I’ve always been a good organiser, so the practical details were straightforward enough: I just had to make sure I could get away from the Oak Tree and as far as Eburacum without assistance from anyone here. I knew how I could arrange that. Then once I was in Eburacum, Albia wouldn’t refuse her help, and I could get to Isurium.
Lucius himself made it simpler for me than I could have dared to hope. What he should have done was talk to the staff straight away, because once he ordered them not to help me travel any distance from the Oak Tree, everyone would have to obey him: the slaves without question, the free staff from duty. But he was so determined to spend the rest of the day with his beloved that he and Vitellia set off for their country drive as soon as he’d finished laying down the law to me, and I knew they wouldn’t be back till dinner time. I had all day to plan.
First I wrote to Jovina, accepting her invitation and assuring her I was looking forward to her party, without of course mentioning her request for help. I wanted it to reach Isurium as soon as possible, which meant one of our lads would have to take it as far as Eburacum, from where the army post would carry it north. But luckily a cavalry courier I recognised stopped by to change horses and have a meal on his way west, and in no time he’d agreed to add my note to the bag of official messages he was carrying, in exchange for a free skin of wine for his journey. Cheap at the price.
The second letter took longer. It was to my sister Albia, and I was asking two favours. I needed her to help me on my journey to Isurium, even perhaps lend me transport to drive there, and also to look after Vitellia at her farm while I was away. I was sure she’d agree. She knew Jovina as well as I did, and would want to help if she was in trouble. All the same she’d think my requests odd, and I didn’t want to go into the problem of Lucius’ attitude in my note, so I added a couple of sentences which would tell her there was more here than met the eye: “I know I’m asking a lot, Albia. There’s a problem with a guest from Arpinum which is making all this a bit complicated.” “Arpinum” was a kind of code word all the staff knew, going back to the old days when Albia was my housekeeper at the Oak Tree. It was a way of telling each other discreetly that we’d got trouble. She would remember.
I didn’t expect the gods to find me a convenient army courier for this note too, but they did even better. As I headed for the stables to arrange for one of our own boys to ride to my sister’s, I heard hoof-beats coming down from the main road. Onto the forecourt rode a young man I recognised, one of Albia’s servants. He waved and called my name.
My heart missed several beats. A messenger from Albia? Was something wrong? Perhaps she was ill, or Candidus, or the children?
But he was grinning as he pulled up and jumped down beside me. “Don’t look so worried, Mistress, there’s nothing wrong. I’ve brought a message from Mistress Albia. She’s gone to stay in our Eburacum house for a few days, and she invites you to visit her there.”
“Albia’s in Eburacum? That’s wonderful. But surely…I mean why didn’t she call in here as she was passing? I can’t believe she wouldn’t stop at the Oak Tree on her way.”
“She didn’t come by this road. She went by way of Petuaria to visit Mistress Tullia there. She wanted to see her new baby. Very taken with it, she was, and…”
“Yes, I see.” Albia adores new babies. I can never understand it myself. “So she went direct to Eburacum from there?”
“That’s right. She had some business to do for the farm. We got there last night. She sent me straight here to ask if you’ll come and join her.”
He pulled a note-tablet from his saddlebag and handed it to me. “This letter explains it all. I’m to wait for your answer and take it straight back today.” He grinned again. “And I’m to say
Lucius himself made it simpler for me than I could have dared to hope. What he should have done was talk to the staff straight away, because once he ordered them not to help me travel any distance from the Oak Tree, everyone would have to obey him: the slaves without question, the free staff from duty. But he was so determined to spend the rest of the day with his beloved that he and Vitellia set off for their country drive as soon as he’d finished laying down the law to me, and I knew they wouldn’t be back till dinner time. I had all day to plan.
First I wrote to Jovina, accepting her invitation and assuring her I was looking forward to her party, without of course mentioning her request for help. I wanted it to reach Isurium as soon as possible, which meant one of our lads would have to take it as far as Eburacum, from where the army post would carry it north. But luckily a cavalry courier I recognised stopped by to change horses and have a meal on his way west, and in no time he’d agreed to add my note to the bag of official messages he was carrying, in exchange for a free skin of wine for his journey. Cheap at the price.
The second letter took longer. It was to my sister Albia, and I was asking two favours. I needed her to help me on my journey to Isurium, even perhaps lend me transport to drive there, and also to look after Vitellia at her farm while I was away. I was sure she’d agree. She knew Jovina as well as I did, and would want to help if she was in trouble. All the same she’d think my requests odd, and I didn’t want to go into the problem of Lucius’ attitude in my note, so I added a couple of sentences which would tell her there was more here than met the eye: “I know I’m asking a lot, Albia. There’s a problem with a guest from Arpinum which is making all this a bit complicated.” “Arpinum” was a kind of code word all the staff knew, going back to the old days when Albia was my housekeeper at the Oak Tree. It was a way of telling each other discreetly that we’d got trouble. She would remember.
I didn’t expect the gods to find me a convenient army courier for this note too, but they did even better. As I headed for the stables to arrange for one of our own boys to ride to my sister’s, I heard hoof-beats coming down from the main road. Onto the forecourt rode a young man I recognised, one of Albia’s servants. He waved and called my name.
My heart missed several beats. A messenger from Albia? Was something wrong? Perhaps she was ill, or Candidus, or the children?
But he was grinning as he pulled up and jumped down beside me. “Don’t look so worried, Mistress, there’s nothing wrong. I’ve brought a message from Mistress Albia. She’s gone to stay in our Eburacum house for a few days, and she invites you to visit her there.”
“Albia’s in Eburacum? That’s wonderful. But surely…I mean why didn’t she call in here as she was passing? I can’t believe she wouldn’t stop at the Oak Tree on her way.”
“She didn’t come by this road. She went by way of Petuaria to visit Mistress Tullia there. She wanted to see her new baby. Very taken with it, she was, and…”
“Yes, I see.” Albia adores new babies. I can never understand it myself. “So she went direct to Eburacum from there?”
“That’s right. She had some business to do for the farm. We got there last night. She sent me straight here to ask if you’ll come and join her.”
He pulled a note-tablet from his saddlebag and handed it to me. “This letter explains it all. I’m to wait for your answer and take it straight back today.” He grinned again. “And I’m to say
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