The Golden Dice - A Tale of Ancient Rome (22 page)

As soon as the head of the house had retired, looking wearier than when he’d first entered the room, Pinna saw that any reservations Marcus may have had about offending his father had disappeared. He was grinning. “Thank you, sir, for asking me to join your staff.”

Camillus thumped the young man’s back. “I’m sure you will be most valiant. I heard what happened at Veii. How you stood your ground when surrounded by the Faliscans.”

“
Yes, sir.” The young officer’s smile faded. “But I was still part of a retreating army.”

Camillus pointed to the bandage on the soldier’s neck. “Your wound is on the front of your body, not on your back.” He placed his arm around Marcus’ shoulder. “Let me give you some advice. Modesty is a Roman virtue but it does have its limitations. Remember, Mars guards us in combat but expects us to be skillful before he grants us protection. By no means crow about your achievements but acknowledge praise when you have succeeded. Your deeds will tarnish if you don’t remind your rivals about them.” He tightened his grip. “And make no mistake, Marcus Aemilius, you are someone who should not be forgotten. Not with your battle skills.”

For a moment the younger man stared, mouth ajar, at such flattery. “Thank you, sir. I will remember.”

Camillus released him and turned to warm himself before the fire. Pinna followed his every movement, the feeling of attraction strong within her.

“
So do you agree with your father about the current situation?”

Marcus glanced over to the inner passageway as though concerned Aemilius may be listening. Pinna smiled, thinking there could be more people eavesdropping in this house than conversing.

“
Yes, it concerns me that plebeians are in power. But I can see merit in your viewpoint.”

Camillus laughed. “Such diplomacy!” He turned from the hearth, serious now. “But what I really want from my officers is conviction.”

Marcus stood at attention. “Yes, sir.”

Camillus lowered his voice as though talking one conspirator to another. Marcus shifted his body towards him like a flower turning its face to the sun, or the tide turning with the pull of the moon.

“
Can you cast off your prejudices, Marcus? Think of Rome not as a city divided but united. How mighty it would be. How our enemies would quake!” He held out his forearm for the other to grasp. “Join me. Help me make this happen!”

The vision was potent. And, hearing him, Pinna knew, more than ever, that she needed Marcus to take her with him. So that she could be near enough to hear Camillus quietly stirring loyalty instead of straining to hear him above the hubbub of a crowd. She could see that Marcus, too, was struck by the force of his words. He seized his commander’s proffered arm.

Camillus nodded. “Excellent.” Then, bond sealed, he broke away, ready to move on to other business. “Now I must go.”

Marcus called the slave boy to fetch the guest’s toga and shoes. “Sir, may I ask a favor?”

“
And what would that be?”

“
Let Claudius Drusus serve with you. He has long admired you. And he is an able decurion.”

Suddenly the stuffy cell seemed airless, the smoky odor of the curtain stifling. Focused on coercing Marcus, she hadn’t thought past convincing him to help her escape the lupanaria. Dreaming of becoming an officer’s concubine had given her a reason to live. But the details of such a future had been sketchy. She’d not factored in his desperate need to always be with Drusus. Could she bear to travel in the company of her attacker? Perspiring beneath the weight of her shawl, she pulled it from around her and let it drop to the floor. She prayed Camillus would not agree to Marcus’ request.

“
Claudius Drusus?” The general frowned. “One of the men who fled on Sergius’ orders? Wasn’t he the lovesick soldier who made a fool of himself over your cousin?”

Marcus stood open-palmed. “It is unfair to judge a man whose leader failed him. And he no longer feels that way about Caecilia. That was eight years ago.”

“
I see. Instead he is bitter that she chose Vel Mastarna instead of him.”

Marcus shook his head. “No. The only vengeance he seeks now is for our city.”

Pinna raised her eyebrows. His love for Drusus was indeed deep if it drove him to deceive his general. The ease with which he lied was also surprising.

The slave hurried back. Camillus sat down to allow him to fit his shoes. “I’m glad to hear it, Marcus, because excessive emotions like infatuation and bitterness only weaken you. Love also.” He lifted one foot and then the other for the boy. “Of course, have affection for your wife, and by all means satisfy your lust, but a Roman man should never let a woman possess his soul.”

The cold way in which Camillus spoke gave Pinna pause. The swift change of his moods was disconcerting. She thought about loving a man.Would she recognize that emotion? Was there was anything left of her soul to lose?

The Aemilian cast a quick look towards Pinna’s hiding place, making her smile. Camillus was right. Love did weaken a man. Here was Marcus, a decorated warrior, pining for another who would never return his affection. The power she’d felt when she’d first blackmailed Drusus returned. She stifled the urge coursing through her to shout that the Claudian still loved the traitoress. That he was no true Roman. That he was feeble with feeling. As was his friend.

When Marcus made no comment, Camillus looked up, eyes narrowing. “And you. How do you feel about your cousin?”

He hesitated. “Caecilia? Why, she has disgraced our family.”

The general waved the slave boy away, concentrating wholly on the soldier. “Listen to me, one needs to be calculated when it comes to vengeance. Aemilia Caeciliana not only shamed your family but all Rome. When war was declared she had her chance to resume a virtuous life in Rome but she chose to warm the bed of an enemy general. So have no doubt. When Veii falls I will see that she is punished. If you have any qualms about that, you should tell me now and not waste my time.”

This time Marcus met the general’s gaze squarely. “I do not question what Rome expects of me, sir.”

