, for the gods’ sake? You’ll be the centre of attention and you’ll have all your friends around you.”

“That’s just it.
All
of them. I shall be like a juggler throwing knives in the air and trying not to catch them by the blades.”

This over-dramatic image was so typical of Jovina, it made me smile. “Nonsense, it’ll be fine.
I
intend to enjoy it anyway. It’s ages since I was at a party. And it’ll be good for Vitellia to meet new people. She’s led a fairly sheltered life.”

“Chloe will like having some female company of her own age.” Jovina sighed. “That child is a worry just now, I don’t mind telling you. Marcus plans to announce her betrothal at my party, you know. A good marriage, with an old family friend. Statius Severus, from Lindum. I don’t suppose you remember him, do you?”

“I think so, vaguely.” A picture came into my mind, not a particularly attractive one: an old man who walked with a stick, grey hair, grey face set in a permanent frown.

“He’s a lot older than Chloe, isn’t he?”

“He’s well past fifty, more than twice Chloe’s age. That’s part of the problem. She says she doesn’t fancy him. And before you say it, I know young girls can’t just marry whoever they please. But I can understand how she feels. Living on military bases, she’s got very used to mixing with men nearer her own age. All she wants to do is run wild, lapping up the attention she gets from the young soldiers. It’s a perfectly good marriage though. Apart from Statius being a long-standing friend, he’s rich. We never have been, so it’s important Chloe marries money. She’ll give up her wild ways eventually. But I’ve asked Marcus not to announce the engagement tomorrow. I don’t want the party spoilt by a huge row.”

“Just between you and me, I wish Vitellia could show a bit of wildness now and again. They should suit one another.”

Selena came in with the wine, poured it out, and left. I raised my mug.

“To a happy birthday,” I said, “and a happy party to celebrate it.”

She lifted her beaker to me. “I can face it now you’re here. I’m still dreading it, but I feel I can get through it.”

“We’ll get through it together. You still haven’t really told me why you’re dreading it.”

She shrugged. “Oh, don’t mind me. Tell me all your news. This Vitellia, now…”

I did as she asked, but reluctantly, because it seemed all wrong somehow. It was
her
news I wanted to talk about. But she persisted, and seemed bright and lively, and much interested in all the Aurelius family were doing. Yet to me, knowing her well, it was a forced brightness, like a coat of garish paint concealing blemishes on the face of a marble statue.

After a mug of wine, I decided I must make arrangements for us all to move to her house from the mansio.

Vitellia was where I’d left her, chatting to Philippus. The pair of them seemed to be getting on very well, and that must be a good thing, I thought. If I was supposed to be keeping an eye on Philippus, that job should be much easier if he spent plenty of time with Vitellia.

I sent for Brutus and gave all the necessary practical instructions. “So you can head for home today, in plenty of time.”

He looked troubled. “The more I see of this place, the more worried I am about leaving you.”

“I’ll be perfectly safe with my cousin and her family.”

“I don’t know as any Roman outside the fort is
perfectly
safe just now. I’ve been keeping me ears open, and so have the drivers. There’s definitely resentment among the natives, and they all seem to think it’ll come to a head on Midsummer Day. The fort commander’s quite worried, he’s sending to Eburacum for reinforcements, they say. And I don’t like the idea of you and Miss Vitellia being here alone.”

“Ah, but we shan’t be alone. Quintus Antonius has arrived here.”

“Antonius? That’s good news. Maybe the commander sent for him too?”

“Maybe. But the point is, I’ve got someone reliable I can call on if I need to. You go home, you’re needed there.”

He nodded. “All right then, if you’re certain. I hope you have a really good party. And take care, won’t you?”

“I will, Brutus. You can be sure of it.”

Chapter XIV

As I was returning to Jovina’s room. Selena came hurrying past me in the hall, a note-tablet in her hand. She slowed down long enough to say softly, “This letter’ll please my lady. From a certain person up at the fort. Would you mind waiting here just a little while? You’ll get no sense out of her till she’s read it.”

