Saturnalia

LIX

I took Petronius Longus at his word.

While I was out and about, I went to see Julia Justa. At the senator's house the door porter consented to say that my mother-inlaw had gone that morning to the Vestals' House, though she had not returned. Typical: Mastarna killed Scaeva and presumably he then decapitated the dead patient. I no longer needed an explanation, but I was obligated to JuliaJusta anyway… I would not have made her beg favours from her Vestal friend unless it was unavoidable; next time we needed the Vestal it was bound to be more difficult, and who knows what emergencies lay in the future?

The senator was out. Gone to the gym. Perhaps to escape the stress at home. He and I were both members of Cassius' gymnasium by the Temple of Castor, so I thought I might drop in and find him there. Unfortunately, someone had reported my presence in the house to Claudia Rufina. She came flying downstairs, green stoles fluttering like yacht pennants, and accosted me. She was a good mother, and her arrival was punctuated by alternate wafts of a very expensive perfume and baby milk. One of her pendant pearl ear-rings was sitting askew; Claudia had a devoted Baetican maid and plenty of polished silver hand mirrors, so it had probably been playfully yanked by ninemonth-old Gaius Camillus Rufius Constantinus. She grabbed at my sleeve. 'Marcus, don't go!' 'Ah Claudia – don't hit me!' She lowered her voice swiftly to a quieter register. 'Don't ever joke about that, Falco.' Teasing was what this higWy anxious young woman needed, in my opinion. She needed to hand it out too. If she had let Justinus think she didn't give a damn, he would have come skipping home weeks ago. Still, not all women were like Helena Justina; that was why Helena had been inescapably my choice. I was still being surprised by her. Whereas this one had had her fiery moments and was generally viewed as temperamental, to me she would always be straightforward and predictable. I knew what she thought of my talents, for instance: 'You are never going to sort it out, are you?' 'Claudia, don't be so pessimistic. Events are moving fast. Have you seen Quintus?' 'I don't care if! never see him again.' 'You do care – and, Claudia, you have to contact him. You and he must talk.'

Claudia fiddled with the bangles on her wrist. 'Well he knows where to find us. He could come home. He could visit the baby, at least. '

'Claudia, he really can't come at the moment. He is generously caring for a young soldier who is terribly wounded. Quintus and 1 are both fond of Lentullus, and he is perilously close to death. He saved your husband's life getting his wounds. Besides, 1 ordered Quintus to stay put. 1 had to. I'm trying to keep him out of Anacrites' clutches.' Claudia stared at the floor. 'That man came to see me.' He was back from Nemi then. 'I hope you didn't tell him anything. ' Claudia's face clouded. She had talked. Rats. At least she was now feeling guilty about it. That meant she was vulnerable to pressure. 'He's a bastard. Poor you. Was it awful?' 'Oh Marcus, 1 told him Quintus was hiding with the vigiles. Was that very wrong of me?' Just very, very stupid.

1 sucked my teeth. 'Well, whatever comes of it, I'm sure Quintus will forgive you.' 1 let it sound doubtful. 'Given how much he loves you, Claudia…'

Claudia Rufina burst into tears. Oh, excellent. Or as Helena scoffed later when 1 told her about it, 'You swine, Falco!'