For a Roman's Heart (6 page)

“Tonight we’ll find female companionship, and you’ll forget the tiny Adrenia.”

As Victor urged his horse to go faster, Terentius yelled after him, “You can screw all you want. I’ll sleep.”

But he knew dreams of Adrenia’s shining eyes and plump lips would haunt his night. Urgency built inside to find an excuse, any reason, to turn his horse around and ride back to her. To see if the steady desire still boiling in his blood would disappear at the sight of her.

Somehow he knew she needed him and in those minutes together they’d connected.

Then he remembered she was a Briton, not a Roman citizen. A woman below his station. Britons had broken his world when he was sixteen. He shouldn’t care whether she lived or died. Resolved to slake his lust as Victor planned, Terentius shoved thoughts of sloe-eyed Adrenia right from his head.

Chapter Three

“Mankind have been created for the sake of one another.

Either instruct them, therefore, or endure them.”

Marcus Aurelius

Roman Emperor (AD 161–180), AD 121–AD 180

A Day Later

After Terentius and Victor dismounted from their horses, they stood for a second and took in the villa before them. Terentius had reason to be impressed. While not as large as his family’s former villa near Deva, Cordus had done well for himself. Obviously his many tenants, including Brigomalla, sprawled across the lands in rectangular houses and roundhouses, while Cordus enjoyed the features of a full estate. Terentius knew this one would feature baths, at least one kitchen, and prominent public rooms. In fact, if Terentius was right, the octagonal-shaped building attached to the far end of the villa might be a bathhouse. He’d heard of massive villas that would outstrip this one, like the one just west of Noviomagus. Still, this complex sprawl showed that a military veteran could do well for himself.

Terentius and Victor walked into the entrance once the slave at the door admitted them. They followed the slave into the atrium, and Terentius saw this structure was much bigger than he’d first realized from looking at the outside. The slave that had taken their introductory papers left them standing while he rushed to find his master.

Victor turned in a circle. The black and white mosaic floor showed birds, a lion, lizards and snakes. Frescos with elaborate colored architectural views lined the walls. Panels laden with isolated figures were marked off by borders and featured pavilions and mythological figures. In the center of the atrium, water filled a rectangular
impluvium
. An opening in the roof allowed water to fall into the
impluvium
. To one side of the room ruby-colored curtains flapped in a slight breeze that sailed through the wide opening into public rooms.

Victor was wide-eyed. “Fuck me. I haven’t seen a place like this in some time.”

Terentius remembered his family villa and it filled him with homesickness, a feeling he couldn’t remove no matter how many years went by.
You cannot return home.
No, he had no true home as a soldier. He went wherever duty took him.

Above a niche were carved words. Victor said, “
Pro salutem redditum ac Victoria.
For health, the return and victory.” He smiled. “Those are words I can live by.”

“And I. Come. We are rude exploring this private area.” Terentius returned to the atrium and Victor followed, of course.

The large, shaggy-haired slave came back into the atrium. “Please, sirs. If you’ll come through this way to the courtyard, the
dominus
will meet you there shortly.”

They followed the slave through the curtains into a long hall with several rooms lining the hall. Beyond lay an open courtyard. They stepped into the open air, and the slave left them.

Terentius took in the two fountains that trickled in the center, their intricate square mosaic basins filled with interesting depictions. One showed a woman’s head, the hair flowing all around her as if she, too, floated in the water. The other mosaic showed several fish cavorting. Bronze statuettes of Bacchus, cupids and satyrs on pedestals lined the colonnaded overhang. Though winter season came soon, various shrubs and flowerbeds decorated the courtyard.

Several seconds later, a short man strode into the area, his slave in tow. “Come in, come in, legionnaires. Welcome.” He stopped in front of them and nodded. “I am Decimus Caelius Cordus.”