“Of course.” I wandered to the nearest window and looked out into the garden, and caught a fleeting glimpse of the handsome soldier Gambax whom I’d met at the mansio, hastening along a paved path towards a stand of trees. He must be here to see Chloe. Well, it was none of my business.

When Selena beckoned me to come in, Jovina was smiling and holding her letter aloft. “A note from Trebonius. He wants me to go and see him today. To make final arrangements for my party. He’s organising it, you see.”

“The commander is? I’d assumed it would be Marcus.”

Her smile broadened, and she even blushed. “Well, Marcus hasn’t been in much of a state to organise anything lately. Trebonius offered to help, and he suggested we should invite a few people from the fort and the village, people outside the family, I mean. He thinks with everyone being so unsettled and on edge just now, a bit of socialising will be good for morale. That’s the only reason.”

Oh yes? And I’m the Queen of Brigantia. She looked more like a romantic young girl with a note from the boy next door than a senior officer’s wife planning a social event to improve morale.

“Where will it be? Here, or in the fort?”

“Neither. It’s going to be outside, in the open air. A lovely spot where the water-meadows slope very gently down to the river.”

“In the open? In northern Britannia? What if it rains all day?”

“It won’t. We’re in for a long fine spell, that’s what the village wise-woman says.”

“And if she’s not so wise after all?”

She laughed. “There’ll be tents there, enough so we can all sit and eat under cover if we really have to. But the plan is for all the tables and couches to be out in the sunshine.”

“It’s a lot to arrange, but a fort commander must be good at organising people and supplies.”

“He is. You must come with me this afternoon, he wants to meet you. Bring Vitellia too. He says he knows Lucius.”

“He probably does. My brother has all sorts of contacts in the army. Talking of which, you’ve heard me mention Quintus Antonius Delfinus, the bridge engineer?”

“Bridge engineer, spy, and your mysterious lover? When are you going to introduce me to him?”

“Quite soon, I think. He’s here in Isurium, I saw him at the mansio last night. I told him I’d be visiting you and he said he might call round here later on, if it’s convenient.”

“My dear, of course it’s convenient, I’ve been telling you for years I want to meet him.” Then her bright smile faded. “But why is he here? Is he expecting trouble of some sort? Yes, of course he must be, otherwise what’s he doing in Isurium just now?”

“There’s some problem with the bridge, he told me.”

“The bridge? Gods, as if things weren’t difficult enough!”

“You mean with this dreadful man Eurytus? From what I’ve heard and seen, he causes trouble wherever he goes. Between you and me—and please keep this to yourself, Jovina—I think perhaps Quintus’ visit may be connected with him and his antics.”

“Good. In that case Trebonius will be very glad of his help.” She sipped her wine and gazed thoughtfully through the open window at the garden. “I love this house, away from the fort. But I feel vulnerable here, surrounded by civilians, and most of them natives. If they start damaging property, setting fire to things, what can we do?”

“Is that likely?”

“Vivat Venutius Victor,” she muttered. “The gods curse him, barbarian oaf. Trebonius thinks we have to take him seriously. So does Marcus…when he’s in a state to think at all, that is.”

I took the chance to put a question I’d been wanting to ask. “And how are things with Marcus these days? I saw him briefly yesterday at the fort. I’m not sure if he really saw me.”

She nodded. “Philo told me. Drunk as a senator, I gather. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s hardly your fault. Is he often like that?”

“Most of the time, I gather. Of course he’s under a great deal of strain now that he’s deputy commander, and he needs to live over at the fort mostly. He has quite decent quarters there. But I prefer to stay here.”

“So you don’t see much of him. That seems a shame.”

She smiled faintly. “He says living in a military base is more peaceful than putting up with Chloe’s tantrums. I can tell you it’s more peaceful for me without him. We keep up appearances in public when we have to. We’re supposed to set an example to the younger officers.”

