A Stray Drop of Blood (57 page)

Abigail smiled again. “You are older than I, though I would not have thought so. I already have a son, I am already a widow. I was sold for the first time when I was eight.”

This brought Miriam’s gaze up with a snap of surprise. “You were a slave?”

Abigail nodded. “Until my master’s son married me. I need a handmaid, Miriam, but what is more, I need a friend, a sister from my homeland. Will you come with me, serve with me? I need a maid mainly for appearances, I will not ask you to do what I can do for myself. If you consent, I will buy you; I will look upon it as buying your freedom. If you decide you do not want to remain with me, you may leave, but it is my hope you stay beside me, helping me in return for your material needs. Would you agree?”

Miriam stared at her blankly for a moment. At length, she articulated carefully, as though in pain, “Mistress, if you are sincere in your proposal I would be a fool to deny you. Do you think I do not realize that if you walk away from me, some man will buy me in a minute and make me his whore? I am actually surprised that I stood here for five minutes without drawing attention, thanks to the way that guard has kept me. If you wish me to serve you, I will do so happily, and I will praise Jehovah for watching over his daughter when she thought he had forsaken her.”

Abigail smiled. “Then it will be done. What languages do you speak?”

Hope began to kindle in her eyes. “Hebrew and Greek.”

Abigail nodded her approval, then turned back around. She found Titus watching her. He would not have understood the words, but he still seemed to grasp what had happened. With a smile, he turned to the guard.

His words were in Greek. “My lady has taken a fancy to the one with hair. How much?”

The guard looked at Abigail and Miriam as if noticing for the first time that they were standing there together. His look was as hostile as possible without actually spitting on Titus. “Forget it, friend. No matter what you offer for her, I guarantee some lord will come along willing to pay more. That one is for a bed, not for braiding hair.”

Titus pasted his old smirk onto his face. “Let me ask you again, friend, how much for the girl?”

His sharp tone drew the man’s attention as his softer one had not. He sent his eyes over Titus, then drew himself up as if preparing for an introduction. Obviously, he saw in Titus one of those lords willing to pay for a girl to warm his bed. He named a price. The usual bickering ensued, but the slave merchant would not budge much.

“
Give it to him,” Abigail pronounced after a few fruitless moments went by.

Titus looked at her as though she had taken leave of her senses. “It is too much, Abigail. You can get another girl for a third that price.”

But her hands already shook with fury. “I am sure I can. But I promised Miriam I would buy her, and I will not renege on that. Give him the money. I underpaid for Phillip, I can afford to overpay for Miriam.”

With only one sigh of protest, he drew out the money and handed it over, then supervised as the man untied her from the line and handed her over. Caius rejoined them, looking rather pleased, though the scraggly Germanic woman he had in tow did not seem to be the cause of his smile. Titus arched a brow.

Caius’s smile only grew. “A pretty wench,” he said in Latin, nodding toward Miriam. “I am glad to see you have decided to diversify, Titus. And I am beginning to understand your taste for the Jewesses.”

Abigail wanted to retort but could think of nothing biting enough. So she took Miriam by the hand and led her to where Phillip stood. She introduced them, instructed them to remain together on the walk back to the Asiniuses’ house, and moved back to Titus’s side.

He gave her fingers a squeeze. She concentrated on using the walk to calm down.

As soon as they arrived home, Caius announced, “We need to attend a small business matter quickly, Titus. Leave the women to get settled in and come with me.”

Abigail gave Titus a reassuring smile when he looked down at her. “I will get Miriam settled in and see you later.”

The two men soon left, and Abigail’s smile faded. She turned to Timothy, who was leading the Germanic woman away, and stopped him with an authoritative voice. “I will need a room for Miriam which is not with all of your master’s women. With your mistress’s maids, perhaps?”

