Five days after Diana’s collapse, she opened her eyes, and they regarded Sara clearly for the first time.
“What time is it?” she asked, trying to lift herself up on the bed pillows.
Sara hurried to her side. “You must stay put. You have been very ill.”
“Have I? Where’s Antonius?”
“I’m not sure, but he’s here in the villa somewhere. Do you want me to send for him?”
Diana lay back down. “Not right now. For some reason, I’m famished.”
Sara smiled with pleasure. “That is wonderful news. What would you like to eat?”
“I’m so hungry I could eat Orion,” she joked.
Sara’s trill of laughter reached Antonius, who was coming up the steps. He hurried the rest of the way, entering Diana’s room and almost knocking Sara over. He grabbed her arms to keep her from falling, clenching his teeth when she jerked away.
“Tribune,” she told him in a breathless voice, “Diana is much better this morning.”
“So I can see.” He smiled widely at Diana, going over and sitting on the couch beside her. She was almost emaciated, bones protruding from her shoulders. “We have Sara to thank for your life,” he told her.
Diana looked from one to the other. “Someone will have to tell me what has happened. I seem to be missing something.”
For the rest of the day, Diana spent her time between eating and periods of sleep. She was better than Antonius had seen her in a long while, and he thrilled at her increasing intervals of wakefulness.
Whenever he tried to express his appreciation to Sara, she would mumble something about her God and flee. With rising irritation, Antonius realized that if he wanted to have a conversation with Sara, he was going to have to demand her presence in some way. A stubborn light came into his eyes, and his shoulders straightened with assumed arrogance. So be it.
Chapter 8
Antonius?”
“Hmm?” Antonius raised his eyes reluctantly from the scroll he was perusing. He glanced at his sister, noting with pleasure that she had lost much of her skeletal appearance and was beginning to fill out healthily. Sara’s doing, no doubt. Since she had taken over Diana’s care, Sara had been as bristly as a bear.
He remembered bringing Diana a special delicacy of hummingbird tongues only to be faced by a wrathful Sara reminding him of his promise to allow her complete control of Diana’s care, including her diet. At first he had been angry, then amused. He certainly couldn’t fault the results.
His sister’s bright blue eyes stared out at him from a beautiful face framed by the gold of her now full and shiny hair. She worried her bottom lip with perfect white teeth.
“What do you think of Sara and Decimus’s God? Do you think it’s possible there could really be only one God and that He really cares about His people?”
Antonius frowned. “Now what’s going on inside that pretty little head of yours? What brought this on?”
She wrinkled her nose, turning her attention out the window. The day was beautiful, and the cobalt blue of the sky was an almost exact duplicate of the eyes studying it. Diana regarded the vivid colors of the warm morning solemnly.
“I almost died, Antonius,” she told him softly.
He felt fear clutch his heart as he remembered that night. Diana was the one person he loved most in all the world, and he had almost lost her. So many happy memories linked them inextricably together.
“I would have thought that would make you all the more grateful to be alive. Ready to live your life to the fullest.”
Diana turned her gaze back to him and regarded him solemnly. “If I had died, Antonius, where would I be now?”
Antonius got impatiently to his feet, brushing a hand haphazardly through his hair. He began to pace to and fro.
“What do you want me to say?”
Diana sighed gently. “You have so much knowledge at your fingertips, and yet you can’t answer such a simple question.”
“Simple!” He blew out his breath in frustration. “Man has studied that question since the beginning of time.”
“And?”
“Diana!” He paused, struggling for an answer. His mind seemed to go blank. “What do you think?”
“I think you’re trying to throw this back on me.” She grinned. “I’m not the one who spends hours poring over dusty old manuscripts.” Diana watched through prideful eyes of love how Antonius was struggling to give her a satisfactory answer. He had always been her mentor. So calm and sure in a crisis, yet here he was, floundering over a theological issue.
“Sara and Decimus have both told me of their belief in a place called heaven for the saved, and hell for the unsaved.”
