Five years passed and I was well settled into living in Sardinia. I continued to take the infusion of herbs which Aurelia had given me back in Pompeii. It certainly had the desired effect of keeping me looking young and my body looked more feminine than ever. Indeed I wondered if Aurelia has started life as Aurelius. My male organs had shriveled away to a fraction of their previous size, but that was of no consequence. Julius was as virile as ever and I delighted in enjoying his body as much as he enjoyed mine.

I was determined that I would not only be Julius's bed companion but a helpmate in other ways. I had built up a cordial relationship with Cassius once he accepted that I was not trying to push him aside, and with Julius's permission I set about learning from him the art and science of winemaking. I like to think that I learn quickly and over the course of the years, I learned everything he had to teach me since I made sure he felt secure in his position but then it all came crashing down.

It was during one of the times that Julius was away on board his ship, although he was due back the following day. It was a warm night and I was asleep when something made me open my eyes and there at the foot of my bed stood Cassius.

“What is it, Cassius?” I asked. “Is there news of my lord?”

He put a finger to his lips and slurred “Shh, do not wake up your women.”

I was immediately wide awake, Cassius was drunk and I immediately suspected I knew why he was in my room. My two women slept in the adjoining room so I said quite loudly,

“What is it, Cassius?” Why are you here?”

Unfortunately, both women were rather heavy sleepers and there was no sound of them stirring.

“You know why I'm here, my lady, I've seen how you look at me. My lord is away so now is the time to collect the promise you have made me.”

“What promise Cassius? You are mistaken, I've made no such thing. Return to your chamber and we'll say no more about this.”

Sadly I seemed to be making no impression on him. I then remembered that Julius insisted that I sleep with a dagger under my pillow in case of robbers while he was away. I quickly pulled it out and pointed it at Cassius, hoping that the sight of the blade would sober him up. Instead, he laughed.

“I like a woman with spirit,” he said and started forward towards me, then he stumbled on a rug, and to my horror, he fell on me and the blade of the dagger drove deep into his chest. He uttered a sort of coughing grunt and lay still. Somehow I managed to push him aside to free myself. He rolled over, his sightless eyes staring at the ceiling and I saw the dagger had struck right where his heart was. There was blood everywhere and somehow I stopped myself from screaming.

I hurried into my women's room and woke each in turn while holding my hand over their mouths. They stared in horror at my blood-soaked nightgown.

“Keep quiet, do not scream!” I said.

“My lady, are you hurt?” said Flavia, wide-eyed.

“No but Cassius is dead,” I replied. “Come into my bedroom but be quiet.”

Trembling they followed me and gasped at the site of Cassius's body on the bed. I quickly explained what had happened.

“Help me wrap him in the sheets and hide him in the closet,” I said. “My lord returns tomorrow and he will know what to do.”

The rest of the night I sat in a chair, unable to sleep and wondering how Julius would react to learning that his top overseer was dead and the circumstances in which it had happened. I confess it occurred to me that perhaps he would think tha I had encouraged Cassius to my bed and then taken fright and stabbed him to silence him. That had me shaking with fright, but what else could I do but tell him the truth and trust that he believed me?

The next morning, I bathed to remove the last vestiges of blood off my body, and Flavia and Sabina dressed me. I'm sure we were all shocked at the night's events so I could only tell them to be as natural as possible. After ientaculum, which I confess I hardly touched, I set about waiting for Julius to return, praying to the gods that nothing had held him up. In our warm climate, it was important that Cassius be disposed of as soon as possible.

It was mid-afternoon when Julius arrived at the villa and I was so pleased to see him. He embraced me, saying as he did so, “You look pale my dear, are you feeling well?”

“Yes, my lord, but I must speak urgently with you, alone.”

“Very well,” he responded. “But where is Cassius? I expected him to meet me at the quayside.”

“It is about Cassius that I must speak with you,” I said, and so we both retired to Julius's bedroom. It was there that I told him exactly what had happened.

“Please believe me, my lord, I would never betray you,” I said.

“I do believe you, Calpurnia. Where is Cassius now?”

