'Come on, Bato, your old master should have a bone or two for you.'


The Gracchus compound was on the lower slopes of the Palatine. Unlike the winding narrow passageways of Subura, where houses of ill repute stood next to patrician villas, here nothing was allowed to spoil the tranquillity. Julia walked along the leafy lane, enjoying the sounds of birds instead of the shouts from the market.

She stood in front of the Graccus villa, rehearsing her speech, a pleasant fiction about Bato missing the senator.

Her hand trembled as she knocked on the solid oak door.

After a brief conversation with the porter, she went into the dappled shade of the large courtyard to await the arrival of Senator Gracchus. Julia walked slowly amongst the death masks and various statues, looking for Gracchus's son. Her heart sank slightly. The one she wanted was missing. She could see the white patch where it had hung, but the mask was gone.

Julia made a face. Why were things never simple?

A movement caused her to turn from the wall. She watched as Senator Gracchus made a grand entrance, frail but resplendent in his snow-white toga with its large purple border.

'Julia Antonia, how good it is of you to call on an old man,' Senator Gracchus said, holding out both his hands, gold rings glittering on every finger. His hair was thinner and his face much more lined than she remembered. He appeared to have lost a great deal of weight, but his bearing showed he had not lost much of the presence that had intimidated two generations of senators. 'It has been too long since your charm graced this garden, Julia.'

'Far too long since I have had the pleasure of enjoying your hospitality,' Julia agreed and her eyes scanned his face, searching for any resemblance to Valens. There a vague resemblance in the way he held his head and moved, but little in the way of matching physical features. 'Bato wanted to come to see you.'

She pointed to Bato who immediately lay on his back and wriggled. Gracchus laughed and reached down to tickle the dog's tummy.

'Dogs always remember those who have been kind to them,' he said. 'I remember this one as being a particular scamp. Perhaps the cook can rustle up a ham bone or two.

He clapped his hands. Two servants appeared and led Bato towards the kitchen.

'Was Bato your dog?' Julia tried to make her voice casual.

'No, my son's.' A shadow passed over Gracchus's face. 'Gaius left him here when he was posted off to Zama in North Africa—called him something, I can't think of the name, but Lucius changed it when I gave him Bato. I thought Bato would cement my ties with Lucius, but the dog did not take to him in the same way.'

It would do no good to tell Senator Gracchus that Bato disliked Lucius because he had hit her and the dog had tried to protect her. He had never wanted to hear the reasons before, believing Julia's lies about walking into doors.

Julia forced air out of her lungs. She had to concentrate and not allow her mind to be distracted. Gracchus's son had been posted off to Zama, in North Africa. Valens had not said where he had been stationed. North Africa was large. It could have been anywhere. She closed her eyes, willing her heart to be still, not to race ahead. She wanted to be calm.

'I forget. How did your son die? Captured by pirates?' Her hairstyle felt heavy against the back of her neck.

Gracchus gave a small sad smile. 'I only wish. I would have been only too happy to pay any ransom legitimately demanded. He perished in an assault on a rebellious town. A needless waste as the town was unimportant.'

Julia felt like a foolish girl who believed in dreams. With a few words, Gracchus had extinguished the small flicker of hope.

'I thought there was a tale about pirates,' she said, trying to recover and not to let her disappointment show.

'Child,' Gracchus said, putting his hand on her shoulder, 'a request for ransom arrived, but they sought to play on an old man's desire for his son. Your latest suitor, Mettalius, saw him fall. He brought back Gaius's brooch pinned to the bloody cloak that Gaius wore. My son would never have freely given mat up. It had been in my wife's family for generations. My wife faded away after that. Lucius was so attentive to her in the last few days. Always here, always finding something to cheer her up or some sweetmeat to tempt her appetite. Of course, when she died, I knew I was too old to take another woman, and I made Lucius my heir. He was the closest male relation who was willing to be adopted.'

Julia swallowed hard and closed her eyes. It had been too easy, too much like a fairy tale. At least she had had the wit not to come in and proclaim to Gracchus that his son was alive.

'I am so sorry.'

