The Legacy

by Carol Ashby

  When Titus took his first bite of the carrots sautéed in Miriam’s peppered wine sauce, a delighted smile appeared. His little Jewish slave was some cook.

  Claudia glanced at Miriam, and they exchanged smiles. Then she fixed her eyes on him. She rested her elbow on the table and leaned her chin on her hand. “Are the carrots good?”

  “Delicious. Maybe the best I’ve ever had.”

  Titus glanced at Miriam, too. He’d been surprised to find Claudia sitting at the kitchen table when he walked in. He was even more surprised to find her smiling. She even said she had a good day when he asked. She didn’t look like she’d been crying, so he believed her. His little cook had said she could help his sister. It looked like she was right.

  Chapter 51: Shortcuts

  The mistress was in good spirits when she went to bed, and she went to sleep quickly. Miriam went back downstairs to finish cleaning up the kitchen. She almost dropped the plate she was drying when she heard the blood-curdling scream.

  Master Titus was in his room, so he reached the mistress before Miriam could make it up the stairs. She stood at the door watching as he sat on the edge of the bed and shook Claudia to wake her from the night terror. She jerked awake, then wrapped her arms around her brother. Burying her face in his tunic muffled the deep sobs.

  “Don’t cry, Claudia. It’s only a dream.” He stroked her hair. “It’s only a dream.”

  It must have been a quarter hour before the sobs turned into simple tears. Then the tears continued for at least as long. He held her the whole time.

  “Please, Claudia. Tell me what it is that scares you at night. I can’t help if you don’t.”

  She just shook her head. He kept holding her until tears led to exhaustion and finally brought her sleep.

  Miriam stood with her back pressed against the wall, watching. She’d never seen a man so forlorn. When the master tried to lay the mistress down, she awoke. No more sobs, but the tears started again. He sat beside her, patting her back.

  “It’s only a dream, Claudia. If you’ll tell me about it, maybe I can make it go away.”

  Miriam closed her eyes. Please, God, take away the dreams that are tearing up Mistress Claudia.

  The small jerks that punctuated her silent tears finally ceased. Once more, Master Titus buried his face in his hands with his elbows resting on his knees. Miriam’s heart ached for him as much as for the mistress.

  The master rose and tiptoed to the door. He leaned down to whisper in Miriam’s ear, “Your watch now.”

  Miriam nodded to acknowledge his command. Then she stood in the doorway, watching him walk away with his head bowed. He paused on the balcony just outside his door and looked back at his sister’s room. One slow shake of his head, then he disappeared into his room.

  Miriam pressed her palm against her cheek. The master loved his sister so much, and it was killing him to watch her suffer.

  She tiptoed to the mistress’s bedside to be sure she was deeply asleep. Then she crept to her pallet. Once more, she began her fervent prayers for the end of suffering for her mistress...and for her master as well.

  The next morning, Claudia sat in the kitchen watching Miriam shape the loaves of bread. The happiness of yesterday had been erased by the agony of last night.

  Miriam wiped some flour off her hands. “I don’t want to leave you alone like this, mistress, but I have to go to market. Nestor’s working in the garden today. Maybe you can watch him while I’m gone?”

  Claudia sighed and nodded. “I guess so. Watching Nestor for a while might be interesting.”

  Miriam picked up two large baskets. “I need to go now, but I’ll try to hurry. I want to make you a good lunch today.”

  Claudia managed a weak smile. She followed Miriam out the door. “Hurry back.”

  “I will, mistress.”

  Claudia watched Miriam limp through the gate and head downhill toward the market. Then she dragged herself over to the chair under the tree and settled in to watch Nestor and wait for Miriam.

  It had been a long walk down the main road to the market, and Miriam’s bad leg was already tired by the time she finished shopping. She would have taken the shortcut down to the market that Nestor had shown her, but she wasn’t certain which street it was as she limped down the upper part of the road. She did know where it started going home. She would take the shortcut back since she wanted to get to their house as soon as possible. The mistress had been too sad that morning. Leaving her alone too long was a bad idea. Nestor was keeping an eye on her, but it wasn’t the same as being there herself.

  With her two baskets of groceries, she turned off the main road and started up the street that would put her on the road again a little to the east of the street that led to the house. Reducing the distance she had to walk by half would help her tired leg. More importantly, it would free Nestor from watching the mistress. From all she’d ever seen, men got distracted too easily and often missed what was going on even when they paid attention. If Nestor failed to catch the mistress before she hurt herself...

  Just past the shortcut, two young men were loitering in the shade of a tree beside the road. When they saw the pretty young woman with the limp turn off the busy road and start up the deserted street, one poked the other with his elbow. He tipped his head toward the crippled girl as she disappeared from view. The second one nodded in response, and a lecherous smile spread across his face. They waited a moment to be certain no one else was heading up the street, then they strolled over and started to climb the hill behind her.

  Miriam was glad she’d decided to take the shortcut. The street was narrow, and it zigzagged around houses and walled gardens, blocking any view of the main road in either direction. Still, it took her where she wanted to go much quicker than the road would, and it wasn’t much steeper. She didn’t notice the two men walking up the street behind her until she heard their footsteps. They were walking much faster than she was, so she stepped to the side to let them pass.

