Page 36 of Enslaved
“Everything and everyone in this villa belongs to Marcus Magnus, but if you are asking if there is a female here who owns these, the answer is no. They are mostly gifts from the merchants of Aquae Sulis. There are many Celtic artisans here who make beautiful ornaments. The general has many amulets, some gold set with amber, some silver set with cabochon emeralds. The general collects Celtic jewelry. He has an eye for a fine piece.”
Diana’s eyes met Kell’s and they laughed together at his unintentional joke. She chose a gold filigreed hair ornament that gathered her hair high, then allowed it to fall down her back in a pale mass of curls. The female who had styled her hair the previous evening once more created tiny tendrils that spiraled about her face.
Diana selected a deep violet silk from an armful of stolae Kell showed her. She had an unerring instinct for the dramatic. The deep jewel tone contrasted with her pale coloring, making her look delicate and ethereal. She touched her lips and eyelids with a lighter shade of violet face paint that was mixed with silver, giving her an iridescent glow.
“In the general’s collection there is a piece that would set off your beauty to perfection. Wait here,” bade Kell.
Diana slipped the high cork-soled sandals on her feet and practiced walking. The beautiful stola was designed in slim classical lines to follow the curve of a woman’s body, but it had a small train that she wanted to learn to kick aside dramatically when she stopped walking.
When Kell returned, he held out a Celtic torque encrusted with amethysts. It was magnificent, except of course it looked exactly like a slave collar. Diana took a great fancy to it, not only because it complemented her violet silk, but because it made her neck look long and elegant. The ironic symbolism was not lost on her either.
“I shouldn’t let you wear it without permission,” Kell said doubtfully.
“I will take the responsibility. If he is angered, tell him I stole it! I need more than jewelry from you, Kell. I need a horse.”
“Impossible.”
“I must go to him, in front of his men. I will not wait until he comes to me.”
Kell’s brows drew together in total disapproval. “You may be both beautiful and desirable, but you are still a slave. How much power do you think you have?” A thought suddenly occurred to him. “Do you have some secret power?” he demanded.
A smile lifted the corners of her luscious mouth. “Yes, I do, Kell.”
“What is it?” he asked suspiciously.
“It is a secret,” she said, smiling.
“Does Marcus know the secret?”
“Yes. It drew him irresistibly to my sleeping chamber in the middle of the night.”
Kell blinked. He had no idea Marcus had left his chamber to visit the female slave. “What is this irresistible lure you possess?”
Diana hesitated. She needed Kell on her side. She would be completely honest with him. “My irresistible lure is my virginity,” she said softly.
Kell’s gray eyes widened in astonishment. Then he shook his head and began to chuckle. “Such a simple device,” he murmured, “yet so rare, it is priceless.”
“I need a horse, Kell.”
He shook his head. “There are no horses we can ride. I have a small chariot I use to take messages to the general,” he said doubtfully.
Diana considered for a moment and liked the picture that sprang to mind. “That will be just as good, perhaps better. Before we leave, can you order his favorite food be prepared for the evening meal?”
“It is done. I am one step ahead of you.”
“Good heavens, I hope not,” she teased lightly.
A slave brought Kell’s chariot with a sturdy pony harnessed between the shafts. With Kell’s aid she climbed in carefully. “I’ve never ridden in one of these, but as I understand it, I ride standing up and hold on to this wooden rail?”
“I do not drive like a madman,” Kell informed her.
“Marcus does. He almost drove over me,” Diana said, remembering.
“I’m amazed he drew rein for you.”
“I stopped him in his tracks. With any luck I shall do the same again.”
“I hope you understand that you will have to answer to him for what you do today. The responsibility for this is yours, not mine,” Kell warned.
