afterwards. We always called her Brutus!’
‘Not in her hearing, we didn’t!’
‘Too bleeding right, nobody dared.’
‘Except Shorty forgot that night, didn’t he?’ Claudia stepped back and made her legs go bandy and put on a high falsetto. ‘Poor old Shorty, he was walking and talking funny for a week!’
‘Aye, right in the nutmegs, she got him. Ooh, makes yer eyes water even after all this time.’
They were doubled up by the time the baker’s boy emerged from the shop with a tray of steaming loaves. Sobering instantly, Claudia spun round and covered her face with her pulla.
Damn you, Ligarius. You have no right to remind me of the old times, no right at all! She bit her lip. Those days were long past, she was perfectly content in the sanitized vacuum of her life today. Every day she woke in the morning knowing she could eat and drink till her belly was full, and sleep in a proper bed at night. She had clothes on her back, and damned fine ones at that. She could bathe every day, had slaves at her beck and call, wore jewels till she stooped from the weight if she wanted. And Claudia Seferius was quite prepared to take whatever steps were necessary to protect this precious existence.
The bearded giant had launched into another trip down Memory Lane, but she refused to listen. ‘Ligarius, you’re the only person in the whole of Rome who knows my past. I’m asking you—no, I’m begging you. Please don’t ruin it for me.’
His mouth dropped open. ‘I wouldn’t do that, Claudie. Never! Only,’ his mood also changed and a big, fat tear trickled slowly down his cheek, ‘you’re my only friend in the entire city.’
‘We’re hardly friends, Ligarius.’
‘Close enough.’ He sniffed loudly and wiped his nose with the back of his hand.
Juno, Jupiter and Mars! ‘How long since whatsername, Antonia, died?’
‘December.’
‘Tell you what, Liggy. I can’t stop now, but why don’t I come and visit you in the tavern? Perhaps early one morning, before you open? We could have a quiet little chat?’
‘I’d like that, because well, you know how I’ve always felt about you.’
Sentimental claptrap, of course, and without Antonia to whip him into line, he’d gone soft again. Why is it people always look back and see only the good times? She turned on her heel and marched back to the house. With any luck, the packing would be finished by now, and wouldn’t Gaius be happy to have her at the villa five days ahead of schedule? Damn that slimeball Lucan for diddling her out of the fun of the games!
It was only when she was changing her stola that Claudia realized she’d forgotten to ask the whereabouts of Liggy’s tavern. No matter. When she blurted out her offer to call it was genuine, though in the cold light of day she realized it was folly to even think about it. Oh, he’d get over it. Hell, he might not even remember it, because she had a suspicion he’d been drinking his profits of late. The main thing was, his loyalty was firm, he wouldn’t give her away. Of course, it had come as a real shock, seeing him at the games—and his shadowing of her this afternoon didn’t bear thinking about. But no, she was satisfied Ligarius wouldn’t spoil it for her. Unless… Unless…
‘Your cousin to see you, madam.’
‘Melissa, how many times do I have to tell you, girl? They’re Gaius’s cousins—’
‘No, madam. Your cousin, he said. Marcus Cornelius Orbilio.’
Minerva, how could you do this to me? How could you! Otho, Ligarius and now…this! Well, Orbilio, you can’t say I didn’t give you fair warning. This time I’ll suck you in then blow you out in tinksy winksy bubbles, so help me I will.
He was standing in the atrium, admiring the newly painted frieze which Gaius had commissioned to celebrate all things Egyptian. Unfortunately, this afternoon he wasn’t alone.
‘Good grief, you and the oik? What a frightful combination.’
‘I’ve missed you, too,
‘Not in her hearing, we didn’t!’
‘Too bleeding right, nobody dared.’
‘Except Shorty forgot that night, didn’t he?’ Claudia stepped back and made her legs go bandy and put on a high falsetto. ‘Poor old Shorty, he was walking and talking funny for a week!’
‘Aye, right in the nutmegs, she got him. Ooh, makes yer eyes water even after all this time.’
They were doubled up by the time the baker’s boy emerged from the shop with a tray of steaming loaves. Sobering instantly, Claudia spun round and covered her face with her pulla.
Damn you, Ligarius. You have no right to remind me of the old times, no right at all! She bit her lip. Those days were long past, she was perfectly content in the sanitized vacuum of her life today. Every day she woke in the morning knowing she could eat and drink till her belly was full, and sleep in a proper bed at night. She had clothes on her back, and damned fine ones at that. She could bathe every day, had slaves at her beck and call, wore jewels till she stooped from the weight if she wanted. And Claudia Seferius was quite prepared to take whatever steps were necessary to protect this precious existence.
The bearded giant had launched into another trip down Memory Lane, but she refused to listen. ‘Ligarius, you’re the only person in the whole of Rome who knows my past. I’m asking you—no, I’m begging you. Please don’t ruin it for me.’
His mouth dropped open. ‘I wouldn’t do that, Claudie. Never! Only,’ his mood also changed and a big, fat tear trickled slowly down his cheek, ‘you’re my only friend in the entire city.’
‘We’re hardly friends, Ligarius.’
‘Close enough.’ He sniffed loudly and wiped his nose with the back of his hand.
Juno, Jupiter and Mars! ‘How long since whatsername, Antonia, died?’
‘December.’
‘Tell you what, Liggy. I can’t stop now, but why don’t I come and visit you in the tavern? Perhaps early one morning, before you open? We could have a quiet little chat?’
‘I’d like that, because well, you know how I’ve always felt about you.’
Sentimental claptrap, of course, and without Antonia to whip him into line, he’d gone soft again. Why is it people always look back and see only the good times? She turned on her heel and marched back to the house. With any luck, the packing would be finished by now, and wouldn’t Gaius be happy to have her at the villa five days ahead of schedule? Damn that slimeball Lucan for diddling her out of the fun of the games!
It was only when she was changing her stola that Claudia realized she’d forgotten to ask the whereabouts of Liggy’s tavern. No matter. When she blurted out her offer to call it was genuine, though in the cold light of day she realized it was folly to even think about it. Oh, he’d get over it. Hell, he might not even remember it, because she had a suspicion he’d been drinking his profits of late. The main thing was, his loyalty was firm, he wouldn’t give her away. Of course, it had come as a real shock, seeing him at the games—and his shadowing of her this afternoon didn’t bear thinking about. But no, she was satisfied Ligarius wouldn’t spoil it for her. Unless… Unless…
‘Your cousin to see you, madam.’
‘Melissa, how many times do I have to tell you, girl? They’re Gaius’s cousins—’
‘No, madam. Your cousin, he said. Marcus Cornelius Orbilio.’
Minerva, how could you do this to me? How could you! Otho, Ligarius and now…this! Well, Orbilio, you can’t say I didn’t give you fair warning. This time I’ll suck you in then blow you out in tinksy winksy bubbles, so help me I will.
He was standing in the atrium, admiring the newly painted frieze which Gaius had commissioned to celebrate all things Egyptian. Unfortunately, this afternoon he wasn’t alone.
‘Good grief, you and the oik? What a frightful combination.’
‘I’ve missed you, too,
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