  When one of them grabbed her arm, she dropped one of her baskets. He spun her around to face him. His eyes hardened as a sneer twisted his lips. Before she could scream, his hand sealed her mouth. He shoved her against a wall while his friend grabbed her other arm and flung her second basket to the side.

  She tried to kick, but the first one pinned her against the wall so she couldn’t move her legs.

  God, help me!

  The cruel face of the first man moved closer to her own, and she closed her eyes. Now, God. Please!

  Titus usually took the main road, but he was in a hurry to get home since he was only taking a break for lunch. Claudia had cried for so long last night; he was afraid she might still be grieving as deeply this morning. Joining her unexpectedly for lunch might cheer her up. He turned his horse into the narrow street that cut the distance in half.

  Ahead of him was the sound of a struggle, but he was unprepared for what awaited him as he came around the corner of the house that had blocked his view. Two men had a woman pinned against the wall. When he drew his sword and rode toward them yelling, they hurled the woman into a pile of straw and ran, turning down a passageway that was too narrow for him to follow on horseback.

  He turned back to the woman and dismounted to see if she was hurt. She was gathering up some fruit and placing it back into a basket.

  “Miriam?”

  Master Titus seized Miriam’s arm and jerked to make her face him squarely. His black scowl shot bolts of fear through her. She bowed her head and didn’t look at his face. Looking into the eyes of an angry master was a good way to trigger a blow.

  He’d told her the first night that he didn’t like to hit his slaves, but a master might do anything if he was angry enough. Every time she cleaned the table, she saw the mark where he’d driven the knife in as he thought about his brother. Her first mistress used any excuse to strike her. Violence was second nature to a soldier, so why wouldn’t a Roman officer hit when he was a
ngry?

  But what had she done that would make him so angry? She tensed, waiting for the blow that might be coming. Then he seized her chin and tilted her head until she was forced to look into his eyes.

  “Are you hurt?” His tone was abrupt.

  “No, master. Thank you for stopping them.”

  The scowl had relaxed into a frown, and her fear began to drain away. But the master was still unhappy about something.

  “What are you doing on this street?”

  “I went to market, but it takes me too long to walk the main road so I took the shortcut. I don’t want to be late making my mistress her lunch, and I knew I could get home to her much faster this way.”

  “It is much faster, but it was a foolish choice for a woman alone. It’s dangerous for you to get off the main road.”

  “Yes, master. I know that now. I won’t do it again.”

  Titus reached to remove a piece of straw that was caught in her hair. She cringed. She seemed more frightened of him than she’d been of her attackers.

  His lips tightened. She shouldn’t expect him to strike her when she’d only made a foolish choice with good intentions. Father had taught him that striking out in anger was the wrong way to treat anyone, even a slave. He’d already told her that the first night. The slave trader said she came from a kind household; her reactions continued to suggest otherwise. Maybe she’d been in a cruel one before that. Old habits must die hard.

  He wasn’t angry with her. He just didn’t want her doing things that might get her killed. Claudia was much happier whenever she was around. What would his sister do if Miriam had died today?

  “Stop doing that. I told you I’m not going to hit you.”

  He extended his hand more slowly, and she remained still as he extracted the straw. “You’re not to use this shortcut again if you’re not with Nestor. I paid a premium price for you, and I expect you to take better care of my property. Putting yourself at risk like this doesn’t serve my sister well.”

  He picked up several of the fallen fruit and placed them in the basket she was holding.

  “You’ll ride home with me. I’m joining Claudia for lunch today.”

  When he whistled, his horse came to stand beside them. He took the basket from her hands and placed it next to the one she’d dropped.

  “Up you go.”

  The master wrapped his hands around Miriam’s waist and lifted her onto the stallion’s back. He picked up the baskets and waited to hand them to her as she swung her leg over and slid forward to make room for him. After he handed her the baskets, he mounted himself. He put his arm around her and pulled her against him as he slid forward into his normal riding position.

  Today she was even less comfortable with his arm holding her against his chest than she’d been the day he bought her.

  He’d said he wasn’t planning to use her for his entertainment, and he had passed up the opportunity that first night, but she still didn’t want him holding her. It didn’t take much for a man to change his mind. Her mother had been bought just to cook, but that soon changed. Her mother’s years of suffering might well have started with her master touching her for some innocent reason.

  Contact was dangerous. She would much rather walk, even with her bad leg. But he was the master. She had no choice.

  As they rode up the narrow street, Titus glanced down at her profile. She was a pretty little thing, especially when she was singing. Those dark brown eyes sparkled then. Smart, too. Having Claudia watch her work in the kitchen had been a brilliant idea for distracting his sister from her sad thoughts, and Claudia was even laughing at something she’d said just before he walked into the kitchen after work yesterday. In fact, he hadn’t seen Claudia cry at all yesterday until the night terror. Miriam had been right that his sister needed her. He’d made a good purchase, even if he did pay more than he had to.

