Aurelia hurried into the rooms where she expected to meet with Claudia, but she was no where to be seen. She had been anxious that Augustus or Julius would catch sight of her arriving, wherever it was they were. Aurelia for once had permitted her mother’s slave woman to dress and pamper her even though she was not to be seen at the party. Claudia sometimes did this, and tonight it had struck Aurelia to do the same. Aurelia’s dark ringlet hair was braided in tiny loops about the crown of her head and seed pearls were tied amongst them, while the rest of her shiny hair hung down her back. Her hands and feet had been rubbed with fragrant oil, and her nails buffed until luminous. Her stark white tunic was as becoming as always, and small pearl hung from her neck, dangling at her clavicle.
Standing in the darken rooms, waiting for Claudia to appear, she began to think as she had all day. She refused to become an object of scorn in Julius’ eyes; she determined to give up any flirtation with Augustus that she had previously entertained. She had never felt seriously about him, and did not believe that she ever could. So, why tempt the Fates? And yet, it did not follow that she would avoid Julius as well--she owed him something, did she not? He had opened her eyes to her own hypocrisy and exposed the true danger of it. Then there had been something in his tone of voice. Something in the way he looked at her that made her pause. No, the next time she saw him, she promised herself she would be kind.
Aurelia heard Claudia’s voice in the hallway approaching, and she was talking with Julius. Having reach the apartment in which Aurelia waited, Claudia and Julius stopped speaking, and Claudia hurried inside. Julius did not follow, instead he hurried away. "Well, what a day at our house!" "Why? The party preparations?" "Oh no! If only! Forgive me for rushing in on this subject…I know it doesn’t please you…" "Jupiter! You’re being flighty. What is it?" Claudia looked back over her shoulder to make sure no one was in the hallway. "You’ll never guess, so I shall tell you: father tried to make preparations for your marriage…" "What? You mean Julius and I?" "I told you that you wouldn’t be pleased. But you’re safe! Julius said…" "He hates me!" Aurelia said with some panic. "No," Claudia said taking one of Aurelia’s hands in her own. "He said he knew you wouldn’t have him, and he wouldn’t care for such arrangements to be made on those grounds." Aurelia sat down on the edge of the couch nearest her, and she let the information sink in fully: she would never be Julius’ wife. "But you’ll never guess who father has chosen to approach with an offer instead." Aurelia turned to meet Claudia’s gaze with a vacant stare. "Vincentia!" Aurelia shook her head ‘no’ in disbelief and disengaged herself from her friend.
Without being fully aware of what she was doing, Aurelia hurried out of the room and down the hallway. Claudia called after her. She had to find Julius. She saw him leaning on the wall ahead of her, and running towards him, she stopped directly in front of him. Catching her breath, she said one word to him: "Vincentia?" He turned to fully face Aurelia, still leaning his back against the wall: "you look lovely," he said somewhat sadly. "Oh, what does that matter!" "I just thought you might like to know," he said quietly. "No games, Julius: are you going to marry…" she found she could not finish her sentence. "Claudia shouldn’t have told you that." "Why? Am I not as close as family? Am I to be denied everything?" she looked around realizing that she was saying things she would not want others to hear. She had no assurance that someone wouldn’t walk through this corridor. "I’m afraid I don’t catch your meaning, Aurelia. Now you are upset over my marrying?" "I just never thought you would be so stupid, Julius. Vincentia is a stupid flirt." "Besides being cruel, Aurelia, I don’t understand your concern. Shouldn’t you be rejoicing? You are free, and according to your account, I will be punished with an inappropriate partner for life." "I wish the best for you, Julius." "Do you?" he asked incredulously, standing up straight. "We are long time friends. How could it be otherwise?" "I had thought our friendship terminated for some time." Aurelia sighed. "It’s all settled then? When will it be announced, so I may be safely closeted away!" "No, it is not settled. I am to make up my mind tonight." "Then for heaven’s sake," Aurelia said grasping his hands, "think better of it!" Her voice was hushed, but urgent, and in the dim light, Julius thought he saw tears welling up in her beautiful eyes. Julius looked down at her hands gripping them with his own.
