Second Chances

by Carol Ashby

  Malleolus tightened his lips as he nodded. “He’ll know I was her accomplice. I have legal authority to recover her dowry, but he will be furious that I didn’t tell him of her plan to divorce him. What he will do to me…well, the most he can legally do is take stewardship of the Drusus affairs away from me. At least I think that’s all.”

  He shrugged. “I can find another to hire me. I have a reputation for growing a fortune from a modest amount of money. I’ve been approached before by some who didn’t know I only want to do it for Publius’s grandchildren.”

  Aristarchus pursed his lips. “The way evil men react is not limited by Roman law. Your loyalty to the family of Publius deserves more than being cast out by his son. I will help Cornelia save her daughter, but you must go with them.”

  Malleolus’s eyebrows shot up. “Me go, too?”

  “Yes. It is too dangerous for you to stay this time. Too dangerous for me as well if you stay. We fooled Fidelis last time, but this time he will know who to blame.”

  The thought was tempting. Cornelia and Drusilla were the two people he cared for most in this world. Life would lose most of its pleasure once they were gone. He had some money from investing his modest salary as he invested the Drusus fortune. Perhaps it was enough.

  “What would the passage cost?”

  “Nothing. Claudia is now my daughter-in-law. My son Philip was the man who planned her escape, and they grew to love each other on the voyage to Thracia. She would want you to spend your final years with her. Your passage will be my gift to her.”

  “I would love to see her again, and Titus as well.”

  “Then you should go to them. Besides, someone who knows his way in the world will be needed to care for Cornelia and her daughter. I think that should be you.”

  Malleolus’s eyes crinkled as he tightened his lips to hold back the laugh. “You haven’t met Cornelia. She could manage anything that might arise quite well without me, but I will gladly go with them.”

  Aristarchus and Malleolus spent half an hour planning the details of the escape. Then Aristarchus escorted him to his horse. After Malleolus mounted, Aristarchus stood with his hand resting on the horse’s neck.

  “When you get to Perinthus, be sure to tell Claudia you are my gift. It will be the best one I ever sent her.”

  Malleolus grinned down at him. “I will, and I thank you for everything.”

  As he rode through the gate and down the street, thoughts about the plan and especially his own role in it triggered repeated smiles. He’d never even dreamed of once more being with the young woman he’d always loved like his own daughter.

  And nothing could give more satisfaction than spiriting Drusilla and her mother away to thwart the plans of Lucius Fidelis. Getting them safely to Thracia would be his final act of service to his dead master Publius, the man he would always consider the true head of the Claudius Drusus family.

  Portus, port city of Rome

  The last person Hector expected to see in Portus the next morning was Aristarchus. His ship was moored in the harbor, awaiting its turn to dock at a pier and load in three days. When one of his crewmen reported a boat approaching on the port side, he walked over to stand where the rope ladder would be lowered if he decided to let the visitor board.

  When he saw Aristarchus, his knuckles whitened as he gripped the railing. The master of all the family enterprises had never come to his ship in the harbor before.

  He flicked his hand to order the rope ladder lowered. As Aristarchus reached the top, Hector held out his hand to help him onto the deck.

  “Welcome to the Claudia. Is anything wrong?” His jaw clenched.

  “Not with me, but I have an urgent problem to solve for someone else, and you can help me do it.”

  Hector released the breath he’d been half holding. “What’s the problem?”

  “I must get four people to Perinthus as soon as possible.”

  “I have no passengers this trip, so I can take them. Who is it?”

  “Claudia’s sister-in-law Cornelia, her daughter, her maid, and Malleolus, the old steward of Publius Drusus who asked me to save Claudia from her brother Lucius.”

  “Come to the canopy and tell me all about it.”

  The two men walked to the stern and settled into the chairs kept there for passengers.

  Aristarchus pulled a deep breath. “I miss the salty smell of the sea. I should come to Portus more often.”

