by Carol Ashby
His words quenched her joy as if he had thrown a full bucket of water on a sputtering candle. She was still nothing more than property to him and always would be, no matter how much she loved him, no matter what she did to show her love.
But what more could a slave expect from her master? How foolish to even dream otherwise.
She lowered her head and gazed at the floor. The master placed his fingers under her chin and lifted it until her eyes were looking into his again.
“What’s wrong, Miriam?”
She would have looked down at the floor again, but he was still holding her chin.
“Something’s wrong. What is it? Did they hurt you?”
His words came quickly, and deep concern roughened his voice. He was looking at her like he’d looked at Claudia when she first came.
Her eyes widened. Could it be that he saw her as a woman he cared about instead of a slave he owned?
“No, master. They thought I was Claudia, and your brother told them to be careful with her. I hurt my ankle myself. They had me tied up in the cabin, but I got loose. I tried to get back to you and my mistress. I hurt it jumping off the boat.”
The corner of his mouth pulled up as he shook his head. “That’s my Miriam. Always trying to do what I want.”
He pushed a strand of hair behind her ear before he rested his hand on her cheek and stroked it with his thumb. “I can’t think of anything I want more than to have you back with us.”
Miriam’s heart raced at his touch. The master’s smile―it was almost like Philip’s when he watched Mistress Claudia after he returned from a trip. But it couldn’t mean the same thing. He’d just said she was only his cook who cost him four hundred denarii.
The master turned to cut the leather thong that bound her ankles together. He sucked air between his teeth when he saw the greenish purple color and the swelling of her normally good ankle.
“This doesn’t look good.” He frowned as he glanced at her face. But that looked like worry, not anger in his eyes.
“I landed wrong. Then I could hardly walk at all, and they caught me before I could even get off the pier. That’s when they tied me up better and put me down here until we were out to sea.”
He took her ankle in his hands and raised his eyes to hers. Again, it was as if he was looking at Mistress.
“I’m afraid this will hurt, but I need to see if it’s broken.”
“Do what you must, master.”
She winced even though he felt her ankle as gently as he could. He breathed a sigh of relief when he finished.
“Nothing feels broken. It’s only a sprain. Let’s get you home where I can take care of it properly. It shouldn’t be long before you’ll be able to walk as well as ever.”
“That’s not saying much, master. I’ve never been a good walker for you.”
“How many times have I told you I didn’t buy you to run footraces, so that really doesn’t matter?”
The lightness of his voice drew her eyes to his. They were laughing, and a teasing smile played on his lips. He took her hands and helped her to her feet; then he scooped her up in his arms.
As he cradled her there, his smile broadened. Her cheeks heated, and she looked away.
“I can see why Lucius’s men were fooled. In Claudia’s tunic and jewelry, I could pass you off as a lady, even in Rome. You’re always a pretty woman, but you’re even prettier when your cheeks turn pink.”
The heat spread to the tips of her ears.
“That’s even better.” Titus almost laughed aloud at her response. There was a lightness in his heart over finding her that made everything about her amuse him.
He carried her up the stairs, then set her feet on the deck.
“Sit.” He held her hands to support her as she lowered herself onto the hold cover. He stroked her hair once and lifted her chin so he could smile into her eyes before turning back to the deckhand.
“You.” Terror filled the youth’s eyes as he stood with his arms pinned behind his back by one soldier while the second one pressed a sword tip into his side.
Titus scowled at him. “If you help me catch the men who did this, I will overlook you not reporting this kidnapping and let you live.”
“What can I do?” The youth trembled as he faced Titus’s frown.
“You will stay here at your post as if nothing has happened. You will pretend the woman is still down there. When the men who brought her come back to the ship, you will signal my men, who will be hiding over there.” He pointed at a large stack of crates where several soldiers could easily be concealed from view until someone was on the ship. “If the men are caught, I won’t arrest you for your part in this crime.”
“I’ll do everything you say.”
“See to it.” Titus nodded at the soldier, who released the young deckhand’s arms. “If you try to escape or do anything to warn them, you’re a dead man.”
The youth’s head bobbed up and down in his eagerness to do whatever it took to save his own life.
Titus turned to the older soldier. “I’ll send the rest of the men to join you. I want these kidnappers alive. As soon as you have them, let Philip know we found her. Take them to the garrison, have the rest of the troops recalled, and send a messenger to my house. If I’m not at home, I’ll be at the house belonging to Philip about a quarter mile up the hill from mine.”
The soldier’s fist struck his chest. “Yes, tribune.”
Titus turned back to Miriam and held out his hands. When she placed hers in his, he pulled her to her feet and scooped her into his arms again.
“It’s a good thing I rode. It would be a long, slow walk home otherwise.”
Miriam snuggled against his chest and rested her head on his shoulder as he carried her down the gangplank. As he walked along the pier, her contented sigh was music in his ears.
