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by Linda Coleman

  “Your gesture is truly noble, Lissa, but without money you will not survive long in this city.” Caesar had made a point that needed a response.

  “I still have options open to me.” Melissa turned her face towards Antony so that Caesar could not see her expression. Mouthing the words “play along”, she ran her hand up his thigh and under the cushion. Antony groaned and leant back against the couch. She returned her gaze to Caesar. “I do not feel I will be without means just yet.”

  Caesar nodded, agreeing with Melissa’s assessment of her situation; mistresses of the Roman elite lived exceptionally well. “I see your logic, though I am uncertain which of you will benefit from the arrangement more. Make sure you charge him the going rate, mind, as he will no doubt try to fleece you if you give him the opportunity.”

  Melissa knew this was her last chance to fulfil her obligations to Brutus. She had to warn Caesar about the assassination and make him doubt her words at the same time. “Noble Caesar, there is one last piece of information I must give you. Last night as Antony … whilst he was …” she lowered her head, then raised it again taking an over-exaggerated gasp as she did so, “… After he had taken me, I saw your end. I cannot be sure of the exact date, but you will not have power in this city beyond the Ides of March. You must take great care, Caesar.”

  Caesar looked thoughtful for a moment. “After he took you, you say … hmmm … it appears on this matter we will have to wait and see.” He turned and walked to the door, pausing on the threshold “Lissa, I wish you well as you embark on your new career! Antony, I will decide how to deal with you later. It would be best if you remain absent from my presence for the time being.” And with that he left, passing an anxious Vitruvius who was still standing in the hallway, having sent Antonius into the kitchen to wait with Renna.

  Back in the main room, Antony and Melissa both slumped on the couch in relief. Melissa began to sob quietly. Antony pulled her towards him and held her head to his chest, whispering gently to her. Vitruvius entered the room and stopped, fearing the worst. Antony looked at him and shook his head, requesting silence. He needed time himself to gather his own feelings under control. Vitruvius walked to the chair that Caesar had vacated and sat down. Melissa was glad to be alive, but was still stunned that they had survived. Her fear and relief flowed from her like the fast-running waters of the Tiber and her sobs turned into wails. Gradually the crying subsided, leaving her feeling utterly drained. She lay against Antony’s body unable to move, allowing him to stroke her arm and back in a clear display of genuine affection.

  Vitruvius was desperate to know what had happened, and looked at Antony beseechingly. Antony cleared his throat and displayed his usual bravado as he spoke.

  “Well, I thought that went rather well. We are all still alive and reasonably unscathed. You, Vitruvius, are now quite a wealthy man, or soon will be, once Caesar has reallocated a considerable proportion of my personal wealth. And as for this one,” he rocked Melissa slightly as he spoke, “she proved to be an exceptional little actress, playing Caesar until the very last.” He bent his head closer to Melissa’s so that only she could hear his words. “Of course you realise that you have cost me a great deal of money and I expect an opportunity to recover at least some of that expenditure in other ways.”

  Melissa knew what he was hinting at, but she no longer cared. He had walked into a room where he could easily have met his death. He had faced down unenviable odds and survived. He had lied for her at great personal cost to himself. She had not expected any of this from the man she thought had only wanted her out of revenge. She raised her head from his chest and stared into his dark eyes. His pupils had dilated, showing that his passions were running far closer to his outwardly calm exterior than he was displaying. She pushed herself up his body until her head was level with his. “Whatever you want from me is yours,” she said and kissed him passionately, her tongue sliding sensuously between his lips.

  As she began to pull back he grabbed her and held her to him, returning her kiss. Her unexpected show of willingness excited him physically to the point where it was showing far more prominently than even he would have liked as the cushion slid to the floor. He released her and stared back into her eyes.

  “Why not take the boy out somewhere?” Antony was speaking to Vitruvius, but could not take his eyes off Melissa. “All day would be best. And take that slave with you. I do not want any more interruptions.”

  Whether her reaction was from relief or genuine emotion, Antony had no idea, but, for the first time he could remember, Melissa had kissed him willingly. He had no intention of letting the moment pass and resumed their kiss, slowly turning her onto the couch behind him, oblivious to whether Vitruvius had followed his instructions or not.

  In her litter on the return journey to the villa across the Tiber, Cleopatra was considering the events of the morning carefully. The woman who supposedly saw the future was obviously a fraud and the Queen was pleased with herself for exposing that drain on Caesar’s resources.

  Mark Antony was not what she had expected. She knew he was rumoured to be an amazing tactician, who was more than able to rival Caesar in battle and today she had watched as he had used those skills to outmanoeuvre, and then embarrass his mentor. She had also heard of his alleged charms, equally on display, along with his total lack of regard for authority. The real surprise was his acceptance of the child. She had heard that Antony was in some ways as much a typical Roman as the next man, despite his more liberal attitudes to other traditions. As such, she had never expected him to acknowledge a foreign child that he had fathered. This was not the act of a normal Roman citizen.

  Cleopatra began to wonder if she had chosen the wrong Roman commander with whom to ally herself. She decided it might be prudent to keep one eye firmly fixed on Antony in the future, and watch for any opportunity that could prove advantageous to them both.