Terentius and Victor saluted the military veteran. The man wore a tunic and fine robes. His balding head held salt and pepper hair along the back, his dark eyes sharp, his nose equally imposing. Time hadn’t been kind to Cordus. Though Terentius had heard Cordus was fifty, winkles lined his brow and his jowls drooped. Though not fat, he obviously ate well.

“Your estate is very well appointed, sir,” Terentius said.

The villa owner smiled and led the way out of the courtyard and towards the main living area. “Please, call me Cordus.” Cordus stopped in an elaborately colonnaded area, paintings of nymphs and naked figures cavorting in a marginally civil fashion. “Gaius Fabius Rufus speaks highly of you in his letter, but I heard of your arrival yesterday.”

“Sir?” Terentius asked.

“My daughter heard from one of my tenants, and one of them heard of your coming from another tenant.”

“Good. We are popular men already,” Victor said.

Terentius speared him with an exasperated look. “Commander Rufus has known us but a day.”

Victor waggled his eyebrows. “Great news travels fast.”

Cordus chuckled. “Come this way. I’ve ordered refreshment for us all. My wife and daughter will join us shortly, if you don’t mind?”

“Of course not,” Terentius said.

Terentius and Victor followed, and when they alighted in the room, Terentius couldn’t help but admire the wealth in front of him. The high ceiling had an elaborate decorative design showing naked, chubby women Terentius knew Victor would like. His thought was confirmed when Victor gazed up at the ceiling and smiled.

“Splendid decoration,” Victor said as he stared.

“It’s original decoration from when I had the villa erected ten years ago,” Cordus said. “My wife didn’t like it so much, but she’s used to it.”

Several long benches and couches spread around the room. Tables decorated with ornaments, namely busts of famous people, and a bust of Cordus himself lay around the room. Terentius wondered if he would ever feel arrogant enough to have a bust made of his own visage. He shook his head. Not likely. A breeze ruffled through the room and stirred silken off white curtains. The room abounded with sumptuous touches that showed that Cordus had spent lavishly but must have kept a great deal of wealth in hand. Nothing looked worn or unkempt.

They settled on the sumptuous couches, one for each man. Plenty of room to put their feet up if they wished. When Cordus clapped his hands, two young boys about thirteen came in with platters of food and wine goblets. Cordus took one goblet for himself and a plate piled high with finger food. Terentius took the wine and food, as did Victor. Cordus dismissed the boys. An oil lamp shaped like a penis burned in one corner to stave off the wintry lack of light. On the other side of the room an incense burner also shaped like an erect cock sent a pungent order into the air. Terentius’s nose wrinkled at the strong scent.

“This is the room where we’ve had our orgies,” Cordus said.

“I beg your pardon?” Terentius said.

Cordus’s thick, bushy grey brows tilted in amusement. “That line always breaks the silence. We don’t have orgies here. My wife wouldn’t allow it, and I can’t say I’d want my daughter exposed to such a thing.”

“What a shame,” Victor said.

Terentius flinched, and Cordus’s eyes widened.

“I mean,” Victor rushed to say, “what a shame that you can’t have an orgy without your wife or daughter finding out about it.”

Cordus’s booming laugh eased Terentius’s muscles, which had tightened like lute strings. Damn Victor. The man never knew when to shut up.

“That’s what I like in a soldier. A man who says what he’s thinking without regret.” Cordus leaned forward and pinned them both with an amused look. “I haven’t been out of the army so long I can’t remember what it’s like.”

“You have a big family?” Terentius asked after taking a sip of wine. It tasted of quality better than what his status as a centurion of the
Primi Ordines
could expect to drink when billeted with his own legion.

Cordus sighed. “Alas, I do not. I married as soon as I became a centurion and my wife and I didn’t conceive for quite some time. We only have Decima Prima Cordia. Or Cordia, as we call her.”

Victor ate his food with relish, stopping only long enough to say, “We heard that the tenant living in the long house is your freedman.”

Cordus nodded. “Indeed, he is. I bought him when he was fourteen years old, but freed him as a young man.” Cordus clapped his hands and this time a slave woman of about sixteen entered. “Bring us more wine.” The girl scampered to do his bidding.