  The corner of Hector’s mouth rose. “And the faint aroma of dead fish?”

  Aristarchus chuckled. “That smell I can do without. But my own pleasure is not why I came.”

  Hector leaned toward the man who meant more to him than any other. “Cornelia’s party―is it urgent that they reach Perinthus…or that they leave Rome?”

  “Leave Rome.” Aristarchus stroked his beard. “Malleolus came yesterday to ask my help. Cornelia must get her daughter away from Lucius Fidelis. He wants to marry Drusilla to the son of his best friend. The boy is vicious.”

  His lips tightened. “How any father could do that… Cornelia has decided to divorce Fidelis so she can reclaim her dowry and take her daughter to Thracia to protect her. She cannot let Fidelis know where she is, or he will try to get the girl back. He is paterfamilias and has every right to keep Cornelia from even seeing Drusilla again. You could say Cornelia will be kidnapping her own daughter to save her.”

  Aristarchus ran his hand through his silver hair. “Cornelia has made a courageous choice. She is leaving her old life behind and can never return. Malleolus asked my help in secretly arranging passage for her, her daughter, and her maid. I told him I would help only if he went, too. He has grown old serving Publius’s family. He deserves to end his days with people who love him. I know Claudia will want him with her.”

  “So, Lucius Drusus hasn’t changed since I helped Claudia escape from him eight years ago.” Hector shook his head; then a smile crept out. “God used his evil plan to bless Philip and Claudia with each other. It was a pleasure to help with that. I’ll gladly help with this as well.”

  Aristarchus leaned over and slapped Hector’s shoulder. “I can always count on you. Malleolus has started recovering her dowry. I will provide a wagon for her trunks and the carriage to transport the four of them. My raeda bears no markings, and it is closed in so they can travel without being seen and recognized.

  He leaned back in the chair and crossed his arms. “I will also provide the drivers and guards to lay a false trail to the northeast and then bring them through the city at night when wagons are allowed. They will wait at the warehouse just south of the city gate until morning. That should get them here midmorning on the day you are loading.”

  “Is there anything I need to do to help them get here?”

  “No. I will take care of the land portion of their escape. Cornelia has ample money and will pay full passage for three. I told Malleolus his passage is a gift from me to Claudia.”

  “I’m set to load and sail in three days. I can delay a couple of days if you need me to.”

  “That should not be needed, but I will send word if it is.” Aristarchus rose. “Time for me to return home.” He arched his back. “I am getting too old for riding most of the day when I do not do it very often, but saving Publius’s granddaughter is worth the soreness.”

  Hector rose as well. “I’ll take good care of them for you and deliver them safely to Philip and Claudia.”

  The two men walked back to the rope ladder. Aristarchus turned and rested his hand on Hector’s shoulder.

  “You truly are my sixth son, Hector. May God bless you and protect you on this voyage.”

  Those words and touch―they were balm for the ragged hole in Hector’s heart. For more than twenty years, Aristarchus had filled the place of the father he never knew.

  “And may He continue to bless you. Give my love to Helena.”

  A gull screamed overhead as Aristarchus climbed down the lad
der and settled into the rowboat that would return him to the pier. As the boat pulled away from the ship, his gaze locked on Hector’s face.

  Helena was right. He looked too sad. He needed someone to give his love to again. Philip had found the love of his life saving Claudia from her evil brother. Might God use another evil choice by Lucius Fidelis to heal Hector’s broken heart?

  Helena was praying, and she was a mighty woman of prayer. Had he just put in motion something that would help her prayers come true?

  Chapter 5: Beginning the Great Adventure

  The Drusus estate east of Rome

  The morning of their departure arrived. Malleolus had personally supervised the delivery of five chests filled with gold coins two days earlier. Last night, he had arrived with his two small trunks. Cornelia had all the trunks for her, Drusilla, and her maid Anthusa packed and waiting. All that was needed was their transportation, and their escape could begin.

