Pello Island: Cassia (11 page)

But every time he received his allowance, Darius would go back.  Soon he was borrowing from the moneylender, who would go to his father to collect.  Darius tried to stay away from the tavern, but the draw was too powerful.  He just knew someday he would win the whole pot. Finally, after another visit from Leonides’ man, Cletus, Pius put his foot down.  He would no longer pay Darius’ gambling debts.

Darius was hopelessly hooked on the dice.  He didn’t know how to stop.  His mother and father believed he just needed to discipline himself, but they’d never felt the way he did.  They couldn’t possibly understand the yearning he felt when a few days went by without a visit to the tavern.  Now that his father had stopped covering his debts, he’d have to wait another three weeks before his next allowance.  He didn’t know what he would do.

He thought about Quintus the merchant and about the impossibility of marrying his daughter and keeping his title.  He knew that would never happen, that Pius would just transfer it to Anthony.  If he lied to Quintus and bedded his daughter, his daughter would be ruined, and Quintus would pay Darius to keep it quiet.

Darius began to think about actually losing his title.  How much did it mean to him?  He hadn’t given it that much thought.  It was always just assumed he would carry on the family line.  How much did he love being a nobleman?  Did he love it more than he loved the dice?

Suddenly he thought about Cletus.  Darius hated the smelly rat.  He would always find Darius, no matter where he went, always threatening to kill him.  Leonides had a terrible reputation.  When he said you would die, you died.  Leonides himself had told Darius that if he didn’t bring him the money soon, he would have Cletus throw him in the river with rocks tied to his feet. Darius believed him.  Now that his father had refused to pay, it was only a matter of time before Darius found himself at the bottom of the Tiber.  His association with Quintus had put Cletus off for another week.  Hopefully, that would be enough time to fix this unholy mess.

Darius Makes a Decision

Darius left the house the following morning by the rear entrance of the townhouse.  He walked through the garden looking for Cletus before heading to the tavern.  If he could find someone to take his pledge, he might make enough to pay Leonides.  There were fewer and fewer takers lately.  They all knew he had no money, but Darius hoped there would be some new blood there today as Saturnalia was beginning, and people from the country had come to the city to celebrate.

He stood at the door of the tavern, asking each man as he walked in to take his pledge.  Not one would oblige him.  Darius walked away and went to the Forum.  He wandered among the vendors’ carts, looking at wares he couldn’t afford.  He lived at one of the grandest addresses in Rome and couldn’t afford a loaf of bread!

Darius headed for the Tiber.  He loved the river, and would often sit on its banks and contemplate the great mysteries of life.  He would seek its counsel when perplexed by life’s vagaries, and was often rewarded with answers to his queries.  Darius needed counsel now more than ever.

He passed the fishermen throwing their nets into the river and kept walking until  he found a dry spot near the bridge and sat down.  Darius had to redeem himself to his parents; he just didn’t know how.  He looked at the river and asked it for an answer.

Immediately the merchant came to his mind.  The dowry he offered would more than cover his debts, but the familial disgrace of a marriage like that was incalculable.  Darius hated being torn like this.  In order to pay off Leonides, he would have to lie to Quintus.   If he didn’t, he would end up at the bottom of this river with rocks tied to his feet.  Leonides would use him as a lesson to other aristocrats that he was no respecter of nobility.

So far, gambling was Darius’ only vice.  Well, if you didn’t count womanizing, but he only slept with whores, so that didn’t count. The evening before, Darius had entertained the thought of blackmailing Quintus into buying Darius’ silence.  Bedding the girl would be easy enough as Darius had never been refused.  But the thought of actually confronting Quintus with the threat of blackmail caused a knot to form in his belly.  Quintus may turn the tables and go to Pius.  Blackmail on top of his other failings might lose him his inheritance anyway.

Even though the idea of hurting an innocent young girl was distasteful to him, after much soul searching, Darius realized that he had no choice.  When it was all over, he would have his life.  Whether that life would be worth anything was another story.