"Your behavior is surprising, Aurelia." She looked down at her feet. "I know it. Why Vincentia, Julius?" "Why any girl, Aurelia? What does it matter? I can’t wait forever; duty calls that I marry." "Well, it does matter very much!" "Only if I can marry where my heart leads, which I can’t." Aurelia blushed half convinced it could not possibly be her of whom he spoke. "Who would that be?" she asked timidly. "You know very well that it’s you, Aurelia," he said quietly while leaning down closer to her face. She squeezed his hands, which she had almost forgotten that he still held. Tears began to run down her face, but she did not attempt to stop them. Seeing her tears, he stood upright once more. "There’s no need to pity me," he said pulling away his hands. "Julius, I don’t even believe it myself." He knit his brows, but would say no more, embarrassed. "I have been so busy hating you…" Julius scoffed, nearly turning away. "No, hear me out. I was so busy…so determined to hate you that I didn’t realize that it would kill me for you to marry someone else." Julius stepped in closer: "are you saying? Do you?" "Our families are willing…" she whispered, finally raising her eyes up to meet his. "But is it something you desire? Would you wish to be my wife, Aurelia?" "I don’t think I could be happy otherwise!" Julius blushed, and Aurelia thought to herself that he did not look so manly now, but she liked him even better for it.
Just as he took her hand Julius’ mother hurried into the corridor. Aurelia blushed, and looked away, withdrawing her hand. "Hello Aurelia. How are you?" "I’m very well. Thank you." She was surveying both Aurelia and Julius. "We certainly are glad to have your family with us this evening." "Excuse me," Aurelia said, not daring to look at Julius or his mother. As she hurried back towards Claudia’s apartments, she could hear Julius’ mother directing her son to join his guests.
***
Aurelia leaned over the stream throwing her hair over her head into the cool water. She had been feeling trapped inside, silently watching her mother go about her daily work. So, she had hurried away, even running through the fields past slaves, not caring who saw her. This was the second time she had thrown her hair into the cool water as she kneeled on the bank. The water ran down the front and back of her tunic, cooling her considerably.
Sitting back up, she sensed that someone was watching her, so she glanced over her shoulder. It was Julius standing at the edge of the field some twenty feet away. She continued to look at him, and he began to walk towards her. She stood up wringing out her hair. He stopped in front of her with a look of worry on his face. "I saw you go by." "Well, at least you didn’t dash after me to stop me," she said with a nervous laugh. She had finished with her hair, so she tossed it back over her shoulder, wiping her damp hands on the hem of her tunic. "I guess you’ve seen that I’m nothing more than a silly girl after all…not changed in the least." "No, Aurelia, you haven’t changed. You’re still the girl that I’ve always…loved." "A girl though, not a wife, Julius. I’m not a suitable wife." "I don’t like to hear you talk like that, Aurelia. Doesn’t my opinion count for anything?" "What do you mean by that? Of course, your opinion means everything to me, but…" "Well, I chose you, and I know that you’d make me happy." Aurelia stopped him by reaching up and grasping his shoulders. "Then tell me I could be like my mother! Or your mother! I’m not like them." "No, you’re nothing like them. You’re different." "Brilliant, Julius." "You see you’re not afraid to set me in my place. You are a smart girl, and you will be of more help to me than a girl such as Claudia could ever be, dear girl that she is." "I suppose that I can say this much: you’ve seen me at my worst, and yet I can’t promise that you’ll never see me like this again." "What? Running through fields and washing your beautiful hair in stream?" he said reaching out to brush the side of her face with his hand. "I think your gaiety and impetuous nature are some of your most attractive qualities." "But it was watching my mother and thinking of being your wife that made me run away like this," she said blushing.
His face fell, and Aurelia wished she could take back what she had said. She saw immediately that her words had hurt him. "Can’t we live like this? As we are now?" she continued quietly. "Then…I was wrong to tell my father about us? He was going to go speak with your father today, Aurelia." "I’m just so afraid, Julius." Julius took a deep breath before beginning: "I know. I’m afraid too, but I won’t be, if I have you to support me through the years to come. I’ll support you too, if you’ll let me." "But you deserve a good, steady, womanly wife." Julius blushed, and "I know what I want, Aurelia," was all he could manage. "I can’t imagine living in your domus and sharing your…" now it was Aurelia’s turn to blush pink. Seeing her heightened color as a promising sign, Julius pressed on. "Claudia will be your sister, and I’ll be good to you. I’m not going to keep you from doing what you like. Besides, I think in our new life together there would be some happiness and excitement to keep you from running away." Aurelia laughed, as the idea of her running away from Julius once she was his wife now sounded ridiculous. He was very close, so close that she could feel his breath on her face. And he was so handsome that when he asked her: "will you let me try? Aurelia let me try to be your husband," that she nodded ‘yes’ before he leaned in to kiss her. Their lips were almost touching, when Julius pulled back with a mischievous smile. "Are you sure it would be all right? I don’t wish to offend you." "Julius!" she said laughing and putting her arms around his neck. "You’re not allowed to speak of how I once behaved anymore. A poor memory is requisite." "You’re sure then?" "I’m sure," she said with a smile.
Having been kissed and having kissed, both felt more confident about the future. Minerva would have approved of the prevailing wisdom of the arrangement. Julius took her hand and they began to walk back towards his family’s domus, eager to share the happy news.
The End