by Carol Ashby
Miriam stepped into the dining room to finish setting the table. She needed to hurry. Any moment, the master could be calling her to help his sister, and there were still a few things left to do before dinner was ready to serve.
“Miriam.” The master’s summons came too soon.
She took a deep breath, and stepped into the courtyard. “Yes, master?”
Master Titus was leaning over the balcony railing. “Come up. Claudia is here.”
She caught a glimpse of the back of a slender woman with reddish blonde hair before he turned and followed his sister into her room.
Miriam climbed the stairs as quickly as her bad leg allowed. She was eager to meet the new mistress God had sent her to help. But since Master Titus told her about his sister’s grief and her attempts on her own life, she wasn’t sure what to expect.
When she entered the room, Mistress Claudia was looking out the window. “I can see Philip’s trees from here.”
Titus crossed his arms. “I’m glad Penelope lives close enough for you two to visit often. Every day if you want.” His gaze shifted from his sister to Miriam. “This is Miriam. She’ll be taking care of you.”
Miriam bowed deeply before raising her eyes to her new mistress. The extraordinary beauty of the master’s sister caught her breath. Master Titus was a handsome man, but Mistress Claudia was the most beautiful woman she’d ever seen or even imagined.
“It’s my pleasure to serve you in everything I can, mistress.”
Mistress Claudia glanced over her shoulder at her. “You can begin by unpacking my trunks.” Then she turned back to the window to gaze up the hill.
“Yes, mistress.”
Miriam opened the two large trunks to see what was in each. She really ought to be downstairs cooking, but the mistress had said to unpack. The need to do two things at once―it had already begun.
Master Titus stepped in. “Miriam will have to unpack your things later. She’s also our cook, and she probably needs to be in the kitchen right now.”
Relief surged through her when the master said what she was afraid to.
“Pardon me, mistress. I do need to get back to the kitchen before anything burns.” She bowed, and limped out of the room.
With a sigh, Claudia turned from the window. Philip’s house had lost most of its charm the moment Philip left. Perhaps it was better to be here with Titus than to wait in a house that felt too empty with its master gone.
Titus ran his hand across the lid of the larger trunk. “I'm sorry Miriam can’t help you right now. She’ll be cooking and taking care of the house as well as attending you. I only have her and our steward to take care of everything.”
“That’s not a problem. I won’t be going anywhere except Penelope’s, so I won’t need much attending. She and I shared her maid on the ship, and I found it’s just as easy to do many things for myself that Graecia used to do for me.”
Claudia walked over to Titus and hugged his arm. “I understand how much my coming has changed everything for you. I know you weren’t planning on having to pay for a household. Slaves are expensive, and we can make do with just two.”
“Philip lent me Nestor. That was a huge help. I don’t know how I would have found a good steward on my own. Miriam wasn’t very expensive because of her limp. She’s an excellent cook and a hard worker. So far, I’m satisfied with her eagerness to please me. I think she’ll try hard to serve you well.”
Titus took his sister’s hand and led her toward the door. “Let’s go have dinner as soon as I wash up. If yesterday’s stew is any indication, you’re in for a treat when you taste her cooking. I’m not sure we ever had as good a cook at home. I’ve been eating poor food for so long out here that I’d almost forgotten what it was like for something to be so delicious that you want to just let it sit in your mouth to make the taste last.”
Claudia smiled at her brother because she knew that was what he wanted. No matter how delicious the food might be, she would much rather be sitting under the canopy eating bread and cheese with Philip beside her. He’d be back in about a week. Maybe whatever it was that was keeping them apart would change between now and then. Maybe…
Chapter 48: Two Broken Hearts
After the first bite of the main course, Claudia decided Titus had not been exaggerating when he praised Miriam’s culinary skill. The sauce might well be the most delectable she’d ever tasted. She glanced at Miriam, who was watching for her reaction. Claudia smiled and nodded to convey her pleasure...and then forgot that Miriam was even standing there.
Miriam stood by the doorway, waiting to do whatever the master and mistress needed. It was gratifying to see the master nod his head and smile broadly as he took the first bite, and it was clear that the mistress appreciated the flavor almost as much. She’d expected them to like her cooking, but it still gave her pleasure to watch their enjoyment. She couldn’t help but smile. God had been so good in bringing Master Titus to buy her, even if she must do the work of three.
It was to be expected that masters and mistresses would forget someone was listening while a slave waited patiently to serve. An attentive slave often knew more of what was going on in a household than any master. As Miriam stood by the doorway, forgotten by Master Titus and Mistress Claudia, she heard all their conversation, but what she heard was deeply disturbing.
The mistress’s voice was strained. “It was all so horrible. Lucius turned Father in for becoming a Christian. The soldiers took him away to one of Lucius’s friends who’s a praetor, and I never saw him again. What’s even more horrible is I’m the one who told Lucius about Father becoming a Christian.
