“Virgil of Patavium has arrived with his guests. He has come to court the ever-beautiful maiden Lucy,” said Decimus, Virgil’s servant.

  “Please come in, Virgil,” Eutycha said.

  “Thank you, Domina Eutycha,” Virgil said. He was twenty-three years old had black hair, brown eyes and a muscular build. He wore a white tunic and a green cloak.

  “The gods have blessed you with your beauty, fair maiden Lucy,” Virgil said as he kissed Lucy’s hand. Lucy shuddered.

  “We have prepared refreshments, Virgil. Let us talk as we recline at table,” said Eutycha.

  Virgil, his guests, Lucy and Eutycha reclined at table. After the meal, Lucy and Virgil strolled through the gardens of the villa.

  “Lucy, you are very beautiful,” Vigil said.

  “I accept the compliment,” Lucy said.

  “A woman like you needs a man she can rely on,” Virgil said as picked a flower and put it in Lucy’s hair. “Will you marry me, Lucy?” She thought for a moment and said:

  “I’m sorry, Virgil. I cannot marry you.”

  “Why not? If it’s because you love another man, I will fight him to the death.”

  “I have my reasons, Virgil. Leave me in peace.” Virgil left that evening. He stayed at an inn in Syracuse. Eutycha came to Lucy in her room.

  “Lucy, I am very disappointed in you. You turned down a very wealthy man.”

  “Mother, I do not want to marry Virgil. I choose Christ as my spouse.”

  “I have let Virgil come back another time. I hope you will reconsider…Ow!”

  “What is it mother?” Lucy asked.

  “Nothing Lucy, I’m sore from reclining at table, I’ll be fine tomorrow morning. I assume you are going out to feed the poor.”

  “Yes I am, mother,” said Lucy.

  “Be careful, Lucy,” said Eutycha.

  “I will, mother.” Lucy went out to the stables and had a horse saddled for her. She got on the horse and left the villa. She had gone only a half-mile when she met another person also on horseback. Lucy got down from the horse. The other person got down off his horse.

  “Are you ready, Marcus?” Lucy asked.

  “Yes, I am, ma’am,” said Marcus. Marcus was seventeen years old and had a good build. He had titian hair and blue eyes. Marcus lit a small fire by the road to light a few candles for his ingenious device to light Lucy’s way. Since Lucy’s hands were usually full because she was carrying bread to feed the poor, she wore a wreath on her head, covered with candles. They walked to town and put the horses up at a stable of a good friend of Marcus’. Then Lucy and Marcus entered the poor side of town. She went to one house where an old woman was sitting in the doorway. Lucy handed the old woman a loaf of bread.

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  “Thank you very much!” The old woman said in excitement.

  “You are very welcome. May God’s blessing be upon you,” Lucy replied. Lucy and Marcus walked though the streets giving bread to the poor of the city. When the two completed their deliveries, they walked to retrieve their horses and started back home. On the way home, Lucy talked with Marcus.

  “How are your master and mistress?” Lucy asked.

  “Master Tiberius is doing well and Mistress Portia is doing all right,” Marcus replied.

  “How is your Christian formation coming along?”

  “Good, I’m close to becoming a Christian. My Baptism should be in a few months, I hope. Lucy, I need to talk to you.”

  “What is it, Marcus?” Lucy asked.

  “A few nights ago I’ve been dreaming that I’ve see a woman. She was about my age and had the same hair color as me and the same eye color as my eyes. Yet, she didn’t call me ‘master.’ She called me ‘brother.’ I’ve talked with the priest about this, but he thinks, I’m hallucinating. I recall when my mother died, she muttered as her last words: ‘Amata.’ I didn’t know what she meant by that.”

  “You know what, Marcus, my servant is named Amata. She fits your description perfectly. I’ll ask her about her mother, tomorrow. I might have an answer by next week. What else is on your mind?”

  “Have you talked with my master and mistress about my freedom?”

  “Not yet. I was going to that today but I was unable to go. Virgil had a party at my house today, and had asked me to marry him, again. Perhaps I can talk to them about that next week as well. Do you think you could find work?”

  “Yes I think I can. Well here is your house. Good night, Lucy.”

  “Good night, Marcus.” Lucy went to the stables to put her horse away. Since the horse master was asleep and had not been awakened by Lucy’s return, Lucy had to unsaddle the horse and feed it and give it fresh water before locking the pen and going into the house. She got ready for bed and got in it. She was very tired but she knew she had done the right thing and that her reward would be great in heaven. She prayed and went to straight to sleep.

  - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

  Lucy awoke the next morning later than usual, because she was up late because of her excursions the night before. She dressed and said her morning prayers. She wandered through the gardens looking for her mother. Her mother was nowhere to be seen. She went to her mother’s chambers. Lucy knocked on her mother’s door. One of her servants answered it and ushered her in. Lucy went to her mother’s bed.

  “Lucy, I do not feel well. Get the local physician.”

  “Yes, mother.” Lucy had one of the fastest servants get the physician. He came to the villa. He was shown to Eutycha’s room. He looked at Eutycha studied her for half an hour.

  “She has flux blood. Hemophilia. Normally women are only carriers of it, and men are the ones who have it. Only a few women actually have the disease.” He handed Eutycha some herbs and told her to take them. The doctor said that she would be cured. The herbs did not work. Other doctors came in and looked at Eutycha, some of the physicians made cuts in her, some did nothing.

  - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

  Lucy needed to find out if Marcus and Amata were siblings, since she promised Marcus that she would look. One day she went to her uncle, Cornelius, to ask him to look.

  “Sure I can do that,” said Cornelius. “Why do want to know?”

  “I think that Tiberius and Portia’s servant Marcus is the brother of Amata,” Lucy replied.

  “I see,” said Cornelius. “I’ll see what I can find.”

  - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

  After four years Eutycha had seen more physicians than Lucy had suitors. There were physicians from Athens, Syene, Jerusalem, Carthage, Rome, Gaul, Hispania, Babylon, Londinium, and as far east as the Orient. Virgil stopped by once a month, to ask Lucy to marry him, but she continued to refuse. One day after a physician from Delhi left, Lucy entered her Mother’s room.

  “How are you mother?” Lucy asked.

  “I feel awful, Lucy. Those physicians have not helped.”

  “I have an idea. I know of a place where we could have you anointed. Maybe God will heal you.”

  “Where, Lucy?” Eutycha asked.

  “In Catania, fifty miles away from here.”