Antonius glared at her in aggravation. “Well, I wouldn’t put too much faith in their religion. Their leader was a carpenter who was nailed to a cross.”
“They told me this, also,” she answered softly.
“If He were God, how could this happen?” he remonstrated logically.
“They say He allowed Himself to die for our sins, so that we could live forever with God.”
“What utter nonsense!” Antonius would have a word with Sara and Decimus when they returned from visiting Sara’s parents. “Listen to me, love.” Antonius’s voice was soft with reassurance. “What grievous sins could you have committed to warrant eternal punishment? You’ve always been kind and loving.”
“But it’s more than that,” she told him, and he rolled his eyes heavenward.
“For the love of Poseidon! Can we change the subject?” he begged.
Diana watched her brother, her lips twitching with amusement. He looked like a caged lion, and just about as approachable.
“I’m hungry,” she acquiesced, and grinned openly when he sighed with relief.
“I’ll tell Beatrice to bring us a tray,” he told her, hurrying through the door.
When Beatrice entered with the tray, Antonius glanced over it skeptically. How could Diana be gaining weight and health from such a selection of food? He set the tray down on the marble table next to Diana’s couch, raising an inquiring brow.
“There doesn’t seem to be much of sustenance,” he grumbled.
Diana laughed joyously. “Oh, Antonius, if you could only see your face. Sit down, and let’s eat. I’m starved!”
Shaking his head, Antonius sat down across from her. He bit into the delicately seasoned fish, chewing slowly. His eyebrows winged upward.
“This is really good!” he said in surprise.
Diana said nothing, merely handing him portions of the fruit mixture and nuts. Her eyes danced merrily as she watched her brother consume his food with obvious enjoyment.
“Here, try these. They’re my favorite.” She handed him a small cake and watched his eyes widen in surprise when he bit into it.
“What’s in this thing? It’s delicious.”
Diana sucked the honey from her fingers before answering. “Chopped dates, almonds, honey, things like that.”
She reached across, dabbing at the honey dripping down his chin. This was almost like the time they were children and she and Antonius had gone on a picnic.
“So my brother, what are you studying today?” She indicated the scrolls he had been studying earlier. Diana wondered at the sudden color that rushed to his face. Antonius turned his eyes away before answering, thereby missing the grin his sister threw his way.
“Actually, I’ve been reading some of the writings of Josephus.”
“And who is Josephus?”
“Josephus is a Jewish historian and statesman.”
“Ah.”
Antonius noticed the grin and frowned. “Don’t look at me like that.”
“Like what?” Diana asked innocently.
“Oh, never mind,” he answered in exasperation, wiping his hands on the wet towel provided and rising to his feet.
“Where are you going?”
“I have work to do,” he told her gruffly.
Diana’s eyes d
arkened, and the smile left her face. “You said you would keep me company until Sara returned,” she pouted.
“Diana,” he answered softly. “You don’t need me to stay with you. You are well now, both physically and mentally.”
“But I get so bored,” she complained. “Sitting here day in and day out. I still can’t walk!”
Brushing a hand through her hair, he tugged gently, forcing her to look at his face. “That will come with time.”
“But I’ll go crazy here alone. I have nothing to do.”
Antonius thought for a minute. “How about if I carry you out to the peristyle? You could sit in the shade by the fountain. Would you like that?”
“Oh yes!”
Antonius had to smile at her childlike enthusiasm. Reaching down, he lifted her effortlessly into his strong arms and carried her down the steps to the garden. Settling her comfortably on the bench, he called for Beatrice.
Beatrice came quickly at his call, lifting her eyes demurely to his. What he read in her eyes was anything but demure. Frowning, he brusquely instructed her to see to Diana’s needs, then quickly turned on his heel and left. The purple trim from his short tunic gave color to the otherwise white robe. His skin was burnished by the sun, as was most of the Roman legion, and his build was that of an athlete. Many a heart had been lost at the altar of this young Roman. Two pair of female eyes watched him stride away: one brown pair with regret, the other pair with amusement.
