Death at Pompeia's Wedding Read Online Free PDF Page A

Libe—’
    She turned and rapped him smartly on the ear with the ivory handle of her folding vellum fan. ‘Silence, oaf! I was not asking you. If he’s too ill-bred to answer for himself, I will consult my page.’ She turned to the youngster. ‘Slave! Who is this . . . citizen?’ The sneering pause before the final word made it quite clear what her opinion was of my bedraggled toga and its presence in her house.
    The page looked sheepish. ‘Madam, excuse me, but I do not know. He was just about to tell me when his servant came.’ He flinched as if he expected an angry blow for this, and when none came he burbled on again. ‘I have not seen his invitation scroll because in fact I did not escort him in. I found him waiting outside the atrium.’
    She turned to me now, jabbing the fan handle almost in my face. ‘So, he was walking unaccompanied around my house, was he? And where did he get that silver platter from?’
    ‘Madam, it was a present from His Exc—’ I said, just as Minimus began to tug my sleeve.
    ‘Master, it really is important that you come. There’s no time to be lost.’
    This time the rap was very sharp indeed, and left a weal across my servant’s face. ‘Is there no limit to your insolence? I shall send for the household guard and have you flogged. And as for you . . .’ She glared at me. ‘I shall summon the doorman and see you are removed. I don’t know what my son Honorius will say when he learns of this intrusion on a day like this.’ She turned back to the page. ‘Where is your master, anyway? I thought he went out with the steward to select the banquet wines.’
    The boy looked sheepish. ‘Forgive me, lady, but again I do not know. I haven’t seen him since he sent me off to find the walnuts, a little time ago—’
    Minimus astounded me by breaking in again. ‘Your pardon, madam, but I know where he is.’ She turned to him, eyes flashing, but he persevered. ‘Let me give my message and you will understand. If Honorius is your son, then what I have to say concerns you very much. He was the victim of this accident. Two of his slaves have taken him and laid him on his bed.’
    The skin beneath the careful face paint paled visibly. ‘Great Mars! What accident was this? No, don’t answer now. Wait a minute!’ She turned to the invited guests, who had given up pretending and were listening openly. ‘Citizens and ladies,’ she said with dignity, ‘will you pardon me. A slight hitch has arisen, which I must attend to straight away. Please continue to talk among yourselves – and, slaves, you may begin to serve the sweetmeats now. Please forgive me, I shall not be long.’ As she spoke she shepherded us out into the hall, where she addressed us in an urgent undertone.
    ‘Now, then, what accident was this? And on his daughter’s wedding day, as well! What a dreadful portent! The guests will be distressed, and the bridegroom might cancel if he hears of it and we would lose a strong alliance with a wealthy family.’
    I gulped. I know that Roman society considers it good form to keep one’s private emotion under strict control, but her apparent lack of feeling quite astonished me. If I had heard such news about my adopted son, I would have insisted on being taken to his side at once, at the risk of offending Jupiter himself. She seemed less concerned about the welfare of her son than about the effect upon her guests.
    She was still frowning thoughtfully, and when Minimus made a sign as if he wished to speak, she silenced him with an imperious hand. ‘Do not interrupt me when I’m trying to think. I am deciding what it is best to do. My son is receiving good attention, I suppose?’
    Minimus had learnt his lesson with the fan. He contented himself this time with a nod.
    The woman inclined her own head, as if satisfied. ‘Then perhaps it need not come to cancellation after all. If we need a medicus, we will send for one. But we must act speedily. The bridegroom will be