A Leap in Time (16 page)

“Fine,” he said, not at all pleased. “But please promise we’ll find alone time later.”

Nodding, I urged him into the atrium where Juliana, Catina, and Maximus were in animated conversation about the wedding.

The atrium was circular and much larger than the one at Catina’s house. To think I thought that was grand. This was like an enormous indoor garden full of potted trees and shrubs, flowers, herbs and even a small water fountain where birds hovered. It was magnificent and very serene and I imagined taking long restful naps here in Marcus’s arms. Every wall wore an elaborate fresco illustrating a landscape of sorts giving the room a warm welcoming atmosphere.

Catina and Juliana sat on the sofas sipping wine and discussing ideas for the menu. They jumped from one item to the next in perfect harmony with each other’s thinking. I wondered whether Juliana had ever hoped for a union between Catina and Marcus.

“Hello, you two. Come join us.” Juliana smiled brightly.

“Lexi, how would you feel about having roasted meats passed around for guests to enjoy while the musicians play in the background? In addition to other menu items, of course,” Catina asked with excitement.

Saying I didn’t care one way or the other seemed cold and rude in the face of such generosity. Pretending to care seemed insincere. Thankfully Marcus spoke on our behalf.

“With all due respect, Mother, Lexi and I trust the planning to you all. We decided that we prefer not to be overwhelmed by the details. Maybe we could spend our time looking for our own home while you finalize the wedding arrangements.”

“Of course, my son. Whatever makes you happy, though I hope you both know there’s no rush in finding your own home. You’re welcome to stay here with us as long as you like.” Juliana directed the latter part of the comment to me, making me want to hug her for her kindness.

“Thank you so much, Juliana. We may need to take you up on your offer considering the wedding is just a few days away.” Thank the gods, I didn’t have to plan this or I would have gone out of my mind for sure.

“Marcus, make sure you consult with your father before deciding on anything.” Juliana gave the impression that her youngest may have acted on impulse before. I chose to stay quiet.

Marcus and I left to house hunt. I wasn’t sure if he had a specific plan or the plan was to wander the streets in hopes of seeing a posting for a vacant apartment.

Our very first home. That had a nice ring to it.

To my surprise, Marcus’s best friend and Catina’s brother, Julius, along with another man named Brutus met us at the corner. Apparently Brutus knew of a vacant home. We found the man had moved away already. And that was the beginning of many such stories of our house hunt. It was a fruitless, exhausting day, and if it wasn’t for the cool weather, we might have all lost our composure much earlier in the day.

The only perk was getting to know Julius. I found him funny, intelligent and very likeable.

After thanking Julius and Brutus for their help, we slumped home, defeated. The trim of my beautiful green tunic was black from dragging on the dirty city streets; my feet ached and blistered where the strap latched around the ankles. I don’t think these costume sandals were meant for actual walking.

As we walked into the foyer, we noticed the hustle and frenzied activity that had taken over the otherwise serene house.

“Come…come…your brothers are here to see you and meet Lexi. We thought it would be easier to have you measured for your wedding clothes here rather than head into Gus’s shop in the city.” She motioned for us to follow.

“Marcus took my hand and smiled. “They’re going to love you, don’t worry.” He pulled me to the atrium to greet everyone.

The crowd dwarfed the enormous room. Two tall men, whom I assumed were Marcus’s brothers—as they looked very similar to Marcus in coloring, hairstyle and height—stood to greet us.

“Great to see you, Gus.” Marcus smiled at his brother before greeting his second oldest brother with a warm embrace. Juliana’s boys were all blessed with good looks and her sparkling green eyes.

“Gus, Antonio, this is Alexandra. My soon-to-be wife.”

“I’m delighted to finally meet the lady who has enchanted Marcus and intrigued him enough to settle down into marriage.” Gus jabbed Marcus in the ribs.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you Alexandra,” Antonio said. “Please don’t fall prey to the antics of these two. They are tireless.” He stepped in front of Marcus, playfully blocking him and Gus from my view. I laughed at their easy camaraderie and found myself sympathizing with their mother for dealing with three naughty boys.

On cue, Juliana turned to me. “Do you see what I have to deal with, Lexi?”

