shifting the subject in that way she has. ‘And he’s much worse off than us.’
‘You managed to pay him, I suppose?’ I said. ‘I know that two sesterces is a lot to give for simply bringing you a message, when he was coming this way in any case – but I felt it was worth it to stop you worrying.’
She rolled the dough into a ball and slapped it down on to the baking iron. ‘You’d squander money on a thing like that, but you will not think of purchasing a mule. But I paid him, certainly – I gave him the money from the sandal fund, as you sent word to do – but it wasn’t two sesterces, I’m afraid. I’d already spent the larger part of that, laying in some extra oil and kindling.’
I sat up in surprise. ‘How did you manage that? Surely you didn’t go walking into town?’ It was a foolish question – I knew the forest tracks had been impassable on foot – but Glevum was the only local marketplace for oil.
She shook her head and laughed. ‘Of course not, husband! Would I come without alerting you? But when the snow began I feared that we would soon run out of heat and light, so I went to Marcus’s villa and talked to Julia. She let me have some from the household store, and a mobius measureful of flour as well. I insisted that I’d pay her – I don’t like to beg – but she’d only take a fraction of the proper price.’ She grinned at me. ‘But it still left only a few brass coins in the onion-pot. I gave them to Cantalarius. He seemed to think you’d promised him much more.’
‘I did. Poor Cantalarius. I’ll have to go and see him sometime soon and give him what is due. Supposing that Genialis ever does turn up. You know, wife, I’m not convinced he has sheltered in an inn. There’s more to his disappearance than you know about.’ I was about to try to tell her everything, all about Silvia and the messenger – leaving out my visit to the money-lenders, of course – but again she shook her head.
‘Tell me in the morning. You’ve finished your contract, so you can stay at home now for a day or two – especially as you say your client isn’t there to pay you yet. So there isn’t any rush. And you need to rest – you are exhausted, I can see.’
I thought of protesting but I closed my eyes, and there can be no doubt that she was right, because a moment later – as I thought – when I opened them again, there she was still fully dressed and leaning over me.
‘Have you not come to bed yet?’ I said stupidly.
She smiled indulgently. ‘Husband, it is very nearly noon. The slaves and I have all been up for hours, although we slept through till dawn. I was content to let you sleep – you clearly needed rest – and I am sorry to have to wake you now. But there is someone here. A page of Marcus’s – he wants you to accompany him as soon as possible.’
EIGHT
A lready close to noon and Marcus’s impatient page awaiting me! I sat up, groaning, and flung the furs and blankets back. Of course my patron had warned me that he’d want to see me soon. Obviously he’d already come back from the town today, and that fact – more than anything – persuaded me how long I must have slept. ‘Dear gods,’ I murmured, rolling out of bed. ‘And I left my toga in the workshop yesterday.’
Gwellia nodded briskly. ‘Never mind. You’ve got your old one here. I’ve sent the boys to hang it in the sun while you have some food. That will freshen it, at least. It’s frayed and mended, but it will have to do. Better than attending Marcus in a tunic, anyway. And you’ll have to wear a cloak in any case – it’s fine this morning but it is very cold. The water bucket had a full thumb’s breadth of ice on it, and when Kurso went up to the spring to get the day’s supply, he had to break the surface with a stick and wait a little while for it to thaw enough to flow.’
‘I trust that he was careful?’ I said, recalling the fate of the poor herb-seller.
‘It took him twice as
‘You managed to pay him, I suppose?’ I said. ‘I know that two sesterces is a lot to give for simply bringing you a message, when he was coming this way in any case – but I felt it was worth it to stop you worrying.’
She rolled the dough into a ball and slapped it down on to the baking iron. ‘You’d squander money on a thing like that, but you will not think of purchasing a mule. But I paid him, certainly – I gave him the money from the sandal fund, as you sent word to do – but it wasn’t two sesterces, I’m afraid. I’d already spent the larger part of that, laying in some extra oil and kindling.’
I sat up in surprise. ‘How did you manage that? Surely you didn’t go walking into town?’ It was a foolish question – I knew the forest tracks had been impassable on foot – but Glevum was the only local marketplace for oil.
She shook her head and laughed. ‘Of course not, husband! Would I come without alerting you? But when the snow began I feared that we would soon run out of heat and light, so I went to Marcus’s villa and talked to Julia. She let me have some from the household store, and a mobius measureful of flour as well. I insisted that I’d pay her – I don’t like to beg – but she’d only take a fraction of the proper price.’ She grinned at me. ‘But it still left only a few brass coins in the onion-pot. I gave them to Cantalarius. He seemed to think you’d promised him much more.’
‘I did. Poor Cantalarius. I’ll have to go and see him sometime soon and give him what is due. Supposing that Genialis ever does turn up. You know, wife, I’m not convinced he has sheltered in an inn. There’s more to his disappearance than you know about.’ I was about to try to tell her everything, all about Silvia and the messenger – leaving out my visit to the money-lenders, of course – but again she shook her head.
‘Tell me in the morning. You’ve finished your contract, so you can stay at home now for a day or two – especially as you say your client isn’t there to pay you yet. So there isn’t any rush. And you need to rest – you are exhausted, I can see.’
I thought of protesting but I closed my eyes, and there can be no doubt that she was right, because a moment later – as I thought – when I opened them again, there she was still fully dressed and leaning over me.
‘Have you not come to bed yet?’ I said stupidly.
She smiled indulgently. ‘Husband, it is very nearly noon. The slaves and I have all been up for hours, although we slept through till dawn. I was content to let you sleep – you clearly needed rest – and I am sorry to have to wake you now. But there is someone here. A page of Marcus’s – he wants you to accompany him as soon as possible.’
EIGHT
A lready close to noon and Marcus’s impatient page awaiting me! I sat up, groaning, and flung the furs and blankets back. Of course my patron had warned me that he’d want to see me soon. Obviously he’d already come back from the town today, and that fact – more than anything – persuaded me how long I must have slept. ‘Dear gods,’ I murmured, rolling out of bed. ‘And I left my toga in the workshop yesterday.’
Gwellia nodded briskly. ‘Never mind. You’ve got your old one here. I’ve sent the boys to hang it in the sun while you have some food. That will freshen it, at least. It’s frayed and mended, but it will have to do. Better than attending Marcus in a tunic, anyway. And you’ll have to wear a cloak in any case – it’s fine this morning but it is very cold. The water bucket had a full thumb’s breadth of ice on it, and when Kurso went up to the spring to get the day’s supply, he had to break the surface with a stick and wait a little while for it to thaw enough to flow.’
‘I trust that he was careful?’ I said, recalling the fate of the poor herb-seller.
‘It took him twice as
Similar Books
