Love's Pardon

by Darlene Mindrup

  “Stay put,” he commanded them both.

  His mother’s eyes went wide at his tone of voice, but since he’d never spoken to her in such a way before, she wisely remained silent.

  He reached for the door handle, but his mother’s voice halted him.

  “Where are you going?”

  He didn’t turn. Clenching the handle tighter, he tried to get a grip on his emotions. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath.

  “I’m going to the barracks. If I don’t see you again today, please don’t leave the house.”

  He gave her a look then that she well understood. She nodded and he left.

  Chapter 6

  It was several days before Lucius was able to make it back to his mother’s house. When he arrived, the door was bolted from the inside, causing alarm to pierce through him. His mother had never bolted the door before, preferring to use the iron lock that Lucius had a spare key for.

  Pounding on the portal, he quickly glanced around, looking for signs of trouble. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, he relaxed only slightly.

  The small door fixed inside the larger portal slid back and a servant peered out. Something else newly instituted, making him tense again. He heard the servant quickly slide back the bolt on the inside and open the door.

  He pushed past her into the house, quickly scanning the atrium. He glanced down at the girl and realized that although she had recognized him, he had not done likewise. She must be a fairly new servant. He sighed inwardly. His mother was forever adding to her household people in various kinds of trouble. Her generosity frightened him, especially with all the unrest in Jerusalem right now. He would have to talk to her about it. She had no idea the danger she might be bringing into her home. Things here in this city were on the boil and it was only a matter of time before the pot spewed over.

  “My mother? She is well?” His voice came out harsher than he intended and the girl’s eyes widened in alarm.

  “Yes, m’lord. She is in the peristyle.”

  Releasing a slow breath, Lucius felt his worry lessen. He quietly moved through the atrium into the peristyle beyond.

  He was brought up short by the sight of his mother and Anna sitting on the marble bench beside the fountain, heads close together, in deep, animated discussion. They didn’t hear him enter, so engrossed were they, so he took a moment to study them.

  His mother looked better than he had seen her for some time. The joy that had been missing from her life seemed to have found its way back in again. Was that because of Anna, or had something else transpired that he had no knowledge of? He was guiltily reminded of how lonely she had been, how much she had depended on his society. He had tried to attend her as much as possible, but he was here in Jerusalem because he had a job to do.

  His eyes slid to Anna and he felt a little jolt at the sight of her. So angry had he been at the marketplace, he had failed to notice her altered appearance. He couldn’t decide just what it was that had changed though, because her looks hadn’t changed that much outwardly in just a few days. He frowned, leaning against the doorframe. What then was there about her that brought on a sudden quickening of his pulse?

  She would never be considered lovely, but the gentleness she exuded was captivating in an elemental kind of way. Just being in her presence was like being covered with a balm of myrrh and just as exhilarating. How could someone remain so gentle of spirit having come from such a harsh situation? He had instead grown bitter and angry. The woman intrigued him, and that’s something that hadn’t happened in a long while.

  When he shifted position, his gladius tapped against the frame and alerted them to his presence. They both turned, his mother getting quickly to her feet. Her face lit with pleasure.

  “Lucius! Come in!”

  Anna schooled her expression so quickly he hadn’t a hope of interpreting it.

  He bent to receive his mother’s kiss on his cheek. He searched carefully for any outward sign of distress.

  “You are well?”

  She smiled, but her face registered her confusion. “Of course. Why do you ask?”

  His eyes narrowed with suspicion. “Why then have you started bolting the door?”

  Her face cleared. “Oh, that. I was afraid Anna’s father might try to come for her.”

  Lucius’s lips twitched as he tried to hide his smile. His mother could be a bear when she was protecting her family, and for some reason, she had included Anna in that category.

  “I don’t think you will have to worry on that account, but if anything should happen, I want you to send word to me immediately.”

  She squeezed his arm reassuringly. “I will. Now, can you stay for supper?”

  He hadn’t planned to, but one look at Anna and he quickly changed his mind. His eyes met his mother’s and he knew that she had caught him staring at the woman with more interest than usual. She glanced from him to Anna and back again and a slow smile graced her face. In that moment something happened that hadn’t happened in many years: his face colored with embarrassment.

  The smile on his mother’s face grew and a twinkle entered her normally somber brown eyes. Lucius sighed inwardly. He was never going to hear the end of this.

  Anna rose to her feet, and the soft wool tunic she wore molded against her body as she gracefully moved toward them. Proper nourishment had begun to change her gangly form into one of a nubile young woman. Lucius’s breathing suddenly became restricted and he had to quickly look away.

  “I’ll tell Magog that Lucius will be staying,” she told them.

  As she passed him, Lucius stopped her by gently grasping her forearm. The scent of myrrh that had been in his thoughts earlier wafted up to him. He was right. It was intoxicating. But he was also wrong. There was certainly no soothing balm that filled his mind. The scent along with the warmth of her skin against his rough palms made his pulse jump erratically.