Terentius relaxed, but then two women walked in and changed the tone. Both Terentius and Victor stood as the women came to the center of the room.

Cordus stood and took the older woman’s hand. “My dear Nerva, let me introduce Centurion Terentius Marius Atellus and his optio Domitius Quintus Victor.” Cordus gestured to the younger woman. “Gentlemen, this is my daughter, Cordia.”

Terentius and Victor saluted the women. Terentius hadn’t seen such refined, pretty women in a long time. The wife looked about fifty and had long, elaborately designed blond hair piled atop her head. Her features were regular, her jaw narrow, and her eyes a bright blue. Her lithe body appeared toned and slim beneath her flowing white and blue
tunica
. Cordia’s finely crafted features were gamin and sweet. Wheat blond hair like her mother’s twisted atop her head and tendrils fell about her ears and to her shoulders in a design obviously made to capture a man’s fancy. Her pale blue eyes shined at Terentius with an impish, delightful quality. She couldn’t be more than sixteen. Tall like her mother, she had grace and delicate tone of voice as seductive as the wine he consumed. Now this is the type of woman Terentius knew he
should
find attractive.

Not Adrenia, the daughter of a former slave.

He knew that Cordia, at such a young age, would be manageable. A woman at twenty or so, like the pale-faced Adrenia, would have her own mind.

Adrenia’s face superimposed over Cordia’s, and Terentius realized that Cordia’s beauty stirred mild interest and appreciation. That was all.

Adrenia, on the other hand…

“Please my dear Nerva, Cordia, join us. I’m sure the gentlemen don’t mind,” Cordus said.

Nerva and Cordia settled on the long couch next to Cordus.

Nerva accepted a goblet of wine from a slave. “Perhaps we should leave you men to your war talk?”

“We are wise enough to change topics when there are ladies about, aren’t we?” Cordus said as he looked at the other men.

Nerva’s soft laugh floated on air. “Nonsense. We’re glad to express our thanks that more brave, strong Roman soldiers are coming to protect our small city.”

Terentius didn’t gloat over the flattery. He recognized conversational bullshit when he heard it. “Thank you.”

Cordus gestured around the room. “Our livelihood depends on safety and security. For the last few months some of the villagers have incited riots. Some worry that a revolt will happen like the one that happened back in sixty.”

Victor scoffed. “As in ancient Boudica?”

Cordus nodded. “Exactly such. And the women never go out alone. There are women who’ve disappeared off the streets and are never seen again. Some women at the farmsteads on my land won’t work outside their houses.”

A weird feeling crawled up Terentius’s spine. “How many women have disappeared?”

Cordus shrugged. “It’s all rumor, but they say perhaps ten in the last several weeks.”

“On Mercury’s cock.” Victor sent a disbelieving look toward Terentius. “I’ve never heard such a thing.”

Nerva tilted her chin upward, an uninterested coolness in her eyes, as if she’d heard of atrocities like this so many times they failed to move her. “Let us speak of more pleasant subjects, shall we?”

Conversation centered on mundane topics and Terentius started to feel restless. Insignificant pleasantries often bored him. He stood and wandered toward the doors leading to the courtyard. Outside the day remained bright, but darkness would fall fast in this clime. Though they were in the same room, Victor, Nerva and Cordus talked at one side of the room and Cordia wandered up to Terentius.

Cordia’s gaze unnerved him—the way she looked at him suggested a feline stalking a mouse. In defense, Terentius launched into a formal discussion of the villa and how remarkable he found it. “This villa is much like the one I grew up in.”

Cordia smiled. “Impressive. Was your villa this large?”

Terentius nodded as unwanted thoughts generated unease inside him. “Yes.”

Cordia’s smile turned to a petulant pout. She leaned forward, and her breasts pushed against her garments. “Do tell me more. Did you have many slaves?”

“A few.”