Now she'd return the favor and, in doing so, help smooth her husband's path. It was no secret that Clodius distrusted Galba and that Marcus was uncomfortable with him, male pride getting in the way of friendship. As a woman she might make peace among all three. Certainly she amused Galba. She could turn this to advantage!
Valeria took a long bath, letting Savia sponge her vigorously as she tried to plan what they might talk about. Galba was too masculine to be much of a conversationalist. Too provincial to be a sophisticate. Yet he was also a warrior who could perhaps be enticed to share some of his past adventures. Share his thoughts about the Petriana. Perhaps she could reform the fort! It wasn't just pleasure to invite him to supper, it was duty.
'I don't like him,' Savia said. 'He's been rude to Clodius and difficult for your husband. And now, the instant Marcus is gone, he takes you riding?'
'He's a man of the frontier,' Valeria said as she dressed. 'We're in his world now. We have to understand men like Galba.'
'There's nothing to understand. Men live on impulse, which is why they require women. We give them some sense.'
'I don't think my husband is a man of impulse.'
'Galba is. Be careful you don't confuse him.'
'How can I confuse him with simple politeness? Really, Savia, you make every encounter more difficult than it has to be.'
'It's you who are complicating things, not me. He's a killer, Valeria.'
'A soldier, subordinate to my husband.'
'You're naive.'
'No, I'm a woman and a Roman matron and more than a little tired of your incessant opinions! Now hand me my stola and tuck in your tongue.'
The thought of enduring her maidservant's frowns throughout the evening annoyed Valeria, who was hardly the girl she'd been in Rome. Savia simply couldn't bear the fact that her charge had grown up! Accordingly, she ordered her maidservant to take a basket of wine cakes to Lucinda in repayment for her generosity during the wedding. Then she attended to her own jewelry and makeup.
The senior tribune was punctual, arriving at the twelfth hour, when the sky is red to the west. Galba too had bathed, shedding his armor for a tunic of bright blue. He was clean, rugged, and slightly awkward, a combination that Valeria thought endearing: the rude trooper doing his best to keep company with a daughter of Rome! So strong. So male. So disarmed.
Marta brought them boiled mussels as an appetizer, then lingered so long that Valeria had to pointedly dismiss her. Galba, typically reserved, gradually let his hostess prompt him to talk about the nature of horses and the skills required to govern five hundred men. Valeria was politely asked in turn about her plans for the household, the reported ease with which she was mastering the Celtic tongue, and changes she had brought. The tribune noticed that a flowered tapestry now covered the bloody mural.
'You're interested in my domestic campaign, tribune?'
'This house was mine, briefly.'
She looked at him sympathetically. 'Of course! How strange it must be to go back to your quarters in the barracks.'
His look was enigmatic. 'I'm at home out there.'
'This house will be the garrison's home, not just mine, tribune. We will have many dinners. I want to make my husband's officers feel comfortable here.'
He looked at her evenly. 'That's very generous.'
'It's the least I can do.'
Supper was served. Galba seemed entertained simply by watching Valeria eat, the nibble of her lips, the pearl of her small teeth, the liquid of her eyes. She enjoyed his attention. The wine relaxed her, the company excited her. 'Tell me your impressions of Britannia,' he finally invited.
She approved of the subject. It wasn't time yet to discuss relationships in the fort. 'It's a beautiful province, of course.'
'So are most in the empire.' He wanted something more interesting.
'It's a curious combination of the rustic and refined. At Lucinda's villa you can find products no different than Rome's. A mile away, a Celtic farmstead hasn't changed for a thousand years. Britons are grumpy one moment and lively the next. Even the weather shifts mood. It's fascinating.'
'Not dull, after the glories of the capital?' He took another bite of venison.
'I've seen those glories and feel more alive here. Clodius said it's the possibility of death that defines life.'
'Did he?'
'The ambush made me appreciate life more, I think. Isn't that curious?'
'And now you're being avenged.'
'Yes. By my husband and Clodius.'
'By two hundred men. To make you feel safe.'
She shrugged. 'I feel safe already. Safe with you.'
He laughed. 'A suitor would not think that a compliment. Nor a warrior.'
'Which are you, Galba?'
'A guardian. A wall.'
'The Wall is everything to you, isn't it?'
'It's my life. Not as grand as a senator's, but the Petriana is my core.'
'I don't think you're quite the rogue you pretend to be. Not the dangerous man you pretend to be. Not the provincial you pretend to be. Do you ever pretend, Galba?'
'Everyone pretends a little. But I am what I am.'
'That's what I like about you. You pretend less than the boys of Rome.'
'Part of being a man is to stop pretending, lady. Pretense is useless on the battlefield. Weak men who pretend to be strong get killed.'
Did he mean Marcus? 'You're not a weak man.'
'I'm an able one who needs only the right connections to go far.'
'Of course you are!'
'Who needs only the right partner to achieve great things. Emperors have started from beginnings as humble as my own.'
'You mean a patron?'
'I mean an alliance. Between the two brightest people on this post.'
Was this the opening she was seeking? Marta brought the cakes, and they were quiet while she served them. Galba was watching Valeria carefully, impatient at this interruption.
'Is it lonely for you, Valeria?' he began again after the slave left. 'Being so far from home?'
'I have Savia, of course.'
He snorted.
'But she nags. She can't see that I've grown up. She treats me like a child.'
'And you're a woman.'
'Of course.'
'With a woman's needs.'
'Yes. Though I know I live in a masculine world now. Society here is so different than in Rome! I have to make new friends. Have new experiences.'
'And you're adventurous.'
'I want to know what life is all about. I've been too sheltered.'
'Experiences like our ride today.'
'And this supper! I'm enjoying our conversation.'
'My poor company?'
'I'm enjoying your company, too.'
'And I yours. I can give you more experience, Valeria.'
She looked at him with amusement. 'Can you, tribune?'
