by Carol Ashby
Master Titus remounted and turned the stallion toward the gate.
“If you wish, master, I can get a cart from Master Philip’s stable to bring back the cook and all the other house slaves in one trip. Then I’ll take the cook to the market while the others start cleaning. The kitchen still needs stocking.”
“I’m not going back to the slave market. Miriam is supposed to know how to cook. She’ll do that as well as keeping the house and serving my sister’s needs. If she works hard enough, I won’t have to buy any more slaves right away. I hadn’t planned on Claudia coming. It’s half a month until my next payday, so this month money will be very tight. In the future, we need to keep expenses below 500 denarii a month, and 145 of that goes to the rent.”
He untied the larger purse from his belt and tossed it to Nestor. “There’s 800 in there. Take what you need for the market, and lock the rest up in the strongbox. Check with Philip’s steward to find out where to pay the rent, then take care of it. It’s two weeks until I get paid again. I’m not sure what else we still need to buy, but that will have to last until then.”
The master’s jaw clenched, and a scowl accompanied his next words. “When my brother arranged my father’s death, he stole my inheritance as well. I need to save at least a thousand a month if I’m to build up reserves to support us after I finish my tour of duty in five years.”
Nestor fought to blank his face so the master wouldn’t see his utter astonishment. One small woman couldn’t do the work of three. But if there was no money, it would do no good to point out that was impossible.
“Very well, master. It’s some distance to the market. I’ll take Miriam to get food and other supplies this morning, if you don’t have anything more urgent you want me to do. The house will need many hours of cleaning, and she can get started on that this afternoon.”
Without any help, Miriam could get the house ready. It would just take longer. A smile pulled at the corner of Nestor’s mouth. Master Philip would welcome that delay of two or three days. Four would be even better.
From the back of his stallion, Master Titus looked down at Nestor.
“That sounds good. I’m going to check on Claudia before I head down to the palace garrison. I’ll tell her she’ll be moving in here with me tomorrow. I’ll be back this evening.”
As he headed toward the gate, the master turned in his saddle. “Tell Miriam to prepare a good dinner for me. I’d better taste her cooking before Claudia has to eat it tomorrow.”
“Yes, master.” Nestor was so shocked at this last command that he answered reflexively. Master Titus had trotted out the gate before Nestor could tell him it was impossible for one slave to clean everything by tomorrow and make dinner as well.
Nestor stared at the kitchen door. Poor Miriam. His new master had no idea how much time it took to prepare a dinner or a house. It was already mid-morning, and it would be mid-day before they could get back from the market.
He frowned as he shook his head. The master wanted her to do the full day’s work of three in a single afternoon. It wasn’t a steward’s job to clean, but today he’d make an exception. Without his help, she’d never finish in time. With his help...his lips tightened. Even two couldn’t do the work of three, but maybe they could do enough.
Would Master Titus beat or lash a slave for not doing exactly what he wanted, even if what he wanted was impossible? Nestor was only on loan, so he wasn’t worried about being punished himself. But what would the master do to Miriam?
As Titus rode down the street, a broad smile proclaimed his satisfaction. He had a house and two people to take care of it for him. One cost him nothing, and the other was damaged but would probably be worth what he’d paid. He hadn’t expected to find a single slave who could take care of both the meals and his sister’s needs.
All would be ready for Claudia’s arrival tomorrow. As soon as she moved in, he could start helping her recover from the grief that was crushing her.
Miriam walked from the kitchen through the storeroom into the dining room. With each step, her heart beat faster. The house had been empty for a while, and a coat of dust lay everywhere. The floors hadn’t been scrubbed in a long time, and what should have been a bright mosaic floor in the dining room was dulled with grime. As she stood in the dining room door, her gaze swept the cobblestone courtyard and drew a sigh. The bumpy cobblestone surface was much more difficult to keep clean than brick or tile. She crossed the courtyard to check the bath and the sitting room. Filthy, just like everything else.
She climbed the stairs to the U-shaped balcony. There was one large bedchamber just to the right off the stairs. It was a corner room furnished with a bed, a chair, a woman’s dressing table, an intricately carved chest, and a cupboard that matched. Two windows and a fresco of waterfalls and mountains made it a bright and cheery room for the mistress.
A large women’s room with two looms and two padded wicker chairs was right past it. One small room opened at the head of the stairs and four small rooms off the left leg of the U. Four of the five small rooms were empty, but the largest of them on the corner opposite the mistress’s room had two good-sized windows and was also furnished as a bedchamber. That must be the master’s.
As she limped from room to room, her heart spiraled down. How was she ever going to get such a filthy house ready by tomorrow morning? There wasn’t a single room that didn’t need a thorough scrubbing to be what she considered clean enough.
A tear escaped as she stood in the master’s room, and she brushed it aside. She dropped to her knees and raised her hands. “Please help me, Jesus. I can’t fail him, or he might take me back. I’m sure you told me his sister needs me, so I have to make him want to keep me. But how am I ever going to do all this?” More tears trickled down her cheeks as she slumped back on her heels.
The footsteps behind her snapped her head around. The steward stood behind her, fists on his hips. How much had he heard? Her breath caught. What if he told the master she was a Christian?
