A Stray Drop of Blood (6 page)

Dinah had a plate ready for him. Simon and Andrew were doing all the serving tonight so the women would be free to watch the boy.

“
I am better!” Claron proclaimed again upon seeing a new face.

Dinah looked from the boy to Abigail.

“
You were right.” She did not intend her voice to be hushed, but it was so nonetheless. “The teacher healed him.”

Dinah just nodded and smiled. “I made your favorites.” She bent down to be on a level with him. “Would you like some now?”

Abigail met her gaze again, well understanding the unspoken message within it: they ought to be grateful he was well, and question nothing else. Questions of this sort never had answers one could believe.

~*~

The wine was excellent, the food superb. It was no surprise to Jason; he had yet to receive anything but the best treatment when a guest in the Asinius house. His main pleasure came from the others, and the fact that they were all there. Menelaus, for instance, had never even been invited here before, nor had the other two soldiers present, Lentulus and Apidius. To be sure, if they were not all going to Israel together, this gathering would probably never have occurred. But since they were much livelier than Titus, Jason was glad to have them in on this particular celebration.

Caius and his wife, Aquilia, were out for the evening; Jason was certain they wished to have no part of their son’s party, but they had made sure he had ample provisions for it.

“
Jason, is the food this good in Jerusalem?” Lentulus asked, taking a large bite.

Jason laughed. “In my mother’s kitchen, perhaps, but not where you will be. Besides,” he added, motioning to the dish in his friend’s hand, “you will not find that particular delicacy anywhere in Israel.”

“
Oh. Pork. Right.”

Jason nodded and tasted it himself. He did not consider himself bound by the laws of his mother’s people, and had, therefore, no qualms about eating what he wished. “I know I will miss it.”

“
What are the women like?” Menelaus asked, not for the first time. His gaze followed one of Titus’s slaves as she refilled his wine and gave him a sultry smile.

Titus shook his head. “Menelaus, your mind is on but one thing. Have no fear; I am sure there are harlots in Israel, just as in Rome.”

Menelaus threw a chunk of bread at his friend. “Spoken as a man who has no reason to pay for what he can find in his own house.”

Titus shrugged but smiled, not hesitating to put his hand on the thigh of the slave as she moved to refill his glass. The woman kissed his proffered lips before moving off to tend to Jason’s drink.

“
I will miss Rome,” Apidius said. “And I do not mind saying so. Nowhere else can you find the culture and opportunity. Art. Freedom.”

“
Drusilla,” the rest added in unison, which quickly turned into laughter.

Apidius flushed but joined in the laughter. “You are all just jealous that I have a woman who is worth being a wife.”

“
And a lot of good it does you.” Menelaus stifled his mumble with a gulp of wine. “You are getting shipped to Israel with the rest of us.”

“
Feel free to stop mentioning it at any time.”

“
A lot of good that would do, as well.”

“
Menelaus, you depress me.”

The insulted man held up his glass in salute before tossing its contents down his throat, then kept the empty vessel in the air to be filled yet again by the smiling maid.

The woman looked at her master silently. When he nodded, she proceeded to descend into Menelaus’ lap, setting her pitcher on the side table in the same motion, and capture his receptive mouth with hers.

“
Well, at least one of us is happy.” Lentulus sighed, his eyes skirting to the couple and then back again to the wall.

“
Why do you two not go elsewhere to spare the other poor gentlemen?” Only disinterest colored Titus’s tone.

Jason watched his friend and the tempting slave get up and move out of the room. He took a deep breath, telling himself to be glad Titus was finally accepting Menelaus. But, as that man would say, a lot of good it would do now, two days before they left Rome. Even with these thoughts, though, part of his mind was remembering his own pleasant experience with the sensuous wench now entertaining his friend.

Another slave entered at that moment, one Jason had seen less frequently. She was beautiful, graceful, tasteful. Her clothing was not the sheer and barely-covering material of the other women serving them, but it still showed the curves that put all the others to shame. She went directly to Titus, whispered a word in his ear, waited for his equally short murmur in reply, then departed again without even glancing at the other men.

Jason had seen her before. He did not know her name, since Titus never referred to her or spoke loudly when she entered, but he knew who she was. She was the one maid in this house that Titus would never share; she was his, and his alone. He knew that much, from previous visits where they had exchanged a kiss in addition to the whispers.

He was suddenly glad to be going home to the land he had grown up in, where
his
family was the one with the influence, where these friends of his would have nothing that he himself either did not have or could not get with greater ease than they. It was not that he wanted them to be without, or even that he wanted to be better; he was just ready not to be in the deficit.

~*~

It was at least two hours later when Jason decided he had taken his fill of the refreshments and company and sought fresh air in their stead. His retreat led him to the gardens in the rear of the house, probably his favorite place on the estate. The more frequently he was entertained by the Asiniuses, the more appreciation he had for their remarkable grounds.

There was a cool breeze blowing, but the temperature was still warm enough that he was not chilled, simply freshened. He chose not to go to one of the benches, opting instead to walk the maze of paths. The stars were lustrous tonight, dazzling, in fact, in their clarity. There was Venus, now the Evening Star, and there was Saturn, retrograding, as he had learned in his studies.

And there was a noise disturbing his solitude.

“
Jason!” It was Caius, so the younger man opted not to be perturbed by the interruption.

“
Lord! You are returned earlier than we expected.”

The ex-consul moved in closer. “I wanted to catch you before you left. I have an offer for you.”

Both curiosity and eyebrows raised, Jason leaned on the stone wall beside him. “Of what nature?”