His brow furrowed. She felt small and vulnerable, but she was so strong when she cared for the people she loved. She risked death when she nursed him through his fever. She’d just sacrificed herself to save Claudia. She knew what kind of man Lucius was. She’d lived with cruelty before. She knew she was sailing to her death or worse when the agents delivered their imposter Claudia to him.
Claudia was right. Miriam was a woman whose love could be counted on.
He carried her up the ramp to the road where he’d left his stallion. He glanced over where the donkey waited with the cart. He could have her drive herself home, but that was not what he wanted. He’d send Nestor or one of Philip’s slaves back to get it. She was not getting out of his reach again.
When he set her on the horse’s back, she swung her leg over and slid forward to make room for him. He mounted and pulled her against him as he settled in. It had been some time since he kept his arm around her when they rode together, but he wanted to hold her close today. He’d almost lost her.
Miriam was irreplaceable. No house could be a home without her. But what should that mean for the future? Whatever he decided, he would make certain nothing bad ever happened to her again.
“Let’s go home and make Claudia happy.”
Miriam twisted her neck around and leaned her head back to look at Master Titus’s face. Every moment of being held so closely was sheer bliss. She felt like a woman he cared for, not just some stolen property he’d recovered.
The master looked happy himself. Was finding her as important to him as it seemed? Maybe he only hunted for her because he loved her cooking, but there seemed to be something new in his eyes when he looked at her, something that made her heart beat faster when she returned his gaze.
Chapter 74: Dreams That Can Never Be
It was a good distance from the harbor to Master Titus’s house, but it wasn’t far enough for Miriam. The security of his muscled arm around her waist, the warmth of his chest against her back―she’d once felt very different about those things. Instead of wishing for the ride to end, she wanted it to take as long a
s possible to reach home.
Too soon they were in sight of the house. She expected to turn into their gate, but Master Titus rode past and continued up the street.
She turned her head to look at his face.
“Where are we going, master?”
“Philip’s house. I sent Claudia there to be sure she’d be safe. Lucius knows nothing about him, and his agents would never think to look for her there. If I hadn’t left her at Philip’s, he would have filled my house with guards to protect her.” He smiled down at her. “I wanted all his men out looking for you.”
A knowing smile tugged at Miriam’s lips. So Philip was finally back, and she knew what that meant. Now that Claudia followed Jesus, nothing stood in the way of their deep love for each other. He would ask the master for her hand in marriage before the end of the week, if not before the end of the day.
Master Titus rode through Philip’s gate and around the house to the stable yard in the rear. A stable slave scurried over to take his horse. He dismounted and stood close, waiting for Miriam to swing her leg over so he could lift her down. Then he scooped her up in his arms again.
She looked into gentle eyes as he smiled at her.
“Not a day for you to be trying to walk anywhere.”
She certainly wasn’t going to argue with him. Anything that kept her in his arms for a few moments longer was fine with her. She rested her head on his shoulder again.
He carried her through the door from the garden that opened into the inner courtyard.
“Claudia!”
Mistress Claudia ran out of the women’s room on the second floor, calling as she ran. “Did you find her? Is she all right?”
“I’m here, mistress, and I’m fine.”
Mistress ran along the balcony and down the stairs to throw her arms around Miriam even though the master still held her.
“I’m so glad Titus found you. I’ve been praying and praying.” Mistress beamed as she lay her cheek against Miriam’s. “I don’t know what I’d do without my sister.”
Titus shifted her a little in his arms. “She’s not fine. We’ll need to take care of her instead of her taking care of us for a few days.”
The mistress’s hands shot up to cover her mouth. “Oh, Miriam. What did they do to you?”
“Nothing. I hurt my ankle myself.”
The master’s eyes warmed as he smiled down at her. “Trying to get home to us. She knew we needed her.”
He still held her in his arms. He probably meant nothing by it, but his eyes seemed to say he did. “Where shall I take her? I want to tend to that ankle now.” The master shifted her in his arms, but he still held her close.
“Bring her upstairs to my old room.” Mistress held onto Miriam’s hand as she led them to the stairs. She scampered up the stairs ahead of them and took Miriam’s hand again at the top to lead them along the balcony. After they entered her room, Master Titus set Miriam on the bed.
“There should be liniment and something for wrapping your ankle in the stable. Don’t try to do anything until I get back.”
“I won’t, master.”
He placed his hand on her cheek and stroked it with his thumb. She closed her eyes, savoring the touch of his hand.
“I’ll be back as quickly as I can.” He drew his fingers along the bottom of her jaw before leaving the room.
Mistress Claudia knelt in front of Miriam, her eyes sparkling. She took Miriam’s hands and held them to her chest.
“I have the most wonderful thing to tell you now that Titus can’t hear. Philip wants to marry me as soon as possible. Now that we both follow Jesus, there’s nothing to keep us apart.”
“I knew he would ask the moment he saw you again. If anyone could deserve you, it’s him. When will you marry?”
Claudia blew her breath out between pursed lips. “Well, there’s still one problem. Titus doesn’t want anyone to find out I’m a Christian. I’m not sure he’ll give his permission if he thinks that will expose me, but I don’t know how to tell him Philip is a Christian so he doesn’t have to worry about that.”
