The Barbarian's Mistress (16 page)

‘For Annius Bibulus, an urgent message.’

‘He’s away.’

‘When will he be back?’

‘Don’t know. The mistress is home. I could give it to her tomorrow.’

‘Now. It’s urgent. Don’t any of you city slaves know what urgent means? Vesuvius has erupted and killed thousands. I would think that would concern you people a little. It’s chaos down there, and your master needs this message.’

‘I’ll give it to the mistress. But she’ll be furious. Wait here!’

Salvia reread the message that had been addressed to Bibulus’ friend Lavius. It said that the enclosed message must be delivered directly into the hands of Bibulus. That in itself was suspicious. Then the missive confounded her. ‘Goods safe but S presumed dead. Please advise
,’ to a woman’s name in Paestum and signed with a ‘V’.

What did it mean? What goods would be so secret that such a message would need to be sent? Had her husband sent goods to Pompeii and needed to know they hadn’t met with harm during the eruption. Paestum was just south of Pompeii, she knew.

This wasn’t just about goods. This was about something else. But what?

There was a simple way to find out. She called for the old scribe, who now assisted her husband. The man was dragged from his bed, his eyes still bleary with sleep.

‘Write a message addressed to this woman in Paestum,’ she indicated the name on the missive. The old man took a piece of parchment out and painstakingly prepared stylus and ink. When she was about to scream with impatience, he finally looked up, ready to write.

‘Say, “V, Annius Bibulus is dead. Return to Rome with goods immediately.” You can sign it with your name.’

The slave looked up at her in alarm. ‘The master is dead?’

‘Don’t be a fool! Of course he isn’t dead. But whoever has written this message needs to believe he is, so that they’ll bring these mysterious goods back here to me. Just do as I say. I’m past having the patience to deal with you.’ She stamped her bare foot to demonstrate her annoyance.

‘But the master…’

‘Will know you disobeyed me, if you don’t write exactly what I tell you!’

The old slave shrugged his shoulders and wrote what he was told. Handing Salvia the finished product for her approval, he bowed his way out of the room.

Nodding her head, she sealed the scroll. ‘That will do nicely. This will bring the mysterious
goods
home, so I can see exactly what my beloved husband is trying to hide from me.’ She handed the scroll to the house slave, who had first awakened her.

‘Give this to the messenger with good payment, and send him on his way.’

After she was once more alone, Salvia smiled as she frowned. This was intriguing. When did her boring, little husband start getting sneaky? What valuable cargo was he trying to keep her knowing about? Well, she would soon know. And when Bibulus finally returned with Annia Minor, she would confront him with the missive directly, and watch his reaction. It would prove entertaining, she was sure.

Chapter Thirteen

29 August 79 CE, Rome LATIUM

The litter drew up outside Biblulus’ residence just before midnight. It was not a good idea to travel this late at night, but he wanted to make sure Salvia was asleep when he got home, so that Anniana’s absence would not be noticeable.

‘I’m so worried,’ Ninia said for the umpteenth time since they’d set off from Re
ati earlier in the evening. ‘I dreamed about Vesuvius erupting, and Anni running from it. I’m sure something terrible has happened to her.’

‘And as I told you, Anniana couldn’t have reached Pompeii in time for the eruption. They were still probably somewhere north like Sinuessa. But if they had heard of what happened to Herculaneum or Pompeii, they’ll have sent word for further instructions. That’s why we have to risk being back in Rome.’

‘Would they risk contacting you?’

‘They would have to. Everything hinged on getting to Severus. Vali has no contingency plan. And I have to work one out. But I’m at a loss as to who else to marry her to in a hurry. The leeway we created, so she could get to Severus and complete the marriage, is moot now.’

They climbed down from the litter and hurried inside. The litter slaves carried lamps to light their way. But it was still shadowed.

Salvia stepped out from the shadows in the atrium and smiled like a cat who’d swallowed the last of the cream. ‘My dear husband, you return. And where is my dear daughter who was so sick you couldn’t bring her back for the Vulcanus celebration?’

‘Salvia. Yes, well Anniana was still unwell, so I left her behind. I had to get back because of the Vesuvius crisis…’

‘Left her behind, without a handmaiden? Please Gaius, give me some credit.’

‘Very well, Anniana has been sent away to the north where you cannot get your tainted claws into her. You can leave me, if you desire. But you will not get my little lamb. She’s already married.’

‘Married? To whom?’

‘Do you think I’d tell you that? The marriage is perfectly legal. I arranged it some time ago, and she went to be with her new husband when we went to Reati. It is done, my dear. You are outwitted.’

