betrothed. I was in the garden, speaking with our Greek gardener about planting rose bushes, when one of the housemaids came to find me.
“A man is here to see you, my lady. I told him that you were busy, but he was very insistent.”
I replied impatiently, “If it’s the goldsmith, tell him to go away. I don’t want that bracelet he’s been trying to sell me.”
“It’s not the goldsmith. He says he’s your foster brother, my lady. He gave his name as Daniel.”
I stopped breathing. She folded her hands and waited for my reply. “Where is he?” I managed to get out.
“In the foyer, my lady.”
“Bring him to the small reception room. Offer him . . .” I stopped. Daniel couldn’t eat anything that came from Aaron’s unclean kitchen. “Offer him a cup of water, and tell him I’ll be with him shortly.”
The girl flew off to do my bidding, and I ran indoors to change into something more modest. In my bedchamber I pulled a simple cloak out of one of the large clothes chests and flung it over my thin dress. I pulled off my long gold earrings and covered my elaborately dressed hair with a silk scarf. At the last minute I stripped off my rings and bracelets too.
I was shaking as if I had the fever.
I paused at the doorway to compose myself before stepping into the passageway. I walked down the hall and through the main reception room and courtyard with deliberate slowness, my trembling hands clasped tightly in front of me, my breathing coming fast and short. After what seemed like an age, I arrived at the door of the small reception room.
He was standing in the middle of the marble floor, intently regarding the painted lilies on the plaster walls. I advanced a few steps and then stopped, drinking in the sight of him.
Although my sandals made no noise, his dark head swung around almost immediately. It was dim in the room, and I couldn’t see his expression clearly. My heart was thundering.
He said, “I told your maid that I was your foster brother. It seemed easier that way.”
I shivered at the familiar, beloved sound of his voice. I began to walk toward him, my knees so weak I wondered that I could stand up.“You needn’t have worried about the proprieties. Women in Sepphoris have more freedom than they’re allowed in Magdala.”
He made no move to meet me but stood still, his hands quiet at his sides. As he watched me approach, I checked a little, surprised at his stillness.
He was thinner than I remembered. Too thin, I thought.
I searched for something to say. “What did your father tell you about my marriage?”
He lips tightened. “When he came to see me in Jerusalem, you had already left for Sepphoris. He assured me that you’d been happy to win such a wealthy man for your husband. He told me to forget you, that I could marry much higher than a farmer’s daughter from Bethany.”
My mouth was so dry that it was difficult to form words. I longed for his embrace. “Did you believe him, Daniel? Did you think I was willing to marry Aaron?”
“Of course not. I thought he’d probably threatened you the way I’d threatened him.” He narrowed his eyes, and his nostrils flared, and I knew the very thought of what his father had done was making him angry.
This reassured me.
“What did he threaten you with, Mary?”
At the sound of my name on his lips my heart leaped into my throat. I whispered, “He said that if you married me, he would disown you, that you’d become an outcast from all your people, that you’d never be able to become a scribe.”
We stared at each other over the green and white marble that separated us. I said, “I couldn’t do that to you, Daniel. I loved you too much to do that to you.”
He nodded. His long lean body was taut as a strung bow. “I thought it might be something like that.”
I cried, “Why didn’t you come to see me? I’ve been looking for you and looking for you. I was beginning to fear that you believed him!”
He frowned. “How
“A man is here to see you, my lady. I told him that you were busy, but he was very insistent.”
I replied impatiently, “If it’s the goldsmith, tell him to go away. I don’t want that bracelet he’s been trying to sell me.”
“It’s not the goldsmith. He says he’s your foster brother, my lady. He gave his name as Daniel.”
I stopped breathing. She folded her hands and waited for my reply. “Where is he?” I managed to get out.
“In the foyer, my lady.”
“Bring him to the small reception room. Offer him . . .” I stopped. Daniel couldn’t eat anything that came from Aaron’s unclean kitchen. “Offer him a cup of water, and tell him I’ll be with him shortly.”
The girl flew off to do my bidding, and I ran indoors to change into something more modest. In my bedchamber I pulled a simple cloak out of one of the large clothes chests and flung it over my thin dress. I pulled off my long gold earrings and covered my elaborately dressed hair with a silk scarf. At the last minute I stripped off my rings and bracelets too.
I was shaking as if I had the fever.
I paused at the doorway to compose myself before stepping into the passageway. I walked down the hall and through the main reception room and courtyard with deliberate slowness, my trembling hands clasped tightly in front of me, my breathing coming fast and short. After what seemed like an age, I arrived at the door of the small reception room.
He was standing in the middle of the marble floor, intently regarding the painted lilies on the plaster walls. I advanced a few steps and then stopped, drinking in the sight of him.
Although my sandals made no noise, his dark head swung around almost immediately. It was dim in the room, and I couldn’t see his expression clearly. My heart was thundering.
He said, “I told your maid that I was your foster brother. It seemed easier that way.”
I shivered at the familiar, beloved sound of his voice. I began to walk toward him, my knees so weak I wondered that I could stand up.“You needn’t have worried about the proprieties. Women in Sepphoris have more freedom than they’re allowed in Magdala.”
He made no move to meet me but stood still, his hands quiet at his sides. As he watched me approach, I checked a little, surprised at his stillness.
He was thinner than I remembered. Too thin, I thought.
I searched for something to say. “What did your father tell you about my marriage?”
He lips tightened. “When he came to see me in Jerusalem, you had already left for Sepphoris. He assured me that you’d been happy to win such a wealthy man for your husband. He told me to forget you, that I could marry much higher than a farmer’s daughter from Bethany.”
My mouth was so dry that it was difficult to form words. I longed for his embrace. “Did you believe him, Daniel? Did you think I was willing to marry Aaron?”
“Of course not. I thought he’d probably threatened you the way I’d threatened him.” He narrowed his eyes, and his nostrils flared, and I knew the very thought of what his father had done was making him angry.
This reassured me.
“What did he threaten you with, Mary?”
At the sound of my name on his lips my heart leaped into my throat. I whispered, “He said that if you married me, he would disown you, that you’d become an outcast from all your people, that you’d never be able to become a scribe.”
We stared at each other over the green and white marble that separated us. I said, “I couldn’t do that to you, Daniel. I loved you too much to do that to you.”
He nodded. His long lean body was taut as a strung bow. “I thought it might be something like that.”
I cried, “Why didn’t you come to see me? I’ve been looking for you and looking for you. I was beginning to fear that you believed him!”
He frowned. “How
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