  But why had she put herself at risk just to get his sister’s lunch ready on time? No one would expect a new slave to be so eager to serve. Such dedication was exactly what he wanted, but to see it so soon? Buying a cripple and making her grateful that he kept her was certainly paying off.

  However, her bad ankle had its drawbacks. She did walk slowly, and that was a problem as long as she was the one going to market. He couldn’t have her taking dangerous shortcuts.

  “We need to do something different when you go to market.”

  She turned her head to look up at his face. “I could try to leave earlier so I can get back to make lunch, but I can’t leave too early and still help my mistress when she gets up. And Nestor watches her while I’m gone, so he’d get less done, too.” She looked down at the horse’s neck. “I’m sorry I can’t walk faster.”

  He shook his head to dismiss what she was saying.

  “That can’t be helped. I’m thinking we need a different way for you to get to market than walking. Maybe a donkey or a small horse.”

  She moved away from him and twisted to look up at his face with wide eyes. “You want me to learn to ride? I’m not sure how to do that and manage the baskets as well, but I’ll try if that’s what you want me to do.”

  She was right. That wouldn’t work, but the mental image of her trying to balance two baskets and mount a horse drew a twisted smile.

  That turned her cheeks a pretty shade of pink. She thought he was laughing at her, and he actually was. Not at what she’d said, but at how she blushed when she thought he was.

  “No, I’m thinking more along the lines of a small cart. A donkey cart should work well for getting you down and back quickly with all your baskets. I’ll have Nestor look into that for us.”

  He pulled her back against his chest and they rode on in silence.

  Miriam’s stomach knotted when Master Titus took his arm away from her waist and lowered his hand to rest on her thigh. She’d seen him ride with one hand resting on his own thigh, so maybe he didn’t mean anything by it. He was ignoring her otherwise. But she was still relieved when they crossed the main road and entered their street. Getting away from his touch couldn’t come too soon.

  When they reached the house, the master rode through the open gate and back to the stable. She bent over so he could swing his leg past her head and slide off. After he dismounted, he reached up to take her baskets before helping her down. This time she swung her right leg over and waited for him.

  He placed his hands on her waist and lifted her down. She wasn’t sure what was worse: his arm holding her close against him, his hand on her thigh, or his hands around her waist. He’d told her the first night she wouldn’t have to serve him in bed, but Roman officers had a reputation for enjoying the intimate company of women. As soon as her feet were firmly planted on the ground, she moved away from him.

  “I’ll go prepare lunch for you and my mistress now.” She bowed and hurried toward the kitchen door.

  Titus watched Claudia rise from the chair under the tree and walk toward him. Her smile looked a little shaky, but at least she wasn’t crying. Maybe she’d be smiling more at dinner time after spending the afternoon with Miriam.

  While he hugged his sister, he watched Miriam as she carried the two baskets into the kitchen. It had only been a few days since he bought her, and already he couldn’t imagine living in this household without her. She’d cheered up Claudia considerably, and he was eating better than he had since he left Rome. That was the best four hundred denarii he ever spent.

  Chapter 52: No More Lions

  When Titus walked into the kitchen that evening, he found Claudia sitting at the table, leaning on her elbows and smiling as she watched Miriam arrange pastries on a tray. The aromas wafting through the kitchen were enough to make his mouth water. It was going to be another delectable meal.

  Claudia stood to give him a hug. “Welcome home, Titus.” The smile on her face when she released him made it hard to believe how long she’d cried inconsolably in his arms the night before.

  “Just w
ait until you taste what Miriam has for you tonight.” The smile she sent Miriam’s way was accompanied by a wink.

  His eyes narrowed. Some secret between them? Something funny about what Miriam would be serving him? Then he shrugged. Whatever it was, it would probably be tastier than anything he’d eaten before he bought her.

  “I can tell from the smell that I’ll have few regrets that I’m eating here instead of with my friends tonight.” He kissed Claudia on the forehead before turning toward the door. “As soon as I’ve cleaned up, you can serve us, Miriam. I’m expecting another fine dinner from my excellent cook. I’m sure you won’t disappoint me.”

  Claudia had seemed happy enough during dinner, and Titus was relieved. She’d been much too quiet at lunch, but the afternoon with Miriam seemed to have brightened her mood. She’d actually grinned as she watched him enjoying the pastries.

  He leaned back in his chair and wiped his mouth. “Definitely better than what Aulus and Gaius would have had at the inn.”

  “Did I keep you from an evening with your friends?” Regret tinged his sister’s voice.

  “Yes, but that’s all right. I’d rather be here with you.”

  “But I don’t want you to miss being with your friends all the time just to keep me company. I have Miriam, and I’ll be fine tonight. Why don’t you go join them for a while?”

  Titus contemplated his sister. She was smiling at him, and it didn’t seem to be one of the fake smiles she had been using to hide her sadness from him.

  “Really, Titus. I want you to go. I’ll be fine with Miriam here.”

  He glanced over at Miriam. She smiled and nodded. She thought his sister would be fine, just as Claudia was saying.

  “All right. I will. You’ll probably be asleep when I get back, so I’ll say goodnight to you now.”