site.”
“Stonehenge. Marek has a villa nearby?” She had to see it.
Her heart thumped excitedly. A feeling of an almost sexual-like ecstasy heated her from the inside out.
Stonehenge.
Janney forced her attention back to where she was right now. The baths.
One miracle at a time.
Augusta gently tugged Janney away from the Corinthian columns of the temple and across the limestone walk to the main altar in the center of the courtyard. “This is where the priest sacrifices animals, so he can foretell the future. See, his name is carved in the base of the statue.”
“I know. I saw it.” Janney stared, suddenly serious. “Look at the carving on the altar’s corners. They’re so clear and clean now, not worn down by time like when I…”
Janney fought to control her emotion, a sudden homesickness hitting her.
“Augusta,” she tried to keep her voice steady. “I saw a lot of this.” Janney closed her eyes, shook her head slightly. “They’re in fragments, but there were enough to piece together and get the idea of what it looked like.”
Janney caught Augusta’s gaze. She needed the other woman to anchor her. She could handle all these new experiences, but she needed to know that someone else knew who she really was and where she came from.
“Janney, let’s go inside and bathe. I’m sure you’ll be delighted to see the baths as they were originally intended. And we’ll meet my husband and Marek,” Augusta added in encouragement.
Janney nodded, then stopped, her gaze following Augusta’s retreating back. Janney bit the inside of her cheek. Was he in
there now? Walking around naked? Exercising? She sucked in a quick breath.
Whew! Now that would be a sight.
“Janney,” Augusta called. “Come on.”
People jostled her, passing on either side. All this was so strange and yet not. She’d read about the baths and had studied their layout. Now, incredibly, here was her chance to see them in their original state, because at any moment she could wake from this glorious dream and it would all be gone. This just couldn’t be happening in her real life.
Huh, real life? Every time she tried to tell herself it was the history that fascinated her, the truth slammed into her. He fascinated her.
Augusta had to come back and tug Janney along. “Let’s go.
I’m looking forward to a massage. I imagine you are, too.”
“Okay, I’m coming.” Janney closed her eyes a moment and took a deep breath. Whatever was going on here, Augusta was her lifeline.
Just follow her, do what she does, learn how to live here in the Second Century. You don’t have any other choice at the moment.
Following Augusta, Janney surveyed the covered walk as they entered the baths near the sacred spring. Augusta’s voice took on the soft cadence of a tour guide as they approached the three archways overlooking the dim, misty, hot mineral water.
Many people were already standing there throwing things in the pool. Augusta told her how the ancient spring had been covered with the vaulted roof only in the last few years. Waiting their turn at the arches, Janney could only gawk at the statues rising out of the pool like eerie specters in the swirling mist.
“I don’t have anything to offer the gods,” Janney whispered.
“You know about this?” It was Augusta’s turn to gaze wide-eyed at her.
Janney laughed out loud, shocking the people crowding around her. “I’m sorry,” Janney giggled, delighted that Augusta was struck speechless. “Yes, I do. Would you believe that things were found in the bottom of the pool? Coins, jewelry, and little
pieces of pewter with curses carved in them. Some of them were pretty funny. Something about a girlfriend or a napkin being stolen.”
“Girlfriend or napkin?” Augusta looked skeptical. “How can that be?”
“I don’t know.” Janney chuckled again. “I’m not sure we really know how to translate the Latin now. I mean, then. Oh Lord.” She looked
“Stonehenge. Marek has a villa nearby?” She had to see it.
Her heart thumped excitedly. A feeling of an almost sexual-like ecstasy heated her from the inside out.
Stonehenge.
Janney forced her attention back to where she was right now. The baths.
One miracle at a time.
Augusta gently tugged Janney away from the Corinthian columns of the temple and across the limestone walk to the main altar in the center of the courtyard. “This is where the priest sacrifices animals, so he can foretell the future. See, his name is carved in the base of the statue.”
“I know. I saw it.” Janney stared, suddenly serious. “Look at the carving on the altar’s corners. They’re so clear and clean now, not worn down by time like when I…”
Janney fought to control her emotion, a sudden homesickness hitting her.
“Augusta,” she tried to keep her voice steady. “I saw a lot of this.” Janney closed her eyes, shook her head slightly. “They’re in fragments, but there were enough to piece together and get the idea of what it looked like.”
Janney caught Augusta’s gaze. She needed the other woman to anchor her. She could handle all these new experiences, but she needed to know that someone else knew who she really was and where she came from.
“Janney, let’s go inside and bathe. I’m sure you’ll be delighted to see the baths as they were originally intended. And we’ll meet my husband and Marek,” Augusta added in encouragement.
Janney nodded, then stopped, her gaze following Augusta’s retreating back. Janney bit the inside of her cheek. Was he in
there now? Walking around naked? Exercising? She sucked in a quick breath.
Whew! Now that would be a sight.
“Janney,” Augusta called. “Come on.”
People jostled her, passing on either side. All this was so strange and yet not. She’d read about the baths and had studied their layout. Now, incredibly, here was her chance to see them in their original state, because at any moment she could wake from this glorious dream and it would all be gone. This just couldn’t be happening in her real life.
Huh, real life? Every time she tried to tell herself it was the history that fascinated her, the truth slammed into her. He fascinated her.
Augusta had to come back and tug Janney along. “Let’s go.
I’m looking forward to a massage. I imagine you are, too.”
“Okay, I’m coming.” Janney closed her eyes a moment and took a deep breath. Whatever was going on here, Augusta was her lifeline.
Just follow her, do what she does, learn how to live here in the Second Century. You don’t have any other choice at the moment.
Following Augusta, Janney surveyed the covered walk as they entered the baths near the sacred spring. Augusta’s voice took on the soft cadence of a tour guide as they approached the three archways overlooking the dim, misty, hot mineral water.
Many people were already standing there throwing things in the pool. Augusta told her how the ancient spring had been covered with the vaulted roof only in the last few years. Waiting their turn at the arches, Janney could only gawk at the statues rising out of the pool like eerie specters in the swirling mist.
“I don’t have anything to offer the gods,” Janney whispered.
“You know about this?” It was Augusta’s turn to gaze wide-eyed at her.
Janney laughed out loud, shocking the people crowding around her. “I’m sorry,” Janney giggled, delighted that Augusta was struck speechless. “Yes, I do. Would you believe that things were found in the bottom of the pool? Coins, jewelry, and little
pieces of pewter with curses carved in them. Some of them were pretty funny. Something about a girlfriend or a napkin being stolen.”
“Girlfriend or napkin?” Augusta looked skeptical. “How can that be?”
“I don’t know.” Janney chuckled again. “I’m not sure we really know how to translate the Latin now. I mean, then. Oh Lord.” She looked
Similar Books
