The Ides of April

XXXIV

I met him. Io Saturnalia!

That light frame and his thick, swept-back hair gave me a pang. Andronicus came jauntily along the Street of the Armilustrium, swinging a small glass flagon on a leather string from his left wrist. It looked like a bath-oil jar. I met him as I returned homewards in a grumpy mood, which instantly lightened. He conducted a farce about pretending he couldn't remember knowing me. I lapped it up, overjoyed by his happy silliness.

We then kissed cheeks, with extreme formality, to respect our position in public on a main street. His breath felt warm and tantalising on my face. He nuzzled around me, not touching, just growling under his breath with suppressed desire. It drove me wild, as he intended.

We walked.

He had lost his beard. The effect was not too striking because it had been so light-coloured, never hiding his features; to begin with, I didn't even notice the difference, but he was conscious of it. They had had a cull of facial hair, he said. Even though the rites of Ceres were famously Greek, Faustus had ordered patriotic Roman cleanshaven chins all round. A barber had even been specially brought in to scrape everyone.

"Even Tiberius?"

"Even the bristly kitchenmaid. Albia, you wouldn't recognise Tiberius."

Andronicus said that Manlius Faustus expected everyone in his household to be spruced up every evening, to attend as a group whatever festival ceremonies he organised. They were all on show. There could be no skiving.

"Dutiful support?"

"Showing off how rich he is by the size of his retinue!" complained my friend. "Most of the others are stupidly thrilled because he hands out free tickets. Of course he does. If an aedile can't pack the Circus seats with his own people cheering him, what's the point of the job? I'd like to bunk off and see you sometime, but any absence will be noted and reported to him by some mean spy in the cringing entourage."

"Don't get into trouble on my account, Andronicus."

"You are so sweet!"

Not sweet; diplomatic. Andronicus' well-being mattered and I had some self-interest. I did not want Manlius Faustus to decide I was luring one of his staff away from proper duties. I had not even met this man, yet I felt we had a prickly relationship.

I told Andronicus how pleased I was to have found him by chance today. Perhaps foolishly, I mentioned how I had toyed with visiting his home and asking to see him. As usual, my mischievous friend immediately picked up this rash suggestion. He said the aedile's house was close nearby, so he would take me there at once and show me round.

Of course it could be a bad idea. And I fell for it.

Why do I take such risks? Well, if nothing else, my Aventine granny would have been proud of me. As I said in connection with Salvidia's funeral, Junilla Tacita seized any opportunity to inspect her neighbour's houses. An aedile's home? Thrills! She would expect me to check the sheets for moth holes and run a finger along shelves, looking for dust.