  As the eastern clouds brightened from gray to pink, a black raeda and a freight wagon rolled into the stable yard. The armed guard on the raeda jumped down and asked for Malleolus. Then he stood by the carriage and waited.

  Malleolus emerged from the house. After exchanging a few words with the guard, he returned to the house and ordered most of the trunks to be loaded into the wagon. The chests containing Cornelia’s gold and jewelry and her box of perfumes were loaded into the raeda.

  While everything was being loaded, Cornelia and Anthusa walked through the garden for the last time. When Cornelia turned to look back at the façade of the villa as the rising sun chased shadows across it, her breath caught. Then a deep sigh drained her lungs.

  “This has been my home since I married Lucius. I watched my boys grow into men here. I love this place.” The marble columns blurred, but she shook her head slightly and squared her shoulders. A quick flick with her fingertips, and the tears that might raise suspicions were gone.

  “But now it’s time to leave. Drusilla is more important than any memories, and I can make a good life for us some other place.”

  She directed a steady smile toward Anthusa. “Ready for the great adventure?”

  “Yes, mistress. I’m ready to go wherever you take us.”

  Cornelia took a deep breath and blew it out. “Then it’s time for us to get into the raeda and head toward the northeastern estate.”

  The corner of Cornelia’s mouth lifted into a wry smile as she pronounced their direction. The two women walked through the archway that led to the stable yard where the carriage waited.

  Drusilla was standing beside the raeda, and she skipped over when they emerged from the garden. “Since we’re going to the other estate for a couple of months, I packed all my scrolls and codices.”

  “That’s good, dear. You’ll have plenty of time to read where we’re going.”

  “Why aren’t we taking our raeda?”

  “A friend thought it was a better idea to use his.”

  “The outside is plain, but I looked inside. It’s even nicer than ours.”

  “Climb in. I need a word with the understeward, and then we’ll be leaving.”

  As soon as she was in, Drusilla’s head popped out the window.

  Malleolus fell in beside Cornelia. “Everything is ready.”

  She nodded. The understeward saw her coming and strode over to meet them.

  “Primus, you’ll be in charge of everything while I’m gone. Malleolus is going to accompany me to take care of some special business. If anyone should need to find me, they should look for me at the northeastern estate. I may be gone for some time.”

  “Yes, mistress.”

  “There’s a chest on the desk in the library. The next time Lucius Fidelis comes out here, he is to look at what’s in it. No one except him is to open that chest. Understood?”

  “Yes, mistress.”

  She strolled back to the raeda while Malleolus gave the understeward some final instructions.

  “Time to leave, Anthusa.” Cornelia rested her hand on her maid’s arm. Then they both climbed into the carriage. Anthusa took the side-facing seat opposite Drusilla as Cornelia settled onto the thick upholstery of the bench seat at the rear.

  Cornelia watched through the door as Malleolus slapped the arm of his understeward and headed toward the raeda himself.

  He climbed in and leaned his head out the window. “Let’s go.”

  As he settled onto the seat next to her, the reins slapped against the mules. The raeda lurched as they began their journey toward an unknown future. Cornelia’s spine relaxed against the well-padded seat, and her satisfied smile blossomed into a grin. “We did it, Malleolus.”

  He grinned back. “We did, indeed.”

  The two wagons first headed toward the northeast on the Via Tiburtina. Cornelia knew that road well. It led to another Drusus estate, but it also led to several estates of the Cornelius Scipio family.

  Cornelia’s brother and several cousins had rural villas in that direction. Lucius would think she’d gone to one of those when he discovered she hadn’t gone to theirs. Her jaw clenched as she fought the regret that she might never see any of them again.

  They had driven three miles when the raeda turned off the main road paved with stone onto a narrow dirt road leading south.

  Drusilla’s brow furrowed. “Isn’t the estate up that other road?”

