The Governor's Man by Jacquie Rogers (best beach reads TXT) 📕

Aureliana, not one of your soft painted Roman ladies. She and her brother, they’re the leaders of the northern Durotriges. That’s the tribe that nearly fought Vespasian to a stand-still when Rome came to Britannia. If anyone can stop this trouble, it won’t be your Roman boss with his mouth full of pebbles and his fancy badge. My lady is the only person who can make this right. You just try stopping her.’ Britta dragged a hand across her reddened eyes.

By Jupiter, what a woman! Lucky Julia, to have Britta at her side.

‘Well, tell her I’m standing ready to come with her. It isn’t right for such a great lady to go into town alone with all this unrest. She needs an escort, some bloke with fighting skills. Like me.’

Britta nodded once, and squeezed his arm before hurrying away. Her lavender-scented warmth lingered on his skin. He felt tired as he trudged back into the roundhouse.

Morcant winked at him.  ‘Pour the lad another beer, Gwenn. He looks as if he needs it.’

Chapter Fifteen

Britta caught up with Julia before she could storm into the villa.

‘Mistress - Julia! One moment, please.’

Julia bit her lip. There was only one reason why Lucius would be at Chilton Polden. Julia knew as well as her brother did what was made there. The Aureliani had long since tacitly agreed to turn a blind eye to the odd bit of local counterfeiting, on the basis that what the Londinium taxman didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. It was the magistrate’s responsibility to make sure taxes were paid regularly by the northern Durotriges, but it wasn’t his job to check where the demanded denarii came from.

The involvement of Lucius changed things. He was the son of local magnate Claudius Bulbo, an entrepreneur with fingers in many local pies. Lucius was also the nephew of Claudia, Julia’s sister-in-law. Too many connections already between Bo Gwelt and the spoilt unworthy Lucius. A small black-market enterprise to cheat the taxman smelt a lot more criminal once Lucius was coupled with it.

Julia turned to listen to Britta with as much patience as she could muster. Britta explained what Tiro had told her about Velvinna dying barely hours after coming to Julia’s house. Julia was shocked, at a loss for words.

‘I’m so sorry, my lady, about your friend. But you also need to know —  the frumentarius and Commander Crispus think it may be murder. Your name was mentioned … being as how you had been giving Velvinna your own herbal preparation.

‘But —Lady Julia,’ Britta hastened on, before Julia could reply, ’they know you’ve been treating her for heart disease for many years. And that Velvinna came to warn you about trouble in the tribes, and to ask you to intervene. I told Tiro about the messenger you sent to check Velvinna was safe the day we left Aquae Sulis.’

Julia felt the last shreds of her temper squeezing away from control.

‘And how does the Imperial Investigator know all this, if he is not here yet?’

Britta opened and shut her mouth, looking unhappy.

‘He doesn’t, my lady. But,’ she added quickly, before Julia could unleash her full fury, ‘Tiro has asked you to wait till his master arrives before you go to Lindinis. Or at least, let Tiro himself come with you if you can’t wait. He says you mustn’t go alone.’

Julia could hardly believe that Britta was urging her to wait for Quintus. Of all the maddening, insulting suggestions—and coming from her best friend!

Her voice was frigid now, and she found herself holding her hands bunched down by the side of her robe.

‘Britta, have you forgotten what that man did to me? Have you really forgotten how he abandoned his child, left me his, his…’ she swallowed, and for a moment couldn’t drag in breath, such was her rage. ‘He broke a sacred promise to me, sworn at our Lady Minerva’s shrine in Eboracum. He left me without explanation or reason, just disappeared out of my life —‘

‘Julia…’

‘Be silent, Britta! If you want to keep our friendship, you — will — not — utter another word about that man. Or his dirty sidekick. The Londoner can’t even read. Enough. The Imperial Investigator can’t or won’t do his job, so I, as lady of the Durotriges, must protect our people.’

Julia felt herself boiling over. She knew it was unreasonable, but she made no attempt to rein in her anger.

‘Go and make yourself useful, Britta. Go back to Tiro if you like. No — better than that — find Aurelia and keep her safe from Lucius. Now get out of my way and let me save our tribe.’

Britta looked badly hurt, but Julia couldn’t help herself. She swept aside Britta’s protests, and surged into the house. Anger and pride got her on into the west wing. There she was stopped by her sister-in-law’s nasal tones coming from the estate office.

‘Lucius, there’s no time to get it all out. Julia and Aurelia are here. I saw the carriage arrive. Any moment now they’ll come into the house. Just leave the rest of the money hidden where it is till another time, after Julia’s gone. It will stay safe, just as it’s been all these months. I’ll make sure the hole is covered over, plastered back the way it was. It’s too risky now.’

Julia paused, trying to work out what she’d just heard. The anger powering her since she saw Tiro drained away, leaving her shaking and cold. What money was Claudia talking about? But you already know that. Why else would Lucius be in Chilton Polden? Why would he come to Bo Gwelt so often and spend so much time closeted with his aunt? It was never just about marrying Aurelia. He’s been stealing forged money for months, money diverted and minted from Vebriacum silver. Oh, Lady Minerva, help