Julia stiffened. Tiro? What happened at Vebriacum? Where is Quintus?
‘Come on, Narina.’ Julia held out her hand. ‘Let’s go and see your father and your new friend.’
Marcus grasped Julia’s sleeve, speaking in a low tone. ‘Julia, I am sorry I can’t take on this burden for you; I no longer have the strength. I think one of our family must go to the meeting at Lindinis, and I suppose with Aurelia so young, it must be you in my stead. Promise me you will be careful, and take a bodyguard.’ Julia nodded, but she wasn’t at all sure who to take. Rufus was too inexperienced, Morcant had family and estate responsibilities; who else was there? The Imperial Investigator might have been able to use his authority, but he was not of the tribe. And not here, anyway, she thought with resignation.
Britta had stepped back discreetly, but Julia beckoned her.
‘Britta, I think after all you will need to know what was in Velvinna’s message…’ The two young women walked away with Narina towards Home Farm.
Tiro was also pleased to get to Bo Gwelt. There was everything to like about Britta’s brother Morcant, firm-handed and broad of grin, as dark as Britta was russet. And his wife, shy Gwenn, made the most delicious drop scones and kept topping up Tiro’s mug with home-brewed beer. Tiro persuaded himself that it would be best to consult Britta discreetly before he decided how to deal with Lucius. Not to put the wind up the lad - let’s find out quietly why he’s here first, with all that money. So Tiro sat on a bench by the fire, drinking with Morcant and roasting his feet while dusk cooled outside. Ah, these beers sink down just right.
The farmhouse was a large comfortable roundhouse of the old British style, with a low door, and a hole in the roof to let out the smoke from the big hearth-fire. Nevertheless, Morcant was not a man to spurn Roman luxuries when they appealed to him. He had made sure his house was built on solid foundations, and had a good tiled floor. There were beds with woven sheets and thick bedcovers of new wool. Gwenn had a proper Roman kitchen in an adjoining building, and there was even a tiny bathhouse next to a stream. Just perfect, thought Tiro, stretching out his aching limbs and nearly forgetting why he was here. He could fit right in with this family.
Morcant was interested to hear what Tiro had to say, an edited version leaving out Lucius or Velvinna. He quickly picked up on the innkeeper’s remarks at Camerton, and the circumstances of Catus’s death. Gwenn was openly distressed. Morcant sighed and shook his head.
‘Well now, that fits in with what I’ve been hearing roundabouts. Quite a few of the younger men seem dissatisfied, saying loud they don’t see why Britannia should be ruled from Rome. I do hear rumours of secret meetings, and changes to come, and even - ’ he lowered his voice, ‘ - I’ve heard tell that White Ones have been seen locally. Not had none of them causing trouble since … well, since before my Grandfer’s time. I’d put it all down to idle gossip, but that Drusus lad over to Bawdrip villa seems cock-a-hoop that some big White One is coming to shake us up in Lindinis. I overheard him saying so to young Rufus only yesterday.’
The door opened to let in a draught along with the faint scent of lavender. A buxom young woman in a swirl of tartan shawl walked in and looked straight at Tiro. His heart leapt up to bang under his breastbone.
Morcant laughed. ’Britta! Always a sight for sore eyes!’
Tiro stood rather too quickly, and found his feet not as firm under him as he would have wanted. The curse of Hades on the home-brew! He was overcome with the desire to impress Britta, but found the words wouldn’t come.
‘I see the Londoner has got his fist round your beer, Gwenn. That was quick work.’ Tiro heard — surely? — a note of warmth under the sarcasm. Jupiter Best and Greatest, but that woman is a sight to cure any eye sickness.
‘Mistress Britta,’ he managed. She flicked a smile at him, before hugging her sister-in-law.
‘But where is that little monkey, Narina?’
‘Here, Auntie!’
The door swung open again, and his little friend hurled herself in, followed by a tall elegant figure. Julia Aureliana. Jupiter! Tiro wasn’t sure whether he was now better or worse off without his boss. Either way, trouble beckoned.
‘Auntie Britta! We’ve been having such adventures! This is Tiro — the man who talks funny. Ooh, I nearly forgot— we followed Domina Claudia’s nephew here, that Lucius. He’s been down Chilton Polden—‘
Julia pounced on that. ‘Lucius! Here?’
