Danger in the Wind (3 page)

At this hour of the day the paved area in front of the main door was deserted, but it would be busy later with animals and vehicles parked there by our thirsty customers. The morning was sunny and the breeze smelt good. I could hear a skylark high above my head, and nearby a blackbird sang from a branch of the giant oak tree that gives our mansio its name. It would be hot later—well, hot for northern Britannia, anyway. Not by the standards of our childhood home in Pompeii, but Pompeii was gone. Britannia is my home now, and I wouldn’t change it, for all its imperfections. Father was right to bring us here as youngsters and set up the Oak Tree to give us all a future here. He died before he could see what a flourishing success the mansio has become, but I think he’d have approved.

I shook off the past and concentrated on today. It was perfect haymaking weather, and Ursulus, the farm manager, would be putting every available man into the fields to mow. I must remind Margarita to have extra beer sent out to go with their midday bread. Haymaking is dry work, and I didn’t want them sneaking back to quench their thirst in the bar.

Not that she’d need reminding, I thought as I turned to go to the stables. She was an excellent housekeeper, always well-organised. The Oak Tree would be in safe hands while I was away. She had been carrying much of my load anyway over the past few months. As soon as I’d done my rounds, I’d go and tell her my news. I felt sure she’d be pleased for me.

So would Secundus, who ran the stables. He’d been a cavalryman, and enjoyed reminiscing about army life, so he’d probably have some tales to tell me about the fort at Isurium. I headed for the stable-yard, but before I’d got halfway there I met him marching purposefully towards me. I opened my mouth to wish him a cheerful good-morning, but his worried expression stopped me, and instead I asked, “What’s up, Secundus? Something wrong?”

“I’m not sure, Aurelia. That soldier who stayed here last night, the tall feller with the scar on his right arm. Terentius, was it? Has he left already?”

“No, not yet. Why?”

“One of his horses is missing, the dark grey gelding. And I can’t find his servant. I’m afraid he’s gone too.”

“His servant? The thin boy with a runny nose?”

“That’s the one. He slept over the stables with my horse-boys last night. He said his master didn’t need him till morning, and he fancied playing dice with the lads. But he’s not here now, and none of them have seen him today. He hasn’t been over to the main house for breakfast neither, I’ve checked. Which makes me wonder…”

He didn’t need to finish it. “Right, I’ll go in and find Terentius himself, and ask him if he knows what’s going on.”

“Good. Because if the lad’s run off that’s one thing, but if he’s still around somewhere it means the horse has been stolen by an outsider. Not that it’s likely, I’d say. It was just a standard army nag, over-worked and under-fed. If thieves came snooping round here there are much better animals they could have gone for.”

“There certainly are.” I thought of our herd of black horses, the pride of our farm. “You’re sure no other animals are missing?”

He nodded. “Certain, I’ve counted them up myself. Seems to me the lad and the horse must have taken the same road.”

“Well, I know Terentius himself hasn’t left. Last night he asked me to lock something away in the safe till this morning, something he obviously valued. And he hasn’t collected it yet.”

“I’m probably worrying over nothing then. He could have sent the boy off very early on some errand, before they start on their journey.”

“Leave it with me. I’ll let you know if there isn’t a sensible explanation. Everything all right otherwise?”

“Aye, fine. Moon-cloud looks like she’ll drop her foal today.” He gestured towards a field where several black horses were contentedly grazing. “I’ll move her into the small paddock, and make sure one of the lads keeps an eye on her every once in a while.”

“I’ll come and see her soon. It’s a grand morning, isn’t it?”

He smiled at me suddenly. “Aye, it is. And you’re looking pleased with life. Have you had some good news? That early courier brought you a letter, did he?”

I smiled too. There aren’t many secrets in a busy mansio. “Yes, he did, and you’re right about good news. I’ve been invited to a party by some old friends at Isurium. I’ll be away a few days.”

