Dark Omens

by Rosemary Rowe

  It was not entirely clear what sacrifice she meant, but Cantalarius looked as thrilled as if he’d found the golden fleece. ‘You hear that, citizen?’ he said to me. ‘Perhaps she would not have left me after all.’

  I did not have the heart to point out what this meant – that all his bargaining and worry was in vain and that he need not have troubled with the priest at all. But I had come to a conclusion. Earlier I had let Lucius and Silvia escape, on the grounds that they were honest and that no purpose would be served by handing them over to the authorities. I could not in fairness do any different now. These people were not wealthy – they had neither charm nor beauty or much intelligence – but they deserved no less.

  ‘Listen,’ I said. ‘I have a proposition for you. Pour me a cup of wine, and I will tell you what it is.’

  EPILOGUE

  Marcus was in a jovial and expansive mood when I arrived with my report, and from the way that he was leading Julia by the arm and looking at her in that doting way, it was clear that Gwellia’s assumptions had been right.

  ‘Well, Libertus!’ he said heartily, seating her on the most comfortable folding chair and taking the less ornate one for himself. ‘Have you heard the news? Peculiar, isn’t it, the way these things turn out?’

  ‘News, Excellence?’ I murmured.

  He patted the stool beside him, inviting me to sit. ‘Of course, it’s disappointing, from your point of view. Usually you’re clever at unravelling mysteries. But not even you could have worked this out, I think! It turns out that Ulpius was murdered after all – and Silvia and Lucius suspected all along.’

  I had the wit to feign surprise at this.

  ‘And you’ll never guess who did it,’ he went on gleefully. ‘That guardian of hers. Lucius has actually demonstrated that – though he had to kill the culprit in the course of proving it. I don’t quite understand what happened to the corpse. I think he hid it somewhere, but of course they’ve found it now, and Bernadus has arranged a funeral for it. Just as well, since Lucius and Silvia have fled. Silly people, they feared I’d prosecute – of course I would never do anything like that. Such a charming lady. I wouldn’t wish her harm.’

  ‘She’s declared a usus marriage and gone to Gaul with him!’ That was Julia, blooming, as she plumped her cushions up. ‘I’m glad to think she’s happy, and has found a man she likes.’ And glad it wasn’t Marcus, her expression said, though of course she did not voice the thought aloud. ‘They wrote us a letter, confessing everything. I don’t suppose you knew?’

  I shook my head. I had been ready to disclose the truth myself by now – but better, probably, to leave things as they were.

  ‘Well, never mind, Libertus. No one can be clever all the time!’ Marcus seemed amused to think that I had failed. ‘I’m glad to say that you were right on other counts. I’ve spoken to Nutricia and she’s agreed to stay – though I fear that I shall still have to go to Rome. However, I’ll be back before the baby comes – perhaps we’ll be able to go back again, a little later, as a family. Pertinax may want me to be close at hand.’ He beamed at me. ‘And what would you do, if I were not here? I could commend you as a client to Alfredus Allius. He seems to think highly of your talents, as it is. Or would you rather I proposed you for some office in the town? They’ll be wanting another aedile very soon – and they’re short of a candidate, with Genialis dead.’

  I shook my head. ‘Patron, it is far too soon to think of things like that. Who knows what the Emperor will have in mind for you? You may end up as Governor of Britannia, yet.’

  He preened a little. Flattery always pleased him, though what I said was true. ‘Well, we shall see. Perhaps if this child turns out to be a girl, we might even leave her in Glevum to be nursed. We could name you as my proxy, to be her guardian. In the meantime, you have something to report?’

  ‘It concerns that list of names that you consulted me about.’ I produced it from the leather pocket at my belt. ‘I have made a note of everything I’ve learned about each person, underneath the name. I think you’ll find your questions answered, Excellence.’ I handed him the little scroll of bark paper.

  I did so proudly. It was a labour which had taken many hours, but he scarcely looked at it. ‘Excellent, Libertus. Though I may not need it now. Lucius has forfeited his rights, of course, and I think I shall let Alfredus Allius have the warehouse after all. He’s prepared to pay a handsome price for it – says he’ll keep that steward on to run the place for him – and I don’t think I really have an eye for common trade. So if there’s nothing else …?’ He stood up, smiling, and clapped his hands to summon in a slave. ‘We’ll order some refreshments and then we’ll let you go.’

  ‘There is just one thing, Excellence,’ I said. ‘I’ve learned there is a chance that you could add to your estate. There is a little farm nearby which has come up for sale – the farmer has been ruined by this recent snow and he’s compelled to leave it and move on elsewhere. He’s commissioned me to find a buyer, and I thought of you. It’s not in good condition – he has not had the labour to make the most of it – but with your land slaves it could soon be turned to useful fields. I know that you were thinking about trying out some vines – and if you had some money from Silvia’s estate …?’

  Marcus looked at me. ‘I take it that there’s something in this deal for you?’

  I nodded. ‘A little something, Excellence. And he also has some information that he’s promised me – something about that ancient priest who died and some peculiar kind of sacrifice he once helped to make. He’s written it all down. It might be relevant. I’m sure the temple would be grateful if you passed it on to them. But that’s dependent on my managing to find a purchaser for him. Though I don’t expect it will be difficult. He’s forced to sell, and quickly, so it’s a bargain at the price.’

  Marcus grunted, but it was not an angry sound. ‘Oh, very well. I think I know the place, and it might be suitable. What is he asking?’

  I named a price – a little more than I’d suggested to Cantalarius.

  My patron shook his head. ‘It’s far too much! I don’t know why I’m thinking of extra land at all. There is no advantage if I am leaving anyway.’

  ‘On the contrary, husband!’ Julia had been listening to all this. ‘The bigger the estate, the more you’ll get for it. And if this is the farmstead that I think it is – it will make a perfect package with the land you’ve got. Besides, I’m sure Libertus would not give you poor advice.’

  ‘I think I could persuade him to reduce the price a bit,’ I said, nominating the proper sum this time.

  Marcus said, ‘Hmmm!’ and stroked a thoughtful chin. My little subterfuge was having an effect.

  ‘And, husband, there’s another thing you haven’t thought about,’ his wife put in. ‘If you have more children, you need more land to leave.’

  He looked at her, his handsome face dissolving in a smile. If this deal succeeded, I’d have Julia to thank. ‘Oh, very well, Libertus. Draw up a bond and find some witnesses. I’ll put my seal to it. How soon can we have the ownership conveyed?’

  ‘As soon as possible,’ I said. ‘He has vacated it. I’m to convey the money to her parents’ home, which they have retired to for the present. I think they hope to find a smaller place elsewhere. Across the northern border with the Picts, perhaps – they have acquaintances there. She has some scheme for keeping ewes and making cheese for sale.’

  ‘Talking of cheese,’ his wife said, plucking at her husband’s sleeve. ‘Your slave’s been waiting in the doorway for several moments now. Don’t you want him to fetch some refreshments for us all?’

  Marcus gave his orders – ‘Figs and cheese and wine!’ – and the servant went trotting off again.

  Julia turned to me. ‘Well, I’m glad to have solved the problem of the farm. And you say that you have made a little profit too? I hope so – you deserve it. You must have worked for hours to provide my husband with that information on the list. But you earn a little s
omething from this, I believe?’

  I nodded. ‘A little something called Arlina,’ I told her with a smile. ‘A stubborn little creature with four legs and a tail. I just hope my wife is pleased. Gwellia has been telling me all year that I should get a mule.’