Tiro found his tongue at last, although it felt oddly too big for his mouth.
‘Yes, Lady Julia. I tracked him from Vebriacum and we believe he is involved in a conspiracy…’ How much should I reveal? Yes, she knew about Tertius and Catus, but then there was Velvinna’s death. Quintus suspects — actually, what did Quintus Valerius suspect? Not for the first time Tiro cursed his superior. Fact was, Tiro had no idea what he could safely share with Lady Julia.
Julia frowned, cutting through his beer-damped doubts. She took Narina’s hand again, and crouched down beside the little girl.
‘So you and Tiro followed Master Lucius Claudius from Chilton Polden to Bo Gwelt, just now?’
‘Yes, my lady! Isn’t it exciting?’
Julia said nothing, turning on her toes. The door banged closed behind her. She was gone so quickly that Tiro wondered whether she’d actually been there at all. Just a draught and the flickering light of the oil lamps marked her departure. Britta glared at Tiro, and turned to follow Julia. He grabbed her arm as she was leaving.
‘I must talk to you, outside, Britta - it’s urgent!’
‘Mistress Britta to you.’ But she didn’t pull away as they left the roundhouse. Tiro had no idea how to open the thorny subject. So he just let it spill out.
‘It’s about the old lady in Aquae Sulis. Velvinna.’
‘How do you know her?’
‘She was found dead in her house. Meant to look like natural causes. Me and the boss went to investigate, with Commander Crispus. We think it may not be accidental. Your mistress might be in the frame, as she’d been giving Velvinna a medicine that could have killed her.’
Britta turned pale, and would have fallen had Tiro not caught her. He steadied her and led her to a bench, saying guiltily ‘Here, sit down a moment. Sorry to give you such a shock.’ Fool you are, Tiro, letting it out like that. Now she’ll hate you, and you’ll never have a chance.
But Britta rallied.
‘What do you know so far?’
Tiro could never work out how he came to trust Britta so quickly. He just did. He explained about the powdered foxglove; their questioning of the household staff; Quintus’s request for a medical examination. He didn’t mention Quintus’s instructions to take Julia in for questioning. Irrelevant now the boss and Lady Julia had both headed to Bo Gwelt at the same time. Quintus could do the questioning himself when he arrived.
‘Of course, it could be a natural death — old dear, bad ticker …’ he said hopefully. Britta shook her head, looking upset. ‘ ’Fraid not. Tiro, can I trust you?’
He moved closer to her, and felt a momentary yielding towards him, he thought. Her eyes were a warm hazel, but her face was paler than usual, drawn with shock. He hoped she wouldn’t ask anything he couldn’t answer.
‘That poor old lady! Velvinna warned us the night before she died that there was trouble brewing. Druid trouble, she said, if you can believe it. She told Lady Julia she’d heard that a White One was coming to stir up the tribe at a meeting to be held in Lindinis tonight.’
Her lips trembled, and Tiro put his arm back round her shoulders and squeezed gently. Britta seemed not to notice. ‘That’s why we left Aquae Sulis so quickly. Julia sent a message to Velvinna, but we never heard back. We couldn’t wait any longer. My lady needed to talk to Magistrate Aurelianus, and decide what’s to be done about the meeting tonight. And sort out the mess with Miss Aurelia too.’
The reference to Aurelia was too obscure for Tiro; he elbowed the comment aside. So Velvinna had known about the trib
al unease? That seemed good grounds for murder but not, he was relieved to think, by Julia.
Britta smoothed out her tunica as she stood. She was shivering in the cold evening breeze, but looked more composed.
‘Tiro,’ she said, ‘best you stay here with Morcant for now. No point risking more trouble in the house with that Lucius if he’s with Domina Claudia. I’ll see what’s what, and tell my lady about Velvinna before she goes off to that wasp’s nest of trouble at Lindinis.’
Tiro caught her arm. ‘Britta, she mustn’t go alone. The frumentarius will be here soon. He’s the right person to get to the bottom of all this. There may be a connection between the silver theft and the Druid uprising, although the Gods know what.’