That afternoon Darius bathed and dressed in his finest silk toga.  It was embroidered with gold thread.  He called for his servant, Otho, to bring the chariot around.  He told Otho to accompany him as he headed for the Vicus Raciliani Maioris..

Otho held on tightly to a leather strap as Darius whipped the horses, causing the chariot to lurch forward.  Darius was careful to avoid the citizenry as he rolled across the cobbled streets of Rome.  Otho’s hands were holding on so tightly, he began to feel his fingers going numb.

Darius began to slow the horse down as he turned onto the Vicus Raciliani Maioris.  He saw the sign for Quintus’ shop and stopped the chariot.

“Stay with the chariot,” he told Otho, as he headed into the shop.

Inside the shop, Darius could see a small, stocky man filling spice jars.  The scent of the powdery spices filled the air.  Darius approached him and asked for Quintus.

“The master’s not here.  He should be back in an hour or so if you’d like to wait,” the man said.

Darius walked around the shop, gazing at the quality goods from Egypt and Africa.  Darius felt the silk fabric, and ran his hand over the finished wood surface of a dining table.  Darius was used to luxury.  He knew in an instant that he didn’t want to lose his place in his father’s house.  This plan just had to work.  He walked away from the table quickly, and sat on a stool near the front entrance of the shop so he would see Quintus as soon as he arrived.

The stocky little man, Flavius, worked around the shop, dusting the spice residue off the pottery.  He then took out a broom and swept the floor.  He was fast and efficient.  He kept glancing at Darius, curious as to what this aristocrat wanted with Quintus.  He hoped that Quintus hadn’t arranged another marriage.

Half an hour had passed when Quintus finally walked into the shop.  He had seen the chariot and wondered who it might be.  Quintus heart soared as he entered the door and saw Darius.

“Greetings Darius, it’s good to see you, lad,” he said with a grin.  “I didn’t expect you for a week.”

“Well, I spoke to my father and he’s…agreeable,” Darius said with a lump in his throat.  “I saw no reason to wait any longer.  When can I meet your daughter, Quintus?”

“You say he’s agreeable?  What did you say to sway him?”

Darius had come up with what he thought was a brilliant idea.

“My father has been keeping a secret from me for many years.  It seems I have a brother that I wasn’t aware of.  He was born years before me of another woman.  She died in childbirth and my father raised him alone until he met my mother.  His son, Drusus, entered the military and has been in Germania ever since.  He has a wife and she has produced an heir.”  Darius barely took a breath between sentences.

“Splendid, this is wonderful news.  Flavius, do we have any of the Etruscan wine left?”

Flavius went behind the counter, pulled out a bottle of wine, and handed it to Quintus.

“Come, my boy, you must meet Cassia.”

Quintus took Darius’ arm and led him into the domus.  Flavius looked after them, knowing full well that Darius’ story was fabricated.  Quintus heard what he wanted to hear, and as long as Cassia wasn’t hurt, Flavius wouldn’t interfere.

Quintus led Darius to the living area.  Darius sat on a couch while Quintus called a servant to prepare a meal and handed him the bottle of wine before sitting down on the opposite couch.

“My boy, my boy,” Quintus said, “what a fortuitous turn of events.  And you never knew of his existence?”

“Whose existence?” Darius asked, clearly perplexed.

“Your brother, Drusus.”

“Oh, yes, no I didn’t know about him.  In many ways my father’s life is a mystery to me.” Darius looked away from Quintus as he spoke.

“Well, that is the best news.  Now, where is that girl?” Quintus got up and went to find Cassia.

Darius began to think this wasn’t such a good idea after all.  Yes, Quintus appeared to have believed his story, but it wouldn’t take much inquiry to find out that Drusus, in fact, did not exist.  What would he do then?

