Danger in the Wind (25 page)

But then I spotted Gambax, and Chloe wasn’t with him. He and another young soldier seemed to be in charge of the racers, and when someone blew a bugle and announced, “Ready for the off,” they opened up the pen and urged the ducks into the river. Another bugle-call was followed by a strident voice yelling, “They’re off!” But you’d never have known it from the attitude of the competitors. The birds simply swam about in circles, unable to fly off to somewhere more to their liking because their wings were clipped.

Two more young soldiers did their best to make them race downstream, with no noticeable effect at all. They even waded into the water, shouting and splashing about in the shallows, but the birds only looked more confused.

The audience on the bank called out various suggestions, some helpful, some physically impossible. One or two voices began urging the two men in the stream to forget about the ducks and enter the race themselves. All good party fun, I suppose. I’d have been far more interested if they’d been racing their horses, and far happier if I’d known where Jovina, Trebonius, and Quintus had got to.

A flash of lightning made me look up, and I realised how dark the sky was. Leaden clouds were piling up over us, blocking out the sun. The rain wouldn’t be long now.

Gambax walked some yards downstream along the bank and scattered pieces of bread on the water, which caused the ducks to head in that direction. Everyone cheered, and he shouted, “I’ll run further down with more bread. Finishing line is supposed to be the big grey rock, isn’t it?”

The ducks eventually made their way to the rock, we onlookers following them along the bank. There was at least a winner, a large brown-and-white one, and everybody settled up their bets amid a good deal of cheering and joking.

I strolled over to Vitellia while Philippus was chatting to Gambax. “Enjoying yourself, Vitellia?”

“Oh, yes, it’s a lovely party. It’s a shame Lucius can’t be here too, of course. But Philo is wonderful company. He asked if he can take me out driving tomorrow. I’d like to go, but…what do you think? It’ll be all right, won’t it?”

“I’m afraid not. Not by yourselves, anyway. It wouldn’t be proper. If a group of you go out all together, that would make it all right, I suppose.” Seeing her look of annoyance, I made my winning throw. “You wouldn’t want to upset Lucius, would you?”

“No, of course not. Then that’s what we’ll do. I’ll see if Chloe and Gambax can come.”

Jagged lightning and a rumble of thunder made us all look at the sky. The storm was almost on us.

“Let’s go and find shelter before the skies open.” I headed up towards the tents in the clearing, and then stopped at the sound of my name.

“Aurelia!” I looked round hopefully, but it wasn’t Quintus calling me. Trebonius was hurrying towards me. “Are you enjoying the party?” he asked me. “I’m afraid the weather may spoil the end of it, but there’s plenty of shelter.”

I assured him that I was having a splendid time, and complimented him on his arrangements.

“I can’t find Jovina,” he said. “I suppose you don’t know where she is?”

That’s clever, I thought, it must mean he’s been with her. Otherwise he wouldn’t need to tell me and anyone within earshot that he hadn’t.

“No, I haven’t seen her for a while. She’ll be coming up here to shelter, I expect.”

“I hope she hurries. Here comes the rain.” Indeed a few big drops were splashing down and bouncing off the dry ground. “I’d better go and look for her, I think.”

That wasn’t so clever, announcing he wanted to see her. Or perhaps it was…Or was he being honest, indicating he hadn’t seen her at all? In which case, who had she been going to meet when she left the clearing? I would only need one guess.

By the time I reached the biggest tent the rain was heavier and I was glad to get inside. As I entered, I heard Statius coming up behind me as fast as his limp would allow. supported by his servant and panting from unaccustomed exertion. “Shocking weather,” he grumbled. “I told Marcus it was over-ambitious holding an outdoor party.”

He stopped short just inside the entrance as he realised that Eurytus and Chloe were sitting side by side on a couch, too close together. I knew my cousin wouldn’t like to see the way she preened herself, pleased to be the centre of his attention, nor the smile he wore, like a cat that’s playing with a mouse. They both glanced up, and Chloe moved away from him, but only slightly.

