by Jane Finnis
“Dreadfully upset, and so is little Miss Vitellia. They’ve both been crying their eyes out most of the evening. Losing her mother’s bad enough for poor Chloe, but when she heard her father has confessed to killing my lady, she went to pieces altogether.”
“She doesn’t believe it, surely? We don’t.”
“She doesn’t want to believe it, no. But there’s been bad blood between her and the master for so long, she doesn’t know what to believe. It breaks my heart to see her in such a state.”
“When we’ve proved his innocence, and I’m sure we can, perhaps they’ll be drawn closer together.”
“I doubt it. You’ll have gathered what they quarrelled about, this marriage with Statius the master is arranging. Chloe kept on hoping my lady would help her to argue him out of it, or at least get it postponed awhile. Now she feels she’s on her own, and the master might force the wedding through any time. She’s threatening to run away, but that’s just wild talk.” She sighed. “I’ve given them some wine with poppy-seed to help them sleep. At least if they get some rest tonight, Chloe may be calmer in the morning. And they’re sharing one of the big guest bedrooms. Better if they’re not alone, I reckon.”
“You’ve done all you can. Shall I look in and see them before I go to bed?”
“My advice is leave it for now, Mistress. I think the medicine has started to do its work, and you can be sure Baca and I will be keeping watch over them through the night. She’s a good girl, is Baca. For all she’s young, she has a sensible head on her shoulders.”
“She’s not the only one. I’m grateful for everything you’re doing, Selena. And if you need me in the night you’ll come and wake me, won’t you?”
“Thank you. We must all do our best for my poor lady.” For a few heartbeats her brisk manner faltered, and I thought she was going to cry, but then she got control of herself again and said, “You’ve spoken to him, Mistress—the master, I mean. I’m so relieved you don’t think he killed her.”
“We can’t rule it out completely until Mallius has sobered up, but I find his confession incredible. Although I realise they were on bad terms, I saw that for myself yesterday. You know them both far better than I, Selena. Do you believe he would murder her?”
She shook her head emphatically. “I don’t. Mind you, the drink has made him very strange lately, unpredictable, easily angered. But no. He didn’t do it.”
“Then you have an idea who did?”
She hesitated. “I think so.”
There was a longer pause, and eventually I said, “You know I’ve vowed to avenge Jovina and see that her killer is brought to justice. Any information you can give me, anything at all, will help me.”
“I promised I’d never tell anyone ever, you see. But that was before…Gods, I hate this. Tittle-tattling about my lady now she’s gone. It feels so disloyal.”
“It’s not disloyal, quite the opposite. Tell me everything you think might help—then we can find out who killed her. That’s what you want, isn’t it?”
“Of course it is.”
“Then what’s this secret? Is it about the party?”
“It is. My lady planned to meet someone secretly by the river.”
“I found that out myself this afternoon. After the meal she told me she wanted a little time alone with someone, but she didn’t say who. I was uneasy about it, and when she slipped away I tried to follow her. But she vanished into the trees. That was the last time I saw her alive.”
We were both silent for a few heartbeats. Selena said, “She told me it was the commander. She said they arranged a meeting when she was up at the fort yesterday.”
“Trebonius? No, that can’t be right. At least they didn’t make any arrangements at the fort. I was with them the whole time. They didn’t discuss secret meetings, and I’m sure they didn’t exchange any notes. I thought you were going to tell me she planned to see Nikias. He gave her those beautiful glass goblets, he’s admitted as much.”
“Has he? They arrived without anything to say who they were from, and my lady was very coy about them. The same with those lovely pink roses. From Nikias too?”
“So he said.”
“Well, I don’t think it was the commander she was intending to meet in the woods.”
“Why not?”
“It seems a lot of trouble to go to, when he could see her at the fort quite easily. Though I suppose once the party was over, there’d be fewer chances for that…but no, I still think it was Nikias the Greek she went to meet. He couldn’t be at the party, but he could have come across the fields and along by the river without anyone seeing.”
