“He is not allowed in this house!” Rufus shouted.
“Father.” Volusia’s voice took on a note of steel. “It’s been ten years. You need to set this feud aside.” She crossed to Max and put a hand on his arm, which made Rufus sputter with rage. “Max saved my life and brought me back to you. The least you could do is not be rude to him. And you certainly have no right to prevent me speaking with him.”
Her words seemed to deflate Rufus’s rage a touch, but the color in his cheeks didn’t fade. “This is my house—”
“Then let us go outside.” Without waiting for a response, she headed for the front door. Max followed her, casting one more smirk back at a speechless Rufus.
Outside, Volusia let out a cry of delight as she saw Elephant. “You found her!” She hurried over to Elephant and allowed the horse to snuffle at her face and hair.
“I just returned from bringing her back.” Max dismissed the slave who’d been watching the horses. He wanted to be alone with Volusia, if only for a moment.
He told Volusia the story of how he’d discovered Elephant and bargained for her return, while Volusia stroked Elephant’s neck. Then, he told her of the encounter with his mother in the market square, the revelation of a sister he never knew he had.
Volusia listened with wide eyes. “I’m so sorry that your father is dead,” she said quietly when he finished.
“Don’t be,” Max said. “He was a bastard.”
She ran her fingers through Elephant’s mane. “Do you think you can find it in yourself to forgive your mother?”
Of course Volusia’s first instinct was forgiveness; she was the most forgiving person he had ever met. She’d even befriended her husband’s lover.
The memory of the Silvanus lookalike at the baths briefly surfaced, but Max was focused on Volusia’s question. He leaned his shoulder against Elephant’s solid body, facing Volusia. “On one hand, no. On the other hand, if my parents hadn’t been so terrible, I’d never have found Aelius and Crispina. My life would have looked very different.” Even if his birth parents were paragons of familial love, they still lived in poverty. He would have faced a life of labor and struggle, if he hadn’t been driven to escape.
Her gaze softened. “Well, whatever you feel about your mother, perhaps don’t deprive yourself of a sister. If I had a long-lost brother, I’d be desperate to meet him.”
Part of him still balked at the thought of reopening the door to his past, though he was undeniably tempted to meet this mysterious sister. He’d think it over more later, but for now, he didn’t want to dwell on it any further. “And you? How have you been?”
She smiled. “It’s only been two days since you last saw me.”
“Feels like a year,” he admitted.
Her smile widened, then faded. “It has been rather strange to return home, after all that happened to us. I tried to convince my father to take my evidence to the consuls, but he refused.” Her lips tightened. “He didn’t want to risk making enemies, as he’s eying another consulship soon.”
“Selfish prick.”
She gave him a reproving glance. “Don’t be rude. I think he does mean well. He wants me to put the past behind me and focus on the future. But I don’t think it will be that easy. I can’t just forget what Petronax did to Avitus. He needs to be brought to justice.”
Max nodded in agreement. “What are you going to do?”
She sighed. “I don’t know what I can do. My father’s support would have been useful in getting people to listen to me.”
“Useful, but not essential,” Max said. “To Dis with your father. You can go to the consuls yourself.”
“They won’t listen to me. A grieving widow spouting accusations against a legionary commander?” Her shoulders slumped.
“Makethem listen.” He hated seeing her like this, unsure of herself, downhearted and silenced. Her stepfather should have raised her up, bolstered her confidence. Instead he had stifled her. “I know you can do it.”
“Am I supposed to march up to one of their houses, bang on the door, and demand an audience?”
Her tone was joking, but Max didn’t laugh. “Why not? You’re a citizen of the republic they’ve sworn to protect. You deserve to be heard.”
“It sounds so simple when you say it like that.” She stepped closer to him, resting a hand atop Elephant’s saddle. “Do you remember how simple things used to be when we were seventeen? All I worried about was if my husband would be handsome and buy me nice gifts.”
“And I only cared about the horse my parents had promised me, and whether or not I’d be able to make you laugh at the next dinner party.” He laid his hand on top of hers. Elephant’s bulk hid them from view of the house, so he didn’t hesitate to slide an arm around her waist and pull her close. It felt so right to have her in his arms again that all he wanted to do was savor the feel of her body.
But desire soon heated his blood. He tightened his arm around her, and lowered his head to kiss her.
She turned away with a shy giggle, so his lips met her cheek. “Max, anyone could see!”
