Marcus felt a surge of exasperation with his son. A fine girl like this waiting for him—pretty, well-bred, intelligent, understanding—and he couldn’t take the jump. “I’ll speak to him.”

“No need for that, Marcus. I don’t mind, truly.” Calpurnia’s slaves shifted behind her, adjusting the sunshade over her head, but she seemed in no hurry to move on. “Are you just coming back from the library? I was there myself not a week ago, reading your treatise. The one on the system of adoptive Emperors.”

“Did you?” Marcus smiled. “What did you think?”

“I thought it was very well reasoned. Only I didn’t really agree about the necessity of veto power in the Senate. If the Senate can overturn the Emperor’s authority, then who will respect him?”

“And what if the Emperor’s decisions are wrong?”

The discussion did not wind down for a half an hour. “I’d better get back,” Calpurnia said at last. “My mother will worry.”

“Come to dinner next Thursday?” He straightened his crooked shoulder a little, smiling. “I’ll see if I can’t track down that son of mine.”

“I’d be delighted. And I’ll buy those topaz earrings.”

“Wear them when you next come to dinner.”

CALPURNIA’S coming Thursday?” Sabina hopped into Marcus’s lap almost before he had settled behind his desk. “Good. I like Calpurnia. Her clothes are all soft, not scratchy and fancy like Mother’s. And she’s nice. She has a nephew with epilepsia, and she showed me some breathing exercises to do when I get a headache.”

“Did she?” Marcus stroked his daughter’s hair.

“I’m glad she’s marrying Paulinus. I wish she could move here.”

“Why won’t she?”

“Mother wouldn’t let her. Mother isn’t here, either, but she wouldn’t let Calpurnia move in.” Candidly. “She hates Calpurnia.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Mother doesn’t like other women if they’re pretty. Like Aunt Diana—she really hates Aunt Diana because she’s so beautiful and men like to look at her even more than Mother. But Calpurnia’s pretty, too, so Mother would never let her move in here.”

Marcus laughed. “What an imp you are.”

“Though Mother may move out to Tivoli permanently, with the Emperor spending so much time there. Calpurnia can come visit us more after that.”

“You see a good deal, don’t you, Vibia Sabina?”

“Because no one ever notices me.” A serene smile. “You’d be surprised how much I hear.”

GOOD afternoon, Lady Athena.” Paulinus bowed formally. “The Emperor desires me to tell you that he has been detained in the city. He will join you in two days’ time.” He looked away before he could see the naked relief spring into her eyes.

“Then will you take me to Lady Flavia’s villa?” Thea whirled to grab up her palla. “Ganymede, get the litter! You’ll come, too, Paulinus? If I have a Praetorian to clear the road I can be there in fi fteen minutes.”

“I shouldn’t.”

“But I haven’t seen Vix in—”

“I don’t like it. It’s secretive.”

“Paulinus, please!”

He looked at her. Lady Athena, the Imperial mistress, swathed in pearls and jade and cloudy green silk, her neck chafed by a welded silver collar. He thought of the girl who stretched herself woodenly under a panting madman at a drunken banquet, looking at the ceiling with drug-swollen eyes. He thought of the girl who had stood in a dusty road smiling and scolding at her son simultaneously.