“But why would she lie to you? I know she trusted you completely; she told me so. I’d have thought she would tell the truth to you, of all people.”
“I expect she knew I’d argue with her, try to put her off going. She knew I don’t like Nikias. I didn’t approve of how he tried to persuade her to leave the master, and then flounced off in a rage when she wouldn’t. Yet she still cared for him.”
“But you accepted her affair with Trebonius?”
“Only because it wasn’t a real affair. Nothing happened, if you know what I mean—it was all for show. She wanted it to look like he fancied her, to persuade Nikias she’d stopped thinking about him. Persuade herself, too, I reckon.” She shook her head wearily. “No, the commander’s much too canny to get tangled up with his deputy’s wife. It couldn’t stay hid long in a place like this, and it would cause no end of trouble.”
“Yes, I can imagine. I thought when I saw them together she was making most of the running. And yet he organised the party for her.”
“Oh, that was agreed long since, he couldn’t get out of it. The master forgot her last birthday altogether, and she was quite upset, so the commander promised her that next time he’d make sure she had a proper party. I suppose he hoped she wouldn’t remember, but she did, and he couldn’t go back on it. So he decided to make it a special celebration, and invite half of Isurium along to it. ‘Course she told everyone it was all because of her.”
I thought back over how Jovina had poured out her heart to me the day before the party. “She told me she was tempted to run away with Nikias, but she couldn’t make up her mind.”
“No more she could. But if he suggested a secret meeting, she couldn’t resist going to it, could she? And if they did meet, and nobody saw her after, he must be the man who killed her.”
It was possible. Up to now I’d considered that Nikias’ work in the hospital gave him an unshakeable alibi for the whole afternoon. Yet he could have been lying, and if his assistant was prepared to lie too, he could have been absent for a while.
“So you think that she went to meet Nikias and he asked her to go away with him, but she refused, so he lost his temper and murdered her?”
She looked doubtful. “Either that, or she accepted, but he was only playing a game with her. That’s my guess…A game of revenge.”
I realised where she was driving. “He found out she’d got rid of his baby, and that made him kill her?”
“That’s what I think.”
“There’s one problem. Nikias says he never left the hospital all afternoon.”
“He would say that, wouldn’t he?”
“Spoken like a true investigator, Selena.” I didn’t realise that Quintus had slipped quietly into the room, and was listening to our discussion. “You’re quite right. We can’t take Nikias’ word alone for where he was today, or Trebonius’ word, or anyone else’s for that matter. We need more evidence. And tomorrow, we’ll find it. But first we must get through tonight.”
He outlined the arrangements he’d made for guards around the house and garden. He’d done what he could with the small number of male servants available, and Selena and I assured him we could sleep easy knowing we were well protected.
Indeed I had a more restful night than I might have expected, I suppose because I was bone-tired after an eventful day. As I drifted into sleep, I r
eflected how it was unkind of the Fates to arrange that the first time in months Quintus and I had the chance to share a bed, he was occupied with guard duties all night long. But the hours of darkness were uneventful, thank the gods, and I got up with the dawn as usual.
Quintus, Titch and I ate breakfast early, very soon after dawn. Baca told us Selena had gone to snatch a couple of hours’ rest, and Chloe and Vitellia were still in their beds.
“We took turns to watch through the night,” she said. “They calmed down once they’d had some of Selena’s special wine. Do you want me to go and wake them up?”
“No, let them sleep if they can,” I said. “But we do want them, and all of you here, to move into the fort this morning and stay there for a day or two, till things around the village get back to normal.”
She nodded. “Selena said there’s trouble brewing. Some pesky prince, she said. Don’t worry, she knows all about moving to the fort. She’s got most of the arrangements made. We’ll be there well before noon.”
“Make sure you are, because if you stay here you may be in danger. So I rely on you, Baca, to help Selena get everyone out of here as soon as possible. And to make sure Miss Vitellia isn’t too upset by it all.”
