pitchforks while jubilant slaves jeered and shouted encouragement and argued about what to do with them. Calvus and Stilo had not escaped after all.
He said, ‘Where are the women?’ but the only answer he got was from a delighted Flaccus. ‘Nobody can say we didn’t defend the family now, sir, can they?’
Tilla appeared at his elbow. ‘We have did this because I expect you will let them go,’ she announced, confusing her tenses as she did when she was excited. ‘So I send some men to wait for them on top of the gatehouse.’
He said, ‘What have they done with the women?’
‘Are you not pleased?’
‘I’m impressed. I’m amazed. I’m very tired. Where are the women?’
She said, ‘I think the horses bolt.’
Ruso sighed. Claudia was not a practised rider, on the grounds that horses had sharp hooves and big teeth. If her horse had stumbled or swerved, she would probably have fallen off in the dark. He glanced across to where one of the recovered mounts was being led back in through the gates. ‘Ask them to light me a torch, Tilla. I’ll go and have a look.’
Somewhere ahead of him along the darkened track a voice was saying, ‘Nice horse. Nice horse,
‘Claudia?’
‘Gaius! Is that you? Have those men gone? Oh, Gaius, I thought I was going to die out here!’
‘You’re safe now.’
The torch picked out the shape of the animal steadily munching on the dry grass at the side of the track. He could make out the line of a rein as the figure on its back was trying to haul its head up. He moved alongside, bending down to take the bridle. ‘Did you see what happened to Ennia?’
‘Oh Gaius,’ she sobbed. ‘It’s all been so horrible. Ennia just rode off and left me on my own in the dark. First it wouldn’t stop and now it won’t go! Why did you let them take me on a horse?’
84
‘It’s all right,’ said Lucius, shuffling back across the hot tiles in his bathing shoes. ‘I’ve locked the door. Not even the bath-boy can get in now.’
‘Excellent.’ Ruso stretched out on the bench and closed his eyes, relishing the peace and quiet before he had to ride back into town to visit Tertius. The hoped-for relaxation did not come. Instead, he remembered something else he needed to do.
‘I ought to warn Tilla to keep quiet about the Christians.’
‘Are they really a problem? Cass seems to think they’re harmlessly eccentric.’
‘As far as I can make out, it’s a religion full of women, the poor and the ignorant. I don’t think Tilla will stick with it for long. She’s not very keen on loving her enemies.’
‘But we’re definitely in the clear over poisoning Severus?’
‘Ennia admitted it in front of witnesses. And Fuscus turned up and had his men arrest Calvus and Stilo and the steward. I’d imagine he’s planning something ghastly for them at the next games.’
Lucius said, ‘Ouch.’
Ruso shifted to get comfortable and flinched as his arm came into contact with the heated wall. ‘You know, even after everything she did, I almost hope they don’t get their hands on Ennia.’
Lucius said, ‘I’d like to. If she’s got a pot of gold stashed away down in Rome, she ought to give it to us.’
‘At least the Senator will be too busy sorting this lot out to bother with the bankruptcy case.’
‘Good. I knew once I’d rescued the girls and worked out who those investigators were, I could leave the details to you.’
‘I see,’ said Ruso. ‘Actually, I thought it was Tilla who worked that out.’
‘I let her think that,’ said Lucius. ‘Women like to think they’re needed.’
Ruso had expected Lucius to ask more questions, but evidently all he wanted to know was that, whatever other threats were out there, his big brother had dealt with them. The monsters were safely back in the cupboard.
He sniffed and opened his eyes. ‘What the hell are you putting on your head now?’
‘Something I picked up in Arelate.’ Lucius was massaging a thin brown dribble into his scalp. ‘It’s the latest thing. I’m surprised you didn’t know about it. Burned hooves of she-goats in vinegar.’
Ruso, who could think of nothing to say, sank back on to the bench and closed his eyes again.
‘Now that we’ve got a minute,’ said Lucius, ‘I suppose I should mention something. It’s a bit embarrassing, but Cass says if I don’t tell you, she will. We tidied up the study and had another run through the accounts last night. When we came to balance them — oh, what now?’ He waited until the thumping on the outside door had stopped, then shouted, ‘We’re busy, come back later!’
‘But Papa,’ came a small voice, ‘there’s a cross old man come to talk to Uncle Gaius.’
The brothers exchanged a glance.
‘Name, Polla!’ shouted Lucius. ‘Go and ask the cross old man what his name is.’
Before she could reply, a familiar voice demanded, ‘Are you in there, Ruso? This is Probus. Doesn’t anyone in this family have any manners?’
Ruso considered asking Lucius to pretend he was out, but then thought better of it. He would have to face Claudia’s father sooner or later. No doubt the man had come to complain about the previous night’s events.
Leaving Lucius to stew under his hair tonic, Ruso offered his former father-in-law a bench in the warm room next door. ‘There’s towels if you want to bathe,’ he offered, feeling at something of a disadvantage since Probus was fully dressed while he was wearing nothing but a hastily grabbed towel around his waist and a bandage around his foot.
To his surprise, business was not the very first thing on Probus’ mind. Neither was Claudia.
‘The sister’s dead. I thought you’d want to know. Found at first light, about five miles out on the Arelate road. Earrings ripped out, most of her clothes stolen. They took the horse, of course.’
Ruso shook his head. ‘So she never got to Rome.’
‘It’s some sort of justice, I suppose.’
Ruso wondered if Ennia had really had the misfortune to run into robbers, or if some of the estate staff had slipped away and taken matters into their own hands. Even so, it was a kinder fate than she might have suffered had she been convicted of murdering her brother. ‘Claudia was right,’ he said. ‘She said it was Ennia. I didn’t believe her.’
While Probus was speculating on the gruesome end that awaited Calvus, Stilo and Zosimus, Ruso was wondering whether Severus really had done away with Ennia’s fiance down in Rome, or whether that had just been a boast to keep Zosimus in line. And whether there really was a hoard of cash in Rome that nobody now knew how to find, or whether that had been another lie. He said, ‘How’s Claudia?’
‘She’s over at my house, confined to bed. I’ve been across to the Senator’s place. The winery looks as though there’s been an earthquake. I’ve never seen such a mess.’
‘And the gatekeeper?’
‘I don’t know, Ruso. I’m not here to give health reports on all the staff.’
For once, Probus had a good excuse for being bad-tempered. ‘Now that I can speak freely,’ he said, ‘I’d say Severus got what he deserved. He was implicit in the murder of my steward, he was unfaithful to my daughter and he tried to swindle me out of a very considerable sum of money.’
‘And your investors.’
Probus cleared his throat. ‘Naturally, now that the truth about the sinking of the
It was the only thing to do if Probus were to salvage his business. For a moment Ruso almost felt sorry for
