A Stray Drop of Blood (47 page)

Titus shifted his smile from Benjamin to her. “I am certain of it. Antonia will keep a close eye on him, but he will enjoy the markets. You would too. I shall have to take you out into the city soon, Abigail, you have been closeted up in the house since your arrival.”

Abigail smiled in contentment. “I have yet to get the fill of your library. I began Epictetus’s
Discourses
yesterday before you arrived home.”

“
Ah, one of the founding texts of Roman thought. And what do you think of our State’s philosophies?”

Abigail shrugged as she considered. “I agree with some of the tenets, I admit. The idea of a sphere of choice strikes me as true in many ways; that there are simply things I cannot influence, and it is needless to worry about them. But what Stoicism does not seem to take into account is that emotions simply
exist
. And that they have profound effects. Perhaps I cannot control you, but does that mean that a heartfelt appeal would evoke no response that would allow you, with your larger sphere of choice, to make decisions to affect what I would will? I think not. I think the human heart, and the human condition, is much more than a collection of individual’s spheres. I think we are all bound together by something far deeper than circumstance.”

“
Christ did teach, according to Tabitha, that we should go out of our way to help those who need it, acting on faith that others would do the same for us. He preached love above all, and that does indeed seem to reach far outside the walls Stoicism forces us to erect.” He sighed. “But I have been a Stoic forever, it seems. I was brought up with those precepts, raised to be a statuesque pillar unable to be bent by the winds of trial.”

She tamped down her smile “And you did it very well. You not only kept your distance, you forced everyone else to keep theirs. But were you stronger then, Titus, or are you stronger now that you bent your knee to a higher authority and admitted that God’s sphere of influence is all-encompassing? That he can affect what we cannot, but that through prayer and our Savior’s sacrifice, we have achieved the ear of that omnipotent God?”

“
Your rhetoric is flawless, my friend. I readily admit that you are right.” He glanced at the countryside, then lifted a brow her way. “But one thing you would do well to glean from Epictetus’s philosophies: there is no point in getting nervous about a situation such as the one we are approaching. The truth is well outside your control, and it will speak for itself. Be calm.”

Abigail drew in a deep breath in an attempt to obey. She cast her eyes around her as she exhaled, able to appreciate even through her nervousness that the land they were driving over was beautiful. The foliage was lush, the air sweet with spring, the sun bright and warm upon her. “Are we close?”

Titus nodded, pointing toward a grove of trees. “Beyond that copse is the villa. It is a lovely place, Abigail; the Visibullises have long been a respected family in Rome. Cleopas’s father, I believe, had a falling out with Augustus, but up until then they were among the leading families.” He grinned. “There was a day not so long ago when they were above the Asiniuses, I know. This estate reflects that. My father would kill for such property.”

Abigail arched her brows in consternation. “I hope you exaggerate, my friend.”

Titus chuckled, giving her hand an encouraging pat. “Have no fear, small one. He is not in line for this one at any rate.”

Abigail gazed down into Benjamin’s face. He watched the world roll by with large eyes, and his curiosity made her smile. “For my son’s sake, I am glad the Visibullises have such a place. Benjamin deserves to have every opportunity open to him. I know not if he will choose to live here or if he will remain in Israel, but the choice will be his, just as it was his father’s, and his father’s before him.”

“
What do you think of Rome thus far, Abigail? Jason said you would not take to it.”

She sent her eyes around her once more, then smiled. “I did not think I would. And I still do not know that I would want to live here, so far away from all I call home. But I concede that I was premature in my judgements. Rome is a lovely place. At the very least, I am glad I came, that I have seen it.” She met Titus’s gaze. “And you? Do you still detest Israel as you once did?”

A single corner of Titus’s mouth tugged up. “I find it impossible to loathe the place that saw me make such changes in myself. But I am afraid it is less the land itself I appreciate as the culture it was imbued with. Which is, I grant, what I disliked most in the beginning. I have come full circle.”