“She’s sad for Miss Chloe,” Baca answered. “But she’s taking it all in her stride, really. Master Lucius would be proud of her.”
“That’s good. I’m sure you’re helping her through it all. We’ll see you later.”
“You will, Mistress. I’ve never lived in a fort before. It’ll be quite exciting.”
As we set off for the fort, I found myself hoping there wouldn’t be too much excitement there.
Chapter XXI
I was glad to be in the shelter of the carriage, because although last night’s rain had gone, it was windy, with clouds chasing across the sky, and very little sunshine.
The village was quiet. There were no Brigantians to be seen, only scores of soldiers in patrols, armed and alert for danger. Their display of force was impressive, and so far it seemed to be deterring whatever was planned for today.
“So where do we start, Quintus?” I asked. “By interviewing everyone we can find who was at the party and in a position to see what happened down by the river? That should keep us out of mischief for most of the day.”
“Unless Mallius sticks to his confession once he’s sober. That will make our lives a lot easier.”
“I don’t believe he will stick to it. Do you?”
He shook his head. “I think we’ve established that it was either Nikias or Trebonius. All we have to do,” he added with a grin, “is prove which.”
The guard on the gate had been doubled, and there was a centurion in charge today. He was one of the officers we’d met at the party, so I gave him a smile and called, “’Morning, Ennius.” He waved us through and smiled back.
Gambax was waiting for us in our office, and he’d even arranged breakfast there for us. “There’s a cookshop been set up near the food stores, for all the people that are coming into the fort for shelter today,” he explained. “You can go there for grub whenever you like.”
Quintus and I contented ourselves with some wine, but Titch helped himself enthusiastically to bread and cheese. “Great. I’m no good for anything on an empty stomach.”
“I don’t know where you put it all,” Quintus smiled. “If I ate that much, I’d be so fat I couldn’t find a horse strong enough to carry me.”
“I reckon it’s down to hard work and a virtuous life,” Titch answered.
The joking stopped when we began to make our plans for the day. Everyone knew, and nobody admitted, that we had far too much to do, and far too few people to do it.
Quintus and Gambax began compiling a list of the people we needed to interview, some of those at yesterday’s party and the soldiers who’d been guarding it. Titch went to check discreetly on Philippus’ whereabouts. We didn’t intend to talk to him immediately, but Quintus wanted to keep track of his movements.
My first job was to visit the hospital to see how Mallius was, and if he was still unconscious, make sure they let us know when he woke.
Before I could set off, Titch came back to report that Philippus had left the fort at first light, telling the gate-guard he had orders to ride to Cataractonium.
“He’ll surely be back here in time for his mother’s funeral,” I said. “That’s going to be late this afternoon, I believe. One of Trebonius’ aides is organising it.”
“I wonder if he’s really gone to Cataractonium,” Quintus mused. “It seems odd Trebonius should send him up there, if they’re desperate for every available man here.”
“Wherever he’s gone, I must confess I’m relieved he isn’t in the fort. I’m frightened of him, now I know what he’s capable of.”
“But he doesn’t know that you know, don’t forget,” Quintus said. “And you’re safe enough in the fort, anyway.”
“Safer if he’s not here, certainly. But I’d like to see the man arrested.”
“Soon he will be, or at least that’s what I’m hoping. If he’s run off or gone to make contact with the rebels, it may take us longer. We must try to find him if he’s still in Isurium. I want to know where he goes today, who he sees.”
“Hadn’t we better check with Trebonius whether he really has been sent out on some sort of mission?” I suggested. “While we’re at it, we ought to find out about Eurytus’ plans for the day.”
Quintus nodded. “I’ll go and see Trebonius now. Titch, could you have a word with the stable-master, make sure that if we need horses later we can get them without any hold-up or fuss.”
He grinned. “Already done last night. The horse-master here has been in the cavalry since Romulus was a lad. I discovered he used to know me dad in his army days. His name’s Septimus, and he says if we ask him personally, he’ll make sure we have any mounts we need, whatever else is going on.”
