Act Seven
Scene Three
Sub-Scene One
Family issues
Lady Fulvia tossed the China
bone cup across the library, barely missing Mark in the face. They met at the
library at the mansion, and Mark told her of Cicero in Rome.
“I knew the snivelling fox
would return to the old lair when Caesar left for Egypt.” Lady Fulvia was
upset. She was dressed for her afternoon tennis lessons—the white dress that
reached her knees and the high socks with the rubber shoes.
“Where is he?” The lady
screamed out.
“I do not know. He may be
gone by now.” Mark was exasperated by the lady’s anger. The conflict between
the lady and Cicero was to be over, but she was still upset. “Cicero is not a
threat to you anymore. Why are you still upset?”
“Cicero smeared my name and
that of my family. I will not rest until he is dead, or... castrated to be a
eunuch.” The lady rang the bell for the maids. It was Jeeves who stepped in,
holding a new cup for the lady. He was used to the lady’s tantrums and offered
to pour her more tea.
“Jeeves, where is Cicero?”
“I do not know, my lady. He
was...” Jeeves lied then.
“I know you are not telling
me the truth here.” Lady Fulvia snapped out.
“I am telling the truth,
but... not all of it. The truth, but not the whole truth, my lady."
Jeeves stepped back. “Mr. Cicero is not here, and that is the truth. He was
seen in Rome recently, which is also the truth. The other truth is here. I have
not seen him lately. Another truth of mine.”
“Leave us, Jeeves.” Mark
told the staff. Jeeves took his leave, and Mark then approached his wife.
“Cicero threatened
Enobarbus, and I was told. He wanted to know about the case I was investigating
for Caesar.” Mark looked at the lady. “I am trying, but we have no clues or
evidence to pin on anyone.”
“You are not Sherlock Holmes
or... the latterly famous Hercule Poirot by the lady author.” (Sherlock Holmes
was first published in 1892, while Agatha Christie’s work on Hercule Poirot:
The Mysterious Affair at Styles was published in 1920.).
“Exquisite work they both
are.” Mark praised the authors, although he had not read any.
“Do not patronize me, Mark.
All of you men are fake in your praises for women’s works. You did not read
Agatha’s book.” Fulvia looked at Mark and saw the hurt in the other’s
expression. “Okay, maybe you did.”
Mark leaned down to kiss the
lady on her forehead.
“I will confront Cicero for
his foolhardy act on Enobarbus.” Mark told the lady.
“And you should be careful.
Cicero is close to Brutus and...”
“Brutus met me recently and
told me some interesting news. It seems that he knew more about Egypt than we
were told.” Mark looked at the lady. “Do you know anything there?”
“If you were not my husband,
I would have shot you between the legs.” Lady Fulvia looked at Mark. Sometimes,
it was difficult to determine if the lady was serious or pulling a prank.
“I would not know much. I
knew of Egypt through Lucius. He was there some weeks ago. He did not tell me
why he was there, but I think he was into his gig with the locals there. He
stayed at the Mardi Gras Club; there they will entertain you with whatever you
may fantasize about.”
“I knew of this because he
asked me for money to pay his bills.” Lady Fulvia sighed. “Lucius could never
live without his anus inserted.”
That was the lady’s
profanity words she will utter instead of quoting the book in Jude 1:7–8.
“As Sodom and Gomorrha, and
the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication and
going after strange flesh, are set forth an example, suffering the vengeance of
eternal fire. Likewise, these filthy dreamers defile the flesh." Mark
recited the words from the passage.
“Lucius took offense to
Moses quoting that paragraph in the sermons, but they were good friends, though
not to bed.” Lady Fulvia smiled. “I like Moses too; his fierce sermons and his
wife, Eva, cooked the best lemon meringue cake. She never knew of his work,
thinking he was doing the irrigation work. If only she knew.”
“Lucius knew Moses?” Mark
was surprised.
“Yes, Lucius knew Moses and
the other guy, Lucas Perry. They will meet for the occasional smoke. They keep
vain friends near them.” Lady Fulvia said. “I do not condone Lucius’s friends,
but he is a grown man and needed his own realm, even though I disliked it.”
Mark had met Lucius a few
times, and his opinion was that Lucius was not one he would get close to.
“Ask Jeeves where they go.
He will tell you. Nothing evades Jeeves attention or side glances. He does peek
at me when I am in the pool with the swimsuit or without.”
“He did?” Mark was upset. He
was not sure of what—the part of Jeeves peeking or his wife swimming naked.
“Do not worry about that. I
am more concerned about Cicero.” Lady Fulvia looked at Mark. “Will you kill him
for me?”
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