“Good,” Marcus said, gathering another handful of chickpeas. “Because I like Felix, but I wouldn’t want him as astepfather.”
“Understood.” She pulled him closer, expecting him to wriggle away.
Instead, he laid his head on her shoulder—just for a moment, but it was enough to make Lucretia catch her breath. Warmth flooded her, chasing away all thoughts of Felix and whether or not he liked her or she liked him.
By the time she recovered, Marcus had already pulled away.
Lucretia gave his shoulder one extra squeeze before releasing him. “Goodness, that boxing practice is fleshing you out, isn’t it? You’re going to have a legion of girls chasing after you before you know it.”
“Mother!” he groaned, and Lucretia chuckled.
Below them in the circus, the chariot teams started to emerge, and the crowd roared. Lucretia turned her attention to the race, but the whole time, she could feel a little spot of warmth on her shoulder where Marcus had rested his head.
On the second day of his visit, Felix rode to the former house of Manilius Cotta, having gotten directions from his mother. There, he spoke with the current owner and verified that Cotta was indeed deceased, with no known heirs. When Siro visited, the property owner had been away, so Siro must not have realized the man wasn’t whom he was seeking.
Despite himself, Felix was impressed at Lucretia’s audacity. She must have known that if her invented guardian were discovered, everything she’d worked for would be lost. But she had taken the risk in order to hold onto her independence, to ensure she wouldn’t have to answer to anyone. She was fearless.
Felix returned to Herminia’s house as the sun was setting, sore and dusty after another long day on horseback. He washed, changed his clothes, then joined his family for dinner. The dining room of this house was small, on the verge of feeling cramped with only the five of them seated on the couches around the table. The walls were painted a plain light green, no murals or other decorations adorning them. Out here in the country, they had no need to show off with oversized dining rooms or elaborate ornamentation.
“How was your errand?” Mother asked as Felix lowered himself onto an empty couch.
“It was as you said,” Felix replied. “The gentleman I’d been told of is deceased. But it doesn’t matter.”
Maximus was holding the baby, nestled in the crook of his burly arm, to give Herminia and Fulvius a reprieve while they ate on the other side of the table. Felix was half-surprised Herminia would trust her oafish father with something as delicate as a baby, but the little girl cooed happily as Maximus’s large finger tickled her stomach.
Mother reached over to adjust a fold of the baby’s swaddling, smiling down at the infant. “Being a grandmother is marvelous. All the fun of having a baby without any of the real work.” She gave Felix a pointed look. “I bet little Fulvia would love to have a cousin close to her own age.”
Felix poured himself a large measure of wine.
“There must be many girls in Ostia who would leap at the chance to marry a man as successful and handsome and smart as you,” Mother continued.
“I’m too busy to marry,” he said automatically. It was the same response he’d given each of the many times his mother had brought up his status as a bachelor.
“You’ll always be busy,” she chided.
“I’ll get around to it one day.” He’d always planned to marry eventually. Having a wife was useful in many respects—a hostess for social engagements, someone to manage the household, a mother for his heirs. But none of those things had ever seemed particularly pressing to accomplish.
Maximus switched the baby to his other arm. “You could always do what I did. Marry a woman who already has a child. Takes some of the pressure off. It’s an excellent shortcut.”
Felix raised his eyebrows. “If I recall, Herminia was born almost exactly nine months after your marriage.”
“Yes, but there wasn’t anypressure.” Maximus grinned.
Felix snorted. His mind immediately went to Lucretia and Marcus. Marcus would be a worthy heir; after all, he was already set to inherit Lucretia’s business. But there was no point in considering that, as Lucretia would never marry again.
His thoughts must have shown on his face, for Mother leaned closer. “Is there really no girl who has caught your interest, in all this time? The girls in Ostia can’t be that unappealing, can they?”
Felix hesitated. He didn’t like to lie to his mother, but he also didn’t want to reveal the depths of his futile obsession with Lucretia.
Mother cocked her head. “Is it someone unsuitable? A girl whose father hates you? Or is she married? Or, no, she’s a Vestal Virgin—”
“She’s not a Vestal Virgin!” Felix spluttered, before realizing his mother was chuckling.
Maximus guffawed too, which nettled Felix to his core.
“So thereissomeone,” Mother said smugly.
“There’s a girl?” Herminia piped up from where she and Fulvius enjoyed their dinner across the table. “Now this is exciting. Fulvius, Lucius has a girl!”
