Crispina wanted to hug Taurus, but she maintained a shred of dignity and merely clasped his hand once more. “Thank you for this, Taurus. This information could change everything.”
He bowed his head. “As I said, I owe so much to you both.”
She released his hand. “I just have one last question. Where does Epidius Verus live?”
Chapter 30
With directions from Taurus, Crispina climbed into the waiting litter that had ferried her from her parents’ house and told the litter-bearers to take her to the Viminal Hill. No doubt the litter-bearers would relay her itinerary to Mother when they returned, as she’d only gotten permission to go to Catullus’s house, but Crispina didn’t care. She hadn’t felt this energized since before leaving Aelius. Finally, she had a purpose, some good she could do after betraying him.
The litter slowed as it passed through a crowded square. Crispina nudged the curtain aside to glance out over the people filling the square, everyone hurrying about their business. A tall man caught her attention on the other side of the square, hand in hand with a child. Crispina drew in a sharp breath. It couldn’t be them…but the sun flashed bronze on Aelius’s hair, and she knew the lilt of his stride by heart.
“Stop a moment,” she called to the litter bearers. They drew to a halt and set the litter down. Aelius was too far away to notice her, but she watched him and Max nonetheless, her eyes drinking in the sight of them like the sweetest wine.
Max clutched a savillum, his favorite treat, and munched it eagerly. Aelius said something to him, a grin flashing across his face, and Max laughed, mouth still full of cheesecake.
Crispina’s heart twisted in bittersweet emotion. They were happy together. Happy without her. They didn’t need her. If she walked up to them right now, she doubted Aelius would receive her with anything other than disdain. Some of the purposeful fire dulled within her, but she tried to remind herself she wasn’t doing this to win Aelius back, only to right a wrong. Aelius might never forgive her, even if he won, and she would not beg him to.
“Proceed,” she said quietly, and the litter lurched back into motion.
They crossed the city and arrived at the Verus house, which was tidy and not much bigger than Aelius’s home. She would bet Verus was funneling the money from his construction fraud into a lavish country estate, so his urban neighbors wouldn’t notice any suspicious increase in wealth.
Crispina dismounted from the litter and knocked on the front door. A slave answered. Crispina gave her name and asked to see the mistress of the house, apologizing for the unannounced visit. She had decided on the litter ride over to try to speak to Verus’s wife. Firstly, because Verus probably wasn’t even home at this hour, secondly because she had a feeling she might be able to have a more reasonable conversation with a fellow woman.
The slave showed her into a small atrium. The columns were plain, with square-carved tops, but expensive statuary lined the room. Some of them were even gilded. Crispina found it rather gaudy, but perhaps it served as further proof of Verus’s illegal activities.
While Crispina was looking around, a light-haired woman around her age entered the atrium. She wore gold earrings set with pearls, and several heavy jeweled bracelets. The woman cleared her throat. “I was told you’re here to see me? Forgive me, but I don’t think we’ve met.”
Crispina shook her head. “I apologize for the intrusion. I am Crispina, wife to Aelius Herminius.” Her stomach clenched at referring to herself as Aelius’s wife. How much longer would she be able to say that for?
“My name is Licinia, but I think you must already know who I am. May I ask why you’ve come?” Licinia’s inquisitive gaze ran over Crispina from palla to sandals.
Crispina attempted an ingratiating smile, but feared she just looked smug. Winning others over was Aelius’s strength, not hers. “Our husbands are both involved in the election for tribune of the plebs.”
“Yes.” A spark of pride brightened Licinia’s blue eyes. “Verus tells me his chances are very good to win a place. I hope the same is true for your husband.”
During the litter ride here, Crispina had wondered how to play this conversation. Should she be forthright and demanding, or try to skirt around the issue? She settled for playing the naïve young wife. “I overheard something rather troubling the other day, and I thought you would appreciate knowing. As I would, if I were in your place.”
Licinia cocked her head. “Knowing what?”
Crispina tried to read her expression and tone, to get a sense if the woman knew what Crispina was about to reveal. But Licinia looked no more than innocently curious. “There are some nasty rumors out there about your husband. I fear they may be devastating if spread too far.”
Now Licinia looked completely bemused. “I’m sure there are always untoward things said before an election. But I know my husband has nothing to hide.”
“So he’snotcommitting construction fraud and embezzling state funds?”
Licinia’s mouth dropped open, shock spreading across her face. “Embezzling…what?”
Either Licinia was a natural-born actress, or she truly had no idea what her husband was up to. This was more awkward than Crispina had anticipated. She stammered for a moment, trying to figure out what to say.
Licinia drew herself up. “If you’ve only come here to slander my husband’s good name, then I will kindly ask you to leave my home.”
“It’s not slander,” Crispina said. “It’s true. And if this news gets out, you will be ruined. Your husband needs to drop out of the election, or I will not hesitate to reveal what I know.”
Licinia’s eyes blazed. “Drop out? Based on the word of a woman I barely know? That is ridiculous.”
Crispina opened her mouth to reply, but the sound of footsteps behind her distracted her. She turned to see a man a few years older than Aelius entering the atrium. He shed his cloak and tossed it into the arms of a trailing slave without so much as a glance.
Crispina’s stomach tightened. She had not been prepared to have this confrontation with Verus himself.