Then his mouth curved into a smile. “Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord, Jesus.” He held out his hand to help her stand.
“And to you, my brother.” She flicked the tears off her cheeks and put her hand in his. Thank you, God, for giving me a brother here. She’d missed the fellowship of believers so much since Master Alexander’s house was seized and his slaves all sold to new masters.
“I know the master told you to do more than a single slave possibly could, but I’ll help you with the cleaning after we get back from the market. I’ll go with you today to show you where it is and to help you carry some of what we must buy. We’ll carry what you’ll need for tonight and tomorrow morning, and I’ll arrange to get the rest tomorrow.”
“Oh, thank you, Nestor! The whole house is filthy, and there’s no way I could finish in time by myself.”
With two of them working, there was at least a chance of getting the house presentable by tomorrow. She and Nestor could eat some bread and cheese that evening and keep working until he decided to quit. She’d work all night, if that was what it would take.
“I hate to add to your burden, but the master wants you to prepare him a good dinner tonight so he can test your cooking before his sister eats it. He’ll need breakfast tomorrow, too.”
Miriam’s jaw dropped. She fought fresh tears. “Make a dinner, too? He’s going to expect a three-course Roman meal. That takes hours to prepare. If I’m going to get any of the house cleaned, I can’t do that.”
She bowed her head and closed her eyes. Oh God, please give me strength to do all that he asks. If I can’t, please let him be satisfied with whatever I manage to do. Please don’t let him take me back.
She took a deep breath and stood up.
“I’ll try to do everything he wants. God will give me strength for this. I think perhaps something simple but delicious will have to do for his dinner tonight. I make a pork stew that was my old master’s favorite, and i
t doesn’t take long to get started. Then it can simmer while we clean. There isn’t enough time to both clean and cook a full dinner.” She rubbed her cheek. “Do you think he’ll want a clean house more than a Roman dinner?”
Nestor shrugged. “It’s what I’d want if it was my sister. I know it’s what Master Philip would choose for Mistress Claudia, and I still belong to him.”
Miriam squared her shoulders. “I’ll try to get it all cleaned, but first we’ll clean the mistress’s and the master’s bedchambers and the kitchen. If you can sweep out the worst of the dust, then I can scrub the floors. Maybe we can both wipe down walls. I’m too short to reach all the way up to the ceilings. If you do the high part, I can finish the rest. I’ll start on the kitchen while you sweep. After I start the stew, I can scrub the bedchamber floors while it simmers. Then we can work on the dining room and the bath.”
She drew a deep breath and blew it out slowly. She had a plan, but was there enough time to complete it to the master’s satisfaction? She ran her fingers through her hair. “Maybe I can get the women’s room and the sitting room ready by tomorrow as well if I clean again after I serve him dinner.”
Nestor shook his head. “It’s too much to do it all today, but when we get back from the market, I’ll help you clean as much as we can. Master Philip would consider whatever we get done enough and appreciate how hard we tried. Perhaps Master Titus is a reasonable man, too.”
“I’ll need bread for his dinner and breakfast, but there isn’t enough time to both bake and clean. Is there a bakery where we can buy a loaf or two?”
“No, but there’s usually someone selling fresh bread. We should start for the market now to make sure some will still be there.”
“First I need to check what we have in the kitchen and the garden.”
The corner of her mouth lifted. She couldn’t walk well, but she was an expert in the kitchen. The master should feel she was worth more than he paid after he ate a few of her dinners.
Miriam followed Nestor back to the kitchen. He leaned against the door frame as she checked the cupboards and storeroom. She made a mental list of what she would need to buy for a delicious dinner and tasty breakfast for the master and a lunch suitable for the mistress, in case he brought her home early.
She found brooms, buckets, and rags that would do for the cleaning that awaited them. She found plenty of pots, pans, and utensils for cooking and all the dishes that she’d need for serving the food. Some of the dishes were surprisingly beautiful for a rented house.
What she didn’t find was any food. She and Nestor would have to buy everything. The master had been angry about spending more on her than he had to, and he hadn’t bought all the slaves the household needed. Was money a problem for him?
“I’m ready. Does the master have plenty of money, or do I need to be careful about how much I spend?”
Nestor’s eyebrows rose, then lowered as a smile appeared. “Careful. The master needs us to run the household on 350 denarii or less a month. He wasn’t planning to support his sister, and money will be tight until his next payday. There won’t be much to spare even after that.” He smiled down at her. “That’s why he’s hoping you can do the work of three people, at least for a while.”
“I cost him 50 denarii more than he needed to pay for me. I’ll try to be worth the extra money.” She sighed. “He was sorry he bought me when he saw my limp. I’ll try to do everything he wants so he won’t be sorry he kept me. May God help me do it.”
Chapter 41: Help for a Sister
Miriam surveyed the garden before she and Nestor headed toward the gate. Chickens for eggs. A large garden with all the usual vegetables. Fruit trees and grapevines just past the vegetables. Best of all, a well-planted herb garden. Her mother’s skill as a cook depended on her creative use of herbs. She’d passed that knowledge on to Miriam. Add to that what Miriam had learned in Master Alexander’s kitchen, and she was certain the master would love her cooking when she had time to prepare Roman meals.