  Chapter 24

  That evening at dinner, tensions between Vitruvius and Antony were higher than ever. Vitruvius had taken Antonius out as instructed and then put him to bed as soon as they had returned. He had no intention of allowing the poor, innocent child to be scarred by what was going on in the house. As he saw it, Melissa was a changed woman. Where she had always professed to have seen Antony for what he was, she now seemed to have warmed to him. Whether it was as a result of the events of that morning or whether spending so much time in his presence had de-sensitised her, Vitruvius could not tell, but she was no longer the woman she had once been. He was no longer certain where her allegiances lay.

  Antony, on the other hand, was ecstatic. The rush of adrenalin associated with his brush with disaster and possible death had given him a renewed energy that had not dampened, despite his hectic day. Melissa had not only been willing to spend the entire day in bed with him, she had initiated much of their lovemaking, which had only excited him further. It seemed she finally wanted him as much as he wanted her. That evening, as they had reclined to eat, she had remained close rather than moving to the opposite end of the couch. Their bodies were still touching as they had been all day. It was as if she could not bear to be apart from him for even a second. Antony felt on top of the world. The victory he had sought for so many years now had no meaning: all he wanted was to keep this new, accommodating Melissa happy and contented in his arms and, most importantly, in his bed.

  Over the course of the meal the exact details of Vitruvius’ new-found wealth were explained. In this much at least, Vitruvius believed the others had been honest with him, but he was not sure how much further he could trust either of them. Even though the man had probably saved all their lives, Vitruvius still struggled to be civil to Antony and would have no doubt failed dismally had he not drunk an entire flask of wine. He was working on an excuse to leave when Antony mentioned Melissa’s final prophecy to Caesar.

  “So, the Ides then? Is that when the deed will be done? Is that when your good friend Brutus will remove Caesar from power?” Antony’s mood
was upbeat. His questions were direct, but implied he already knew more than he was letting on. Melissa looked awkward and became suddenly withdrawn and silent. “Will one of you please answer me, or do I really have to work everything out for myself?” Antony looked alternately between Melissa and Vitruvius as he waited for a response.

  “Consul, I swear I have no idea what it is you speak of. Lissa has never spoken to me of her dealings with Marcus Brutus. If I have ever asked, she has insisted it is none of my business.” Vitruvius’ answer was the truth.

  Antony surveyed him with suspicion, then, realising that Vitruvius’ expression was truly one of honesty, he began to laugh so hard he nearly choked. “I would not have believed it if I had not seen it with my own eyes,” he said, tears running down his face. “She tells you even less than she tells me!” Once his laughter had subsided, he rephrased his question. “Time you told us both the plan. Truth please, Lissa. We both know what happens when you lie to me.” There was a hint of menace in his voice that betrayed the fact that the old Antony was not buried far beneath the surface of this new one.

  Initially Melissa remained silent, pushing the two remaining olives around her plate as if she were trying to ignore the question. Antony sat up suddenly, reaching across Melissa for his wine, ensuring he brushed his hand across her breast as he did so. His action made her flinch away from him at the memory of the last time she had resisted his questioning. She spoke softly to the room in general. “At the Senate meeting on the Ides, Brutus will table a motion proposing Caesar willingly puts his powers aside in the best interest of the Republic, just as Sulla did before him. He has the support of enough of the senators to carry the motion through. Caesar will be exiled, but he will be allowed to retain his wealth, his status and the office of Pontifex Maximus. As we all know, that post remains with him until death.” She placed her hand over Antony’s and spoke to him directly. “Antony, if you truly do not wish to be part of his downfall, you would be advised not to go to the Senate that day.”

  Vitruvius had begun to pay closer attention, despite his somewhat inebriated state. Antony’s movement was obviously intended to loosen Melissa’s tongue and it had worked. He wondered what the beast had done to her in the past to get that kind of a reaction. Perhaps he had been too quick to judge her? Perhaps there was more here than he could fathom, but he still did not understand why she had not told him what she had been planning with Brutus and, more importantly, why she had told Antony any of it. It was suicide to trust him of all people − she had said so herself.

  Vitruvius needed clarification. He looked at Melissa. “Lissa, are you saying that all these months you have been working with Brutus to dislodge Caesar from power?” She nodded. He turned to Antony. “And you knew of this and did nothing?”

  Antony shrugged. “What can I say? She can be very persuasive when she wants to be.” He settled back on the couch. “The truth of the matter is this. Trebonius approached me to join the plot many months before her involvement and she knows it,” he pointed at Melissa, who nodded again. “What neither of you know is the night you collected Lissa from Brutus’ little gathering, I was here far earlier than you thought. I had this house under watch from the day Caesar and I reconciled our differences. I was told that Lissa had left against my orders and I was waiting outside for her return, but only you came back. I waited until I saw you leave again and tried to follow, but you were too good for me and I lost you. As I did not know where you had gone I came back here and let myself in. On your return you assumed, wrongly, that I was drunk. You see, I have spent more than enough time with actresses to have picked up a thing or two on the art of misdirection. You never had a chance really, either of you. I had witnessed your temper many times before, Vitruvius, and knew it to be your weakness. You have wanted revenge on me since the death of the other one and tricking you into challenging me was easy. Your hatred for me played right into my hands, leaving Lissa with little choice but to offer me a trade: your life for sex and information. And a more pleasing bargain I could never have hoped to strike.”