“I’ll call you if I need you, Beatrice,” Diana told the girl.
“Yes, my lady.”
Diana leaned her head back, basking in the warmth of the sun shining down through the peristyle roof. Eyes closed, she smiled at the feeling of euphoria that enveloped her. Why had she not thought to come here before? For a long while, she sat thus, enjoying the freedom from the monotony of her room. She had missed so much the last several months, holing herself up in her room. Refusing to live because Ledo had died. Strange, she could barely remember his face. How could this be if she was so much in love?
“Surely the goddess Aphrodite has chosen to descend from Mount Olympus and grace the earth with her beauty. My eyes are blinded by such a radiant vision.”
Diana had jumped at the first word, her heart thumping with fright. She turned now to greet her visitor, a smile blazoned across her face.
“Flavius! You flatterer. You scared me half to death.”
“That wasn’t my intention,” he assured her. “But seeing you sitting here. . .so lovely, so. . .alive.”
Diana laughed. “Oh, Flavius! It does feel good to be among the living again!” She cocked her head to one side. “But if you are looking for Antonius, he has gone to his office.”
Flavius’s voice came back soft and low. “No, I didn’t come to see Antonius. I heard you were almost well again, and I had to come see for myself.” His voice became husky. “You are more beautiful than ever.”
Color flooded Diana’s cheeks, and she turned her head away. “So what is happening in the legion? Are you still to remain in Ephesus, or will they be sending you elsewhere?”
Flavius sat down beside her, staring at the water tumbling in the fountain. “I have decided to resign my commission,” he told her, and her eyes widened in surprise.
“Why?”
He glanced sideways at her, his eyes dark and unfathomable. “A legionary cannot marry, and I have a desire to do so.”
Diana felt the color drain from her face. Turning away from him, she clutched the front of her palla, closing her eyes against the pain.
“How nice,” she told him and was surprised that her voice sounded so normal. “As for me, I plan never to marry,” she told him airily and missed the hurt that flashed through his eyes. “I could never leave Antonius.”
“But. . .surely someday Antonius will want to marry?”
“Who will want to marry?” Antonius asked as he walked into the garden, catching the last of the conversation. “What am I missing here?”
Flavius rose to his feet. “Nothing,” he answered quietly. “We were just discussing marriage.”
“Whose?” Antonius wanted to know.
“Never mind,” Diana told him quickly, and Antonius’s eyes narrowed when he noticed her pale face. “I’m tired, Antonius. Could you carry me back up to my room?”
“Allow me.” Flavius reached down and lifted her into his arms. Biting her lip, Diana turned her face away from Flavius. She could feel the pounding of his heart and realized that, in a way, she affected him as he did her. But now he was to marry. He had said nothing to her. Perhaps he had confided in Antonius. For years now, she had considered Flavius a special friend, but it hadn’t occurred to her until now just how much she had grown to love him. He had always treated her with gentle respect, much like Antonius treated her. Tears shimmered in her eyes. Suddenly she no longer wished to be treated like a sister, but she couldn’t tell Flavius that. He would feel awkward to know that she had fallen in love with him.
Setting her down on the couch, Flavius leaned toward Diana, his eyes searching hers. Diana sighed with relief when Antonius walked in the door.
“Is there anything you want me to do for you, Diana?” Antonius asked.
“If you would close the drapes for me, I think I would like to take a nap.”
Doing as she asked, Antonius then walked to the door, motioning for Flavius to follow. Reluctantly Flavius backed toward the door, his eyes never leaving Diana’s face. Pivoting abruptly, he left, and Diana could hear his sandals clicking against the concrete. Burying her face in her pillow, she wept bitterly.
❧
Sara reached up with her hand and gently touched the mezuzah on the doorpost before entering her parents’ house. She walked across the dirt floor to the three sitting on mats at the low table.
“You found Ahaz well?” Abigail asked her.
