by Carol Ashby
Claudia leaned over and picked up her box. She leaned back as she held it against her stomach.
“Let me take one handle, mistress.”
Claudia set the box down, and they each took one handle before lifting. Junia’s eyes widened at the weight.
“I know it’s heavy, but I could never replace what’s in it.”
“It’s not too heavy, mistress. Do you have friends named Lucretia or Portia?”
Claudia’s head tilted. “Two Portias and a Lucretia.” What an odd question.
The woman led her toward the entrance of the dressing room, where there were several slaves stationed to help the patrons. She steered them close to one who was looking right at them. As they passed close to the slave, she began talking as if they’d been carrying on a conversation.
“Yes, but we must hurry. My mistress Portia is planning to have a carriage waiting for us just outside the city gate at the Via Tiburtina. We’ll be on the Via Valeria before nightfall.”
Claudia nodded, but she fought to keep her surprise from showing. How strange that her guide was revealing the roads they would be taking to the east where anyone might hear.
Her guide led her out of the Baths of Titus and turned east along the north wall. Rising just to the north and east were the much larger Baths of Trajan, which had been completed only five years earlier. They hurried across the space between the two large buildings. They walked along the wall of Trajan’s Baths until they reached an entrance. The woman turned inside and headed for the women’s dressing room. When they entered the dressing room, she led Claudia over to a corner.
“I’m Junia.” Her guide offered a warm smile. “That went well, but we still need to hurry.”
She pulled a sack from the bag she’d been carrying.
“You’re going to change, mistress. Here, place all your jewelry in this. Your headband, too.”
Claudia complied, leaving only the fine gold netting on her hair.
Junia unfastened the gold tunic clips and dropped them into the sack as well. Then she drew the drawstring tight and put the sack into the larger bag. She took out a plain off-white tunic, a beige stola that was worn only by married women, and a nondescript off-white palla.
“We must get you changed quickly, mistress.”
She helped Claudia out of her expensive pale blue tunic and into the plain one. Then she helped her into the stola. Claudia was instantly transformed into a young merchant-class married woman. Finally, Junia draped her with the palla, pulling a fold of it up over her hair so she would not be identifiable from the side or behind. She folded Claudia’s fine clothes and slid them into the bag, which she hung over her shoulder.
“Let’s go.”
Chapter 18: Flight to Freedom
Junia picked up one handle of the box and waited. After Claudia picked up the other, she led them toward the northern exit from the massive bath complex.
Claudia glanced at her guide. She was setting a pace that was brisk but not so fast it would draw attention. When they’d gone about an eighth of a mile, she made a sudden left turn into a narrow street and headed back toward the west.
Claudia glanced over her shoulder. No one seemed to be following. A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. Junia was clever, leading them one way as far as anyone at the baths might notice and then backtracking.
But maybe the clever one wasn’t Junia. Malleolus had said a man chosen by Father’s friend would take her to Titus. But when would he appear? What if he didn’t seem trustworthy? A tingle shot up her spine. Trustworthy or not, she couldn’t go back to Lucius. Nothing could be worse than marrying Sabinus.
They had walked a block when a brawny, bearded man stepped into the street right in front of them. He wore a short sword under the cloak that partly covered his beige tunic, but the dark eyes that were framed by his curly black hair and short beard held no threat.
His voice was deep. “Don’t be afraid, Claudia. I’m Hector, your escort for the rest of the trip today.”
Junia set down her end of the box, so Claudia did as well. The man picked it up and balanced it on his shoulder. His eyebrows rose.
Claudia shrugged her apology. “I know it’s heavy, but I only brought what I couldn’t bear to leave.”
A smile tugged at his mouth. “I’ve carried much heavier. We need to make good time, so let’s go.”
Hector led the way west toward the Clivus Suburanus, the major street that led from the plateau where the baths were situated to the valley floor. Soon they were descending between the Cispian and Oppian Hills to the Subura valley below.
Claudia hadn’t planned on walking a long distance. She’d worn sandals that were pretty but not walking shoes. As they headed down the sloping road into the lower-class neighborhood that lay in the valley below them, her left sandal was starting to rub. There wasn’t a blister yet, but there soon would be. Would they be walking much farther? She hoped not, but it appeared likely they would. They were somewhere in the middle of the city, so no matter which way Hector took them, the city gate would be too far to avoid the blister.
She’d lived in the Fagutal, an elite section in the upper-class Carinae section of the Oppian Hill. She’d never before walked through the lower-class parts of the city. As the trio reached the valley floor, the streets became narrower, dirtier, and more crowded with people whom she found rather frightening.
Hector shifted the box to his left shoulder to free his sword arm. “Both of you, stay close to me. Claudia, walk between the two of us and keep your face down.”
Something made the skin at the back of Hector’s neck begin to crawl. He glanced back across his shoulder. Three men seemed to be following them.
“Pick up the pace. We need to move faster.”
He didn’t want to frighten the women. He hoped he was wrong, that the men just happened to be walking the same way. When he sped up, perhaps they wouldn’t do the same.
When he glanced back again, the men were gaining on them. Their eyes were tracking him. They kept getting closer. He flipped his cloak back to give free access to his sword.