“Good. Then you can help Gambax with this list of people to interview. I’ll go and see the commander, and Aurelia will visit the hospital. Meet back here as soon as possible.”
The waiting-room in the medical block was deserted, but I heard sounds of activity coming from the office-cum-store. I knocked and entered, and found Nikias standing with his back to the door, pounding away with a pestle at a large mortar that gave off an unpleasant smell. I preferred not to speculate what it was, knowing the weird and horrible things that go into some medicines.
Nikias turned as I came in, and I realised it wasn’t Nikias but Pythis. They were similar in appearance from behind, the same build and the same brown hair, but I hadn’t realised that last night because their faces were different. This boy was pleasant-looking, whereas Nikias was decidedly handsome.
“Good morning, Mistress,” he said politely. “The doctor has gone to get some rest, it was quite a disturbed night for us. Fabianus was delirious and had convulsions, and then of course the deputy commander gave us a fright.”
“Mallius? What’s happened to him?”
“I’m afraid he tried to take his life,” the lad said. “Opened a vein in his wrist. But we found him in time and he hasn’t gone to the Underworld yet. He’s in a deep sleep, as still as a dead man, but the master says he’ll pull through.”
“Gods, as if that family hasn’t suffered enough. Does Philippus know?”
“I couldn’t say, Mistress, but I doubt it. He hasn’t been here since he visited his father last night, and we haven’t told anyone except Commander Trebonius.”
“May I see Mallius now?”
Pythis shook his head. “I’m sorry. The master said he wasn’t to have any visitors just yet. Of course, as it’s you…but I don’t like to go against his direct orders. Could you wait until he comes? I’m expecting him later this morning. And there really is nothing to see, just a poor wounded man who needs his rest. He’ll be all right eventually. We found him in time,” Pythis repeated the reassurance and I had to be satisfied with that.
I said a quick p
rayer for Mallius at the little shrine to Apollo outside the medical block’s entrance, and went back to report the disturbing news to Quintus and Titch. “Chloe hasn’t arrived, I suppose? She ought to know about this. Philippus too.”
“No, Chloe’s not here yet. I’ve asked the lads at the gate to send us a message when she turns up.” Quintus was staring thoughtfully out of the small window. “You know, the fact that Mallius has tried to commit suicide ought to confirm that he murdered Jovina. But it doesn’t, to me. It makes his behaviour even more incomprehensible, that’s all.”
“I agree. I don’t see how he could possibly have followed Jovina through the woods during the party in the state he was in. But he could have intended to. Suppose he’d poisoned her food or wine at the party with something to make her drowsy, meaning to kill her later on, but then was drunk and couldn’t do it? And someone else attacked her…no, that’s too far-fetched.”
“Did she seem sleepy when you spoke to her? She didn’t look it.”
“No, you’re right. When I talked to her after the meal she seemed bright and alert, and excited about the idea of disappearing into the woods.”
I stopped because there was a loud, familiar voice outside, calling out to somebody further away. “Is this Antonius’ office? Good.” There followed a peremptory knock at the door.
My heart sank inside me as Quintus called “Come in,” and my brother stepped into the room.
“Lucius, welcome,” Quintus said, rising and moving forward to shake his hand. “This is wonderful. I’m very pleased to see you. We’ve got too much work and not enough workers, as usual.”
“Quintus, I’m glad you’re here. I’ve just heard about yesterday, about Jovina….Aurelia!”
“Good morning, Lucius. This is a pleasant surprise.”
“What in the name of all the gods are you doing here?”
“I told you I planned to come and visit my cousin. I was right, she did need me here.”
“But I gave you strict orders to stay at home.”
“Which I managed to get around, because it was important. I travelled here without any co-operation from the staff at the Oak Tree. Albia helped me. She agreed with me you were being ridiculous. And I do have other friends, you know, who will rally round when I need them.”