Caius, too, leaned on the wall. “We both know that the solder’s life is not an easy one, Jason. Even if not involved in an active campaign, one still faces dangers.”

“
I am aware of its risks, sir.” What he did not know was his host’s point.

“
Titus is my only son, and he is my heir. I did not act fast enough to keep him here, but I have every intention of getting him ordered home as quickly as possible; but it could take a while.”

He was beginning to catch on. “Lord, your son is an able soldier. He is in little danger.”

“
In battle, perhaps,” the man conceded. “But Titus has a strange disposition that I have never understood. His temper can be unriled when he is greatly insulted but then flares up with no provocation.” Caius paused to take a breath. “To be honest, I do not trust him to stay out of trouble in a foreign land. Which brings me to my proposition. You are a man of sound and dependable manner, Jason. And, since solders’ pay is nothing to brag about, I would like to satisfy both of our needs. I am prepared to offer you a comfortable monthly stipend in exchange for your keeping an eye on my son.”

Jason was tempted to laugh but settled for a smile. “Lord, as Titus is my friend and your family has welcomed me so warmly, I will do all I can to safeguard him. But there is no need for payment. Especially since there is no guarantee we will be near each other in our assignments or that he will even find himself in a position to need my aid.”

Caius waved off his objections. “If I wish to waste my money on a deserving friend, then I will. And so long as you simply speak with him on occasion and keep abreast of his social life, which is my main concern, I will be content.” With that, Caius put a fatherly hand on Jason’s shoulder. “One of my men is a merchant in Jerusalem. I have already sent him instruction. He visits your father’s camp monthly. At that time, just relay any information that you think I need to know. But even if there is none, which I honestly hope will be the case, he will dispense your stipend.”

“
Really, Lord, I have no need of–”

“
Then save it for your future or spend it on your friends. I will hear no more arguments.” He smiled, apparently quite happy with himself. “I will probably not see you again before you leave, so have a splendid eve and a pleasant trip. It has been a delight to call you a friend. Be sure and return to Rome, son, and when you do, I will give you all the aid you need in whatever endeavors you plan for yourself.”

“
Thank you, Lord.” Sincere gratitude rocked him. “Truly, it means much to be numbered among your friends.”

They clasped hands, then Caius moved away, back into his house, leaving Jason with another moment of silence.

It did not last long. The voice that spoke this time was soft, unfamiliar. He had to turn, in fact, to find its owner in the shadows.

“
Master Jason?”

Unless the darkness deceived him, it was that slave of Titus’s, the one whose name he had never discovered. If possible, she was even more beautiful under the soft luminescence of the stars, her dark hair and olive features blending harmoniously with the night. He made no verbal reply, but when his eyes met hers, she stepped nearer.

“
You have agreed to my master’s request?”

She had obviously been listening, so should know the answer. But he replied anyway. “I have.”

From the closer vantage point he could see that her eyes contained a dangerous light in them, something he would not have expected. This woman was one with a determined will.

“
I would add my own request to his.”

So even the slaves looked to him to grant their desires. This should be interesting. He pasted on a lazy smile. “Would you ask that I keep him from falling in love with another?”

That spark flickered in her eyes. “I would not. In fact, the opposite.” When he straightened, surprised, she smiled. “Things will change when Titus leaves. I would be a fool to expect otherwise. The moment he steps out of Rome he loses his claim to me, and not by my will. But if he does not realize this truth, his return will be fierce.”

He could easily comprehend. Caius was known for his love of beautiful women; he may respect his son’s property while he was present, but he would not recognize it in his absence.

“
The master was right about his son’s temper, but I have the understanding he lacks. My lord can be terrible in his jealousy; it inflames him. Please, Lord. There is enough tension between father and son as it is. I would not want it to erupt because of me.”

He somehow doubted the direction of her concern. From what he knew of his friend, it would not just be his father that he would grow angry with. And he knew also that
he
would not relish being in Titus’s path when he was raging.

“
I promise, fair one, to do all in my power to make him forget you.” He smiled again. “I will throw him in the path of every lovely face I see.”

She smiled, too, and drew even nearer. When her body was pressed against his, awakening his senses acutely, she gave him a fiery kiss. “When you return to Rome,” she whispered, “I will give you the proper thanks.” She kissed him again, then moved away, back into the shadows, no doubt to prepare herself for Titus’s retiring.

Still burning with her touch, Jason decided to take a few minutes more to calm down before returning to the party. He briefly touched his moistened lips and smiled again. She, if nothing else, would be worth returning to Rome for. Which made him wonder how he could possibly grant her request. Especially since Titus was not one easily persuaded of anything. At least Caius’s request would be easy enough; the son did not show his best face to the father, but all his friends knew him as the responsible one.

Well, he
had
tried to persuade the man not to pay him. But when confronted with a determined man like Caius Asinius, one did not stand a chance.

~*~

Ester did not know whether to cross her arms in anger, sigh, or laugh. So she was silent for a moment, then simply said, “Cleopas, it is not that I object.”

“
But yet you refuse.” He was sitting on the bed, his elbow propping his body up with the help of a mountain of pillows.

She sat beside him, her stance one of pleading. “Not for my own sake. You know that. It is simply that–”

“
You have been dreaming and planning for so long.”

She lowered her eyes in humility. “And you have encouraged my dreams and plans.”

“
So I have.” Cleopas pushed himself up and took her in his arms. “And I do still. But this is an option that had not occurred to me, and I am not certain why. It would be ideal.”