“
Indeed. Well, you will always be welcome in our home, wherever it may be. Know that, my friend. Be it this estate we approach now or our home in Jerusalem, you will always be greeted as a friend. I promise you that.”

“
The same to you, Abigail. If ever you need anything, for yourself or Benjamin or Samuel, I will gladly help you. If either of them wishes to come to Rome, I will happily take them into my counsel and do all I can for them.”

“
That is good to know.” She meant it, though she could not yet contemplate a day when the tiny bundle in her arms would be striking out on his own, without her.

“
There it is.” Titus motioned toward an impressive structure as they drove within view. It stood magnificently etched against the horizon, proud and strong and promising to last twice as long as it had already been.

The final minute of the journey was made in silence as she took it all in; there were vast fields in the background, where Abigail could see grapevines and grains, animals grazing far away to the right. There were many smaller buildings all around, which Abigail could only assume to be the dwellings of those who worked the estate, perhaps stables or storage areas as well. As the wheels turned over the unevenly paved ground leading up to the villa itself, several people appeared to greet them, smiles on all three of their faces.

“
My lord Asinius.” The central man bent with deference at the waist. “It is good to see you once more.”

“
Arminius,” Titus greeted as the vehicle rocked to a halt, “I am glad to be here again as well. I would only that the circumstances were different.”

“
Indeed.” The steward’s face fell. “I was deeply struck by the terrible news of my masters’ deaths.” His eyes moved to Abigail and the bundle in her arms. “It followed so soon after the joyous news of Jason’s marriage and approaching child. Mistress, allow me to help you down.”

Abigail smiled her gratitude and handed Benjamin momentarily to Titus so that she could descend more easily, then took the baby back.

“
You are as lovely as my young master claimed,” the elder man said with a soft smile. His gaze fell fondly onto the babe, who offered a happy grin at the new face. Arminius chuckled. “What a charming babe your son is. I can see Jason in him.”

“
As can I. My husband spoke well of you, Arminius. I am glad to meet you.”

The old man actually blushed at the compliment. “And I you, Mistress. Come, let me show you the villa.”

Titus had climbed down by then as well, and he fell in beside her and Arminius. The steward studied her as she studied the structure.

“
It is lovely. It is no wonder Jason longed to return here.” She smiled, knowing he would revel in the words of his late masters. “Many an evening he would regale me with stories of his time in Rome, of this place. But my imaginings fell far short of the mark.”

Arminius looked around as if he had never seen the place before. “It is a most gracious estate, to be sure. It has been my pleasure to serve here so long. But it has been too long without a master present. I had hoped Jason would return before long.”

Abigail cast her eyes down. She had not the heart to tell him that Jason would not have returned, and that it was because of her. “Titus tells me I will have to offer proof that Benjamin is Jason’s son.”

Arminius nodded. “Legally, yes. But the word of an Asinius will go far, and Titus wrote that he was at your wedding and can vouch for you.”

“
She also has the jewelry that was Jason’s inheritance,” Titus added. “But you said that others had already come forward claiming to be heirs? I suppose they have backers whose word is worth as much as mine.”

“
Not quite.” Arminius smiled. “There have been several, yes. But most could not possibly be true simply because of incorrect timing, not to mention that neither Jason nor Cleopas mentioned them once, whereas Abigail here was an oft-spoken of figure in their correspondences.”

Abigail looked surprised by this. “Cleopas never even mentioned this estate to me, though. I did not know of it until Jason brought it up.”

Arminius shrugged. “It is of no consequence. They mentioned you, which is all the authorities will care about. It should not take long for the rabble to be cleared out.”

Titus nodded, obviously satisfied. “We will both be at your disposal throughout the process, of course. We will do whatever is necessary to ensure that Jason’s son receives the benefit he is due.”

“
Thank you.” Arminius inclined his head and darted a gaze from Abigail to Titus. “If I may say, my lord Asinius, I am grateful to you on my masters’ behalf for seeing my new mistress to Rome. A beauty as great as hers would find danger without a guardian.”