“That’s grand. Mind, I don’t want to rain on your triumph, but it had better be a good party, because there’s not much at Isurium otherwise.”

“I think it will be. And I know it’s a busy time, and I oughtn’t to go away, but…”

“Of course you ought, if you want. We’ll manage fine, you can depend on it.” His smile widened. “It’s nice to see you’re feeling up to a bit of travelling. A holiday will do you a power of good. Go off and enjoy yourself, that’s what I say.”

“Thanks, I intend to. Oh, by the way, Lucius is going to take his young lady out driving, to show her round the district. Can you get one of the light gigs ready, with a decent pair of mules? Placid ones, preferably. He says he wants to drive himself, but he may not be keeping his eyes on the road.”

“I reckon I’d have the same problem, driving that young lass around. He’s a lucky feller. Is it true they’re going to be wed?”

“Yes, it’s true.”

He offered congratulations, and I smiled and said I must get on with checking about the missing slave. I didn’t want him asking me anything more, such as my opinion of my future sister-in-law.

Then I spotted my brother himself, standing under the oak-tree and beckoning me to join him there. He was on his own, thank the gods.

“Have you time for a chat, Sis? I was hoping to catch you before we set off for our drive.”

“All right, but I mustn’t be long.”

“Nor must I. Let’s go into the garden. We can be private there.”

I wondered what he wanted as we walked round to the secluded garden which is overlooked by our private wing, but well away from the public area our customers use. We sat down on a stone bench in the sun, and I thought, I hope he’s not going to ask me what I think of Vitellia.

“I’m worried about this trip of yours to Jovina’s,” he began.

“Now don’t start all that again. I’ve already told you…”

“I know what you’ve already told me. It’s what you
haven’t
told me that bothers me. What’s your real reason for wanting to visit her?”

“As I said, for her birthday party. And because I feel like a change of scene.”

He grinned. “That’s good, as far as it goes. But I said the
real
reason. I know there’s more to it. Otherwise why wouldn’t you let me read her letter? Girl talk, indeed! My guess is she has some other reason for asking you to stay, and the party, if it exists, is just an excuse.”

“It exists all right. And the letter was just girls’ chatter, as I said. Vitellia may let you read her private correspondence, but I don’t have to, do I?”

“Stop being so prickly, Sis. I know you too well, and I’m right, aren’t I? There is something else?”

I hesitated, which was answer enough.

“I thought so. Something she told you in confidence? But she knows you and I don’t have secrets from one another. And I’m certainly not letting you go galloping north by yourself until I know what’s going on. So tell me all of it. I’ll keep it to myself.”

When it came to it, I was glad to show him our cousin’s note. He scanned it quickly, frowning. “Is this all she’s told you?”

“It is. You’re as wise as I am now.”

“Which isn’t saying much. But some of it’s obvious enough. The main part of the message was written by her secretary or someone else with neat, official-looking writing, and she’s added the last bit herself, in her own hand. Why?”

“Presumably she doesn’t want anyone finding out that she’s asking me to help her, as well as inviting me for a social occasion. And she might have thought a simple invitation would be too easy to refuse, whereas this…anyway, whatever her trouble is, it won’t stop me going to see her, so don’t…”

“…Waste my breath discouraging you? I shan’t. I might even be able to help.”

“Thanks, I may be glad of your help once I’ve seen for myself whether there really is some sort of danger. To be honest, I think Jovina’s being a touch over-dramatic. You know what she’s like, and
she
knows that I’m easily intrigued by anything mysterious. I bet her trouble will turn out to be something quite trivial that she’s blown out of proportion. That wouldn’t be so surprising, when she and Marcus live in a military base with only a few real friends.”

He ran a hand through his mop of fair hair. “It’s true, the atmosphere in a fort can get pretty poisonous, especially if everyone’s bored and fed up because there’s nobody to fight. If she’d just said there was trouble, I’d agree with you. But she says
danger
.”