I explained where my servants and I had placed him and he went to look at the body. When he returned he looked grave: “Foolish man,” he said. “By seeking to take what was not his, he has paid the ultimate price. I will deal with it.”

That night, Julius told me to lie in his bed while he 'attended to things'. He was gone for a few hours and did not speak of it then, but later I found out that with two trusted servants, they had taken Cassius's body and buried it in a corner of the vineyard where nobody would ever find it. The story was given out that Cassius had decided to leave the island and do so without saying farewell to anyone. I was very relieved that Julius believed my account of that night or I might have found myself sharing an earthy bed with Cassius. Julius was a kind man but honour is very important to Roman men. When he next took me to his bed, his actions confirmed his love for me; men cannot conceal their displeasure or distrust of a woman, and a woman always knows her man's true feelings.

The loss of Cassius was a serious blow since the grape harvest was just about to be gathered in and the winemaking process started. Julius discussed this with me the following day, saying he didn't know how quickly he could find a replacement for Cassius since he was committed to another voyage to Italia in a couple of weeks and might have to postpone it. I decided to take a chance and hoped it didn't arouse Julius's suspicions.

“My lord,” I began (I always addressed him thus whenever any servants were present), “You know that with your agreement, Cassius taught me much about wine-making over the past five years. If I have your permission, perhaps I could supervise the grape gathering and preparation until you return, or a new overseer is found?”

Julius smiled. “I trust you to do more than that, my dear. I will tell all the senior slaves that you are in charge of the gathering of grapes since it is only a few weeks until the 'Vinalia Rustica', celebrating Bacchus, will be held. It will be your decision on the exact day the grape picking is commenced.”

This was a great responsibility as the time of harvesting determined the quality of the wine which would be made, but I felt sure that I had sufficient knowledge to do it. The date of the Vinalia was in the middle of Augustus's month. I and my ladies dressed in our finest gowns and I conducted the dedication ceremony of the vineyards and gardens to Jupiter and Venus Obsequens with me acting as her surrogate.

Julius had now left for Italia, so I presided over a great feast and the following day, I checked the grapes once more to see if they were ready for picking. I decided to wait for one more day since the weather was fine, and early the following morning the picking began. I picked the first few bunches myself and then the slaves too over. It had been a very good growing season and the harvest was abundant. Julius being a progressive man had installed a beam and weight press but when the grapes were exceptionally abundant, some were taken to stone vats where slaves pressed them with their feet to extract the juices.

The wine was then fermented in large terracotta jars set partly into the ground in large open-roofed buildings with holes in the walls so that cooling winds passed over the jars. When the wine was ready to drink, it was transferred to clay amphorae for transportation. There had been many vineyards around Pompeii, all lost after the eruption of Vesuvius, so there was a shortage of wine in Italia and prices rose accordingly. This had encouraged Julius to order the expansion of the vineyards on his property.

Most of the wine we sold was a sweet white wine which was much in demand, but occasionally if the vintage was particularly good, some wine was saved for extra maturing and sale to discerning customers, and also for drinking by the maker.

This particular vintage turned out to be rather good and I received a number of compliments about it which I felt was undeserved since Cassius had done most of the work. I still felt a little guilty about his death even though it was entirely his own fault, but it seems to be a female trait to blame ourselves when something like this happens, as though we should not have been so attractive as to lure a man into the fatal situation whether we meant to or not. That's stupid I know, but we still do it.

Julius was very pleased with the way I had handled things while he was away, and gave me a great surprise by sitting down with me and asking if I would like to take on the overseer's job permanently?

“I know it is unusual, maybe unique to appoint a woman to the post, but I feel sure in my mind that you can do it and lately I've been wondering if you are becoming a little bored?”

Of course, I assured him I was not bored at all, but the truth was that in my position I had very little to occupy my time. I had my two women whose sole job was to attend me, and there were numerous other slaves who could be called upon to do anything I desired. I was determined not to fall into the trap which had caused the wives of other lords to sit all day and eat and drink, thus becoming corpulent and unattractive. Who could blame their husbands if they found more pleasure in the arms of an attractive slave girl, or boy for that matter.