Sara grinned. “Have you ever known him to be otherwise? He gave me more herbs and spices.” She held up the bag for their inspection.
Decimus turned to Jubal. “If not for Sara, Diana would have died. God worked a miracle through her.”
Jubal nodded his grizzled head. “Some good has come from this situation.”
Sara smiled at him and looked at her mother. “I wish you could meet Diana. She really is a wonderful person. And so beautiful.”
“King Saul was a handsome man, and look what happened to him. Beauty of the heart is what matters,” Abigail answered.
Decimus was staring hard at Sara before he turned to her mother. “I must agree.”
Sara smiled wryly at them. “I know what you are saying, but it would be nice to have beauty such as Diana’s.”
Her father snorted. “What does a Roman who is willing to own slaves know of beauty?”
“Father,” Sara argued. “It was forcefully brought to my attention that in times past when the Israelites were conquerors, they owned slaves, also.”
Her father glowered at her but couldn’t argue the point. Sara had been unable to, either, when Antonius first brought it to her attention. “To the victors go the spoils,” he had told her.
Decimus broke into her musings. “We need to get back soon.”
Sara nodded her head in agreement. Darkness would soon descend, and it wouldn’t be good to be caught on the roads after dark.
Decimus stood to his feet while Sara kissed her mother good-bye. Jubal and Abigail followed them out to the end of the road.
“I’m glad the tribune kept his word,” Jubal told Sara. “It’s made all the difference in the world, being able to see for ourselves that you haven’t suffered.”
Sara’s eyes filled with tears. “Keep praying for Diana.”
“We will,” Abigail answered for her husband. She hesitated a moment before laying a hand on the side of the cart. “Sara, if you could find out anything about Dathan. . .”
“I’ll try, Mother.” Abigail stepped back from the cart, nodding her head. It was all Sara could do.
Decimus clicked to
the horse and they were off, Sara watching until her parents were a mere speck in the distance. Decimus didn’t miss the sheen in her soft brown eyes.
“I like your parents.”
Sara gave him a wobbly smile. “Yes, they are the best parents a girl could have.”
A distant look came to Decimus’s eyes as he stared off in the distance at the rising columns of Ephesus. “I wish I could remember more about my parents.”
“Do you ever want to go back?”
“To Britannia?”
Sara nodded.
“I used to think about it a lot. Now. . .I don’t know. It’s been seven years since I’ve seen my parents and my home. I don’t even know if they are still alive.”
Sara felt sorry for him. At least she still had her parents and, with Antonius’s kindness, was able to visit them often. She thought she would have died if she had been in Decimus’s place.
Thinking to lighten the mood, Sara smiled coyly at Decimus. “And is there another reason you are reluctant to leave? A girl, perhaps?”
He glanced at her sharply before turning back to the road. Color mounted to his cheeks, and Sara grinned.
“Aha! I thought so. Who is she?”
Decimus remained silent, so Sara began to guess. “Bithnia? No? How about Beatrice?”
Decimus threw her a look of such scorn that Sara burst into laughter. The rest of the journey, they teased each other back and forth, laughing gaily at one another’s jokes. Decimus pulled the cart into the courtyard, laughingly lifting Sara out beside him.
Antonius saw them from the window of the bathroom. He leaned against the sill, his eyes narrowed. Decimus still hadn’t removed his hands from Sara’s waist, and she was still laughing at something he had said. Antonius watched them broodingly, his thoughts far from pleasant.
Drying himself, he quickly put on a clean tunic, deciding to leave off the toga. He needed to talk to Sara about Diana. About this religious thing. When they entered the atrium, Antonius was waiting.
“I wish to speak with you, Sara.”
Sara glanced at Decimus, who shrugged his shoulders, his eyes suddenly filled with worry. Sara followed Antonius through the atrium to the bibliotheca. This seemed to be his favorite room in the house, and Sara realized that it was probably due to his thirst for knowledge. He was forever studying the scrolls in the library and purchasing new ones to pore over at his leisure.
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