  “Yes, dear, but we’re not going to the estate.” She took a deep breath. It was time to tell her daughter what was going on. “We’re leaving Italia and going to your uncle in Thracia.”

  “Why?”

  “Your father was going to betroth you to Gnaeus Corvinus.”

  Drusilla’s eyebrows shot up. “Gnaeus? Isn’t he Gaius’s crazy brother? The one who’s so mean?”

  “Yes, and I’m not going to let your father marry you to a boy like that. I’ve divorced him, and you and I are going to start over in Thracia where he can’t find you.”

  “You mean we’ll never, ever come back home?”

  “No. At least not as long as your father is alive. By then, Thracia will feel like home, and we probably won’t want to come back.”

  “Will our friends come visit sometimes?”

  “No. We can’t even let them know where we’re going. Your father might find us.”

  Drusilla saw sadness pass across her mother’s face before she hid it behind a smile. But that smile wasn’t a good enough mask when Mother’s eyes gave her away. Drusilla wrapped her fingers around her mother’s.

  Never see their friends again? Mother had two friends who were like sisters. They often visited, and when they did, Mother talked and laughed so much…no sadness, no worries, just like Drusilla was with her own friend, Flavia. Who would make Mother happy when they were in Thracia?

  And what about Tertius?

  We’re only leaving because of me. Why is Father so horrible that Mother has to leave all her friends? It’s not fair!

  Drusilla blinked twice to keep the tears trapped inside. If Mother could pretend she wasn’t sad to make leaving easier to bear, Drusilla could, too.

  She faked her happiest smile. “That’s all right. We can make new friends. Everyone will want to be your friend.”

  She wrapped both arms around her mother, and Mother returned the hug.

  “Yes, we can. This will be a great adventure for us. We’ll see and do so many new things.” She pushed some stray hair behind Drusilla’s ear. “We’ll both love that.”

  Mother’s stiff smile didn’t fool Drusilla, but she could pretend it did. Anything to make this easier for Mother.

  “I love seeing new things. I’m glad we’re going. It should be fun.”

  She turned to look out the window. If Mother could give up everything to protect her from Father giving her to Gnaeus, she’d make sure Mother never saw her tears.

  The raeda rocked and jostled them as it traveled the rutted dirt of the back road, but a little discomfort couldn’t
dim Cornelia’s satisfaction over thwarting Lucius.

  Drusilla’s enthusiasm brought frequent smiles to Cornelia’s lips as they made their way through the countryside. Her curious daughter pointed out different things and asked Malleolus about them. He had explanations for everything, and Drusilla had a seemingly endless supply of new questions.

  Having Malleolus along made the unknown road ahead seem less worrisome…and less lonely.

  He’d been part of her life since she married Lucius, and she’d quickly grown to love him as a friend. No matter what the problem was, he’d dive in and solve it for her. Not just because it was his job as steward, but because he cared.

  He loved Claudia and Titus as if they were his own. He’d even loved Lucius before he betrayed Publius.

  Drusilla loved him, too. She had no grandfather, but Malleolus was everything a child could want in one.

  He’d grown old serving Publius’s family. He could take a small fortune and turn it into a large one, and that was the only reason her rat of a husband kept him on after getting Publius killed. Lucius would have cast him off when he was no longer any use to him. She would have found a place for him with one of her brothers, had she stayed in Rome.

  Drusilla pointed out the window, and Malleolus launched into another explanation that drew Cornelia’s smile.

  By taking him to Thracia, she would still have her dear friend, and he would always have a home.

  The carriage and wagon stayed on the back road for several miles until they intercepted the Via Tuscana, where they doubled back toward the southwest.

  When Drusilla finally ran out of questions, Malleolus flicked his fingers to invite her onto the bench beside him. As she snugged against his side, he draped his arm around her shoulder. No words were necessary as they both watched the orchards, vineyards, and pastures flow past the window.

  After several hours of driving, they pulled off the road.