I jumped at the offer, and as an added bonus, Julius told me that he would pay me the same amount as Cassius had earned. This meant that should I desire a new gown, or anything else, I could use my own money to purchase it rather than have to ask Julius every time.

Years passed and we enjoyed our lives together. The seasons came and went and every vintage was successful. Some were better than others, but that is the way of farming. There were some exceptional wines produced which enhanced our reputation and led to high prices being achieved in the markets of Neapolis and Roma. Julius had expanded his fleet to two ships now as production grew, but he still liked to take the 'Golden Eagle' to sea with himself in command.

Julius's hair was now gray rather than the jet black when I first met him, but thanks to the womanly arts of cosmetics and a skilled applier, plus the herbal infusion I took daily, he informed me that I still looked as young as the day he first met me. I took this as husbandly flattery, but looking at myself in a mirror or still pond, it seemed from my reflection that I was not greatly changed. We still took great pleasure in bed together and our occasional partings, while he was sailing to Italia, meant that when he returned we thoroughly exhausted each other with our marital bliss.

Time passed, and one day, when we had been together over twenty-five years, Julius said that he had something important to discuss with me.

“My darling wife, I have been thinking about our future. Having no children, something I've never regretted, I have to consider what will happen to the vineyard when I am no longer here. Being older than you, it is likely that the gods will call me first. It would not be fair to leave you will this dilemma, assuming you outlive me. I have a cousin Brutus Antonius, who lives in the south of this island and he is a vintner too, with a larger estate than this one.. I have never spoken of him before since thanks to some ancient family disagreement we have not been in touch for many years. He is my only relative here and has two sons, Titus, the elder, and Marcus who must be in their twenties by now and are both learning the vintner's trade from their father. Titus will inherit his father's estate, but it occurs to me that I could offer Marcus the inheritance of this estate when you too pass or have no further interest in running it, and he could provide you with a small house on the estate in which to live. What say you to that?”

It so happened that the same subject had been on my mind for some time, although I had never dared to bring up the subject. So now I had a ready answer.

“My lord,” I began, “Your suggestions could not be better. However, I think that in the unhappy occurrence that I am left here alone and a new owner arrives, it would be better if I returned to Rome should a sufficient bequest be made that I could live comfortably although not lavishly there. I hardly think that a new young owner would welcome an old woman living on the estate and perhaps seeming to interfere when he brings in new ideas.”

Julius laughed: “My dear, you are such a wise woman. Let it be as you suggest. I will get in touch with Brutus and ask if we can visit him, heal old wounds, and discuss the future.”.

I was proud of Julius. Roman men sometimes allow their pride to interfere with resolving issues that a humbler approach could successfully solve.

Julius sent a messenger on horseback to Brutus with orders to wait for a reply if he was willing to send one soon. Some days later he returned with an invitation for us to visit their estate, and about two weeks later we set out. There were two wagons, one providing transport for me and my women, another one with our luggage and gifts including some of our best wine. Several of Julius's most trusted slaves and bodyguards walked beside him as he rode his favourite horse.

It took us about five days to reach Brutus's estate near the town of Cagliari in the south of the island, stopping at hostelries along the way. A couple of slaves had been sent on ahead to announce our imminent arrival We were greeted by Brutus, his wife Antonia and his sons Titus and Marcus. I could see that Julius and Brutus were a bit wary of each other, but as time passed so they became more friendly. We were treated to a feast by our hosts and naturally, this included Brutus's finest wines which were very good and we gave them lavish praise. Brutus said that he would see that we returned with some amphorae of the wines. We gave him some of our wines which he said would be served on the following day and he in turned commended them.

“Calpurnia Valeria, you are reknown through Sardinia for making some of the finest wines on the island and these prove it. You are to be congratulated.”

Even at my age, I could not prevent myself colouring a little at these compliments.

“My son Marcus is also learning from me to be a winemaker but he would love a vineyard of his own one day,” Brutus said with a laugh. His son smiled but I could tell from the look on his face that it was true.