The men meant trouble.
“We’re being followed. When I set the box down and turn, I want the two of you to get behind me. If I say run, run as fast as you can. Go down past the forums to the river, cross the Aemilius Bridge, and take the Via Portuensis to the warehouse. The carriage is there. Junia, ask for the steward. He’ll have someone drive you down to Philip.”
Claudia glanced over her shoulder and saw the three men. They were getting closer, and at least one of them had a sword at his side. When she glanced at her escort, the grim set of his mouth raised her heart rate. The man who was leading her to safety was about to be in mortal danger, and it was her fault.
“But what about you?” Claudia’s voice quavered as she asked the question that she was afraid she already knew the answer to. There was no reply.
Hector set her box down and drew his sword as he turned to face the three men. Junia moved closer to her and gripped her hand.
The men fanned out in front of Hector, making it harder for him to watch all three closely. The one in the middle stepped forward, and a cruel sneer twisted his mouth.
“Looks like an interesting box you have there. Heavy. Real heavy. Maybe filled with money? Maybe something gold or silver? Looks like it’s slowing you down, too. We’d be happy to lighten your load so you can get where you’re going faster.”
The other two men began moving forward, trying to flank Hector. His grip on the sword tightened. “Get ready.”
“Wait! There’s nothing here you want.” Claudia pulled her hand from Junia’s grip and knelt by her box to open the lid. “There’s no money. It’s only poetry.”
She lifted two scrolls out of the box and held them high for the robbers to see.
The leader scowled when he saw they weren’t worth robbing, and he raised his hand to stop his men. Then, as he watched her wave the scroll
s, he burst out laughing. He signaled for his men to follow him before he turned, and they walked away.
Hector slid his sword back into its scabbard. Claudia had already replaced her scrolls and closed the latch on the box when he turned to face her.
She was still kneeling as she looked up at him. “Maybe until we get past this part of town, Junia and I should carry the box? So you can get your sword faster if you need to.”
One corner of his mouth pulled up into a crooked smile. “It’s only a short distance now to the area of the forums. We shouldn’t have any more trouble. I can carry it for you.”
He hoisted the box back onto his shoulder, and they resumed their walk toward the forums and the river beyond. He glanced sideways at Claudia. An eye-catching beauty who had chosen to fill her one box with poetry. Would Philip ever be surprised...and pleased. The voyage would take about four weeks. Philip would much rather spend that kind of time with a lover of poetry than with a pretty girl. This trip he’d be getting both.
Ahead of them rose the magnificent stone and concrete buildings that graced the center of Rome. Hector felt the tension drain from his body when they finally emerged from the narrow, dirty streets into the city center. The most hazardous part of their route was past. Now it was just a matter of getting to the carriage at the family warehouse without anyone recognizing Claudia.
He glanced at her. She was much too pretty, and the palla had slipped, exposing some of her hair and too much of that eye-catching profile.
“Junia, fix Claudia’s palla.”
As Penelope’s maid adjusted the fabric, another smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. A poetry-loving woman gorgeous enough to serve as the model for a sculpture of Venus. Philip was in for a big surprise.
Claudia tried to keep her eyes focused on the buildings that lay ahead of them, but she found them being drawn toward the Flavian Amphitheater off to her left. Her throat tightened, and tears started to pool in her eyes. As she gazed at the monumental arena, she fought to push the thought of the lions tearing her father to pieces from her mind. Now was not the time for tears; she must hold herself together at least until they reached the carriage that her escort had said was waiting.
Hector shifted the box from his left shoulder to his right and glanced at her. “Are you all right, Claudia?”
She didn’t want him to know she was on the verge of crying uncontrollably. She wasn’t sure she could speak without her voice betraying her, so she simply nodded.
“We’re going to pass through the forum area as quickly as possible. Claudia, keep your palla pulled forward to hide some of your face and look down as much as you can. We don’t want anyone who knows you to see us passing this way.”
He led them past the Forum of Augustus and the Forum of Caesar. As they approached the Basilica Julia, he skirted the building, leading them along the northern wall.
Claudia’s heart rate ramped up. The basilica was the most popular meeting place for the elite of Rome. Father had spoken there often with his scholar friends. What if one of them saw and recognized her? She swallowed hard and kept her head down, looking at Hector’s feet instead of the white stone buildings all around them. They continued past the Capitolium and the massive Temple of Jupiter. Finally, he guided them into a street that led down to the river.
She had never been to the banks of the Tiber before. The river was much wider than it looked from the top of the Oppian Hill. As the trio started across the beautiful seven-arch stone bridge, her gaze was drawn to the large island just to the north. Some other time, she would have paused to watch the river flowing under the bridge, but her escort showed no sign of slowing down, much less stopping to enjoy the scenery.
Her eyes narrowed. Lucius should have been sewn into a leather sack and thrown into the river from that bridge. She would have gladly swung one of the clubs used to beat him before that toss. She blinked hard and shoved that thought from her mind, but the beauty of the river had already been ruined by it.