Timothy’s expression was pained. “There is more room with the others–”

“
I am sure there is always more room with Caius’s wenches, but my maid will not be one of them. If there is no room with Aquilia’s girls, I will insist Miriam be put in the guest chamber beside Titus’s room. Do you think your master would approve of
that
?”

Timothy apparently decided Abigail was angry enough to do it, for he pasted humility onto his face. “Mistress’s head maid has just been married. She had her own small chamber, which is now free. The other maids were hoping to get it, but I am sure they will be understanding, since it is only for a brief while.”

Abigail nodded, satisfied. “Phillip, will you please go with Miriam to see that she gets settled in, and then show her to my room? I want to check on the children.”

As the servants moved to obey, Abigail went toward Titus’s cubiculum. She found Antonia and her wards in the peristylium. Samuel and one of the other boys were playing with marbles, and Benjamin was watching with apparent delight. The sight was enough to restore the smile to her face and most of her previous good mood. She took the baby from the nurse’s arms and went inside to feed him. As he suckled, the rest of her spirits were restored, so that by the time Miriam and Phillip appeared, she was once again calm and peaceful.

Miriam’s face lit up when she saw the baby, and she sat at Abigail’s feet with a smile. Abigail introduced her to Benjamin, and then called in Samuel to meet her as well.

“
When my mother arrives in Rome,” Abigail said once Samuel had run back outside, “you will meet the rest of the servants beside whom you will serve.” She told her about all of them, then about herself, how she came to be where she was now and even the current situation. Then she asked, “What about you, Miriam? What is your story?”

The maid got a distant look on her lovely face. “I was born a slave. My mother was my mistress’s handmaid, and when I became big enough, I began helping her in the chambers of my mistress and her daughters. Her husband, my master, was away a lot, out with his flocks. They were wealthy, with great herds. As it seems you have experienced, Mistress, wealthy men tend to think the world is theirs. The last time my master returned home, he suddenly noticed that I was no longer a child. My mistress had been planning my marriage to another of the slaves, but she was a jealous woman. When she saw her husband looking at me with desire, she decided being the wife of a slave would not hinder my master, so she opted to sell me. The very next day, I was gone. My mother treated me as though it was my fault, as though I had tried to allure the master.” She shook her head, tears burning in her eyes. “I did not. But it did not matter. I was sold to that trader you bought me from. I was lucky, I suppose, that he thought me worth so much, otherwise I would have starved like the others, or perhaps been taken by the men in his employ.”

Abigail reached down and grasped Miriam’s hand. “The Lord keeps watch over his children, Miriam. And if he is willing, we will soon return to our homeland together. You will love my family. They are kind and generous.” She smiled and tickled Benjamin. “And the only master is not much of a threat.”

Miriam smiled at the baby’s deep belly laugh.

Samuel burst into the room. “Mother! Come see!”

Abigail tucked Benjamin onto her hip and stood. “Excuse me, my friends.”

~*~

Phillip followed Abigail with his gaze but felt the maid’s attention shift to him.

“
Is she as worthy of my devotion as she seems?”

He smiled without taking his eyes off his mistress. “More so. I have been with her for a month now. She is not only fair and honest and compassionate, she is genuine and selfless. She is not quite convinced that she is any better than a slave herself. But she is.” He glanced at Miriam, smiled a little. “Speaking for myself, at any rate, she is far superior. She could not offer me freedom as she did you, given that she needs my protection, but I would have taken great pleasure in refusing her. I will gladly serve out my days with her. Life with her will be better than any you could design for yourself.”

Miriam smiled too, and folded her hands in her lap. “I know how to be nothing but a slave; I would never choose to throw myself on the mercy of society. And seeing the love she inspires in you, I am sure I have much to thank my God for. I will honor her all of my days.”

Phillip nodded his approval and focused on Abigail fully again. He need not have worried about this girl’s devotion, he knew. One could not feel the merciful touch of Abigail’s hand without loving her.

~*~

Titus drummed his fingers on his arm in impatience. He knew he was practically glowering, but his father did not seem to mind. He just kept speaking with the group of men, laughing and exchanging harmless barbs.