He threw caution to the wind. ‘We do know that Lucius Claudius has been involved in plundering silver from the Vebriacum mines. Let my master accompany Lady Julia tonight, perhaps even go in her place. I can go too.’
Britta looked him full in the face now. ‘You really have no idea who you’re dealing with, do you? You folks up there in the big smoke must be daft in the head. This is Lady Julia Aureliana, not one of your soft painted Roman ladies. She and her brother, they’re the leaders of the northern Durotriges. That’s the tribe that nearly fought Vespasian to a stand-still when Rome came to Britannia. If anyone can stop this trouble, it won’t be your Roman boss with his mouth full of pebbles and his fancy badge. My lady is the only person who can make this right. You just try stopping her.’ Britta dragged a hand across her reddened eyes.
By Jupiter, what a woman! Lucky Julia, to have Britta at her side.
‘Well, tell her I’m standing ready to come with her. It isn’t right for such a great lady to go into town alone with all this unrest. She needs an escort, some bloke with fighting skills. Like me.’
Britta nodded once, and squeezed his arm before hurrying away. Her lavender-scented warmth lingered on his skin. He felt tired as he trudged back into the roundhouse.
Morcant winked at him. ‘Pour the lad another beer, Gwenn. He looks as if he needs it.’
Chapter Fifteen
Britta caught up with Julia before she could storm into the villa.
‘Mistress - Julia! One moment, please.’
Julia bit her lip. There was only one reason why Lucius would be at Chilton Polden. Julia knew as well as her brother did what was made there. The Aureliani had long since tacitly agreed to turn a blind eye to the odd bit of local counterfeiting, on the basis that what the Londinium taxman didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. It was the magistrate’s responsibility to make sure taxes were paid regularly by the northern Durotriges, but it wasn’t his job to check where the demanded denarii came from.
The involvement of Lucius changed things. He was the son of local magnate Claudius Bulbo, an entrepreneur with fingers in many local pies. Lucius was also the nephew of Claudia, Julia’s sister-in-law. Too many connections already between Bo Gwelt and the spoilt unworthy Lucius. A small black-market enterprise to cheat the taxman smelt a lot more criminal once Lucius was coupled with it.
Julia turned to listen to Britta with as much patience as she could muster. Britta explained what Tiro had told her about Velvinna dying barely hours after coming to Julia’s house. Julia was shocked, at a loss for words.
‘I’m so sorry, my lady, about your friend. But you also need to know — the frumentarius and Commander Crispus think it may be murder. Your name was mentioned … being as how you had been giving Velvinna your own herbal preparation.
‘But —Lady Julia,’ Britta hastened on, before Julia could reply, ’they know you’ve been treating her for heart disease for many years. And that Velvinna came to warn you about trouble in the tribes, and to ask you to intervene. I told Tiro about the messenger you sent to check Velvinna was safe the day we left Aquae Sulis.’
Julia felt the last shreds of her temper squeezing away from control.
‘And how does the Imperial Investigator know all this, if he is not here yet?’
Britta opened and shut her mouth, looking unhappy.
‘He doesn’t, my lady. But,’ she added quickly, before Julia could unleash her full fury, ‘Tiro has asked you to wait till his master arrives before you go to Lindinis. Or at least, let Tiro himself come with you if you can’t wait. He says you mustn’t go alone.’
Julia could hardly believe that Britta was urging her to wait for Quintus. Of all the maddening, insulting suggestions—and coming from her best friend!
Her voice was frigid now, and she found herself holding her hands bunched down by the side of her robe.
‘Britta, have you forgotten what that man did to me? Have you really forgotten how he abandoned his child, left me his, his…’ she swallowed, and for a moment couldn’t drag in breath, such was her rage. ‘He broke a sacred promise to me, sworn at our Lady Minerva’s shrine in Eboracum. He left me without explanation or reason, just disappeared out of my life —‘
‘Julia…’
‘Be silent, Britta! If you want to keep our friendship, you — will — not — utter another word about that man. Or his dirty sidekick. The Londoner can’t even read. Enough. The Imperial Investigator can’t or won’t do his job, so I, as lady of the Durotriges, must protect our people.’
Julia felt herself boiling over. She knew it was unreasonable, but she made no attempt to rein in her anger.