A brief stop would have been so welcome. She’d worn the wrong sandals. The bands of leather that crossed her toes had rubbed a blister on top of her left foot as they came down the sloped street in Subura. Every step hurt, but she wouldn’t complain. She wasn’t going to say anything that would slow their progress to whatever the destination was. Any delay might lead to Lucius catching them, and she couldn’t bear living with him again.
More than a week had passed since she’d had a good night’s sleep, and that was taking its toll. Exhaustion stalked her as they started southwest on the Via Portuensis. Claudia had no idea where they were going first on the way to Titus, but this was the road to the port. Whatever the plan, a sea voyage must be part of it.
The blister had long since popped. The toe strap was now rubbing against raw flesh, causing more pain than she’d ever felt before. To make matters worse, a blister had formed where the strap of the other sandal was rubbing on the back of her heel. Between the fatigue and the pain, she wasn’t sure how much farther she would be able to walk at this pace.
Hector frowned as he caught her favoring her left foot. “It isn’t far now, Claudia. The ban on carriages goes one mile past the gate, and the warehouse is only a quarter mile past that.”
She tried not to cringe, but another mile and a quarter?
The frown straightened. “We’ll slow down a little. We’ve made good time, but there’s still fifteen miles over the hills and across the plain to reach Portus. But you’ll be in a carriage after we reach the warehouse.”
Claudia’s popped blister made each step agony. She fought tears, not from grief but from pain. They’d walked past building after ugly building, but at least there were wagons on the road. The warehouse must be close.
At long last, Hector turned in through a gate in a wall surrounding a large grain warehouse. A black raeda hitched to two bay mules stood by the building. A riding horse was tied to an iron hoop on the wall next to the team. Hector opened the carriage door and slid the box under the seat.
“We won’t be walking any farther today. Philip wanted me to apologize for making you walk so far so fast, but it couldn’t be helped, given the tight schedule for traveling the necessary distance.”
He offered Claudia his hand to help her into the carriage. “Allow me.”
With almost her last ounce of strength, she took his hand and climbed aboard. She settled into the rear seat and leaned against the carriage wall for support. Junia climbed in and sat beside her. Hector closed the carriage door. He led the riding horse to the back of the carriage and tied it there. Then he untied the team from the iron hoop.
The raeda creaked as Hector climbed up into the driver’s seat. He backed the mules up until he could turn the carriage enough to head out through the gate. He clucked to the mules, and Claudia was jerked back into the seat as the carriage moved forward. As soon as they were through the gate and heading south, he slapped the mules with the reins and urged them into a trot.
Claudia settled back into the seat with a sigh. Her feet hurt in general, the blisters hurt horribly, and she was more tired than she’d ever been in her life. But she’d made it out of Rome and was on her way to Titus. Somehow everything would be better after she reached the brother who loved her.
She closed her eyes. The rocking of the carriage soon lulled her into sorely needed sleep.
Junia watched the poor girl begin to doze. She, too, was tired by the walk, but a satisfied smile overspread her face. The hard part was behind them. Fifteen more miles with the mules doing all the work―this part of the escape route would be so easy. She settled back into the seat and enjoyed the view out the carriage window as the mules began the climb into the hills on their way to Portus.
Chapter 19: The Ugliest Man
Claudia didn’t awaken until the carriage jerked to a stop in the heavy traffic near the wharfs. The three-hour nap had taken her from exhausted to merely tired, but that was still an improvement. During most of the n
ights since Father died, she hadn’t had more than three hours of uninterrupted sleep anyway.
The palla had slipped off her head as she slept. Junia leaned over and adjusted it to hide her hair again.
“We’re almost there, mistress. It’s only a short walk to the ship from where we’ll leave the carriage. In case anyone asks, you’re a married woman, Livia Marcella, going to meet your husband in Thessalonica. I’m your maid, Junia.”
The raeda moved forward, then slowed, then stopped. Claudia’s heart began to beat faster. A few steps more, and she’d be on the ship that would take her to Titus. She’d be free from Lucius and Sabinus and all the horrible things he would do to her.
Hector opened the carriage door and stood waiting to help. Junia hung the bag of clothes on her shoulder and climbed out unassisted. He offered Claudia his hand.
She took it. The mules shifted, and the raeda moved a little as she was stepping down. He tightened his grip to steady her, and she was glad. Despite the rest, she still felt a little unsteady.
The smells of the harbor assaulted her nose. The slight odor of dead fish wasn’t strong enough to make her gag, but it was not pleasant. Loaded freight wagons moved in while empty wagons moved out. Dockhands moved barrels and crates on handcarts to get them shipside for loading into the waiting cargo holds. An overloaded handcart had tipped, spilling sacks down a ramp. An overseer cursed, and the snap of a whip made Claudia cringe.
Hector hoisted her box back onto his shoulder. “Follow me. The ship is just over there.”
He strode toward a ramp that led down to the pier.
Junia started to follow, then turned back with her hand outstretched. “Come, mistress. Just a little farther, and you can rest.”
One deep breath, and Claudia started walking. Her feet ached, and her blisters burned and stung with every step. But each step made her heart feel lighter. She was very close to escaping from Lucius now, and there was every reason to think she really would escape. Soon she would be with Titus, and somehow, he would make things better, just like Father always had.
