‘Yes.’ Cato winced at the image. ‘My lady, I can’t tell you how glad I am to see a familiar face in this place.’

‘Come, let’s sit.’ Flavia settled on to her husband’s couch and patted the space beside her. Cato looked around but no-one seemed to be paying undue attention. He had been in the army long enough to feel uncomfortable about social intercourse between widely different ranks.

‘Now, Cato, you must tell me how it’s going. I can’t imagine how you, of all people, have ended up here. It must be quite a change in lifestyle?’

Cato, uncomfortably aware of Macro sitting just to his side, phrased his response carefully.

‘Yes, my lady, quite a change. But it seems to be a good enough life, and should be the making of me.’

Flavia raised her eyebrows. ‘You really have changed, haven’t you?’

‘May I introduce my centurion to you?’ Cato rose slightly to indicate Macro.

‘Ma’am.’ Macro nodded politely as he wiped the grease from his lips with the back of his hand. ‘Lucius Cornelius Macro, commanding the Sixth Century, Fourth Cohort,’ he continued automatically.

‘Pleased to meet you, centurion. I trust you are looking after my friend?’

‘Hmm. No more or less than any other of my men,’ Macro replied resentfully. ‘In any case, the lad can look after himself.’

‘So I’ve heard. Now then, Cato, you must fill me in on what’s been going on in the palace since I left.’

As Cato talked, Macro hovered on the brink of the conversation until boredom set in. With a shrug he turned back to his food and made the most of the unaccustomed luxury of the feast before him. For her part Flavia listened intently and interrupted Cato with frequent questions about the endless rise and fall of sundry palace officials. At length she had pumped Cato dry of information and leaned back on one arm.

‘So, the same seething hotbed of scandal and intrigue that it ever was. That much has not changed.’

‘Indeed, it’s almost impossible to avoid the gossip.’

‘I have to admit I really miss Rome.’

‘You could have stayed there, my lady. It’s not unknown for legates to leave their wives at home while on active service.’

‘True, but I’ve found Rome a little uncomfortable since that nasty business with Scribonianus in Dalmatia last year. Too many people spending their time denouncing others as conspirators. It’s put quite a dampener on the social scene — you have no idea how much of a challenge it is planning a dinner party while the imperial agents are busy whittling down your guest list.’

Cato nodded. ‘By the time I left the palace I’d heard that Claudius had already signed over a hundred death warrants. I’m sure there can’t be many conspirators left by now.’

‘Narcissus has been a busy man, it would appear.’

‘And a very important one since Claudius put him in charge of the imperial general staff.’

‘Has Narcissus changed much since I left?’