“Surely the master can see what a good man Master Philip is and how much he loves you. I think the master will trust him and say yes.”
Claudia bit her lip as she looked at Miriam.
“Maybe, but there’s another problem. We’ll marry in a Christian ceremony. There’s no way Titus won’t know then, and he still hates Christians except for you and me. He still blames them for Father’s death, like I used to. When he learns Philip is a Christian, I’m not sure what he’ll do.”
Claudia cradled her face in her palms. “But that’s not the worst. He still wants to kill the Christian who first told Father about Jesus. Penelope told me it was her own father, but Philip was the teacher at the first Christian worship Father went to, and he declared his faith and received the Holy Spirit there. It was Philip’s father that our steward asked to get me to Titus. I can’t have him wanting to kill Philip and his father. He might try to do it. I’ve prayed and prayed for him to begin to forgive, but he doesn’t even want to try to forgive Lucius or Philip’s father. Maybe he can’t. Not without Jesus’s help, and he can’t have that if he won’t believe in Jesus himself.”
“Can you tell him Master Philip follows Jesus without telling him he knew your father?”
“He already knows Philip’s father was our father’s friend. Once he knows Philip is a Christian, he’ll put it all together, and he’ll know.”
“Maybe he’ll be so grateful for them saving you from Lucius that he’ll forgive them. Maybe he’ll say yes, and none of it will matter after you finally tell him everything.”
Titus returned from the stable in time to hear Miriam’s words. He stopped in the doorway with crossed arms.
“Maybe I’ll say yes and none of what will matter after you finally tell me everything? What are you trying to hide from me?” He looked first at Miriam, who looked down at the floor, then at Claudia. His frown deepened.
Claudia took a deep breath, obviously steeling herself for a confession. “Philip asked me to marry him, and I said yes. He’ll be asking your permission later today.”
“I’ll give my permission. He’s a good man, and I have no doubt how much he loves you. He’ll take good care of you. But that still doesn’t answer my question. What are you hiding from me?”
“Promise me you won’t do anything to hurt him, and I’ll tell you.”
Titus’s frown turned into a scowl. “What has he done that would make me want to hurt him?”
“It isn’t what he’s done. It’s what he is.”
“Go on.”
“You haven’t promised yet. Please, Titus. Promise me, and then I’ll tell you.”
He entered the room and planted himself in front of Claudia with his legs spread and his arms crossed. His eyebrows scrunched as he looked at his little sister. She used to be a sweet, fragile girl. Now she was a strong young woman. Without the promise, she would never tell him.
“All right. I promise.”
“He’s just like Miriam and me...He’s a Christian.”
Titus rolled his eyes as a deep sigh escaped. He really liked Philip, and now this. “Another one? How can he keep you safe if the next governor decides to kill Christians?”
“Maybe the point of life isn’t just to be safe. Maybe it’s to live it fully right now and then forever with Jesus.”
Titus’s lips tightened as he shook his head. She looked so happy and hopeful. She was like Father had described himself in his final letter. He’d been furious when she became a Christian, but had it made her into the exceptional woman standing before him? Philip was possibly the best man he’d ever met. They deserved each other.
“You have my permission, even if he is a Christian. At least I won’t have to worry about you having someone to talk to about your Jesus. If you two could keep that from me for so long, you can probably keep it secret from anyone else.”
The beaming smile his words brought to Claudia’s lips was exactly what he expected. He’d see a similar response from Philip when he spoke with him that evening. He had every expectation that they’d be blissfully happy together for however long Rome left them alone. Maybe that was enough to ask for.
“After you marry, Philip will have to get you a new maid. I’m planning to keep Miriam at our house until I move back near the palace. I need to find the right lodgings so I can keep her with me after I move, and that might take a while. I’m not going to eat ordinary food again.”
It wasn’t just her cooking he’d miss if he didn’t have her with him. No house could ever feel like home if she wasn’t there, but he still hadn’t decided what he ought to do about that.
He knelt by Miriam. “Now let’s take care of my favorite cook. Give me your ankle so I can wrap it.”
Take care of his cook. Those words drove a dagger into Miriam’s heart, but they forced her to face what must be.
When Master Titus cradled her in his arms while his gaze felt like a caress, she’d dreamed that maybe, just maybe, he might see her as more than his slave. He’d looked at her like a man looks at a woman he truly cares for...or so it seemed. How foolish she’d been. He would never see her as more than the maid for his sister and the cook he kept calling the best in the city.
She blinked to push back the tears that wanted to escape. Then she watched the master’s hands as he applied the liniment and rubbed it into her sprained ankle. As he began to wrap it, she watched his face. She’d never expected to see him again as she lay in the black belly of the ship. But he’d tried hard to find her, so he did value her. Even if he would never love her, he was still glad to get her back. He wasn’t going to let Claudia take her because he wanted her himself.
