Danger in the Wind (21 page)

Chloe shrugged. “He was having a game with some of the slaves. And his own two, of course. If it wasn’t for his size, you’d think he was four years old himself sometimes.”

Vitellia was startled. “You mean two of them…Philippus is their father?”

“That’s right. Their mother is a peasant girl from the village. She looks after them at her father’s roundhouse mostly, but Philo likes to bring them here sometimes. Do you want to speak to him? I can call him back if you like.”

“There’ll be plenty of time later. I wanted to tell you both that I’ve just come from seeing your mother. She says she’s feeling better and she’ll come and join us all for a bite to eat. Then she’s planning to go to the fort to see the commander…something about preparations for her birthday party.”

“That’s good. It’s several days since she’s been out of her room. I knew it would cheer her up, seeing you. How did she seem to you?”

“Frankly I’m rather worried about her. Her moods seem to change in the blink of an eye, don’t they? I began to think my being there had cheered her a little, and she said she felt better…and then suddenly she was in tears, telling me she was dreading the party. To crown it all, your father came in, they had words, and she was quite upset.”

“Don’t talk to me about that bastard. He’d upset anybody.”

“I’m sure that deep down he cares about your mother, you know.”

Her pretty face twisted into a sour grimace. “I’m not. He doesn’t care for any of us these days.”

I could guess where this was leading. “Oh dear. That sounds familiar. You’re growing up to be a woman, and he still thinks you’re his little girl?”

“He’s trying to make me marry a dreadful old man, ancient enough to be my grandfather. He wanted to announce the betrothal at Mother’s party, but I told him if he did I’d run away to Londinium. He says now he’ll postpone the announcement till
my
birthday, which is in September. By then,” she added in a lower voice, “it’ll be too late.”

“Some older men are wonderful,” Vitellia pointed out.

Could she mean Lucius? Speaking as Lucius’ twin, that shook me, and Chloe’s reply didn’t help.

“Your Lucius isn’t all that old. Not like Statius, who’s all grey and wrinkled like a horrible monkey. Ugh! No, Gambax is the boy for me.”

“Is Statius coming to the party?” Vitellia asked.

“He is. He’ll arrive here later today, unless the gods give me a break and his carriage goes off the road and falls into a ditch.” She looked at me defiantly, but if that was a challenge, I wasn’t responding. “He needn’t expect me to be all lovey-dovey over him. I’ve promised Mother I’ll be civil, because I don’t want to spoil her day. Beyond that, I’m promising nothing.”

“I don’t blame you,” Vitellia agreed.

I could see this line of talk going on far too long, so I changed the subject.

“Do tell me something,” I said. “I’m afraid I was born nosey, and as I came out just now I couldn’t help hearing you telling Chloe that Philippus has had some sort of a fight. He wasn’t hurt, I hope?”

“Oh no, he just had a tiny flesh wound, nothing serious. It was months ago anyway, it’s all healed up now. He tells everyone it happened out on patrol, but actually he had a fight with Terentius over gambling debts. It was all hushed up at the time, but I think Trebonius suspected something. He didn’t want to have a full-blown enquiry because both Philo and Terentius are good soldiers, so he sent Terentius off to Londinium and gave Philo his posting at Cataractonium. Oh, look, Aurelia,” she gestured up towards the house. “That’s your maid, isn’t it? Trying to attract your attention?”

“I’m expecting a visitor,” I said. “He must be here. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll go and see.”

But I was disappointed. Baca hadn’t come to tell me that Quintus had arrived. Instead she brought a note for me from him, a few words apologising that he wouldn’t be able to visit us this morning, but adding that he’d try to look in later.

“I’ll leave an answer for him at the fort,” I said. “Have you got all our things unpacked? What are our rooms like? I may as well see mine now.”

It was small but comfortable, a single room too, which was a pleasant surprise.

“Miss Vitellia’s room is next yours, and I’m in the servants’ quarters sharing with Miss Chloe’s maid.” Baca giggled. “She’s a bit of a wild horse, that Miss Chloe, isn’t she?”