“There’s so much here. We shouldn’t have to buy any vegetables now, and there’s plenty for me to dry for winter.”
“Tell me what kind of racks you need for that, and I’ll see that we have them.”
“Do you think the master can afford a cow? I can make our butter and some kinds of cheese, and that should save him money in the long run. Master Alexander didn’t drink it, but some of his Roman guests liked cow’s milk. And maybe the neighbors would buy some from us.”
“I’ll look into that.” Nestor handed her a small basket and picked up two large ones. “I know where to get one for less than you might expect.”
Miriam picked up another large one and placed the smaller one in it before hanging it on her arm. “I know what we need now. Let’s go to market.”
The house was on a street that ran uphill from the main road, so the first part of their walk was an easy half mile downhill. Then they followed the main road down the hill to the east for half a mile to where it turned and headed back to the west for another three quarters of a mile. The distance wouldn’t have been a problem for most people, but her leg began bothering her a little by the time they reached the main road. By the time they reached the market, she was limping badly.
Miriam ran her hand through her hair as she scanned the stalls. “When will the master get paid?”
“He said two weeks.”
“Then we’ll need wheat, barley, olive oil, cheese, honey, and wine enough for two and a half weeks. I don’t want to spend too much of what has to last until he’s paid. I’ll need pork for tonight’s stew and a bottle of red wine for the master to drink, fruit and cheese for breakfast, and enough bread to last until I can bake tomorrow.”
“We can carry enough for tonight and tomorrow ourselves. I’ll borrow a cart from Master Philip to get the rest tomorrow. Just tell me what we need.”
“I have all the herbs I need in the garden, but we’ll have to buy some spices. I know they’re expensive, but that’s what makes my cooking taste so good. That and just enough wine to get the perfect flavor. I need red and white. I can pick some that taste good without being too expensive.” She squared her shoulders. “Time to start bargaining.” She grinned at him. “I like that part of shopping...getting a price that’s low but still fair to everyone.”
Nestor followed her from vendor to vendor as she tried to find the best value for each purchase. Finally, she had everything either ordered for the next day or placed in their baskets.
“You’re good at this, Miriam. The master should be impressed when I tell him how much you saved him.”
“But it’s taken too long to get everything.” A sigh escaped. “We have so much to do to get the house ready. I know we can’t do it all before tomorrow, but I pray we can get enough done that he’s satisfied. He was angry when he first saw how I limp. I promised him I could do everything he wanted in spite of it, but that was before I saw the house. God told me his sister needs me, and I really want the master to keep me.”
“I want that, too. We’ll get enough done to satisfy a reasonable master. Time will tell if he is one.”
It was mid-day when they started back up the hill toward the house. Miriam’s leg was hurting, and her limp was slowing them down. A short distance from the market, Nestor turned off the main road onto a narrow street.
“This is a good shortcut. It runs into the upper stretch of the main road just before our street. It probably cuts the distance in half from the market to the house. It’s steeper but much quicker.”
Relief drew her smile. “I’m glad we’ll be going back a shorter way. I’m not a fast walker.”
As they started up the hill, Nestor shortened his stride to match hers. “This will be a good shortcut to remember. You’ll probably be going to market at least once a week.”
Not a fast walker was too generous. It had taken almost twice as long to get to the market as it did when he went by himself. He had long legs an
d a quick stride, but even considering that, she was slow.
Finally, they reached the house and entered the kitchen.
Miriam picked up a washrag and dusted the table. “We’ll leave it all here until I get the storeroom cleaned.”
Her shoulders drooped. “There isn’t a single place in the whole house that doesn’t need scrubbing.”
Nestor could see her fighting tears again as she looked around the kitchen at the dust and grime. “I’ll do the storeroom. You can start on the kitchen.”
Her eyes brightened. “I can’t thank you enough for being willing to help me like this. I know it’s not a job for the house steward.”
He rested his hand on her shoulder. “You don’t have to thank me again, Miriam. Today I’m happy to help my sister bear this burden. Master Philip told me I was to do everything possible to make sure Mistress Claudia is well cared for, and helping you get this filthy house ready certainly fits that charge.”
Miriam headed toward the well in the inner courtyard to get some water as Nestor walked into the storeroom to begin dusting and sweeping. As soon as she got the kitchen counter clean, she could cut up the vegetables and pork for the stew. Once she had the stew simmering, she would scrub the kitchen floor. Then she could move on to the bedchambers. Her mother had always said the way to move a mountain was one boulder at a time. These were big boulders, but, with God’s and Nestor’s help, she would manage to move them all.
Chapter 42: Willing to be Pleased
For the first time, Septimus Corvinus walked through the gate into the stable yard of the Perinthus garrison. His brother Marcus had warned him about the rough seas that plagued voyages near the end of the sailing season, but a new tribune had little choice over where his first posting would be or when Rome would want him there. After too many days having trouble keeping food down, he was even looking forward to what a garrison cook called dinner as long as the ground didn’t move.
