Mistress.”
“And Titch…well done. But what were you doing in the woods two nights ago?”
“Sleeping. I didn’t have nowhere else.”
“But why didn’t you tell us what had happened, when you began working here? Why in Jupiter’s name didn’t you mention you’d seen someone attacked?”
“You might of thought I had something to do with it. Anyway, it wasn’t till today I realised the man I saw was the sick man you were looking after here.”
I told him briefly what Hawk had made of the tracks. He said, “I reckon that’s right. I only saw the part in the clearing. They got him off his horse and then they killed it, and there was another man caught with him, but he escaped. This one fought like a madman. And there was a weird man in a mask, saying nowt and watching it all.”
“Something interrupted them though. Did you see what it was?”
His cheeky grin appeared. “Not see. Hear.”
“Hear? Oh, Titch…not your bugle?”
“It was all I could think to do.”
I could have hugged him, but he’d hardly have appreciated it. “Good lad. But look, have you told anyone else about this?”
“The other stable-lads. But I reckon they thought I made it up. Nobody else.”
“Well don’t. Those men were going to kidnap our sick man, perhaps even kill him. They don’t know you saw them. Best if they don’t find out.”
“They might want to shut me up, like?”
“They might.”
“Wow!” Suddenly he laughed. “I’ve never been that important before—for someone to want to kill me!” He went off, smiling hugely, and I had to smile too. You don’t meet many people who are pleased at the prospect of a death threat.
Albia emerged from the main door, glancing anxiously around. “Relia! Have they gone? I’m so sorry….”
“They have. But merda, Albia, why in Saturn’s name did you leave them alone?”
She smiled ruefully. “The oldest trick in the book. One of them knocked the wine-jug onto the floor, and the wine and the bits of pot went everywhere. It looked like an accident, and he kept apologising over and over, and saying, ‘Just fetch a pail and a cloth and I’ll clear it all up.’ None of the slaves were about, so like an idiot, I went into the kitchen myself….I wasn’t gone long. They didn’t need long, the bastards.”
“No. Well, no harm done. But it was close.” I found I was shaking now it was all over. We went inside and I poured us each a drink, and told her what had happened, and what Titch had said.
She nodded. “Titch isn’t the only one to have seen them before. One of them, anyway. It was a good disguise, that’s why I didn’t realise at first.”
“Disguise? What disguise? When?”
“Yesterday. The short one, dark-skinned and longish black hair, put him in a Greek tunic, give him a black beard and a medical bag….I suspect you’d end up with the famous disappearing doctor, Lykos of Cos.”
Immediately I knew she was right. “It strikes me,” I said, “this Quintus Antonius must be rather an important cousin, if people are so set on getting rid of him.”
When I got back to his room, he was sitting up and grinning all over his battered face, and when he saw me he got out of bed. “Aurelia, thank you. That was magnificent! You were quite wonderful!”
“Thanks. I just hope I’ve done the right thing.”
“You have, you truly have. Oh, when I heard you laying into them about military procedure, threatening them with a case of harassment….I could kiss you, I could really!”
And he put his arms round me and kissed me on the mouth. I didn’t see any reason to stop him.
I heard Albia’s familiar giggle at the door, and I broke away, trying to think of something suitably cool and casual to say, but when I looked, the corridor was empty. So there was nobody around to see how many more times he kissed me before he finally stood back, smiling, and said: “And now, there’s only one more thing I need to make this morning perfect.”
So he
“And Titch…well done. But what were you doing in the woods two nights ago?”
“Sleeping. I didn’t have nowhere else.”
“But why didn’t you tell us what had happened, when you began working here? Why in Jupiter’s name didn’t you mention you’d seen someone attacked?”
“You might of thought I had something to do with it. Anyway, it wasn’t till today I realised the man I saw was the sick man you were looking after here.”
I told him briefly what Hawk had made of the tracks. He said, “I reckon that’s right. I only saw the part in the clearing. They got him off his horse and then they killed it, and there was another man caught with him, but he escaped. This one fought like a madman. And there was a weird man in a mask, saying nowt and watching it all.”
“Something interrupted them though. Did you see what it was?”
His cheeky grin appeared. “Not see. Hear.”
“Hear? Oh, Titch…not your bugle?”
“It was all I could think to do.”
I could have hugged him, but he’d hardly have appreciated it. “Good lad. But look, have you told anyone else about this?”
“The other stable-lads. But I reckon they thought I made it up. Nobody else.”
“Well don’t. Those men were going to kidnap our sick man, perhaps even kill him. They don’t know you saw them. Best if they don’t find out.”
“They might want to shut me up, like?”
“They might.”
“Wow!” Suddenly he laughed. “I’ve never been that important before—for someone to want to kill me!” He went off, smiling hugely, and I had to smile too. You don’t meet many people who are pleased at the prospect of a death threat.
Albia emerged from the main door, glancing anxiously around. “Relia! Have they gone? I’m so sorry….”
“They have. But merda, Albia, why in Saturn’s name did you leave them alone?”
She smiled ruefully. “The oldest trick in the book. One of them knocked the wine-jug onto the floor, and the wine and the bits of pot went everywhere. It looked like an accident, and he kept apologising over and over, and saying, ‘Just fetch a pail and a cloth and I’ll clear it all up.’ None of the slaves were about, so like an idiot, I went into the kitchen myself….I wasn’t gone long. They didn’t need long, the bastards.”
“No. Well, no harm done. But it was close.” I found I was shaking now it was all over. We went inside and I poured us each a drink, and told her what had happened, and what Titch had said.
She nodded. “Titch isn’t the only one to have seen them before. One of them, anyway. It was a good disguise, that’s why I didn’t realise at first.”
“Disguise? What disguise? When?”
“Yesterday. The short one, dark-skinned and longish black hair, put him in a Greek tunic, give him a black beard and a medical bag….I suspect you’d end up with the famous disappearing doctor, Lykos of Cos.”
Immediately I knew she was right. “It strikes me,” I said, “this Quintus Antonius must be rather an important cousin, if people are so set on getting rid of him.”
When I got back to his room, he was sitting up and grinning all over his battered face, and when he saw me he got out of bed. “Aurelia, thank you. That was magnificent! You were quite wonderful!”
“Thanks. I just hope I’ve done the right thing.”
“You have, you truly have. Oh, when I heard you laying into them about military procedure, threatening them with a case of harassment….I could kiss you, I could really!”
And he put his arms round me and kissed me on the mouth. I didn’t see any reason to stop him.
I heard Albia’s familiar giggle at the door, and I broke away, trying to think of something suitably cool and casual to say, but when I looked, the corridor was empty. So there was nobody around to see how many more times he kissed me before he finally stood back, smiling, and said: “And now, there’s only one more thing I need to make this morning perfect.”
So he
Similar Books
