I did. There was a place in the forest where the land had once been ground, but the land was too waterlogged to support a crop and the effort was abandoned, leaving an area of swampy pools. It was a little distance from the track and in the summer it was screened by leafy trees, but it was easily visible at this time of year. ‘Of course,’ I said. ‘We passed it just today.’
‘There was a tragedy down there the other day as well. When that Cantalarius was here, he told me that he’d seen it from the road. Half a dozen people trying to retrieve a body from the lake. He almost stopped to help them, but it was getting dark. Some poor man who’d slipped and fallen in head first — either drowned or knocked his head and froze to death. The ice had formed around him and they were having to break it up to get the corpse.’ She shuddered. ‘What an awful way to go. And that’s just the two fatalities that we have heard about.’
I made a sympathetic noise. Of course she had been worried. Every winter there are several deaths like that — and this winter had been particularly cruel. ‘Never mind,’ I said. ‘It has begun to thaw.’
She gave a rueful laugh. ‘As soon as I saw that I was concerned again. I knew that you would try to come as soon as possible, but the paths are terrible and I’ve heard wolves howling in the forest on several nights. And Cantalarius said that something had been gnawing at that corpse.’ She shook her head at me. ‘Time we bought a mule, ourselves, so you don’t have to walk — it would make your life a great deal easier. It would save me nightmares, too.’
‘But what about poor Junio and the slaves?’ I said. ‘Or are you suggesting we buy mules for them as well? And what should I do with the animals while I’m in the shop? Leave them with a hiring stables and pay fees for them?’
She didn’t answer — usually a sign that she knows I am right.
I pressed my advantage. ‘Besides, how many times since we’ve been living here have you known the roads to be impassable with snow — let alone for them to stay that way for days?’
‘Cantalarius seems to manage to afford a mule,’ she said, shifting the subject in that way she has. ‘And he’s much worse off than us.’
‘You managed to pay him, I suppose?’ I said. ‘I know that two sesterces is a lot to give for simply bringing you a message, when he was coming this way in any case — but I felt it was worth it to stop you worrying.’
She rolled the dough into a ball and slapped it down on to the baking iron. ‘You’d squander money on a thing like that, but you will not think of purchasing a mule. But I paid him, certainly — I gave him the money from the sandal fund, as you sent word to do — but it wasn’t two sesterces, I’m afraid. I’d already spent the larger part of that, laying in some extra oil and kindling.’
I sat up in surprise. ‘How did you manage that? Surely you didn’t go walking into town?’ It was a foolish question — I knew the forest tracks had been impassable on foot — but Glevum was the only local marketplace for oil.
She shook her head and laughed. ‘Of course not, husband! Would I come without alerting you? But when the snow began I feared that we would soon run out of heat and light, so I went to Marcus’s villa and talked to Julia. She let me have some from the household store, and a mobius measureful of flour as well. I insisted that I’d pay her — I don’t like to beg — but she’d only take a fraction of the proper price.’ She grinned at me. ‘But it still left only a few brass coins in the onion-pot. I gave them to Cantalarius. He seemed to think you’d promised him much more.’
‘I did. Poor Cantalarius. I’ll have to go and see him sometime soon and give him what is due. Supposing that Genialis ever does turn up. You know, wife, I’m not convinced he has sheltered in an inn. There’s more to his disappearance than you know about.’ I was about to try to tell her everything, all about Silvia and the messenger — leaving out my visit to the money-lenders, of course — but again she shook her head.
‘Tell me in the morning. You’ve finished your contract, so you can stay at home now for a day or two — especially as you say your client isn’t there to pay you yet. So there isn’t any rush. And you need to rest — you are exhausted, I can see.’
I thought of protesting but I closed my eyes, and there can be no doubt that she was right, because a moment later — as I thought — when I opened them again, there she was still fully dressed and leaning over me.
‘Have you not come to bed yet?’ I said stupidly.
She smiled indulgently. ‘Husband, it is very nearly noon. The slaves and I have all been up for hours, although we slept through till dawn. I was content to let you sleep — you clearly needed rest — and I am sorry to have to wake you now. But there is someone here. A page of Marcus’s — he wants you to accompany him as soon as possible.’
EIGHT
Already close to noon and Marcus’s impatient page awaiting me! I sat up, groaning, and flung the furs and blankets back. Of course my patron had warned me that he’d want to see me soon. Obviously he’d already come back from the town today, and that fact — more than anything — persuaded me how long I must have slept. ‘Dear gods,’ I murmured, rolling out of bed. ‘And I left my toga in the workshop yesterday.’
Gwellia nodded briskly. ‘Never mind. You’ve got your old one here. I’ve sent the boys to hang it in the sun while you have some food. That will freshen it, at least. It’s frayed and mended, but it will have to do. Better than attending Marcus in a tunic, anyway. And you’ll have to wear a cloak in any case — it’s fine this morning but it is very cold. The water bucket had a full thumb’s breadth of ice on it, and when Kurso went up to the spring to get the day’s supply, he had to break the surface with a stick and wait a little while for it to thaw enough to flow.’
‘I trust that he was careful?’ I said, recalling the fate of the poor herb-seller.
‘It took him twice as long as usual. But he brought it back and there is some here ready for you in the jug. Wait and I’ll call Minimus to help you wash and dress.’
‘No time, if I’m wanted at the villa instantly.’ I had poured a little of the water out into the bowl, dipped my face and hands in it — though it was so cold it almost took my breath away — and was pulling on a cleaner tunic by this time. ‘Where is this toga?’
Gwellia shook her head. ‘You have your oatcakes first.’ She gave a knowing wink. ‘Don’t worry. You have sufficient time. Marcus’s page is in the servants’ roundhouse now, eating one that I had Kurso serve to him — and a cup of watered mead as well. Just as well you left some, when you went to bed!’
‘My clever wife!’ I laughed approvingly. Offering the messenger refreshment in this way would be regarded by my patron as a courtesy — honouring the slave is an established way of honouring the slave owner as well — but it also gave me the opportunity to rise and eat and dress without keeping Marcus’s servant waiting idly at the door.
Gwellia grinned and produced two still-warm oatcakes from a cloth beside the fire, and I ate them greedily, together with a little of the strong and crumbled cheese made from the summer milkings of the goats. A cup of fresh water and my meal was done. By this time my two red-haired servants had appeared and I was ready to be dressed in the sorry toga which they’d brought in with them. I rose and held my arms up while they draped it on. Maximus was especially dexterous at the task, but even he could not arrange the folds in such a way as wholly to disguise the patched and mended hems. All the same it was the best that could be done. I nodded my approval.
‘Very well. Minimus, you can go and tell the page that I am ready to accompany him.’
Minimus scurried off to do as he was told, while Maximus looked doubtfully at me. ‘Master, will you be wanting us to go with you as well?’