“
You must all join me this evening,” Caius proclaimed to the joy of his companions, who immediately agreed. Titus mentally moaned. “I will break out that wine I have been wanting to try. Bring your wives, I am certain Aquilia would like the company.”

That, at least, was probably true, and it almost surprised Titus that his father thought of it. Often, he was just as happy to have the men come over by themselves, so that they could engage in whatever debauchery they pleased without fearing the ladies’ interruptions.

The group of men agreed and disbanded, and Titus sighed, thinking they would finally get to leave. Or, at the very least, he could tell his father that
he
was heading home.

Before he could do more than open his mouth, another gentleman approached. “Ah, the Asiniuses!”

“
Cornelius Cossus.” Caius greeted him with a smile. “How fortunate we should happen across you; I was just extending my invitation for entertainment tonight to many of our mutual friends, and I was hoping to invite you and your wife as well.”

Cornelius laughed in delight. “I would like nothing better. I had resigned myself to a dull evening at home, but this is a large improvement.” He turned to one of the slaves dogging his steps. “Run home and tell your mistress we will be joining the Asiniuses this evening. In fact, just have her meet us at their home, I will simply go along with them now. If you do not mind, Caius.”

Caius waved away the concern. “Of course not. We were just heading back. You remember my son, Titus, of course.”

They clasped wrists amid pleasantries that Titus did not feel. He knew well why his father was making this particular reacquaintance: Cornelius Cossus was one of the current consuls, and if Caius wanted Titus in politics right now, this was the man whose favors he should win.

“
Yes, of course I remember Titus. Tell me, my young friend, how was Israel? I know the emperor grows continually impatient with the troublesome Jews. Are they as rebellious as the communications make them out to be?”

Much as he hated to admit it . . . “Quite nearly.”

Caius shook his head. “His friend, Jason Visibullis, was killed in an uprising, along with his father. Both were upstanding soldiers; it is a true tragedy.”

Cornelius looked as though the news struck him near to his heart. “Yes, I had heard. It pained me greatly. Did you know, Cleopas Visibullis and I used to be great friends. We were in the academy together.”

His father was never one to let such an opportunity pass by. “Cleopas’s grandson, the heir to the Visibullis estate, is with us even now; he is only a babe, Jason never even met him, but the mother brought the child here to claim his inheritance.”

Cornelius nodded, a familiar glint in his eye. “I hear he married a Hebrewess. A shock, really; most of us were willing to forgive it of Cleopas, but for Jason to repeat the mistake?” He shook his head. “I have heard that the girl was a startling beauty, otherwise why would he have done such a fool thing?”

“
You will see for yourself.” Caius’s laugh grated on Titus’s nerves. “She is certainly a temptress, is she not, Titus?”

Discomfort stirred, but he could not bring himself to dismiss the consul. He smile felt strained, but he forced it out. “A lovelier woman I have never met. Jason was the envy of all of us.”

Cornelius laughed. “And knowing your reputation well, Titus, I am sure you were swift to comfort her in her loss.”

The tension within him multiplied. “She has become very precious to me.”

“
Yes.” Somehow, Caius sounded more amused than displeased. “It seems my son has a heart within his chest after all. I am not sure where he got it.”

Cornelius chuckled and clapped a hand to Titus’s shoulder. “A heart is a good thing for a statesman to have, at least within measure. Although with Asinius blood in your veins, moderating your compassion is probably not a lesson you need to learn.”

Titus had no response to that; he knew it was intended as a compliment, but his heart did not warm with the words. His father, of course, jumped on the chance to talk of his impending career, but Titus found it far easier to tune them out than to listen. They were soon home, anyway, and the moment they stepped inside, he excused himself to find Abigail and warn her of the consul’s presence and the party that had been formed for the evening. Not surprisingly, he heard her voice coming from the back gardens. He followed its melody outside.