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

old. She told me herself that her heart was failing,’ confided Silvanus. ‘It is thanks to the Lady Julia that she lived with us as long as she did.’

‘How so?’

‘Lady Julia had been treating our mistress for heart failure for several years. ‘

‘What treatment did Lady Julia prescribe?’ Quintus could feel his heart tripping.

‘Why sir, the powdered foxglove in the little flat bowl by her bed. Just enough for a few days - it’s very powerful, but toxic too, you know. The mistress warned us not to touch the powder when we cleaned the room. She’s been taking foxglove for at least ten years now. Lady Julia would often come to see the mistress and check the medicine dosage, or meet her in the baths or for a walk. Our lady always said Lady Julia was the best pupil she ever trained.’

‘When did Lady Julia last visit your mistress?’

Silvanus thought for a moment. ‘Mmm, not since last week, sir, I believe. But the mistress went out several times in the past few days, and as she preferred to make her visits unaccompanied, I don’t know if she and Lady Julia saw each other after that.’

‘One last question. Where did Velvinna keep the rest of the digitalis, and any other dangerous drugs she had?’

‘In the locked medicine cabinet.’

‘We’ll take that bottle with us, then.’

That was all. Velvinna must have either mistakenly taken too much of the digitalis, or had somehow been given an overdose to cause her heart to stop. Either way, Julia was now a potential suspect and would have to be questioned.

Is it possible that Julia is a murderer? The mother of my child, and the only woman I’ve ever truly loved? Quintus felt himself shaking. He desperately wanted to sit down and take stock. He breathed in, slow and deep, and exhaled.

What was it Cicero said? Cui bono? Who benefits?

How would Julia benefit from the death of her friend? It was difficult to see. Unless the old lady had information that she had shared with Julia, information that threatened or incriminated the younger woman?

Quintus compromised. He could take no further action about Julia before Anicius Piso had checked the body and confirmed how the old lady had died.  There was no time to waste with moving on to Vebriacum. The mining fraud case was even more urgent since the death of the messenger boy, and his connection with the mine. The mines whistleblower was still their best bet to cast light on the plot. And if a Druid element was revealed, he would know then what to do about Julia.

Once they’d had left the house, Quintus held out the jar, the twist of paper and the wrapped cup to Marcellus. Then he changed his mind and handed them to Tiro instead.

‘Tiro, stow these carefully in one of your saddle packs.’

Turning to Marcellus he said, ‘Get Surgeon Anicius Piso to examine Velvinna’s body as soon as he can. We need a confirmed cause of death.’

Tiro looked enquiry at his boss. Quintus remained distracted, thinking about Julia and the drugs in Velvinna’s house before he spoke again.

‘We can’t delay the Emperor’s mission any longer. Marcellus, I need you to do the preliminary questioning of Lady Julia in my place. She needs to be ruled out as a suspect before we can safely cast the net wider.’

It seemed to Tiro that Marcellus blanched at that; Quintus just looked calm and professional. Tiro scratched his chin, and marvelled. Had he merely imagined that recent heated scene between the frumentarius and Lady Julia?

  Quintus continued, even-voiced as ever. ‘Also find out whether Silvanus is correct about Velvinna’s medicine and dosage, and try to find witnesses to when Julia Aureliana last came to her house, or met her elsewhere. And see if the visits by the pregnant neighbour and the trainee herbalist raise any question marks, although I doubt it. I’m heading south, initially to Vebriacum. Where is the nearest post station to Vebriacum?’

‘Iscalis, sir, in the Great Gorge.’

‘Right. We may need to make enquiries there as well, anyway. Use the Imperial fast post to keep me informed, but I authorise you to use your best judgement in this case, for now. If there is any connection between this new death and unrest in the regional tribes, I rely on you to keep me posted.’

He mounted his horse, urging the chestnut to a quick canter. Tiro scrambled to follow him. They were back to their main mission, on the trail of the Emperor’s silver.

The road south of Aquae Sulis ran for several miles along a plateau, giving high views over the mist-filled valleys on either side. Tiro guessed their journey today would be barely twenty miles. They stopped at noon in Camerton, a small iron-smelting town whose only notable feature was a rough shrine to Minerva. Quintus paused for a moment to salute the Goddess of the shrine. This surprised Tiro, who had not thought Quintus a devout man. They found a tavern boasting glass in the windows and heating under the flagged floor.  The tavern-keeper  was watching the road anxiously. He bowed slightly to Quintus, who asked if all was well.

‘Yes… Nothing stirring here at the moment, sir.’ Quintus cocked his head in enquiry.

‘Oh, just foolish youths coming into town every so often, sir. Too much drink, the usual thing.’

Quintus waited. The man said, ’You know how it is, sir, when idle youngsters have been drinking. Telling old tales, calling for the White Ones to come back and thrust all that’s evil from the world. Wanting what they call the good old days. Predicting the end of the world, such nonsense. Good old days, my arse.’ He gave a unconvincing laugh. Tiro smiled at him, clapped him on the shoulder.  Quintus called for a table and two dishes of lamb stew. They sat in