Lollia clapped her hands for the drummers to begin playing as the guests took their places, and the wedding banquet took no time at all to get into full swing. Definitely the best wedding of the year, as many of them as there had been! Even the slaves looked happy, laughing and talking among themselves as they brought in the wine, the silver bowls heaped with fruit, the roast suckling piglet with fried sage leaves and garlic. Drusus and Cornelia took the couch of honor; he began fussing with her wine, watering it anxiously to the exact degree she liked now that she was pregnant. Cornelia laughed and pelted him with a grape. Lollia had little Flavia on her lap and was tickling her with a peacock feather, Thrax hovering discreet and smiling behind them. Lollia’s grandfather perched a laurel wreath rakishly over his wig and was already talking with a shrewd-eyed man in Imperial dress, likely making another fortune. Drusus’s parents had the couch beside their son, and Cornelia promptly dragged them off it and introduced them around the room until they began to lose their awkward stiffness. “Your cousins all have such pretty dresses,” Drusus’s young sister said shyly, and Cornelia made up her mind to get the girl a new wardrobe at once.

Diana stood leaning against a pillar, tossing grapes into the air one by one and catching them unerringly between her teeth, and Cornelia made sure to spoil her aim with a hug from behind. “You were late to my wedding!” she said accusingly. “How were the races?”

“The Reds won. Seven of eight.” Diana hugged her back, but gingerly, avoiding her stomach.

“I’m not made of glass just because I’m pregnant, Diana.”

“I know what to do for pregnant mares, but not pregnant cousins,” Diana complained. “I can hardly feed you a hot oat mash or wrap your hooves in warm wool.”

Cornelia giggled. “Before I get to be the size of a house, we’ll have to go to the races—you and me and Drusus. There should be time before we leave for Tarracina.” Drusus had been posted to the training camp there—and Gaius had rather unexpectedly given them the villa as a wedding gift, despite Tullia’s protests. The same villa where they’d snatched a happy fortnight and dreamed of children running through vineyards. “You know, Drusus and I are thinking we might acquire a few horses ourselves?” Cornelia went on happily. “And a vineyard; Drusus is determined to make the best wine in the region—” She could see Diana stifling a yawn but couldn’t stop herself, telling all about the room she’d already had readied for the coming baby, which would of course be named Drusilla if it was a girl and Drusus if a boy . . .

“Oh, gods.” Lollia came up in her sunny dress, scowling. “Guess who just arrived to ruin the fun.”

“She wouldn’t dare,” Diana said ominously.