Salvia frowned, thinking fast. ‘Then tell me what other precious “goods” you were keeping secret from me? A message came while you were gone. From the south. Your “goods” are badly damaged and S is dead. V required further orders. I gave them to him. I said bring the “goods” back here, damaged or not. I did the right thing, didn’t I, Gaius? You wouldn’t want your badly damaged goods so far away.’

She was watching his face like a hawk, now. He knew he’d become weak at the very mention of damage. He could feel his heart beating so fast it was painful. He reached for his chest, and then thought better of it. He had to try not to give anything away. But Anniana was badly hurt? How had Vali let that happen?

Ninia was whimpering at his side, and he threw her a fierce, cautionary look. She dropped her head, and began playing with the pleats on her gown. Her hands shook.

‘You seem distressed, Gaius. Were the “goods” so important to you?’

‘Our financial viability depended on them, Salvia. If the rugs from Persia are badly damaged, their value will be nought. Our fortune will be gone.’

‘Carpets? Hmmm. And this S?’

‘The dealer in Pompeii. He must have died during the eruption.’

‘I see. But then why would the message have come from Paestum, south of Pompeii? If they were coming by sea…’

‘I don’t know Salvia. Maybe the eruption pushed them off course and they sustained the damage when the ship was wrecked to the south. How would I know?’

‘But why would the message come in secret, Gaius. It was sent to your friend Lavius, and he sent it on here. If it was just a financial transaction, why the secrecy?’

Bibulus felt like a bug being drawn deeper and deeper into a sand-spider’s hole. The sides were becoming less and less substantial, the harder he fought to escape.

‘I told you our wealth is in jeopardy. I didn’t want my fellow senators to know. Or you. It might have given you cause to leave me sooner, rather than later.’

This seemed to give her pause. Did she believe him?

‘Well, it looks like your greatest fear has come to pass. I am leaving you. I will gather the seven citizens together tomorrow, and announce it. I expect my dowry to be returned to my father immediately.’

‘I can’t do that, Salvia. If these goods are damaged, we’re as good as penniless.’

‘Then you’ll be sued. And your name will be worthless. Gaius will have nothing. You were always a pathetic failure, husband. But it seems to have only got worse, as time went on.’

Gaius Annius Bibulus nodded his head in defeat. She had no idea just what a failure he was. If his darling lamb was badly hurt, or died, because he sent her on this harebrained scheme to save her, then he truly was pathetic. His only hope now was that Vali wouldn’t think to bring her back to Rome. He must rely on his wit to sift falsehood from fact, and come up with the right course of action. Whatever that might be.

Salvia sat in her tablenum sipping wine long after her confrontation with Gaius.

Things were not as they seemed. Her fool of a husband had out-maneuvered her with Annia Minor. And her wealth was in jeopardy. The look on his face when he told her the last, made her believe him, at least on that matter.

But the ‘goods’-- t
hat didn’t ring true. Something wasn’t right there. She would need to check it out. What was the name in Paestum? Daria something? She would ask that fool Silus, and send men to investigate.

She would need to send spies out t
o track down Annia Minor, too. Starting from Reati? Well, why not? But surely she would have taken her beloved handmaiden with her, if she married? Why had she returned to Rome without her mistress? Maybe she would need a little one-on-one time with that little piece. It was amazing what she could find out with a strategically placed pin.

One way or another she was going to get her daughter back. If she was married, then she would convince Titus to arrange
the divorce, if he wanted to marry Annia. Or even bed her. And Titus was interested, very interested. She wouldn’t accept the loss her most valuable pawn so easily.

30 August 79 CE
, Paestum LUCANIA

The days had passed one perfect one after another. They played, they explored, and they slept. And each night Lara eased Vali’s discomfort in the way she’d been taught. And enjoyed doing it.

Sometimes she would wake to find him still restless, his mind unable to escape the image of her core spread open before him as she worked him with such dedication. He felt like a bastard, having her servicing him this way, but it didn’t stop him wanting it, wanting more. On those nights, one release was not enough to help him sleep. And she would quickly put her talented hands to work again.

For Vali it was its own form of torture. Having her bringing him to release time and again, each time more shattering than the next, made him crave more. She was like the mushrooms he had heard people speak of that became addictive, so that those who ate them were left as shadows of their former selves.

Not that he was a shadow. He was more alive than he had ever been. And happier. But it was a desperate happiness that he knew would come to an end as soon as the message from Bibulus arrived. And that should be any day now.

After yet another glorious day, they bid their hostess goodnight and went to bed. Lara seemed more anxious than usual to be abed. She had been restless all day, and preoccupied. When he’d asked her what was wrong she had simply smiled and shrugged. He was fast learning that if his little mistress didn’t want him to know what was on her mind, then he wouldn’t. She was stubborn, in her sweet natured way.