“It’s to do with Marcus, that’s my guess. He has a foul temper, especially when he’s had a few drinks. Maybe he’s quarrelled with somebody important. And of course he’s got a roving eye, as I remember. Perhaps he’s got entangled with the
wife
of somebody important, and now the man’s found out, and is threatening him.”

“Gods, Relia, you must be reading too much love poetry. I’m afraid it could be something much more important.”

“More important than love?”

But he didn’t react to my teasing. “Marcus is a senior officer in an important fort.”

“Isurium? It used to be important twenty years ago. Now it’s a fort where nothing ever happens.”

“Where nothing has happened recently, you mean,” he corrected. “But Vitellia had a point at breakfast when she asked why, if we were safe from native unrest, we need forts like Isurium.”

“To make certain we stay safe. It’ll be another generation at least before we can take it for granted that all natives in Britannia will behave peacefully all the time.”

“Exactly. So anything that endangers a senior officer or his family might threaten the stability of the whole area.”

Lucius seemed to be taking Jovina’s danger even more seriously than I was, which gave me a nasty cold feeling inside.

He glanced at the note again. “What do you think she means by this quotation from the
Aeneid
about the Greeks bearing gifts? It makes no sense to me.”

“Nor to me. I doubt if she’s talking literally about Greeks, because I doubt if there are any at the fort, or within a day’s march of her. The troops are all auxiliaries from across the German Ocean, and the officers are all Romans.”

“There’s Marcus himself of course,” he said soberly.

“Marcus? Rubbish! He’s as Roman as we are.”

“By blood, yes. But have you forgotten how he’s always enthused about Greece and Greek culture? It started when we were young, he wore Greek fashions, and even had his hair done by a Greek barber. We used to call him Graeculus, Little Greek, didn’t we?”

“Ye-es, I do remember, now you mention it. But we were all just children. You can’t assume he still feels the same.”

“Not to the same extent, no. But he’s given himself the nickname Melandrus because of his black hair. And what has he named his children?”

“Philippus and Chloe,” I admitted.

“Quite. Greek names, not Roman.”

“No, Lucius, if you’re talking about some sort of treason, it can’t be Marcus. He’s a senior career soldier; the army’s his life. If he’s the man Jovina’s scared of, it’s for personal reasons.”

“You could be right.”

“I’m always right, it’s a well-known fact.”

He smiled. “Well then, let’s assume Jovina doesn’t mean literally a Greek. That doesn’t make it much better. She’s scared of someone who’s offering a favour, an advantage, perhaps even an affair, and she thinks there’s ‘danger in the wind’. If she has reason to be scared, it makes me uneasy. I wish I could offer to come up to Isurium with you.”

“Could you? That would be wonderful.”

He shook his head. “There isn’t time. I’ve promised Vitellia we’ll have ten days here, so she can get to know you and all our friends, and we’ll go over to see Albia and Candidus at the farm, too. Then I’ll escort her home to Londinium. By that time the midsummer party will have been and gone.”

I silently cursed Vitellia, even though I could see his point. A promise is a promise. “Can’t be helped,” I said, trying to sound as if I meant it. “A pity, though. It would have been good. And Jovina would have been pleased to see you.”

“It would have fitted in very well. I’ve been wanting a pretext to visit the area north of Eburacum for a while now, without appearing to be investigating anything in particular.” He sighed and stood up. “As you say, it can’t be helped.”

“What would you have been investigating? If I’m going to be there, I can keep my ears and eyes open for you.”

“The usual vague rumours, nothing definite. I seem to spend my life following up half-baked reports of possible trouble among the natives.”

“It gives you a good excuse for loitering in taverns.”

“Do I need an excuse for that?” He grinned down at me. “The Brigantians around Isurium appear quiet enough, but one of our agents has picked up local talk about a young prince from the old tribal aristocracy who fancies himself as a leader against what he calls the Roman occupation.”