“Father was so happy, I mean really, really happy. I’d never seen him like that, smiling all the time for the two weeks after he decided to change from God-fearer to Christian. Then Lucius dropped by. He asked me why Father was so happy, and I told him. I never, ever dreamed that Lucius would use what I said to get Father killed. I didn’t know he hated Father for making him be a faithful husband to Cornelia again. I didn’t know he wanted Father dead so he could be in control of everything. I blame myself for giving Lucius what he needed to get Father killed.”
Mistress Claudia kept flicking tears off her cheeks.
“And when I told him what I thought of him for doing that to Father, he decided to sell me to Flavius Sabinus for 50,000 denarii. Aemilia told me that horrible old man beat his last wife to death. I just couldn’t stay in Rome and marry him. If Malleolus hadn’t gone to Father’s friend, who got Philip to bring me here, I would have killed myself.”
The master leaned across the table and placed his hand on hers. “Don’t blame yourself. You should have been able to tell our brother anything about our father. His treachery isn’t your fault. I never especially liked Lucius, but I never expected he’d be a cold-blooded snake who’d betray Father like that. You had no reason to think he would.”
The mistress wiped both cheeks with her free hand. “I hate Lucius so much. I want him dead more than anything in this world. I’d do almost anything to make him pay for killing Father.”
“Father meant as much to me as he did to you. You were only a little girl, so you probably don’t remember all the time Father spent with me and Decimus, teaching us about life―about love and loyalty and how to know what was important and what wasn’t. Father should have been around to teach that to our children. Lucius took that from us.”
Master Titus had been twirling a knife in his fingers. With the speed of a striking snake, he drove it into the table.
“I hate him as much as you do. I’ll kill him when I get the chance. It’s a good thing for him I’m stuck out here in Thracia for five more years. When I return to Rome, I’ll avenge Father’s death. I’ll kill Lucius, and I won’t do it quickly. He’ll be lucky if he dies before I return.”
Miriam almost jumped out of her skin when the knifepoint penetrated the table. Soldiers trained to kill, and this one was eager to kill his own
brother. The venom in the master’s voice terrified her. It could be fatal to get this master angry. Thank God he was ignoring her at that moment. He mustn’t see her trembling. He’d told her several times to stop acting like she was afraid of him, but she wasn’t acting. He truly frightened her as he spewed his hatred.
Master Titus threw himself back in his chair. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there to protect Father. I would have found out who was telling him the Christian stories and turned them in before they convinced Father to believe all the lies about that dead Jewish carpenter. Thracia doesn’t have the same policy as Bithynia about executing Christians who won’t denounce their Jesus and sacrifice to Caesar, but it should. I didn’t care before, but now I’d love to do my part in ridding the Empire of Christians before they spread any farther.”
Miriam’s stomach knotted. Thank you, Jesus, that he doesn’t know I follow You. He’d sell her or kill her if he found out. As soon as she could, she’d warn Nestor to be careful so the master wouldn’t learn he was a Christian as well.
Mistress Claudia’s face twisted with hatred. “I wanted to kill Lucius myself. I thought about driving a dagger into his heart as he slept, but he doesn’t deserve a quick death. I want him to know what it is to suffer like Father did. Slow poison would be better or feeding him to the lions.”
Tears began pooling in her eyes again. “And that horrible man who convinced Father to become a Christian. If I knew who it was, I’d report him so he could die in the arena like Father did. If Father had only stayed a God-fearer, Lucius couldn’t have had him killed. I hate them both. Why did I ever tell Lucius? Oh, Titus! No matter what you say, it’s partly my fault for telling him.”
The dam burst, and tears began pouring down her cheeks. She covered her face with her hands as her body shook. The master rose from the table and knelt beside her so he could wrap his arms around her.
“No, Claudia. It’s not your fault at all. It’s Lucius and that Christian, not you.”
It was a long time before her tears stopped. The master knelt with his arms wrapped around her the whole time. He closed his eyes and looked almost as miserable as the mistress.
Miriam stood in silence by the door, watching her poor mistress’s heart breaking. No wonder God had sent her into this household. The mistress was drowning in grief, guilt, and hatred. The master was suffering from his own grief and burning with hatred. They needed the peace and love of Jesus so desperately. But how was that possible if they wanted to kill anyone who might tell them about Him?
She was only a slave. They would never listen to her. If she tried, the master would kill her. Jesus, how can I help without actually speaking about you? She swallowed as the lump of fear grew in her throat. I don’t want to die if it won’t even help save them.
Finally, the tears were over. Master Titus released the mistress from his arms and returned to his chair. Worry twisted his face when it was turned away from his sister. He masked it before he turned so she wouldn’t see.
“Miriam. Bring the second table.”
Miriam bowed and removed the remains of the main course. She limped through the storeroom as she went to fetch the special pastries she’d prepared to welcome her mistress home.
When she returned to place the pastry tray on the table before the master, he didn’t nod or smile. His gaze was locked on his sister. Her face twisted as she fought to hold back a fresh torrent of tears.
“I’m so sorry, Titus. Every time I think about what happened to Father, I can’t stop crying...I miss him so much.” The tears didn’t start again, but she hung her head and buried her face in her hands.
The new lump in Miriam’s throat was more from fighting tears than fear. The master’s shoulders drooped as he watched his sister suffer. Please, God. There’s too much pain for both of them.
