Max’s fingers clenched into fists.
“I would be remiss if I did not offer whatever assistance I can, as a simple citizen rather than a consul. I know widowhood can be a fraught position for a woman.”
“Thank you, but Avitus’s estate has left me quite secure,” Volusia said.
“That is good to hear. But I know you have a son, and he will no doubt feel the loss of his father keenly in the coming years. You’ll recall that my own wife died without blessing me with any children. I have always desired a family, and given my respect for your late husband it would be an honor to contribute to his son’s upbringing.”
Max stared in disbelief. Was this bastard really proposing marriage, after setting Volusia up to face the man who’d tried to kill her, and refusing to take action on her accusations?
Max willed Volusia to slap Hortensius. If she didn’t, he was more than happy to step in and deck the consul.
But Volusia showed no outrage. She smiled sweetly. “Your offer is kind, and well-received. I’m sure you’ll understand that with my husband so recently deceased, I’ll need to take some time to sort out his affairs and determine what path is best for me and my son.”
“Of course, of course.” Hortensius placed a hand on Volusia’s shoulder, and Max’s jaw clenched so hard he expected to crack a tooth. “You know where to find me if you have need of me.”
Volusia gave a dignified nod, and allowed Hortensius to conduct her out of the study. Max fell into step behind her. He gave Hortensius one last glare before they passed through the front door and back out onto the street.
The heavy door swung closed behind them. Max turned to Volusia, anger simmering over every inch of his skin. “The nerve of that bastard,” he growled.
She glanced up at him. “Hortensius? I thought he was quite respectful.”
“He wants to fuck you.”
“Language. And he’s just an old friend.”
“An old friend who wants to fuck you.”
She arched an eyebrow. “Sound familiar?”
He had no rebuttal to that, so he changed strategy. “He set you up by inviting Glabrio there. The man who tried to kill you.”
She let out a long sigh. “Yes, that was rather unpleasant of him, but he was right that he needs to hear all sides of something. His fair-minded approach is why he was elected consul.”
“So are you going to marry him then?” It was not a prudent question, nor a polite one, but it was out of Max’s mouth before he could stop it.
“Maybe,” she said evenly. “I want a father for my son. And I want a husband for myself, someone who’s there for me every day. Anything less would be little better than what I had with Avitus. But before I think of such things, I have to resolve this business about Petronax.” She kneaded a hand against her temple. “I keep trying to go back to that night, that dinner where he must have consumed the poison. I must have missed something. I wish I’d spoken to Silvanus more about it. Maybe he would have remembered something that I missed.”
The mention of Silvanus sparked Max’s recollection of his uncertain sighting at the baths. “Are you sure he stayed in Narbo?” Max asked. “It’s just that I was almost sure I saw him at the baths the other day.”
She frowned and shook her head. “Silvanus in Rome? I don’t think so.”
Max shrugged. “Maybe it wasn’t him, but I could have sworn it was.”
“That’s odd,” she said. “If he’s already back in Rome, he must have left right after we did. I offered for him to travel with us, but he said he’d accepted a permanent position in the province. He doesn’t even have any family in Rome.”
“I guess he changed his mind,” Max said.
“I’ll have someone find him—if he is here, that is,” Volusia said. “If he could remember something that proves Avitus was murdered, then Hortensius will have to listen to me.” She put a hand on his arm. “Thank you, Max. For everything.”
He helped her into the waiting litter, and stepped back as the four litter-bearers prepared to lift it.
“Wait,” Volusia called, and they stilled. She beckoned Max closer, leaning out of the litter to speak in a soft voice. “About what you said earlier… I won’t be able to stop thinking of it for some time. Max, I love you too, but…”
He could think of several conclusions to that sentence.
I love you…but my stepfather hates you.
But I love my son more.
