Tilla had become his housekeeper not long after his arrival in Britannia. Since she knew more about shopping than he did—in fact, almost everyone knew more about shopping than he did—he had never bothered to inquire too deeply into the relationship between cash and catering. He had begun by insisting that she render a weekly account. But after the first week she seemed to have forgotten about it and he had been too busy to insist. In any case, what was the point of having a slave to look after the house if he still had to do all the thinking himself?
A voice rose unbidden from the depths of his memory. For goodness' sake, Gaius, it said. If it weren't for me the staff would walk all over us!
He was glad Claudia was not here to see him now.
"Tilla," he murmured, "Tell me you don't make a habit of stealing." She looked surprised. "Oh no, my lord."
"Good. So what is this?"
"I am your servant," she continued. "I will not let you be cheated."
"What?"
"I make things fair."
"Are you telling me," said Ruso, glancing around again to make sure he could not be overheard, "that if you don't approve of the price you help yourself?"
"Is not right that people grow fat on cheating when my lord is a good man and has no—"
"That's hardly the point, Tilla!" Ruso sat back in the saddle, frowned at the whiskery ears of his horse, and wondered how to explain something so fundamental it had never occurred to him to question it. "Ever since I began my work as a doctor," he observed, "I have done my best to build up a good reputation."
"Yes, my lord."
"I want men to say, 'There is Gaius Petreius Ruso, the medicus who can be trusted.'"
"Yes, my lord."
" 'He doesn't pretend to know everything, but he does his best for his patients.'"
"Yes, my lord."
"This has been my ambition."
"Yes, my lord."
"If it ever becomes my ambition to have them say, 'There is Gaius Petreius Ruso, the man who sends his servant out to steal for him,' I will let you know."
"I understand this," came the reply. "I am doing it before you tell me."
A NOTE ON THE AUTHOR
In 2004 Ruth Downie won the Fay Weldon section of BBC3's End of Story competition. Medicus is her first novel. She is married with two sons and lives in Milton Keynes, England.
Table of Contents
CONTENTS
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49