“I’m glad somebody thinks this is funny,” Cornelia said waspishly as Marcella laughed—and there was no doubt she’d been better since. She still didn’t eat much, but at least she sat at her loom now and then, or curled up in the atrium with bitter eyes and a cup of warmed wine.

“I’ll go to Otho’s games,” she warned now as Gaius beamed. “But I’m wearing black. I may have to eat that usurping murderer’s food, but I won’t put off my mourning.”

Lollia stepped in fast before anyone could bristle. “A wonderful idea,” she said very brightly. “We’ll make a statement of it, all of us in shades of black and white and gray. Very striking!”

Lollia outdid herself, and Emperor Otho raised his goblet in appreciation of the picture they made as they entered his box at the gladiatorial arena: Cornelia in narrow black silk with bands of ebony and gold circling her arms above and below the elbow; Lollia in a black pearl diadem and a pleated robe of dark-silver tissue that gave back every ray of the sun; Diana in yards of airy billowing white that wafted on every breeze, her pale hair piled on top of her head with gold combs. “You can’t wear that plain thing,” Lollia had scolded Marcella, looking at her pale pearl-gray stola hemmed in silver. “Don’t you at least have a necklace or some earrings?”

“You think I have any jewelry left after Lucius and his neverending travel expenses?”

“Oh, that’s nothing, I’ll lend you some. Here, some moonstones—”

“I don’t want your borrowed bracelets, Lollia!” Really, it was just like when they were little and Lollia always had the new dresses, the pearl necklaces, the pony and the puppy. She might be lavish in sharing, but she was still the one who had everything.

“My lovely quartet of Cornelias,” Otho beamed, lowering his goblet after they all drank a toast to war. “Little Diana, I assure you we will have races later this week—and I will cheer privately for your Reds, even though an emperor has to remain impartial—”

“Does not,” said Diana. “Emperor Caligula was a great fan of the Greens.”

“And look where Emperor Caligula ended up!” Otho chucked Diana’s chin, which didn’t please her, and looked past to Cornelia. “Ah, Cornelia Prima. So lovely to see you at last, my dear.” As the Emperor addressed his former rival’s widow in her mourning black, a little glint came into his eye that made Marcella suddenly wary. “You should have come sooner.”

Maybe the glint made Cornelia wary too, because she managed a stiff little bow.