Tony and Cleop Act Three Scene Two Sub-Scene Two

 

Act Three

Scene Two

Sub-Scene Two

Do not turn your back on me just when I need you so desperately. (Psalms 102.2)

 

The scene at the mansion was gaily filled with feasts and dances to celebrate the victory. They had his five-piece band play the music, and the lawn of the garden was the dance floor. Caesar was there, holding the glass of champagne, watching the fun the boys were having. They had mourned their dead friends, and it was time to enjoy.

The armistice of the Great War brought peace to the wine-producing countries, and Champagne was no exception. Ruins of housing and storage facilities, with damaged cellars, added to the woes. Some vineyards were spared, but the supply was limited. In some years, the area in production was reduced by forty percent, leaving a handful of vine yards there. New vineyards must wait four or five years until they start to see any return on the substantial expenses incurred.

Pink sparkling wines were less and less in demand; these were reduced to limited special blends, which were only delivered when expressly requested. Their pink colour either came naturally from the grape skins at pressing, from the addition of red wine to the blend, or from mixing "colouring wines" with the liqueur d’expédition.

Small quantities of red champagne were made by adding to a white wine, now of bottling, a quarter or third of red wine, and then using a liqueur d’expédition prepared with highly acidified red wine.

(Extract from https://maisons-champagne.com/en/encyclopedias/champagne-guest-book/before-sparkling-champagne/xxe-centuries/article/between-the-wars.)

That was not an issue for the Romans. They found crates of the wine in the warehouses. The Parthians were generous enough to deliver the crates; they have no desire for it.

“Good wine, Boss.” Lepidus recovered from his hungover and toasted to the other. Caesar then saw the arrival of Mark Antony, with Octavia holding his arm.

“The ……” Caesar was cut off by Mark.

“Speak no more, Caesar.”

“You are to take a part of me away from myself.” Caesar bowed to Octavia. “Sister, be as good a wife as I believe you capable of being, so that the great commitment I have made will be justified by your behaviour.”

“Most noble, I plead to you, Antony, do not let this good woman... who joins us as brothers to secure our love and keep it firm... become the instrument that will destroy our love.” Caesar looked at Mark Antony. “We might have been better friends without this intermediary if she were not cherished by both of us.”

“Do not offend me by distrusting me, Caesar. I do love Octavia.” Mark told Caesar.

“Indeed. I have said what I have to say.” Caesar smiled.

“You would not have any reason to be afraid, even though you seem quite anxious about it. May God protect you and bring the Roman people to serve you loyally. We will be here today.” Mark bowed to Caesar.

“Goodbye, dearest sister; do take care. May you have good fortune so that your feelings will be ones of comfort! Take care once more, I will say.” Caesar told the half-sister.

“Caesar, my noble brother!” Octavia could not hold back her emotions.

“She weeps. April is the beginning of love, and she cries to bring it on. It will be summer soon.” Mark comforted her. “Be cheerful.”

“Caesar, do take care of my husband's house, and... I will whisper it to you.” The sibling went to the side.

“She cannot speak her true feelings, nor can her feelings tell her what she should say. She is so torn between her feelings for her brother and her feelings for her husband that she cannot speak.” Enobarbus overheard the conversation whispered to Agrippa. They were standing behind the group. “Will Caesar weep?”

“His face is clouded over with emotion. Caesar would not weep openly.” Agrippa smiled.

“That would be bad for him if he were a horse. It is also bad for him as a man or Caesar.” Enobarbus chided one of the bosses.

“Why, Enobarbus, when Antony found Julius Caesar's dead body, he cried so much he was almost roaring, and he wept when he found Brutus dead. Men do not normally cry.” Agrippa said. “I did though when my wife died.”

“That time, Mark Antony was unwell. He was indeed struck with the flu. He cried at the death of a man he willingly brought down, so much that I wept too. ...believe me. I cried too, for the mother had lost her son.”

“They returned.” Agrippa saw Caesar leading his sister. They ended their talk and looked at Caesar.

“No, sweet Octavia, you will always hear from me. Time will not stop when I stop thinking about you. It will hold me there to remember you.”

“Come, Caesar, come. I will challenge you to see who can love the most. Look, I will show you.”

“I would not compete with you. You will love her more than I do." Caesar embraces Mark. “I let you depart and commend you to God.”

“May all the stars light an easy path before you.” Lepidus said to Mark Antony:

“Farewell, farewell.” Mark led his lover to the mansion.