Statius advanced towards Eurytus, and they glared at one another, plainly spoiling for a fight. For all his frailty of body, Statius exuded anger like a furnace radiating heat.

Luckily the arrival of two servants caused a distraction. One came in with lighted lamps, which dispelled the gloom inside the tent, and the other was carrying a tray of steaming beakers of mulsum.

“Who’d like a nice hot drink, ladies and gentlemen?” he asked cheerfully. “Guaranteed to keep the damp out. My lord…Miss Chloe?”

They each took a mug, and so did I. The hot, sweet liquid was welcome. But Statius shook his head. ”Nothing for me. I’m going to order a carriage to take me back to the house. The damp’s getting into my bones. I need a hot bath. I’ll see you there later, Chloe.” He left, almost colliding with Vitellia as she hurried in.

I was relieved to see she was without Philippus, until she said, “Has anyone seen Philo? He was with me down by the river, but now he’s disappeared. I’ve looked in the trees, but he’s nowhere to be found. He’ll get soaked when the storm really starts.”

“He’ll have found shelter somewhere, I expect,” I said.

A couple of the young officers came in, followed by Congrio wearing one of his own fawn cloaks over his smart party tunic. I wondered if he ever stopped being a salesman, even in bed. I half listened as they argued cheerfully about how to improve duck racing as a sport, and came to the conclusion that it was a hopeless task and they should stick to competing with chariots.

My mind wandered back to what was for me the matter in hand. Where had Jovina got to? For that matter, where was Quintus? I must find him, storm or no storm.

My thoughts were interrupted by a commotion outside. I couldn’t tell the direction, but it was growing louder, and I heard a woman scream, and a couple of men shouting. Then Quintus’ voice called my name, and Quintus himself appeared at the entrance and beckoned me urgently to join him outside. One look at his grim face was all I needed to make me hurry out after him.

“Quintus, I wondered where you’d gone. What’s happened?”

“Where’s Mallius? Have you seen him?”

“I’ve no idea. Sleeping under a bush somewhere, probably.”

“And Trebonius? Is he in there with the others?”

“No, not in this tent. Why?”

“Something serious has happened, I’m afraid. Jovina…”

My heart sank inside me. “Jovina? Tell me!”

“I’m sorry, Aurelia. She’s dead.”

Chapter XVIII

My body turned to stone, my mind felt frozen. I saw again Jovina’s pale face as I’d seen it yesterday when she said, “The nearer this so-called celebration comes, the more I’m dreading it.”

And I’d told her it would be fine. I was supposed to be looking after her.

Eventually I said, “How?”

“Her body was floating in the river. Titch spotted it and pulled her out.”

“You mean she fell in and drowned?”

He answered grimly, “She fell in…or she was pushed.”

Again her words echoed in my head. “Some things are worth a little danger.”

“I must go to her,” I said. “Where is she?”

“I’ll show you. But I’d better talk to Eurytus first.” He opened his belt-pouch and took out his Imperial pass as he hurried into the tent.

Eurytus must have sensed trouble, for he had released Chloe and was sitting upright on the couch, his body relaxed but his eyes alert. “Is something wrong, Quintus Antonius?”

“I’m afraid so, yes. There’s been an accident by the river—someone’s drowned. I can’t find either the fort commander or his deputy, which makes me the senior army officer here.”

“Really?” The freedman’s tone was only just short of insolence. “You’re the bridge builder, aren’t you?”

Quintus held out his Imperial pass so the freedman could read it. “I presume you have no objection to my taking charge of proceedings?”

“I see.” Eurytus sat up straighter still, almost to attention, and looked at Quintus with a modicum of respect. “I didn’t know you were so much in Caesar’s confidence. I’ve no objection at all to your handling this. I’ve got enough to do with my tax work. The last thing I want is to be involved in the death of some drunk at a party. So carry on, Antonius, by all means.”

