Rosemary Rowe - The vestal vanishes

His condescension made me furious and I was suddenly determined to impede him if I could. For instance I would not be hurried into driving back with him. I turned to Paulinus. ‘These poor slaves have driven all the way from Glevum ever since first light, and I doubt they have been offered rest or any food and drink. I myself am not quite ready to depart…’

The householder made a little deprecating gesture with his hand. ‘We really have no slave-quarters that we can offer them. Only the nursemaid has a room inside the house and she shares that with Paulina, to keep an eye on her…’

‘And the little page?’ I asked.

‘Has been sleeping on a pile of rushes at the door,’ he said. ‘We have not made permanent arrangements, since we’re due to leave for Gaul…’

He broke off as Secunda came out from the house. It was evident at once that she had overheard. ‘Paulinus, these are servants sent from your kinsman’s house. Of course we must provide refreshment as the citizen suggests. It would seem remarkable to do otherwise.’ She smiled at Fiscus and I saw him melt. It was magic. Who needed Druid spells when Secunda’s smile could charm a man like that? ‘We’ll bring it to the barn. There’s clean hay there where they can sit and eat. Perhaps they would also like to make use of the latrine? It’s a long way to Glevum.’

I wouldn’t have minded using the latrine myself and I murmured something of the kind to Paulinus. He nodded. ‘Then I’ll show them to the barn and take you there myself. In the meantime, I’ll put the dog on guard. We can’t have just anyone coming to the door!’ He left us in the entrance and went back to the gate. He summoned the two slaves from the gig and moved the dog back to its earlier position where it stood bristling and growling at the gig-driver and had to be restrained from leaping at his throat as he went past. At Modesta, for some reason, it only bared its teeth and barked.

I was directed to the small latrine and by the time I had emerged from it, the three slaves from Glevum were already in the barn and Muta was crossing the yard towards it with a tray, on which I could see another hunk of bread, more of the curd-cheese which had been offered me and three wooden drinking bowls.

‘I’ll send some water when the page comes back with it.’ Secunda’s unexpected voice at my shoulder made me whirl around. ‘Meanwhile would you care to come back into the house? I think you said you were not wholly ready to depart? Is there something else you wished to ask of us?’

‘Not really,’ I said wryly, and when she looked surprised, I confessed why I had said it. ‘Fiscus is so arrogant and pompous, for a slave,’ I finished, and rejoiced to see her smile.

‘He values himself higher than his slave-price, doesn’t he? I suppose it is his training,’ she said, with humorous sympathy. ‘I think you said that he was Publius’s slave? No doubt he’s spent his whole life in the capital and, because his master is a very wealthy man, he feels that deference should be shown to him. I expect he gets it, for the most part, too — and that is how he calculates his worth.’ She gave that lovely smile. ‘I’m very glad I’m not obliged to go and live in Rome. I think that I should hate it in those circles, citizen.’

I looked around this simple, happy home and I could only nod. I would not have swapped my roundhouse, with all its smoke and draughts, for the underfloor heating and marble colonnades of a great house in the Imperial city, either — to be spied upon and taxed, obliged to spend one’s days currying favour from the Emperor’s latest favourite, and being forced to feign support even for Commodus’s more outlandish fads. Of course, I was too careful to voice this thought aloud. Fiscus was about. Even here, such criticism might be dangerous.

I was still smiling hopelessly at my beautiful hostess when a small scruffy figure tottered through the gateway at the back, struggling with the pitcher which was now evidently full. It was clear that Servus was not used to this: he put the jug down more than once or twice as if it were too heavy and he couldn’t manage it.

Secunda stepped towards him and I thought that she was going to send him to the barn with it, but instead she stooped and picked the pitcher up herself. ‘Get into the house at once,’ she muttered urgently. ‘Don’t stop and stand about. Go inside and play with Paulina — see that you look after her this time. And don’t come out until I call for you. You understand?’

Servus stared and nodded, rather doubtfully.

Secunda turned to me. ‘Perhaps, citizen, you would be kind enough to go with h-’ She broke off as Muta came out from the barn, carrying the tray, with Modesta trailing after her and earnestly attempting to converse.

Servus took one look at them and bolted for the house, while Secunda murmured, ‘I’m sorry, citizen, to have spoken so sharply to the child — and before a guest as well — but I could hardly let Servus go into the barn. That poor creature is too nervous to say a word to me! Imagine how Fiscus would have frightened him! We should have had this water spilt all over the new hay! And what stories Fiscus could have taken to Lavinius about us!’ She paused to look at Muta, who had crossed to us by now and was making irritated signals with her hand, pointing at Modesta — who came up close to me as though for protection.

I looked down at the slave-girl and she gave a little bob. ‘I’m sorry, citizen. I don’t know why this slave-woman is so upset with me. I was only asking if there was any watered wine. Fiscus said there should be, since we were offered cups, but when I approached this slave she wouldn’t answer me.’

I shook my head and said, as gently as I could, ‘That is because she cannot speak at all. The poor thing is a mute. You must be kind to her.’ I found that I was trying to model my reply on what I thought Secunda might have said. ‘Anyway,’ I went on, ‘there isn’t any wine, not even for visiting citizens like me. But there is water, and very good it is — the slave-boy has just brought some from the well.’

Modesta gave her timid sideways smile. ‘Is that the little fellow that I saw scurrying inside?’

‘Exactly. He is very new and does not understand his duties yet. But here is the water that he brought,’ Secunda intervened, proffering the jug. ‘Now, if you have everything that you require, there are matters in my household to which I must attend. Paulina — my husband’s daughter — has been alone too long, though I think her father may be taking care of her. I will relieve him of that woman’s chore. I know he wants to go and tend his beasts again. Join us when you are ready, citizen.’ And attended by her ancient maidservant she went into the house.

Modesta watched them go, clutching the pitcher against her skinny chest. ‘What a lovely lady. Shame about her slave.’ She giggled. ‘And what a funny little page they seem to have. You would think he’d never carried water in his life.’

‘Quite possibly he hasn’t,’ I told her, with a smile. Talking to Secunda made me feel benevolent. ‘They only got him from the market yesterday. Sold by his parents to buy food, I understand.’

‘No wonder he hardly knows where to begin!’ Suddenly she creased her brow at me. ‘I wonder if they tried to sell him in Glevum market once before? I’ve got the oddest feeling that I’ve seen that boy somewhere — though for the life of me I couldn’t tell you where. Perhaps it is simply that he looks like someone else. That must be what it is! You would not forget that haircut and those knobbly white knees!’

I found that I was standing very still. ‘Who is it that the slave reminds you of?’ I said, almost fearing what she might reply. ‘It wasn’t the mistress of this house, by any chance?’ That at least, would make a kind of sense — and explain the mystery of Secunda’s past. I added, ‘I can see no such resemblance myself.’