'The Fates decreed that I outlive my son and wife, but don't put ashes on your head or allow your eyes to fill with tears for someone you did not know. He had done his military service. He ignored my pleas to stay at home, and would go adventuring, lusting after glory.' Gracchus clapped his hands. 'And now, I think a bit of cool mint tea to revive our spirits. You do have time to stay.'

'Only if you desire it. I have no wish to tire you.' She watched the servants bring the table and jug of mint tea. With great ceremony, the servant poured a beaker for her. She took a sip and felt the cool sweetness slip down her throat, easing it.

'Good, you must tell me all that has been happening to you since you last graced this garden.' Gracchus waved his hands expansively and his rings threw beams of light across the garden.

A servant brought Bato back and he flopped down at Julia's feet, with a bone large enough to feed a family of five, let alone a greyhound. 'We have a gladiator staying with us. One of Caesar's troop. The one called Valens the Thracian. You may have seen the notices or his figurine on street corners.'

Gracchus frowned and swirled his beaker of tea. 'Caesar has altogether too many gladiators. He reaches too far, too fast, I believe.'

Julia took another sip of her tea and watched Gracchus. She had forgotten the politics. Gracchus was a senator of the old school, one who believed in the Republic and its ancient ideals. 'My father seems pleased with the gladiator. He is helping my father improve his sword technique.'

'Your father is much like my dead son in that. He too was fascinated by the gladiatorial life. There was nowhere he was happier than in the ring.'

'You did not approve?'

'No,' Gracchus spluttered. 'We, patricians, are born into a position and have a duty to hold that position up. Little good comes from associating with people like gladiators. I can remember as a young boy when such shows were strictly for funerals and not spectacles for mass entertainment. I despise everything to do with them. They show how far Rome has fallen. In my youth statuettes of gods were sold at street corners, not figurines of infamia.'

'I will keep that in mind.' Julia felt the prick of a headache start between her brows.

'I heard about your escapade with the gladiators, Julia,' Gracchus said, his face turning even graver. Julia shifted uncomfortably in her chair. 'It saddened me to think my ex-daughter-in-law was mixed up with such ruffians. I thought you were more modest man that. Many times, I have said how much you remind me of my dear departed wife, a true Roman matron. Such a pity you and Lucius never had any children.'

'It was never my intention to be involved, but Bato had other ideas,' Julia said stiffly. 'Thankfully, Valens rescued Bato or else he might not be here to beg treats from your hand.'

The senator harrumphed, but fed Bato another sweetmeat.

Julia set down her empty beaker and stood up. She needed to go now before she said something she regretted. Valens might be a gladiator, but he was a far better man than Lucius could ever be.

A door slammed and Lucius strode in. As his gaze fell on her, he frowned and his eyes became ice-cold. Julia's stomach twisted and swayed as she remembered the beating that had followed the last time she had seen him look like that. Bato raised his hackles and growled.

'What are you doing here, Julia Antonia?' Lucius squeaked out, not bothering with pleasantries. 'What sort of poisoned gossip are you spreading?'

He can't touch you, she repeated, hoping to stem the rising tide of bile in her throat.

'Julia Antonia is here to visit me at my invitation. Now calm yourself, Lucius, and behave like a Roman. Have some mint tea.' Gracchus rang a silver bell. 'Some fresh mint tea for my son.'

'I must go,' Julia said, ignoring Lucius. She leant over and gave Gracchus a kiss on the cheek. 'I have enjoyed our visit. Perhaps sometime you will show me the brooch that your son valued so much.'

'It is here.' Gracchus held out a brooch that bore more than a superficial resemblance to the brooch Julia had seen on Valens's cloak. 'I wear it all the time to remind me of my dead son.'

'I can see why he wore it until his death,' Julia said, trying to be casual, but feeling her heart start to pound. She rose gracefully. 'I enjoyed my tea.'

'Come again soon."

'I plan to.' Julia curled her fingers around Bato, and started towards the door. As she left, she heard Lucius complaining to Gracchus.


Chapter Eleven


Julia sat on the stone bench in her father's atrium. The twin scents of lavender and rose filled the air. The late afternoon sunshine cast elongated shadows over her and the scrolls of poetry she had by her side, as a cover. Instead of thumbing through the well-loved lines, Julia kept her eyes focussed on the outside door.