Claudia’s heart ached for more reasons than Titus knew. Her thoughts had turned to Philip and how much she longed to have him with her at that moment. Only Philip knew how to turn her tears to smiles. She didn’t tell Titus that she missed Philip even more than she missed their father.
She didn’t tell him how much she missed the challenge of matching wits with Philip or lying with her head in his lap while he massaged her temple and read to her. She didn’t tell him how she loved watching Philip watch her reading poetry with his legs stretched out, his hands clasped behind his head, and that contented smile lighting up the scarred face that had become so dear to her. She didn’t tell Titus how Philip had helped her bear the horror of her dreams every night and how he’d managed to drive the darkness from her days.
She didn’t tell Titus she was deeply in love with the man who’d saved her from Lucius, and it was mostly his absence that was breaking her heart.
Miriam had helped Mistress Claudia prepare for the night, but she returned to the unfinished work in the kitchen when the master came into his sister’s room to tell her good night. As Miriam started down the stairs, the mistress started to cry. Since the master was with her, Miriam continued on to the kitchen.
One window of the mistress’s room was directly above the window over the kitchen counter. As Miriam stood washing the dishes in a large basin, the muffled tones of their conversation reached her. First his deep voice, then her soft one, then the sound of a woman crying her heart out. Miriam couldn’t make out the words, but he tried again and again to console his sister. Nothing stopped her tears. Weeping turned into hiccupping sobs, then died away.
When Miriam had put the last clean dish away, she blew out the lamp and headed for the stairs. She took off her sandals before beginning the climb. Any noise might awaken the sleeping girl.
At the door of Mistress Claudia’s bedchamber, she startled. Master Titus sat on the chair by the bed with his elbows on his knees and his face buried in his hands. His head jerked up when she took a step. Fear clouded his eyes―fear for his sister.
She limped over and whispered, “I’ll stand guard over her, master. You can rest now, if you want to.”
He stared into her eyes for what seemed a long time, then nodded as if convinced. He rose from the chair and walked wearily to the door. He paused to look back at his sister as sadness filled his eyes. Then he sighed deeply and walked out with his head hanging.
Miriam’s hand covered her mouth. The master may have thought the compassion in her eyes was for his sister, but it was mostly for him. His heart was breaking, too, not just from the loss of his father, but even more from watching his sister suffer.
She sat on the chair beside the bed. God, please show me what to do to help my mistress. Please heal her heart…and his, too.
When she was certain Claudia slept deeply. Miriam rose and crept over to the pallet in the corner that she’d prepared for herself. She lay down and drew the sheet over her. As she willed her breathing to slow, each breath became a prayer for the mistress and master until she drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 49: Something New but Not Enough
The first hint of pink brightened the clouds when Miriam awoke with a start. She rolled off her pallet and crept to Mistress Claudia’s bedside. The mistress still slept soundly, so Miriam picked up her sandals and tiptoed out the door. She didn’t put them on until she’d descended the stairs.
She had too much to do that day. The master would be down early for his breakfast before he went to the garrison, and she wanted to get the bread dough rising before her mistress woke up and needed help dressing. She wanted the mistress’s breakfast ready before then, too.
The well in the courtyard between the dining room and the bath drew a smile. It was quick and easy to get water for rinsing the grapes she’d be serving him that morning. If she had to walk less, she could get more done. Her smile broadened. She wasn’t a fast walker, but God had given her a master who didn’t care.
Titus had spent another night in fitful sleep. He woke often, and each time he stayed awake too long worrying about Claudia before he dozed off again. Last night he didn’t even
have the soft sound of Miriam singing to distract him from his anxiety about his sister's safety.
As he descended the stairs, one of the melodies he’d liked the night before floated up to greet him. Through the kitchen door, he could see Miriam at the counter, kneading some dough and singing softly to herself. He stood in the doorway, leaning against the post as he watched her. She was a pretty little thing, and there was something about her that made the kitchen seem cheery and inviting. Maybe she’d have the same effect on Claudia.
She felt his gaze and turned. “Good morning, master. I’ll take your breakfast to the dining room right away.”
He watched her limp to the table and pick up the larger of two trays of bread, cheese, and grapes before he turned and walked to the dining room. As he seated himself, she placed the tray before him and bowed. Before she went to stand by the wall to await any commands, she paused.
“Do you want me to make a lunch for you to take with you, master?”
“No. You only have to make a good one for Claudia.”
The corner of his mouth twitched up. A slave asking for extra work―that was a novel experience. Such eagerness to serve a master was rare. The more he saw of her, the more satisfied he was with spending the extra fifty denarii.
She retreated to the wall by the storeroom door and stood waiting for his command.
Titus glanced up from his food. She was a pleasure to look at, but it was a waste of her time to stand there while there was work to do.
“You can go back to your work. I don’t need you to stand there at breakfast. If I need anything, I’ll call you.”
“Yes, master.”
She disappeared through the storeroom door, and soon he heard her singing again. A little music with his breakfast was a pleasant way to start the morning. Sending her back to her work had been a good idea.