  Her gaze meshed with his and the darkening of her pupils alerted him to the fact that she was just as disturbed as he. Her confusion mirrored his own. Many women far lovelier than Anna had tried unsuccessfully to catch his interest, yet without even trying, she had not only caught it, but firmly held on to it. He was still trying to figure out why this was so. Clearing his throat, he finally managed to speak.

  “And after you tell him that, tell him that I wish to see him in the bibliotheca right away.”

  Anna’s brown eyes widened and he realized that although the words were innocuous enough, his tone must have relayed itself. The steward had some explaining to do.

  “I will,” Anna agreed, and he reluctantly released her. He watched her walk away, her hips swaying gently with the grace of a gazelle.

  “Ahem.”

  Caught again. He gave his mother a look that sent her into peals of laughter.

  “Don’t say it,” he ordered.

  She widened her eyes innocently and he shook his head, rolling his eyes upward.

  Her look suddenly turned sober, her voice taking on an authority he seldom heard from her. “You mustn’t blame Magog for what happened at the market.”

  The anger he thought he had managed to quench struggled to rise again. It had taken two hours of sparring with the best of his legionnaires to work his rage out of his system. Even then, he knew it was merely buried below the surface, awaiting a convenient time to come forth.

  “He’s lucky I don’t have him whipped, Mother.” His voice lacked the heat he had expected.

  She regarded him in a fashion that let him know he would never win this argument. The two of them had been playing a game of checks and balances for years. He was determined to protect her, she to protect him, even if it meant protecting him from himself.

  He kissed her cheek and smiled. “Don’t worry. I only plan to speak with him.”

  Anna r
eturned to the peristyle, passing him in the doorway. He didn’t miss the fact that she stepped far to the side to avoid coming into close proximity with him. A predatory smile crossed his lips. You can run, little one, but you will never be able to hide from me. The look she gave him assured him that she had received his nonverbal message. In a word, she was terrified, which did nothing at all for his ego.

  He saw Magog crossing the atrium toward the bibliotheca and he moved to join him. The giant Philistine looked uneasy, as well he might. Lucius was not in a very forthcoming mood.

  Most of the rooms that adjoined the atrium had open doorways; the bibliotheca did not. He had specifically chosen it because he hadn’t wanted anyone else to hear what he had to say to the steward. He closed the door with a decisive click.

  Magog preempted what he was about to say.

  “I’m sorry, Master. I should have been with my lady in the marketplace.”

  Lucius crossed the room and seated himself behind the desk he used to conduct business. He leaned back in a chair, folding his arms across his chest.

  “And why weren’t you?”

  The other man sighed, his embarrassment adding to his ruddy complexion. Lucius knew it bothered the man that he had failed in his duty.

  “As steward, she asked me to stay behind and oversee the mosaicians as they retiled the triclinium.”

  Lucius blinked. What was his mother up to now? To retile the triclinium would mean weeks of disorder, and just when he had decided to sell this villa. Magog could probably tell him what else was going on, but that would have to come later. Right now, he needed to make his position perfectly clear. He picked up the stylus he used for writing transactions and twirled it in his fingers.

  “I hired you as a bodyguard,” he reminded. “Being a steward is secondary.”

  “I understand, m’lord, but your mother doesn’t.”

  Pressing his lips tightly together, Lucius shook his head. How was he to answer that one? It was true enough. His mother had always been a law unto herself.

  “Regardless,” he stated firmly, “you will not allow my mother to leave this house without your attendance ever again. Do I make myself clear?”

  Magog lifted an eyebrow. “And you will make this clear to your mother?”

  The audacity of the man! Lucius noted the twinkle in the other man’s eyes and pushed down his rising irritation. Magog had been with them for several years and his loyalty had never been called into question. In fact, just the reverse. When it came to his mother, the man was usually like a lion protecting its cub. He wondered just what subterfuge his mother had used to get around him. If Lucius was no match for her games, the Philistine certainly wasn’t.

  “I will make it clear to her, have no fear.”

  The smile the Philistine was trying to hide told Lucius more than anything what he thought of his success on such an arrangement.

  “You may go, Magog. But remember what I said.” He hesitated to mention his fears, but then he thought it would be wiser to give the man some idea of what he might be up against.

  “Sources close to me have alerted me to the fact that my mother may be in danger from sicarii assassins.”

  Magog’s stance went rigid, his eyes taking on a feral gleam. His hand curved around his scimitar, the curved sword glinting ominously. His eyes met Lucius’s with deadly purpose.

  “Thank you for alerting me, m’lord.”

  Lucius leaned forward. “And another thing. If a man named Abiyram Benyamin comes anywhere near my mother or Anna...”

  He left the sentence hanging, but the Philistine nodded his head in understanding, his dark eyes glinting.

  Lucius watched him leave and felt some of the terror leave that had encased his heart ever since Andronicus’s announcement. Forewarned was forearmed, and Magog would be a lethal enemy.