“You’re right. And her brother’s a rascal too. Listen, Baca, can I tell you something in confidence? Something you won’t pass on to anyone, not even Miss Vitellia?”

“Of course, Mistress.”

“You’ve presumably seen the way Master Philippus is flirting with Vitellia?”

She nodded. “He’s a real charmer, though, isn’t he?”

“He’s attractive, yes. But I don’t think he realises that Miss Vitellia is betrothed, or maybe he does realise and doesn’t care. Now a bit of harmless fun is fine, but…”

“You don’t want him to go too far? I daresay he’ll try, but don’t worry, I’ll see he doesn’t get anywhere. She’s a lovely young lady, Miss Vitellia, but not very wise in the ways of the world, as you might say. She thinks it’s just a game, letting a handsome young officer pay her attention.”

“Exactly. But Master Lucius is her man now, and she’s got his reputation to consider as well as her own. If you think there’s a danger of things getting out of hand, I want you to tell me straight away. Can I rely on you?”

She nodded. “You can, Mistress. You and the master have always been good to me. I’ll not let you down.”

We ate a pleasant meal in the dining room when Jovina joined us, and I was relieved that Philippus and Chloe appeared to have put aside their bickering. They could both be very entertaining company when they chose, and Jovina was in high spirits by the time we set off for the fort. Vitellia excused herself because she wanted to stay with Chloe, who had invited a couple of young friends over for the afternoon.

The open carriage gave us a welcome breath of air, but I didn’t enjoy the journey much. I picked up the same unpleasant feeling of tension I’d experienced before, with soldiers everywhere, very few natives on the streets, and several VVV scrawls on walls. As we crossed the empty marketplace I smelt smoke on the breeze. Though I tried to tell myself it was someone’s cooking fire or the public bath-house furnaces, I couldn’t help thinking it was probably caused by something more sinister.

The gate guards waved us straight through, though we had to slow down as we drove up to the headquarters building. Two soldiers were carrying a stretcher with a third man on it, his body motionless and his head running with blood. I wondered whether there’d been a barrack brawl, or maybe he’d been injured patrolling the village. He looked in a bad way. I hoped the Greek doctor could help him.

An orderly showed us into Trebonius’ office, and he welcomed us warmly. I noticed how Jovina went to him as if expecting a kiss, and how he contrived to shake her hand instead without actually backing away.

We weren’t his only visitors that afternoon. Quintus was there before us. When Trebonius began to introduce him, I explained that we were old friends, though of course we were very surprised to find that our paths had crossed so far from home.

“In that case, you must come to our party tomorrow,” Trebonius said to him. “Any friend of Aurelia’s is very welcome.”

“Thank you,” Quintus said gravely. “I’d be honoured to accept. That is…” he hesitated. “I couldn’t help wondering, with all this unrest in the village, whether you might be considering postponing the party for a day or two. I hear it’s to be a distance away from the fort, by the river. You’re not worried about trouble from the natives, in view of Lucius Aurelius’ report, the message intercepted when one of your men was murdered?”

Trebonius shook his head and smiled. “This party’s been arranged for a month, and we’ve invited all sorts of people. There’s no chance I’d consider cancelling it now. But we have brought it forward by a day, just to be on the safe side. Then we can all be available and on maximum alert for midsummer day itself.” He glanced at me. “Terentius was murdered at your mansio, I believe, Aurelia?”

“He was. A sad business, and frightening too, to have someone killed under our own roof.”

“I can believe it. But you mustn’t worry about the party, my dear. Thanks to you and your brother we’re prepared for anything, well prepared. Some of the hot-headed young native boys would like to scare me a little, and I’m afraid Eurytus…well, no matter. We’re ready for whatever comes. I’ll have plenty of men on guard tomorrow, including some out of sight covering the road leading to the field, and the river bank. We’ll be quite safe.”

Quintus asked, “How many guests will there be?”

