The Beggar of Volubilis:: The Roman Mysteries

The Beggar of Volubilis
excerpt from the fourteenth Roman Mystery

The gongs of Ostia were clanging noon when Flavia knocked on the back door of her house. It was built into the city wall and had no outside latch for security reasons. Presently, Flavia’s old nursemaid and house-slave Alma opened the door. Her eyes widened as she looked the girls up and down.

‘Great Juno’s peacock! The two of you are practically naked! What have you two done to your tunics?’ she cried. ‘Hacked them all to bits!’ Without waiting for an explanation she muttered, ‘Well, you’d better get upstairs quickly and change! You have a visitor.’

‘I don’t care who sees me!’ said Flavia, as she bent to undo Scuto’s lead. ‘I want the world see me like this.’

‘Are you sure? It’s that nice young lawyer. Flaccus.’

Flavia stood up. ‘Floppy? Floppy’s here?’ She stood on tiptoe and peered anxiously over Alma’s shoulder. ‘Is pater here, too?’

‘No, your father is out. It’s just Floppy… I mean Flaccus. Juno! You have me saying it now!’

Flavia caught her friend’s hand. ‘Come on, Nubia. Let’s see what he wants.’

Flavia had met the handsome young patrician the previous spring on a voyage to Rhodes. Gaius Valerius Flaccus had become a good friend and had recently stayed with them in order to plead a case in Ostia’s basilica. Now he was standing in her father’s tablinum with his back to them, pretending to examine the shelves of scrolls.

Flavia cleared her throat. ‘Hello, Gaius Valerius Flaccus,’ she said politely.

He turned with a smile. ‘Hello, Flavia,’ he said. ‘Hello, Nubia.’ And then: ‘Good gods! What are you wearing?’

Flavia quoted Virgil: ‘A painted quiver on her back she wore, and at full cry pursued the tusky boar.’

‘You what?’

She lifted her chin a fraction. ‘Nubia and I have just made offerings at the Temple of Diana. We have taken vows of chastity and we are now virgin huntresses!’

Flaccus stared at her for a moment, then muttered: ‘That’s going to make this more interesting.’ He cleared his throat. ‘Flavia. I was hoping to speak to your father first… But now that you’re here, I have something to ask you.’ His eyes flickered towards Nubia and he smiled at her.

Nubia gave him a shy smile in return.

‘Flavia, could we speak privately?’ And then to Nubia: ‘Do you mind?’

Flavia caught Nubia’s hand. ‘Nubia is my best friend. She always stays by my side. Whatever you want to tell me, she should hear, too.’

For a long moment he looked at her in consternation, and she could see the tips of his ears grow pink. Finally he took a deep breath and said. ‘Flavia Gemina, I love you.’

order it!