He nodded to one of his guards. “Fetch my carriage, will you. It’s time I went back to somewhere more civilised. If that’s a term you can use to describe anything this far north.” He laughed as he turned back to Chloe. “I’ll see you again, my dear. I’ll send for you tomorrow. You’ll come, won’t you?”

I wondered how Chloe would deal with this, and was prepared to intervene, but she kept her head. “Mother doesn’t let me go out of the house alone with gentlemen, my lord. Even very important gentlemen.” She smiled. “But please do call on me any time. Mama will be delighted to see you.”

“I shall. Thank you, Antonius, that will be all.”

“Bastard,” I muttered as Quintus and I walked down to the river. “He never even asked who was dead, or what had happened. Just assumed it was ‘some drunk’.”

“Be thankful. Do you want him breathing down our necks while we investigate this?”

We strode on in silence to the river, then turned upstream and walked perhaps thirty paces till we came to Jovina’s body. Titch was standing a short distance away.

“I’m so sorry, Aurelia,” he said. “A rotten business, this.”

“Yes, it is. You’re sure she was dead when you got her out?”

“Aye, certain sure.”

“Off you go then, Titch,” Quintus said. “Two men and a stretcher, and somewhere private we can leave her. Quick as you can.”

Jovina lay on the grassy bank, water running from her hair and her bright party clothes, her cheeks puffy and her eyes staring. Death is never beautiful, I know, but it seems especially savage when it turns a once-pretty face into an ugly mask.

“I’m sorry, Jovina,” I whispered. I stood for a few heartbeats, looking down into her still face. I sent a prayer to the gods of the Underworld and to Diana, my guardian goddess, asking her to look after my cousin.

I felt a sudden wave of anger, not only with her murderer but with myself. Hadn’t I come here to help her? And what had I achieved? Nothing. “By the gods, Jovina, whoever’s done this, I swear I’ll find them, and I’ll see you are avenged.”

Quintus touched my hand briefly. “And so will I. Let’s start with the body. We’ve got to establish whether she died because she fell into the river and drowned, or whether she was killed on land and then thrown into the water.”

“She was a strong swimmer.” I remembered some of our childhood adventures. “And the river’s deep, but not exactly a raging torrent. My guess is she was either pushed in and held under, or killed on the bank.”

“There are no obvious signs of a struggle on her face or the front of her body. Help me turn her over, will you? Wait now…watch where you step, or kneel down. There’s broken glass scattered in the grass.”

“Glass?
Merda,
it’s everywhere.” I bent down to pick up a shining shard, and was shocked to recognise it. “Gods, Quintus, she had a pair of lovely goblets given for her birthday. She and I even drank wine out of them. It looks as if one or both of them is broken.”

“So perhaps there was a struggle of some kind. Let’s turn her over.”

I hesitated, feeling slightly squeamish, and Quintus was all concern. “I’m sorry, Aurelia, I’m forgetting she’s your cousin. If you want to go back to the tents, I can get one of the soldiers to give me a hand here.”

“It’s all right. I can manage.”

We gently turned Jovina onto her front so we could see her from the back. There was a large gash in her head, splitting her skull open. Her hair all round the wound was matted with blood, though there wasn’t as much as I’d have expected, given the size of it. The water had presumably rinsed most of it off.

“Brutal,” I said. “As savage as an animal.”

“At least it must have been quick. A sudden blow on her head, and she can’t have been conscious by the time someone pushed her into the water. Better than drowning.”

“Better than drowning? What difference does it make? She’s dead just the same. And I was meant to be protecting her.”

“You aren’t to blame for this, Aurelia.”

“I should have taken more care of her.” My anger was still there, but mixed with guilt, and also with a feeling of nausea. I stood up and deliberately turned my back. I took several deep breaths, until I heard Quintus exclaim, “Ah, good, here’s Titch.”

With him were two soldiers carrying an army stretcher. They moved towards Jovina’s body, but Quintus stopped them.

“Wait, we’ll do this properly.” He said a brief prayer for Jovina’s shade, then signalled to the men, who gently lifted her onto the stretcher and covered her with a blanket.