“Thirty of us altogether,” Trebonius said, and then added smiling, “that is, thirty-one now. And it’s an interesting mixture of people, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. We thought we’d make it an extra special celebration, didn’t we, Jovina?”

She smiled. “You’re doing me proud. I’m so looking forward to it. Now the only thing we can’t control is the weather. Have you got all the tents organised?”

“I have. There’ll be five very large tents and four smaller ones. Ample room for the cooks, and for everyone to take shelter inside if it rains.”

“You’re leaving guards there overnight, presumably?” Quintus asked.

Trebonius nodded. “Better to be safe than sorry.”

They went on to discuss some of the guests by name, and I recognised Brennus and Eurytus. One could only hope Eurytus’ party manners were better than his behaviour yesterday.

I watched the two of them as they sat together, poring over the list of guests, then checking the menu. Jovina was eager and excited, Trebonius calm and slightly reserved. I wondered whether Jovina’s desire for this relationship was stronger than Trebonius’, but decided it was probably just that he was more discreet by nature.

Eventually they’d got everything settled satisfactorily, and we took our leave. As we walked towards the gate of the fort, Jovina turned to Quintus.

“I’m very pleased to have met you after hearing so much about you from Aurelia.”

“I’ve heard plenty about you too,” Quintus smiled. “You and Aurelia were friends as children, I believe?”

“Yes, though we didn’t see that much of one another. But the twins and Albia came to stay with us for a while after Pompeii was destroyed…oh well, it was all a long time ago.”

“Sometimes it feels like yesterday,” he said. ”I was in Pompeii myself the day Vesuvius erupted.”

“Really?” They began reminiscing about Pompeii, but I didn’t join in. I was too busy trying to think of a way to get a private word with Quintus.

As we came to the gate, I had an inspiration. “By the gods, Quintus, I’ve just remembered. When I saw you yesterday you said you had a letter for me from Regulus, but you hadn’t got it with you. I suppose you haven’t got it now either?”

“Regulus?” he looked at me sharply.

“Yes. I’d really like to have it. Would you be able to send it round to Jovina’s tonight? Or perhaps I could drop in at the mansio on our way home and collect it.”

At last he got the point. “Yes, that’s the best idea. Why don’t you let me buy you a quick beaker of wine to make up for my absent-mindedness? You, too, Jovina, of course.”

Jovina smiled. “My dear, I’d love to, but I can’t. I’m expecting another guest to arrive any time, and I should be there to welcome him. Statius Severus, the man who’s to marry my daughter Chloe. But Aurelia’s got no plans until dinner tonight, have you?”

“No, unless you need me at home.”

“Then go off and have a quiet drink, the pair of you.” She gave me a conspiratorial wink to show she was enjoying playing Cupid. “But Antonius, you’ll escort her safely to our house, won’t you? The village is restless today.”

“I’ll keep her safe and sound, never fear. And she’ll be there in plenty of time for dinner.”

We walked the few yards to the mansio. It was quiet at this time of the afternoon, but we still chose to sit outside as we’d done last night. Judging by the innkeeper’s warm welcome and the fact that he brought out our jug of Falernian himself, Quintus was now a favoured customer.

Quintus grinned as he poured it. “A letter from Regulus…Not bad for the spur of the moment, Aurelia. Or had you been planning that little tactic for hours?”

“I’ve a couple of important things to tell you before tomorrow. You might even have something important to tell me, unless you’ve been sitting round in the bar all day.”

“Not quite all day. At least Jovina’s well enough for you to stay with her. That’s good news.”

“She’s putting on a brave face, but she’s worried about tomorrow.”

“She seemed happy just now.”

“That’s because of the company she was keeping. Trebonius makes her feel happy, and probably she doesn’t want to seem ungrateful for the party. But she said earlier she’s dreading it. There are several quarrels going on, and she’s afraid some of them may come out into the open.” I gave him a brief summary.

“Did you discover why she wrote to you for help?” Quintus asked.

“Her immediate reason was to do with her son. She found a certain very recognisable bronze brooch among his things quite recently. One decorated with three letters. Want to guess which three?”