For a moment Camillus continued to scrutinize him, then nodded. “Good.”

The majordomo appeared with the toga, officiously attending to the task of winding it around the guest. Marcus hovered nearby. “Sir? Will you consider Claudius Drusus? He would be more than loyal to you. He is brave also, already gaining three silver spears.”

Camillus signaled the manservant to stop fussing about him. “Hundreds of men display bravery. I need soldiers who can gain fame. Men who, in a split second, decide to put their own lives in danger to either defend or lead their men to glory. If I recall, you earned an oak leaf crown in your first campaign by saving Drusus’ life. And now you have gained renown for saving your fellow knights. So convince me there is an advantage in having him as a decurion.”

To Pinna’s surprise Marcus showed he was as shrewd as Aemilius—and just as determined. “Because he is very wealthy, and is head of his own house now that his father and grandfather have died. The Claudians have many friends. He would be a useful ally.”

The general adjusted his toga, taking his time to smooth his hand along the edge before concentrating on the officer. “Leave it with me, I’ll think on it.”

Fingering her fascinum necklace, Pinna leaned against one side of the doorjamb and closed her eyes. She cursed Marcus for his perseverance, and prayed the general would not be convinced. Her prayer was cut short when she felt something scuttle across her foot. A cockroach. Instinctively she kicked it away, sending it skidding across the floor.

Her action knocked the curtain, attracting the men’s attention. Holding her breath, she shrank back.

“
Tell me,” she heard Camillus say, “does Aemilius disapprove of you bedding the servants?”

“
I don’t know what you mean, sir,” came an anxious reply.

“
When I arrived, you scurried from that side room like a schoolboy caught filching sweets from the larder. Why bother hiding her? Or is it a boy you favor?” Then she heard footsteps. The hanging was thrown open.

Pinna took a tentative step into the room, heart thumping, apprehension and excitement merging. She avoided looking at Marcus although she caught the astounded look of the majordomo. The slave boy, too, was staring at her as though she’d been conjured. Marcus barked at the servants to leave. The surprise that remained on the majordomo’s face gave Pinna some satisfaction.

Curtsying to the general, she managed to summon enough voice to be heard. “Good morning, my lord.” Keeping her head bowed, she tried in vain to pull her tunic down at the sides to cover her feet, worrying that he might think it strange her indoor sandals were wet.

“
So here is our eavesdropper. No wonder you hide her, Marcus, she is fair.”

The compliment was unexpected. Pinna thought he would demand she be punished for listening to men’s business or, at least, that she be dismissed, but it seemed he could grant his attention to a maid as much as to a noble. Or perhaps he liked flirting? But surely this was a man who would not need to cajole a woman into bed, nor use brothels to satisfy his cravings. Dozens of women would gladly lie with him without expectation of praise or payment.

Pinna was used to men ogling her as she sat stripped of clothes and dignity, so she expected the same from the general. Yet when she raised her head she was surprised to find Camillus was not appraising her form but her face. She blushed. Since Fusca had gone mad, the girl had not been noticed for a long, long time. Camillus’ scrutiny leavened her spirit, reminding her of her happiness when Lollius returned from war and, for a brief moment, would study her before swinging her into the air saying, “Well, well, daughter, how tall you’ve grown!”

In the forum, she’d been lulled, as all were, into believing Camillus was addressing each of them individually. Now, with his true attention, she felt uncertain what to do. It was difficult to meet his eyes. What did he see? A girl aged beyond her years, features honed by hardship, wretchedness etched onto her face?

As she finally met his gaze she saw his eyes were not special in shape or color, and yet they were compelling. He smiled briefly, then turned to Marcus. At the loss of his interest, Pinna experienced a disappointment she knew she was not entitled to feel. Not wanting him to ignore her, she plucked up the nerve to speak again, conscious of the crudeness of her vowels compared to his rich speech. “Thank you, my lord, for being a friend of the people.”

Her words gained his attention. “Ah, so you have listened and not just heard. What is your name?”

“
I am called Pinna, my lord.”

This time his gaze traveled along her body. “Feather? I suppose that is apt. There is little enough of you.”

Pinna reddened and realized she had lied when she’d professed to Marcus that she wanted no more of men.

“
And are you concubine to Marcus Aemilius here or merely his fancy?”

Pinna glanced at Marcus who glared at her.

“
I am his woman.” A tinge of defiance in her tone.

“
I see.” Camillus turned to his new officer. His good humor had disappeared. “A concubine is all very well but you should be married by now. It’s every man’s duty to wed and produce more citizens to fight for Rome.”

“
There has not been … time, sir,” stammered Marcus.

“
So you prefer to pay the bachelor tax I proposed?”

Now Pinna was amused. Another tax? And this one just to punish single men.

“
No, sir.” He shot another annoyed glance at Pinna.

“
You Aemilians are too rich if you think you can bear the fine and continue to avoid marrying. There are too many good Roman widows because of this war. You should choose one,” Camillus growled. “Or are you determined to have a virgin bride?”

“
No, sir.” Marcus was still struggling. “It’s just that I have been campaigning.”

“
I’ve heard that excuse too often. Besides, you won’t be taken seriously when you stand for office if you’re not a family man. You should marry. It will assist your career.” He nodded towards the girl. “Remember what I said about falling in love. I hope you’re not smitten with Pinna here.”

Marcus’ look was anguished now. She felt a sudden pity for him after all. “No, my lord,” she said, drawing his attention away from the soldier. “I share the master’s bed only. He does not love me.”