  Anna watched Lucius go into the triclinium, her heart thrumming violently when she remembered their earlier encounter. She hadn’t missed the predatory look in his eyes and was amazed that he would even consider her worthy of notice.

  What was there about her that would instill such a reaction? She had heard many tales of Romans and their lustful ways. They even practiced prostitution in their temples to their gods. Even here in Jerusalem there were prostitutes displaying their wares on the streets whom Roman soldiers took full advantage of. But why would he look at her that way?

  When Lucius had taken her by the arm earlier she had grown warm with a feeling she didn’t understand. Her experience with men was minimal, and she had no idea how to react to the present situation. Perhaps it would be better for her to leave, but then where would she go?

  Still, she couldn’t continue to stay here forever. There were limits to hospitality.

  Lucius left the triclinium and entered the peristyle. Their looks collided and her insides started doing that little dance that immediately put her on guard. She knew without doubt that it would take very little for him to storm the ramparts of her defenses. It was time to fortify her barricades, and she had a feeling that it would take more than just prayer.

  He noticed a table with chairs near the fountain. One eyebrow lifted in inquiry. “Where is my mother? Are we to eat out here?”

  Anna clasped her hands behind her back. “Your mother will join us momentarily, and yes, we eat out here since your mother is having the floor in the triclinium retiled.”

  He moved closer and it took everything within her power to keep from stepping away. One thing she did know about predators: running away only made you more of a target.

  He stopped in front of her and a slow smile tilted his lips. Was that approval she saw in his eyes?

  “So, Anna,” he began, his throaty voice sending chills up her spine. “How are you doing?”

  To break contact with his compelling eyes, she moved to the bench near the fountain and sat down. She ran her fingers lightly through the cool water, allowing her time to think of something safe to say.

  “I am doing much better, as you can see.”

  “And your ribs?”

  He came and sat next to her, sending all her good intentions flying out of the garden. There was no way she could look him in the eyes and keep her composure, so she continued to watch her fingers trailing through the water, smiling when a fish came and began nibbling them.

  “My ribs are almost healed. They pain me some if I move too abruptly, but nothing I can’t handle.”

  “I can well imagine,” he agreed, his voice taking on a more somber timbre. “It’s amazing to me that you managed to travel in the desert, in the dead of night, in such a condition as I found you. You are truly a remarkable woman.”

  Surprised, she finally looked at him and could see that he was sincere. It pleased her that he regarded her that way. At the same time, she wondered exactly what was so notable about running away. She doubted this man ran from anything.

  Leah came into the peristyle and the tense atmosphere immediately lightened. Lucius rose to greet her and she went to him and kissed him on the cheek.

  “So, did you get everything settled with Magog?”

  Lucius stared down at his mother with a look that was a mixture of love, aggravation and, very nearly, desperation.

  “Mother, if you have any feelings for Magog at all, you won’t ever again force him to choose between my will and yours.”

  Leah wrinkled her nose at him, but refused to comment. Lucius allowed the moment to pass. He chose instead another subject.

  “Why are you having the triclinium retiled? The workmanship that was there was beautiful.”

  Leah motioned for them to all take chairs around the table. Since they were eating in the garden and not the triclinium, chairs worked much better than reclining couches.

  “The workmanship was beautiful, yes, but I didn’t like the design
.”

  Lucius was astounded. She had lived in this house since before he was born, and she just now decided she didn’t like the design? He tried to remember what picture was represented, but it had been so long since he had paid any real attention to it that it just wouldn’t clearly come to mind. If he remembered correctly, it was something to do with men and women dining at tables, an appropriate design for the triclinium. He had thought the artist’s use of tiles representing leftover pieces of food scattered throughout the design particularly appropriate, as it helped to hide the effects of the real food that diners threw on the floor.

  Since his father had died, there had been plenty of opportunity for her to change things to her liking; why now? He knew her Jewish sensibilities had been offended by what she considered graven images, but bowing to her heritage, his father had at least made certain the figures were clothed, which was more than could be said of many Roman homes.

  Lucius could understand her desire to change things, but why all of a sudden? His intuition told him there was something going on that he needed to check into further, but that would have to wait. He was scheduled to leave again in two days’ time and he wasn’t certain how long he would be gone.

  He studied his mother again, her animated chatter with Anna bringing a smile to his face. The light from the descending sun was muted even more by the shade of the acacia trees surrounding the peristyle, fading the lines on her face until she looked like the mother he remembered from his childhood. Soft and beautiful. Perhaps it was his mother’s and Anna’s God after all that had brought Anna into their lives. The arrangement seemed to be working out to both of their benefits.

  At the marketplace, he had suggested thirty pieces of silver to Abiyram to pay for Anna’s care, not fully realizing the price he was asking. The price of a slave. Did he really see Anna that way? And if it came down to it, would he have the courage to claim her as one if it would fit the needs of his mother?