‘Go and make yourself useful, Britta. Go back to Tiro if you like. No — better than that — find Aurelia and keep her safe from Lucius. Now get out of my way and let me save our tribe.’
Britta looked badly hurt, but Julia couldn’t help herself. She swept aside Britta’s protests, and surged into the house. Anger and pride got her on into the west wing. There she was stopped by her sister-in-law’s nasal tones coming from the estate office.
‘Lucius, there’s no time to get it all out. Julia and Aurelia are here. I saw the carriage arrive. Any moment now they’ll come into the house. Just leave the rest of the money hidden where it is till another time, after Julia’s gone. It will stay safe, just as it’s been all these months. I’ll make sure the hole is covered over, plastered back the way it was. It’s too risky now.’
Julia paused, trying to work out what she’d just heard. The anger powering her since she saw Tiro drained away, leaving her shaking and cold. What money was Claudia talking about? But you already know that. Why else would Lucius be in Chilton Polden? Why would he come to Bo Gwelt so often and spend so much time closeted with his aunt? It was never just about marrying Aurelia. He’s been stealing forged money for months, money diverted and minted from Vebriacum silver. Oh, Lady Minerva, help me! He has to be stopped.
The Lady’s cool hand seemed to smooth itself across her feverish brow. Julia whipped her mind back under control. She leaned against the corridor wall, listening intently.
Lucius spoke, impatient. ‘There is no other time, Aunt Claudia. Don’t you understand? Much bigger things are at stake than this family. They are all disposable if they get in my way: your precious husband, your step-daughter, your sister-in-law. I’m sorry if that shocks you, after all the effort you’ve made to become mistress here. But you must help me, or all your scheming will be for nothing. You’ll lose Bo Gwelt and your position here. I must have that money now.‘
Julia kept her ear pressed to the wall, and was rewarded by a steady scraping noise.
What was she to do? There was no point bursting in to confront the pair. It would be her word against theirs. Marcus was so delicate it might kill him to hear that his wife was aiding and abetting her nephew to steal money hidden in his own estate office. Time was pressing. She must get to the Lindinis meeting, and try to stop the rebellion. She knew very well from history lessons with Demetrios how terrible Rome’s retribution against an uprising would be.
Julia closed her eyes, one hand tugging gently at the string of little gold owls round her neck. Shadows chased across the inside of her eyelids. She saw the flutter of silent wings, swooping low, here for a moment and th
en gone into darkness. In their wake followed a calm realisation. There was no time left to follow Lucius, and stop the rebellion. The Lady Minerva was telling her to choose carefully. She remembered Velvinna, and the anxiety in her old friend’s eyes. Velvinna’s death must not be in vain. Only by reaching Lindinis in time to turn her people away from revolt against Rome could Julia hope to avenge her. The money would have to wait.
From that decision she now made her mind up to let Tiro come with her. She supposed he might have his uses if things went badly. That made her think again of Quintus. Her mouth tightened, and her face screwed up.
Damn you, Frumentarius, wherever you are.
It took a while to persuade Britta to remain behind as cover. Julia would have a headache — this much was still true. Would Claudia kindly excuse her mistress from dinner, as she really needed to lie down? Britta would take up a snack to her mistress later, thank you, Domina.
More time was wasted while Britta separated Tiro from the Home Farm beer, and Rufus saddled two of Julia’s horses and brought them out of the stables. Tiro was obviously taken by at the quality of her horseflesh, mounting Julia’s high-spirited bay with alacrity.
Julia had been born and brought up at Bo Gwelt. She knew the countryside intimately. They made good time to Lindinis, tethering the horses near the centre of the muddy little market town just as cheers began to ring out from the forum. Julia touched Tiro on the arm, and pointed across the torchlit square, signalling that they should make their way discreetly towards the basilica’s open-sided portico. Her face was well hidden, and Tiro could move silently when it pleased him. They positioned themselves among the shadows, where they could see the speakers without revealing themselves.
A slim lithe woman with strands of long red hair straying out of a white hood was addressing the crowd. They enthusiastically greeted her with chants of ‘White One! White One!’ Julia listened in dismay as the woman appealed to the tribesmen to throw off Imperial rule and take back control of their own country.
The Governor's Man: A Quintus Valerius Mystery Page 11