After Marcus and his brothers were sufficiently caught up in each other’s lives, Gus took our measurements so his seamstress could start on our wedding attire right away. Gus owned the largest and most elite tailor shop in Rome.

I learned my wedding dress would be a floor length white tunic with an orange veil and orange stola for me to wear after signing the marriage certificate to signify the change in my marital status. Marcus’s toga would be made from heavy white linen with gold roping for a belt, and dark leather calf-length boots.

Everyone’s joyful mood was infectious and heartwarming despite knowing so little about me. So maybe the Universe knew what it was doing all along.
Thank you, Universe!

Chapter Eighteen

By early evening, Gus’s wife and their two younger children, Claudius and Athena, had joined us for dinner. I instantly liked his wife. Augustina’s soft-spoken demeanor and striking beauty reminded me of my darling friend Charlotte. Augustina came from a prominent wealthy family in Greece and during one of Gus’s many trips there in search of new fashions for his shops, they met, fell in love and were married within a few short months. Not unlike my story with Marcus.

We dined on delicious roast chicken, fresh roasted vegetables, fruit, bread, and cheese. I realized that with Catina and Augustina I had two wonderful women, potentially great friends, in my new world. An additional, and unexpected gift from the gods.

The large atrium vibrated with energy as the kids ran around and the adults talked and laughed at the random stories shared by everyone. Catina and Antonio sat close to one another, a little too close for what was acceptable in ancient Rome. I grinned at the budding romance.

“I hope that smile is a result of unchaste thoughts of me,” Marcus whispered. I swatted at him playfully. “I think it’s time you got a tour of the house.” He tugged at my arm. I knew darn well the only tour I was getting was the inside of his bedroom, and I was fairly certain everyone here knew it as well. But how could I resist?

“Marcus, I think we should stay here and visit.” I giggled, my resistance dwindling by the second.

“We won’t be gone long.” His whisper sent shivers up and down my spine.

“A little later…when everyone’s gone.” I pulled his face down for a chaste kiss on the mouth.

“Okay.” He lifted my chin and kissed me in front of everyone, leaving me blushing from my hairline to my toes, and sending everyone into ripples of laughter and cheers.

Marcus finally sat next to me on the sofa and casually wrapped his arm around my shoulder.

The evening ended in the early morning hours with everyone scattered throughout the many guest bedrooms. Antonio and Catina stayed up talking in the atrium, completely oblivious to the time or the slow disappearance of everyone around them. They reminded me of another couple from several months ago.

The morning of our wedding was a beautiful day, the cool sun brightening the sky. The air was crisp and refreshing, unlike the biting cold from the last few nights. Catina had laid out my wedding gown and stola on the chair beside the window. There was no sight of her in the bedroom. Surely she was attending to last minute details.

Our appointment at the elite and very posh Bathhouse wasn’t ‘till later that morning. Was this really happening?

Just as I was tucking my toothbrush and toothpaste back into the cloth carry-on bag Catina had given me, she burst through the door beaming from ear to ear. “Good morning. It’s nice to see you up. Can you believe you’re getting married today?” She sat next to me on the bed.

“You’re awfully chipper. Did you see Antonio this morning?” I teased.

“As a matter of fact, I did.”

“And?” Would she really make me drag this information out of her?

“And nothing. He only stopped by to make sure Marcus and Maximus were ready to head down to the Bathhouse.”

“Please don’t torture me on my wedding day. Tell me everything.”

“Oh all right. He wants to see me later,” she squealed with excitement.

“Oh Catina, I’m so happy for you.” I leaned back on an elbow hoping for more details.

“I really like him. We never run out of things to talk about. He’s really intelligent and truly cares about the world outside of our immediate society. He talked about the injustice of limiting a girl’s education and advocating for a change. It means something to me…that he cares about society as a whole and not just the elite crest of our city. Lexi, he’s so well read and so worldly in his views, I couldn’t help but feel shallow in his presence. But he assures me he thinks very highly of me and finds our conversations to be enlightening for him as well. He actually asks my opinion on things. Can you believe that?”

She seemed in disbelief that an intelligent man of worldly knowledge found her appealing. That bothered me a lot. My wonderful, kind, selfless, and intelligent friend didn’t give herself enough credit.

