Caveat emptor

55

Ruso had just finished installing Albanus in Julius Asper’s office with an abacus and instructions to check what pay was owed to the guards-a task that should keep him out of trouble until it was time to leave-when he opened the door to see three women hurrying toward him across the noisy expanse of the Great Hall.

Tilla was wearing a blue plaid overtunic he had never seen before, hitched up over a belt because it was too long. Camma was carrying the baby, Grata clutching the wooden box that had contained Asper’s money and the coin mold.

“What’s wrong?”

“Your wife has been attacked!” declared Grata.

With three of them trying to explain at once it was a while before he grasped that the attack had taken place last night. He had not been told earlier because Tilla had insisted she was not hurt and she did not want everyone to make a fuss.

“That’s ridiculous!” He put a protective arm around her, thankful for once that this morning’s guard included Dias. “My wife’s been attacked in the street!” he declared, formally inviting Dias to intervene, as if he might not have overheard while standing three feet away.

The guard captain asked for details. Tilla repeated that she was not hurt, she did not want a fuss, nothing was stolen, and no, she had no idea who had done it. Meanwhile Grata was insisting that the man had tried to strangle her and Camma was tugging at the elbow of Tilla’s undertunic to show where it had been freshly darned in wool that did not match. “He threw her on the ground. Look! Her other dress is covered in mud and ruined!”

Ruso felt his wife shrinking against him, as if all the well-intentioned outrage were a further assault. “Come with me,” he insisted, drawing her back toward Asper’s office. “We’ll clear Albanus out and you can tell me exactly what happened.”

“Albanus?”

“He’s going to take you back to Londinium this afternoon,” said Ruso, letting Albanus tactfully scuttle out before closing the door and holding her close. Finally he settled her into Julius Asper’s chair. “You’re very pale. Are you really all right? What did he do to you?”

He examined the movement of her neck, checked the bruised knees and the grazed elbow, and conceded that the damage could have been worse. “Did he try to-”

“No,” she said, guessing the question. “He said it was a message.”

As she explained, he felt himself begin to tremble with rage. He wanted to throttle the unknown bully who had terrified his wife. He was angry with himself too. He should have warned her about that first anonymous letter. He should have arranged for someone to walk her home from the mansio.

“And you really didn’t see anything?” he persisted. “What about his voice? Was he a local?”

“Please stop walking up and down.”

“Could you guess his height? What was he wearing?”

“I don’t know! Stop. You are giving me a headache.”

“I should never have let you come here. I’ll get you back to Valens. I don’t care how it looks, at least you’ll be safe there.”

Tilla looked up. “I forgot. There is something to tell you. When we went to the mansio to find you this morning we saw Serena. She said there was a man who asked the boys’ nursemaid which room the investigator was using.”

“What?” He stopped pacing. “When? Why didn’t she say so before? Can she describe him?”

“Two days ago. They asked all the mansio staff, but nobody thought to ask Serena’s people.” When she had finished passing on the description she said, “I think I have seen this man before.”

He frowned. “So have I, but I don’t believe it. I can’t imagine him attacking you in the street.”

She managed a smile. “Perhaps he has a big strong friend.”

“He’ll be needing one when I get ahold of him.” He bent to kiss her on the forehead. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. Stay with the other women and don’t-”

His warning was interrupted by a sharp rap on the door. He was about to turn the visitor away when Tilla said, “It is all right.” She squeezed his hand. “I am feeling better now.”

The caller was an out-of-breath Gallonius, red in the face and full of apologies for the dreadful outrage that had taken place last night. He had only just heard the news. He had come right away to offer condolences to the lady and the services of the local doctor. He did not know what was happening. The whole town was appalled. Verulamium was usually such a law-abiding place, priding itself on welcoming its visitors… He could not believe it. Really, he could not. It had brought shame on them all. He could not apologize enough. When they caught the man, he would be made to pay for this appalling attack on an innocent and respectable married woman.

Concerned that Gallonius would soon be in need of a doctor himself, Ruso tried to calm him down.

Finally reassured that Tilla had suffered little more than a serious fright, Gallonius promised to have stern words with the guard captain about street patrols and said he would arrange a personal armed escort for the rest of her stay.

“My wife’s leaving for Londinium at midday,” Ruso explained.

Gallonius looked disappointed, as if this confirmed his worst fears. “And I had hoped you would both come to dinner at my town house tonight. As a small compensation, on behalf of my people. Investigator, perhaps you might…?”

While Ruso was trying to excuse himself from an evening of more apology and outrage, Tilla took his hand and looked up at him with an air of innocence that he recognized as the prelude to insubordination. “I would like to stay for dinner,” she said. “I would feel so much safer traveling back tomorrow with you, husband.”

“That would be marvelous!” exclaimed Gallonius. “My wife will be delighted to meet you both. I’ll go at once and tell cook.”

Having refused to leave as ordered, Tilla then insisted that she did not need a guard escort to go and help bury Asper’s ashes, which were in the treasure box. She also refused the suggestion that Albanus go with them. “It is the middle of the day, husband, there are lots of people about and there are three of us.”

“I know, but-”

“I am not going to hide forever because of one man.”

“I’m not saying you have to hide forever. I just want you to be careful.”

“I am careful!”

“Last night-”

“This is not last night! Do not treat me like a child.”

“I’m not! I’m treating you like the woman who may be carrying my child.”

She looked at him for a moment, then squared her shoulders. “That is not fair.”

“I don’t care,” he said. “I don’t want you getting hurt. And by the sound of it, the others will be safer with you out of the way.”

She took him by both hands. “You are a good man,” she said. “And a kind husband. But I am a grown woman and I will be safe with my friends.”

“Promise me you’ll stay close to them.”

“All the time,” she promised. “Believe me, I do not want to meet that man again.”

Albanus looked relieved at being allowed back into Asper’s office. “I couldn’t quite think what to say to that very tall woman out there, sir. The other one left to go off and argue with your guard chap so she was just standing there with her baby. I wasn’t sure whether I was supposed to be making conversation with her or not, so I didn’t say anything. It was all rather embarrassing. Is it true she’s a descendant of Boudica?”

“So she says.”

“Dear me.” said Albanus. “I hope I haven’t offended her.”