“Presumably he’ll be at the party?”

“Oh, yes. He doesn’t like Trebonius, but he can’t let it show.” She sighed.” He and Trebonius were rivals for the commander’s post when the previous prefect retired. Marcus has never forgiven Trebonius for winning. He still thinks he should have got the job. But I don’t see why I should take his side when Trebonius is so much the better man. You’ll like him. Everybody does.”

“You and Trebonius…are you seeing much of one another?”

“Now and then. It’s not serious, we’re good friends enjoying a bit of fun, nothing more. I know he’d like more, but after all he’s a married man, and I can’t…I ought not to…Oh, Aurelia, I wish I knew what to do for the best.” Suddenly her face crumpled, and she began to cry.

I took her in my arms and hugged her till the tears subsided. “Tell me. I’m here, and I can help, I’m sure I can.”

Out it all came. How Marcus didn’t love her now, or even want her in bed, preferring the company of village women. How Chloe was not just refusing the marriage her parents had arranged for her, but threatening to run away from home unless she was allowed to marry a totally unsuitable young soldier with no rank and no money.

And Philippus was her biggest worry. “Running wild, gambling, chasing women, spending money as if he has his own mint. I don’t know where he gets it from, and I don’t want to know, it’s bound to be something unsavoury, if not actually illegal. And now he’s got demoted and sent to command a tannery, of all things. And the company he keeps…thank the gods Terentius has been away lately, but when he comes back, I don’t know what will happen to Philo.”

“Terentius won’t be coming back,” I said gently. “He’s been killed in an accident. I know, because it happened at the Oak Tree.”

“Terentius dead? Well, that’s something. Oh, dear, how awful of me. I’ve been so worried. Aurelia, can I trust you with a secret?”

“You can.”

“After Philo stayed here at the beginning of the month, the maids were cleaning his room, and they found…I’ll show you.”

She went over to her bed, felt under the mattress, and produced a small pouch. When she unfastened it I saw a bronze brooch. She brought it to me, but I recognised it without having to look closely. It bore the letters VVV.

“I hid it,” she explained breathlessly. “I know what VVV means, but I don’t know why Philo would have a thing like this. Of course he wouldn’t get himself mixed up in a rebellion, but…well, if he’s short of money, he might have been involved in a small way. Supplying information, relaying messages, I don’t know. What do you think?”

“I think,” I answered, “that it’s extremely serious. If Philippus is even slightly connected with Venutius, he could be in real trouble. Have you asked him about it?”

“Yes. He admitted it was his, but he swore he didn’t know what it meant, but had taken it in part-payment for a gambling debt.”

“Did you believe him?”

“No. And I didn’t know what to do. That’s what made me write to you. I thought you might, or your brother…you’ve always been good at sorting out problems. I panicked. And you came, and I’m so grateful. Now that you’re here, perhaps I can find out more about what’s going on, and put a stop to it.” She looked up at me. “You don’t mind, do you? I assume you don’t, otherwise you wouldn’t have come.”

“I don’t mind helping, but if I’m to do anything useful I need to know all of it. You really have no idea what Philippus is up to?”

“No more than I’ve told you.”

“Why in the gods’ name have you hung on to the wretched brooch? Throw it out, that’s my advice.”

“I will, but I can’t get rid of it in the house, someone would be bound to see it. I’ll take it with me to the party tomorrow and throw it into the river. Oh, it’s all such a mess! But when you’re a mother, you never stop caring about your children, whatever they’ve done.” She wiped her eyes. “He’s such a dear boy really.”

“And all these family problems are what’s been making you ill?”

“No, that wasn’t it. I found I was with child. And not by Marcus.”

So now we were getting to the truth at last. “I see. Wouldn’t he have accepted it as his? Even been pleased to think he’d fathered a child?”