After they were abed, the candle still lit because the moon had not yet risen, she moved over him and tried to take him in her hands. He drew them away.

‘What is troubling you? You’re so… nervy and irritable. If you don’t want to do this I can see to myself. You shouldn’t have to do it. It’s not your problem.’

She scowled at him, and blew a strand of loose fair hair back from her face. The rest of her glorious tresses fell in wild abandon down her bare back. He ached for her. Not just for her hands, but for her. But this was all he could have. More than he should have. What would her father think about her sitting naked across his thighs as she worked him to orgasm? Not the activity of innocent virgins.

Instead of replying, she began to stroke him, knowing now exactly how much pressure to apply. What gave him the most pleasure, and when. Fighting his desire, he stilled her hands.

‘Anniana…’

‘Lara!’ she came back immediately, letting go of him and putting her hands on her curvy, little hips.

‘Lara then. I don’t want this. Not when you obviously don’t want to do it.’

‘I do. But… ‘

‘But?’

She made to climb off him, but he hastily held her in place, bringing her face up so she was forced to meet his eyes.

‘Talk to me, sweetling. I can’t know what’s going on for you unless you tell me,’ he said in gentle exasperation.

She struggled to avert her face, which was burning with a deep blush. Her cheeks on fire this way made her even more attractive.  He ran his rough fingertips down the smooth contours of her cheeks, but held her firm. This battle of wills had gone on long enough. They would find out who was the more stubborn.

‘I ache, Vali. Down there.’ She indicated with her eyes where she meant, shifting her hips in innocent provocation to further highlight what ‘there’ was. ‘Every time I do this to you… it gets worse. I feel confined by my own skin. I feel so restless, I want to scream. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.’

He grinned impishly at her. ‘I can tell you, if you’d bothered to ask.’

Her gaze flew to his face, eyes wide with expectation. ‘Tell me, please. I think I’ll go mad with it.’

Instead of telling her, he threw her off him onto her back. Then he placed his cupped hand over the curls between her legs. She moaned and writhed.

‘Don’t Vali. That only makes it worse.’

‘Worse but better. Let me give you release.’

‘By kissing me there? I don’t know. I… I’m not sure. It seems wrong…’

‘Believe me, I know what wrong is, and what I have in mind is the farthest thing from wrong.’

‘All right.’ She nodded her head in defeat. ‘If you don’t mind.’

Vali let his calloused fingers slide down her hips to her thighs, gently urging them to part. He’d dreamed of doing this for so many nights it seemed an already familiar practise. And yet the excitement of the new was almost overwhelming. How was he going to keep himself under control so close to where he needed to be?

For a moment she fought him, but then seemed to realise that she had agreed to do this, and that fighting him was useless. She let him part her thighs, and then tensed as he settled himself between them, nuzzling the soft skin of her inner thighs with his lips, his hair tickling her sensitive flesh.

When his tongue slid out and licked her inner thigh, she jumped. When he blew on the wet skin, she moaned. Then he was kissing her core, rubbing his face against her, and moaning his pleasure.

‘You smell so good,’ he mumbled, just before he let his tongue snake out and push between the folds of her sex. ‘Taste so good. I knew you would. I’ve imagined this so many times…’

And then he stopped talking, and started to lick and suck her. Lara forgot her modesty, forgot her inhibitions, forgot that what he was doing seemed unnatural and wrong, and she just let herself feel.

Vali was going mad. It felt so… delightful, so pleasurable. It excited him more than he’d thought
possible, to be arousing her this way. Moaning, she gripped his head between her hands urging him on.

When his tongue slid inside her, she cried out and arched up, bucking. It surprised her, but not him. Of course she was a quick study. How could he have expected anything else?

‘Gods, I want in there,’ he said with an agonised groan, as he slid a finger into her body. ‘Tell me if it’s too rough. I just want to feel what it would be like. I …’ he swore again as he began to devour her in a desperate frenzy, sending his finger in and out, never too far, always mindful of causing her pain, breaching her maidenhead.

There came a moment when what he did  had her bucking her hips, and writhed beneath him so much, he could barely keep his place. He was so close to coming, just watching her. Then something happened, and she became very still. This was it, she would either let herself go, or she’d draw back from the pinnacle. He paused, breathless. She screamed, and he had to hastily cover her mouth with his hand to quiet her. Her beautiful body was rigid, her face transformed by ecstasy.

But even then, he didn’t stop for more than a second or two. While she was floating down from her first release, his tongue worked on her again, looking for the next that would follow so closely on the first. Her body froze again, and she moaned. He left off so that he could rest his cheek against her inner thigh, breathing her arousal deep.