Abigail felt herself blush. Titus only grinned at her. “My friend, a beauty as great as hers manages to find danger even
with
a guardian. But I swore to Jason she would be taken care of, and I will keep my vow.”

Arminius nodded, halting them before the exit to a stately portico. “I could tell from his correspondence that he cared for you very much, Mistress.”

Hearing the man several times her age continually referring to her by that title made the uncertainty creep up Abigail’s spine, but she just straightened it in response. “I miss him greatly. And his father. Our lives altered too quickly that night; I fear I will not know how much it sent me reeling until I finally come to a halt.”

Arminius nodded again, then lifted a hand to indicate the scene before him. “The vineyards will have a good year. There will be more than enough to store for the household and to sell. A fine vintage, surely, that will fetch a dear price. Our wines are known throughout Rome for their sweetness and strength.”

Abigail looked out, noticing that there were many men bent over the vines, pruning, she supposed, though she knew nothing about the process. “How many do you have working in the fields?”

“
There are twenty in the vineyards themselves. Three that specialize in running the winery. Fifteen more working with the vegetables, plus the shepherds and cowherds, the stablehands, and those serving as lesser stewards under me. Our total number is seventy; only a few are designated for the villa, though, so if ever you wish to stay here, Mistress, we will need to swell that number. You would not be safe here, I fear, without a larger staff. There are no women other than the workers’ families to see to you, and hence too many men to trust.” Arminius looked abashed at having to admit that.

Abigail smiled at his honesty. “I thank you for that wisdom, Arminius. If ever I intend to stay here, I will be certain to heed your advice. It is not a present worry, though. I must return to Israel soon to attend my mother, Ester. When I left, she was not well. The deaths of Cleopas and Jason were too much for her.”

“
I am sorry to hear that. Please, give her my wishes of health.”

From there they continued the tour, but it was not until they had traveled all through the villa and were back where they started that Arminius cleared his throat. Abigail could tell by his posture that he was about to put forward something important–whether it be a test of her or a simple desire for information she knew not. “Mistress, my masters had both begun writing to me of a teacher whose lessons they rallied to, a man who was called Jesus, and whom they claimed was a Christ come to save the world, Jew and Gentile alike. Do you know of him?”

Abigail smiled, her eyes wandering to Titus, whose gaze encouraged her to share honestly all she knew. “Yes. I heard the stories my husband and father told, though I never heard the rabbi teach myself. But I have since learned many of his teachings. You see, the day they were to crucify Jason and Cleopas’s murderer, they executed in his place this teacher. I had gone to see vengeance done, and instead I was witness to the death of a blameless man.” Her eyes slid shut, and she tilted her face upward. “I will never be the same. I saw the agony on his face as he died, and it was the agony of the world, that he took on his shoulders to lighten our burden. A stray drop of his blood landed on my flesh, and I felt my soul washed clean of its sins.”

“
He is dead, then,” Arminius said in a mournful tone, which inspired her to open her eyes again.

It was Titus who answered. “No. No, he is no longer dead. On the third day, his tomb was empty, and many have professed to seeing him alive. The Jews, of course, say his body was stolen, but I posted the guard myself. The Christ lives, Arminius. He has triumphed over the grave, and Abigail and I both believe it means we, too, will triumph over death. We will not be cast down to Hades with every other soul, we will be taken to the bosom of the Lord himself, there to live for eternity.”

A tear traced a crooked path over the creased cheek of the loyal servant. “And my masters?”

“
They believed.” Abigail held Benjamin to her with one arm so she could reach out with the other and rest her hand on Arminius’s shoulder. “Even now, they are with our Lord in Paradise, preparing a place for us. If you accept that truth, my friend, that Jesus the Christ died for your unrighteousness and rose again to deliver you from it, then you, too, will see the glory of heaven someday.”