  Antony was silent for a moment, allowing his words to sink in He was obviously pleased with himself, smiling as he continued. “The question you should be asking is not why I have done nothing as of yet, but whether I will do anything now I know the date. I have pondered this question for some time, but this morning’s display has only helped to make my path clear. Caesar has been a different man since he returned from Egypt with that harpy in tow. Lissa, you must have heard him this morning? He said he ruled Rome! How dare he speak such treachery? No, Caesar pushes too hard for too much change and he must be brought to heel. That much is obvious even to me, but I cannot afford to be seen to be involved in any way if I am to retain enough power to ensure the continued protection of both my families. Caesar no longer believes anything Lissa says, thanks to my actions today and, whilst that may yet prove to be a significant factor, I cannot be implicated by it alone. The fact she so openly shared the date of his departure leads me to believe that it was her intention to do so all along, once Caesar had a reason to doubt her. I am now considering the possibility that I too have been used, but life has been so pleasurable of late that I am prepared to forgive any such indiscretion and choose to believe it was done with my best interests at heart.” Antony leaned over and kissed Melissa‘s cheek, then settled back on the couch again. “Lissa assures me that no harm will come to Caesar, so I choose to do nothing. I will not attend the Senate on the Ides. I will instead spend the day in bed with my new mistress, which will not be seen as out of the ordinary and so clear me from any suspicion. I will then take over from Brutus and that upstart Cassius in restoring the Republic and become a hero to the people. The best part is …” he reached up to Melissa and pulled her towards him, “… I get my reward in advance. Too many people’s lives now rely on my silence for it to be any other way. It is an interesting position to be in.”

  Antony lay smiling, waiting for a reaction from Vitruvius, who could only stare at him open-mouthed. Vitruvius had always assumed Antony was simply a lucky bastard who often happened to be in the right place at the right time, but this revelation showed the man in front of him to be fully in control of his own destiny. It unnerved him that he had misjudged Antony all these years.

  Vitruvius looked from Antony to Melissa, who seemed suddenly uncomfortable. “Is this all true?” he asked, still in shock. She nodded. “And you trusted him over me with this?”

  The shock was beginning to pass, turning instead to anger. Vitruvius agreed with Antony’s statement that Caesar had to go, but the sheer depth of this betrayal was too much for him to cope with. Caesar had looked on Brutus as a son. Antony was Caesar’s closest friend. How either of them could plan such treachery was beyond him.

  Vitruvius stared at Melissa as he waited for an answer. Her betrayal was the worst of all − not of Caesar, but of himself. Melissa had deliberately kept secrets from him and confided in her lover instead. For a brief moment he wondered if she had ever trusted him in all the years he had protected her. Finally Melissa turned her head away from his unwavering stare, burying her face in Antony’s side.

  Vitruvius stood up and threw his plate across the room. He rounded on Melissa, filled with a sudden hatred of the woman he had sworn to protect and whom he had long regarded as a friend. “Slut! Whore!” he shouted. He pointed at Antony. “You sold yourself for a ride on his cock! And you!” He looked at Antony. “Caesar is your friend. How could you sell him out for a cheap fuck? I do not know either of you.” He stormed to the door, shouting back as he went, “And stay away from Antonius, both of you!”

  Antony waited a moment until the sound of Vitruvius’ footsteps had faded, then pulled Melissa’s head up to face him. “It appears I am the only friend you have left, Lissa. You had better make sure you continue to keep me happy.” He smiled wickedly as he said the words and pushed Melissa’s head down towards his groin.

  Chapter 25

  The next morning Anton
y was in no hurry to leave and stayed in the house all day, giving Melissa no chance to speak to Vitruvius. She was desperate to explain the truth of what was really happening, but knew she had to get him alone to do so. This pattern continued for the entire week. When Antony did eventually decide it was safe to face Caesar, she breathed a huge sigh of relief.

  Speaking to Vitruvius would still not be easy. He had taken to rising late and going straight out with Antonius. He would come back only briefly in the evening to put the boy to bed, then he would go out again and not return until late into the night, so that he could spend as little time in the house as possible. Melissa knew he was drunk when he did come home, but she made no comment. She could not afford to fight with him whilst Antony was about, for fear of his reaction if Vitruvius lashed out against her.

  On the morning Antony decided to resume his duties as consul, Melissa persuaded him to leave early by promising him all sorts of favours when he returned. Cassius had been right when he had intimated that the way to Antony’s heart was through his penis; it seemed the happier she kept him in bed, the more pliant he was.

  As soon as Antony had left, she rushed into Antonius’ bedroom and got him up. She had made Renna agree to take him to the market for the morning and was soon hurrying them out of the house. Once they had gone, she sat in the hall by the front door waiting for Vitruvius to surface. This confrontation would not be easy or pleasant, but she wanted to get him back on her side.