“I could take you,” he offered immediately. “There are some perfect trails just outside the city. That is—I don’t suppose you know how to ride.” His face fell.
She hurried to correct him. “I do ride, a little. I brought a horse and sidesaddle on the journey, and rode whenever the weather was pleasant enough. The carriage gave me a terrible headache.” She was not an experienced rider, and riding sidesaddle meant that someone else had to lead her horse, but it was worth it for the fresh air.
His expression warmed. “Perfect. I can escort you on a tour of the countryside anytime. Just say the word.”
She smiled, but a flicker of unease rose in her chest. Spending an hour or two shopping with Max was one thing, but riding out into the hills and forests alone with him?
The proper thing would be to thank him for his offer but demur. Instead, she nodded. “I need a few more days to make sure everything is settled in the house. But after that, I will look forward to it.”
That evening, Volusia joined Avitus and Silvanus for dinner. It should have been odd to dine with her husband’s lover, but she was used to it by now. Even before her husband had struck up a relationship with Silvanus, he’d been a fixture at their table in Rome. There were always decisions to be made, letters to be dictated, and Silvanus was a dedicated, hardworking secretary. He didn’t flaunt his status as Avitus’s favorite, for which Volusia was grateful. She suspected that Silvanus liked Avitus’s power and position more than anything else, but his presence helped dispel the silence that often fell on the rare occasions Volusia and Avitus were left alone together.
Tonight, the men were deep into a discussion of the province’s finances, which didn’t hold Volusia’s interest. Instead, she reminisced about the day she’d had with Max: the way he’d shielded her from the ox, the ease with which he traded insults, and the comfort she felt in his presence.
She was in the midst of recalling the taste of the chickpea fritters when she realized silence had fallen in the dining room. She glanced up to see Avitus watching her expectantly.
“Volusia?” he asked, as if repeating himself.
She straightened up. “Forgive me, I was lost in thought. Did you say something?”
“I said I’d noticed some packages were delivered earlier. Did you make some purchases?”
Even in the mundane question, she recognized that he was trying to be kind, to include her in the conversation. “Yes, I went shopping and purchased some things at the market. Just little trinkets, really.”
His brow furrowed. “You didn’t go alone, did you?”
“Of course not.” Even in Rome, the city where she’d lived her entire life, she never went anywhere unaccompanied. “I asked one of the legionaries to escort me.”
“Next time, take someone from the household. Even Iris would do. These soldiers answer to Petronax, not me. I’m not sure I trust them yet. Especially not with my wife.”
The mention of Iris made her remember what she needed to ask Avitus. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about Iris. I want to free her.”
Avitus glanced at her in surprise. “Whyever would you do that?”
“Because she’s served me well for ten years. And her family lives here in Gaul. It seems right to allow her to go back to them.”
Avitus exchanged a glance with Silvanus. “It may be difficult to find a well-trained replacement out here.”
Volusia shrugged. “I’ll manage. But I don’t want Iris to leave empty-handed. I know her family is poor, and I’d like to give her some money. I believe she cost around a thousand denarii to purchase, so I’d like to give her that much.” She hated that she had to ask permission, but there was no way around it. Iris belonged to her alone, but Avitus controlled the rest of their wealth and property.
“A thousand denarii!” Avitus chuckled as if she’d suggested gifting Iris a minotaur. “Freeing a slave is already a waste of money. This would be a waste twice over.”
Her lips tightened, but she forced herself to remain placid. Arguing would not help her cause. “It’s not as if we can’t spare it.”
Avitus looked over at Silvanus. “What do you think, Silvanus? Should I give my wife’s slave a thousand denarii?”
Volusia flushed. She didn’t mind Silvanus attending their dinners to advise Avitus on affairs relating to their work, but this was a matter that should remain between husband and wife.
“I’m sure it’s not my place to have an opinion on a matter such as this,” Silvanus said with his usual diffidence. “But if you insist, I must agree that it does not seem like a worthwhile expenditure.”
Avitus gave a careless shrug, as if the matter was completely settled, but Volusia was not willing to give up so easily. “It’s my birthday in three months,” she said. “You can either gift me the money directly, or whatever gift you select, I’ll sell it and give the money to Iris.” Despite his flaws, Avitus had never been stingy with presents.
Avitus sighed. “As you wish, wife.”
“Thank you.” She turned back to her meal, until something else occurred to her from earlier in the conversation. “What did you mean when you said you didn’t trust the soldiers because they report to Petronax, not you? Doesn’t Petronax report to you?”
“I only meant that we are still strangers here.” He exchanged a glance with Silvanus that seemed to bear some unspoken meaning.
A tendril of anxiety unfurled in Volusia’s stomach. “Do you mean there could be some danger here?”
