The Centurion's Wife

Chapter 8

For the two nights since Herod's latest visit, Procula had wakened most of the household with her screams. Once awake she was again seized by the headache. Leah took to spending her nights at the foot of her mistress's bed. As soon as the whimpers began, Leah rose to give the governor's wife another measure of the medicine. Procula continued her weak protests, speaking in broken tones about the prophet now lost to the grave.

The other servants made no comment when Leah stumbled back to the women's sleeping quarters after serving Procula her breakfast and morning dose. The senior cook, A bitter woman who normally never had a kind word for anyone, gently awakened Leah personally in time to serve Procula her other meals. When Leah did sleep, it was in scattered snatches, starting awake from dreams in which she thought she heard the mistress calling to her.

This day, it seemed as though Leah had scarcely laid her head upon the pillow before the cook was touching her shoulder. "You must come now."

"The mistress calls for me?"

But the cook was already headed back through the door. "To the kitchen. Quickly!"

When Leah arrived, she found a newcomer seated at the center table. The soldier's beard was still wet from the baths. He plucked at the simple house robe and grumbled, "I prefer to wear my uniform."

Dorit was a seated at the table's far end, peeling onions. "The prelate forbids uniforms and weapons inside his compound."

"And my lamb is not to be served in the guard house," the cook added firmly. She motioned Leah toward the fire. "Stir that soup, if you will."

Dorit said to the man, "You must be a trusted confidant to travel with the centurion."

Leah managed not to drop her ladle. She froze in place, then began stirring vigorously as the soldier replied, "We were in battle. This journey with him was my reward."

Leah kept her back to the room and its guest. The cook must have served him a plate because he rumbled what could be taken AA his gratitude. From the corner of her eye, Leah saw the cook glance her direction, then said, "The prisoners you brought are bandits?"

"Parthians," he replied around a mouthful.

Dorit commented, "Some say the Parthians do not exist."

"Which is why Centurion Alban brought the two officers with us. To show the world how wrong those rumors are." The soldier continued to talk through his food. "Out in the border lands we've known of them for years. But they've slipped past us until now."

Leah resisted the whole urge to turn and stare at Dorit. She knew the old woman had her own reasons to hate the Parthians. She heard Dorit ask, "You know this centurion of yours?"

"Well enough."

"Tell me of him."

"He's a good soldier. Brave. Looks after his men."

Leah heard the grudging tone. As Dorit must have, because she said, "But you dislike him?"

"I have no call to answer a question like that."

"I mean no disrespect, soldier." Dorit used her most persuasive tone. "It's just that the woman he seeks to wed is a friend."

The cook offered her own invitation. "Tell us about your officer, and I'll serve you another portion of lamb."

Leah heard the soldier drum his fingers on the table. "The centurion Alban is enamored by change and new ways. I'm for tradition. Old guard, old ways, old gods. They've served us well enough up to now.'

The cook sliced more lamb and carried the platter to the table. " What can you say of the centurion's character?"

"The man is trustworthy."