The servant returned with the wine and Darius drank a whole cup.  The warmth of it in his blood helped him relax.  The fears of just a few minutes ago began to melt away as he drank a second cup. He was thinking how warm he felt when he suddenly saw her coming toward him.  Darius was captivated by her, and he stood up to greet her.

It could have been the wine that filled his head with thoughts of love.  It could have been the way she walked so quietly across the floor and smiled at him.  There were no words for what he was feeling as she gave him her hand.  He felt the softness of her skin, breathed in the soft scent of sandalwood coming off her hair and felt dizzy.  Somehow his senses were playing tricks on him because he never felt her take his heart, but take it she had, and now it belonged to her forever.

Cassia in Love

The morning sun was in her eyes when Cassia woke up the next morning.  Something must be wrong for Novia hadn’t come for her.

She suddenly remembered Darius taking her hand for the first time.  All the romantic dreams of military men evaporated at that moment.  His eyes were so blue, and Cassia couldn’t stop looking into them.  When her father began to speak, neither of them heard a word he said.

They sat across from each other at the table.  Cassia’s heart kept beating just a little too fast while Darius felt awkward and uncouth as he spilled his wine and dropped food on the floor.  Quintus beamed with pleasure that this could be a love match as well.

When it was time for Darius to go, he asked if he could pay court to Cassia and Quintus gave his permission.  She watched him walk away, believing she could never bear the separation, then instantly ran to tell Novia about him.

“Mark my words, Cassia, when someone is as happy as you are, something terrible is looming ahead,” Novia warned.

“Oh, Novia, do you have to be so sensible all the time?  You have Flavius.  Don’t you feel that way about him?”

“My relationship with Flavius is…” Novia wasn’t sure how to describe their relationship.  “Well, let’s just say we get along well.  Love is a dangerous thing, Cassia.  It’s fine to love your mother or father, but love has no place in marriage.”

“Oh, that’s ridiculous, Novia,” Cassia said.  “I couldn’t bear being married without love.”

“Well, then, you’re doomed to disappointment.”

“I cannot believe you’re so disparaging, Novia.  It can’t be so bad as that,” Cassia said.

They were in Cassia’s room and Novia sat on the bed, pulling Cassia down next to her.

“It’s no good to love, Cassia.  When you love, you get hurt.  They fill your head with dreams and then, when another lovely face catches their eye, they leave.  Love leaves you cold and alone.”

Novia’s face exuded sadness.  Cassia had never seen her looking so forlorn.  She kept staring ahead of her, as though looking at someone far away.  Cassia put her hand on her shoulder, and Novia came back to herself.

“Yes, well, that’s all I have to say about love.”  Novia took Cassia’s hand. “I want you to promise me you won’t do anything you’ll be ashamed of.”

Cassia hesitated.  She knew what Novia was saying and she didn’t want to promise that.

“Your silence is my answer,” Novia said as she rose from the bed.

“Novia,” Cassia cried as she grabbed Novia’s arm, “you don’t understand.”

“No, Cassia, it is you that doesn’t understand.”

Novia left Cassia to undress herself.  Suddenly, she felt abandoned.  With no mother, sister, or friend to confide in, Novia had been everything to her.  Her love for Darius, while new, had already caused a shift in her fidelity, and she wasn’t quite sure of anything anymore.

The next morning, she dressed hurriedly and ran to the table.  A servant was placing food, and Novia was nowhere in sight.  Cassia ate quickly and went to look for Novia in the shop.

Flavius was looking out the door of the shop when Cassia entered.  She walked over to him and followed his eyes to the street.  Novia sat on the street, crying.  Cassia started to go to her, and Flavius grabbed her arm.

“Leave her, Cassia.  She needs to be alone.”

“On the street!  Are you both mad?”

Again Cassia tried to go to her and Flavius grabbed her and flung her to the ground.  He stood over her, his look threatening further violence if she moved.

“Sometimes you just have to leave a person be,” he said.  “I’m sorry, Cassia, but you must leave her alone.”

“But why doesn’t she just go to her room if she must cry?”