The following day Julius and Brutus had a private discussion about Marcus inheriting our vineyard and the provision of funds for me to retire to Rome. Meanwhile, Titus being busy, Marcus showed me around the vineyard, accompanied by my two women for propriety's sake. I could tell that he was not used to discussing winemaking with a woman since I was the only female vintner on the island, but by the end of the day he realized that I knew at least as much as he did about wine-making, perhaps even a little more, and we became firm friends.

That evening, Julius told me that the discussions had gone really well. Marcus had a sweetheart called Valentina, the daughter of another vintner. They would love to marry, but her father would not give his consent until he was sure that Marcus could provide for her. This agreement would make all the difference, but first, it was agreed that Marcus should visit us and see what he thought of our vineyards. He came to visit us when it was time to pick the grapes and stayed for a month. He was a bright young man and had a few good suggestions which I was happy to take on board.

About two months after Marcus returned home, I was working in the little room I called my 'officium', when Sabina knocked on my door.

“Please excuse me, my lady, but a slave woman called Hadriana begs to have an audience with you on what she says is an important matter. Should I send her away?”

“No, I will see her Sabina, but have her wait one-quarter hour and then show her to this room.”

You may wonder why I would do this, but Julius had always told me not to be too available to a slave as they might forget their place.

In due course, Hadriana was shown into my room and stood there trembling. I think it might have been the first time she had entered the villa.

“It's alright, Sabina, you may go,” I said. Sabina looked concerned but still obeyed me.

“Now, what can I do for you Hadriana, are you unwell?”

“No my lady, it is about my daughter Aurelia; last night she confessed to me that she is with child.”

“And what is the problem with that?” I enquired. While slaves were not permitted to marry, it was not unusual for them to form partnerships with other slaves.

“It is about the father of her child; she swears it is Marcus, the young man who stayed here during the harvest. She swears she has lain with no other man.”

That made a difference; there was no question of Marcus, a free man marrying a slave, and in any case he had a sweetheart who he wished to marry. I was sure that Hadriana understood that.

“So how can I help?” I asked her.

“I've come to beg you not to send her away.”

I heaved a mental sigh of relief, so that was it.

“She can continue work until her seventh month, provided she is well, and then suckle the baby for three months after the birth before returning to work.” I suddenly had a thought and taking a wax tablet, I wrote a message on it and handed it to Hadriana.

“I presume you and other women will attend to Aurelia at the birth, but in the event of difficulties, this is an authority for you to summon a midwife called Alba in the town of Olbia.”

I stood up, indicating that the interview was at an end, and to my acute embarrassment, Hadriana fell on her knees and grasping my hand, kissed it, murmuring “Thank you, my lady, thank you so much.”

I had to report this incident to Julius, well not the hand-kissing bit, and he approved of my actions.

“At least Marcus has proved that he is fertile,” he remarked with a laugh. For some reason, I felt a little annoyed. It seems an unfair world where a young man can take his pleasure and be totally free of the consequences, while the woman has to suffer. I didn't say anything of course since Julius wouldn't understand. He was a fine man and I loved him dearly, but of course, that was it, he was a man, and they don't see things the same way as a woman does.

He did, however, redeem himself by saying: “If the child lives and is a boy, then I will send him and his mother to the farm of a friend of mine, Claudius, who lives on the west coast of the island. It would not do that Marcus when he comes to live here, should see his likeness in the face of a young slave. Claudius will ask no questions and will probably assume that the child is mine. When you speak to Hadriana, impress on her the necessity of keeping the baby's origins a secret.

In the fullness of time, Aurelia had a baby boy which she named Marcellus. The significance of the name and another name buried within it did not escape my notice, but I said nothing. It was an easy birth and she did not require the services of a midwife after all. Some months after the birth, I spoke to Hadriana and explained Julius's decision, and emphasized the need for secrecy She accepted his reasoning and only begged that she might accompany her daughter and grandson to the farm of Claudius. Julius had already agreed that this should happen. Aurelia was a pretty young woman and I had no doubt that one of the young male slaves would form an attachment to her and her child.

To be continued.