“He sounds absolutely perfect for you. It’s clear you’re falling in love with one another.” I hoped she’d tell me what was really bothering her. When she didn’t I asked. “What are you not telling me?”

“Hmmm. I…it’s nothing. Oh, I’m just being foolish.” She sighed. Whatever it was, she got my full attention. “Okay, I’ll say it…I have improper thoughts about him. I find myself wanting him every minute of the day.”

“Catina, I think it’s wonderful that you’re both equally interested in each other. As for wanting him, that’s crucial in a relationship. Would you want to be with someone you didn’t find attractive?”

“I suppose not, but I never thought it would be important to me. Not until I saw you and Marcus with each other. I started wanting that for myself. I always imagined love belonging to the gods alone and not attainable to mortals like us. I didn’t dare hope for it.”

“Oh…thank you, I guess.” I felt elated that I had made a positive impression on Catina. Thank God.

A small carriage was waiting to take us to the luxurious Bathhouse. The entire street seemed to be decorated for a festive occasion; flowers garlands hung from pillars and tress all up and down the way.

The place was magnificent in its architecture of marble slabs that reached the height of a two-level home. The enormous archway led guests into an open atrium with several exquisitely decorated water fountains—from cherubs with water spouts in their mouths, to fountains inspired by wildlife, of flowers or birds with similar water spouts for an ever-soothing sound. Along the perimeter of the atrium were large marble statues of the gods and goddesses of Rome.

The owner of the Bathhouse, who introduced herself as Cevia, walked us to a back room with benches, a rack for towels and several cubbies for our clothes. She instructed us to get completely undressed and walk to the adjoining private room reserved for our group. Feeling a little awkward, I waited ‘till she left before asking Catina if we were meant to parade through the room completely naked or if it was acceptable to stay wrapped in a towel. Catina’s uncontrollable giggles caused Cevia to peek back in to check on us.

Soon, modestly wrapped in towels, we walked to the private bath to find Juliana, Augustina, Athena, and Catina’s mother Atia waiting for us. Damn!

I must have flushed several shades of red at the sight of the naked women eagerly awaiting our arrival. Maybe my stamp on this culture could be to eliminate such a public ritual.

I disrobed in a hurry and submerged myself in the warm pool, determined to relax and enjoy the process. Built in seats of marble lined the pool along with pipes that pumped constant warm water. Similar to the atrium, this room had a dome-like glass ceiling with intricately carved marble statues of different goddesses to bless the patrons. Juliana teasingly pointed out the goddess of fertility positioned next the entrance of our changing room. Hint taken, Juliana!

Five maids carrying large porcelain basins entered, positioning themselves behind each of us. They didn’t waste any time massaging our scalps and applying rose-scented oil into our hair, followed by a decadent massage using the same delicate rose scented oil.

We were then led to a lounge for the maids to begin their artistic work of braiding and coiling our hair for the wedding. My hair was coiled high on my head in a loose bun, soft curls framing my face. Small delicate flowers, meticulously inserted in the bun, created a beautiful white halo. These women were brilliant.

After our makeup was meticulously applied, one of the maids brought over a long sleeve white silk tunic with ruffles along the hemline that draped around my feet, a long bright orange veil that was fastened to the bun on the crown of my head. Juliana proudly carried my orange stola and matching cloak for the post ceremony.

I glanced at myself in the mirror and fought back tears of joy at the unrecognizable girl staring back at me in her white wedding dress and flower-encrusted hair. I took a deep breath and faced Juliana and my two new friends, Catina and Augustina, who shed their own tears of joy.

Juliana kissed my cheek followed by Catina, Augustina, Atia, and little Athena who looked so precious in her festive tunic of light lavender to match her mother’s. Juliana opted for a deep mustard yellow, while Catina and her mom chose a light shade of green that beautifully offset my white wedding dress.

At the house the double front door stood open wide. The foyer was elaborately decorated with flowers and ribbons. Several musicians stood at the door ready to serenade us as we walked in. A large buffet table—overflowing with different kinds of roasted meats, fresh fruit, cheeses and breads and endless jugs of wine—stood close to the atrium. It was the most decadent display of food I’d ever laid eyes on.