by Tanya Bird
He took in her amused expression, his gaze falling to her lips for a moment. The sound of approaching footsteps made him look away. He knew by the gait that it was Manius. ‘I have to tend the horses, but then we can take a walk.’
Dulcia gave Amator another pat. ‘I am yours for the rest of the afternoon.’
‘Good’ was his only reply.
Her choice of words threw him. Before he could add to his response, Manius joined them, his presence immediately dominating the space. Dulcia took a step back, her shoulder brushing the horse.
‘Good day, Manius.’
‘Now it is. You look as lovely as ever.’
She seemed to shrink in his presence, despite only being half a head shorter than the man. ‘Thank you. Generous given that I have been stuffing fish all morning.’
Nero shifted his weight. He had no idea where to look in moments like those.
‘I am rather fond of seafood, as you know,’ Manius replied.
Nero turned, busying himself with the horses. They were sharing food preferences with each other now.
‘Yes, I recall you telling me.’
He glanced at Dulcia, noting her body language. She was uncomfortable. ‘Don’t your horses need tending?’ He could not stop the question spilling out of him. Even Dulcia looked at him in surprise.
‘I have men for that,’ Manius said, his tone smug.
That was true. When your father owned every marble quarry in the region, you could afford an entire team of grooms to take care of the work.
‘How is your father?’ Manius asked her.
Dulcia swallowed. ‘He is well, thank you.’
Manius nodded as though approving of her answer. ‘Excellent.’
Nero fought the urge to roll his eyes. It was no secret that Manius was campaigning for a place in the senate. Rufus Papias was a rather handy acquaintance for someone seeking a way in.
‘I should get the horses to the stables,’ Nero said, gesturing for Dulcia to follow.
When she went to move, Manius put a hand on her arm to stop her. ‘Surely you are not going to make the lady accompany you to the stables?’
Nero’s eyes narrowed on the hand holding her arm. He sniffed.
‘I do not mind, really,’ Dulcia said, taking a small step towards Nero. Manius’s hand fell away, and Nero could breathe again.
‘Nonsense,’ Manius insisted. ‘I will wait with you until he has finished his work.’
Every muscle in Nero’s body went rigid. If the big peacock insisted on parading his feathers, Nero would tear them out. But the moment he went to move, Dulcia’s hand landed on his arm, and he stilled. The lightest touch held him in place as though it possessed magic.
‘That sounds like a sensible idea,’ she said. ‘I will watch the horses train until you return, and then we can go.’
He dragged his gaze to meet hers, noting the gentle plea in her eyes. Dulcia was a peacekeeper. She did not like confrontation and hated to disappoint people—and it drove him mad. She never said no to anyone, and often did things she did not want to just to keep everyone else happy. Heaven forbid her father heard anything other than glowing reports of her.
He played along for her benefit only. ‘I won’t be long,’ he said, surprised he was able to get the words out. There was relief in her eyes.
‘Let us find somewhere to sit,’ Manius said, fingers grazing her back as he guided her away. ‘If it is horses you wish to see, I will show you some of the best in Rome.’
Dulcia gave Nero a reassuring smile. That only made him angrier. She was probably recoiling inside at the man’s touch, and yet she felt the need to assure him all was well.
‘I won’t be long,’ he called, but she had already been swept away. He took a calming breath as he turned, tugging on Amator’s bridle. ‘Let’s go.’
Chapter 3
‘All right, I give up,’ Dulcia said. ‘Why are you holding hoops and sticks?’
Nero had collected them from the stadia on his way to get her. He might not have been able to offer her a tour of his elaborate collection of horses, but he knew other ways to make her smile. ‘I thought we could race.’
‘What?’ she laughed, looking around. ‘In view of everyone?’
He rolled his eyes. ‘We can go down to the water if you’re going to get all shy on me.’ Taking her by the hand, he led her down the slope to the Tiber. They ran most of the way, stopping at the tree-covered path adjacent to the slow-flowing river. He stared out at the murky water for a moment, then turned to her. She was flushed and breathing hard after trying to keep up with him. While she was now a woman in every sense of the word, he knew she was still a child at heart. It was one of the reasons he loved spending time with her.
Letting go of her hand, he passed her one of the hoops and a stick. ‘Here.’
Dulcia took it and looked around. A pair of lovers strolled on the path ahead, but they were only paying attention to each other.
‘Don’t worry, we’ll go the other way so we don’t run anyone down,’ he said, reading her mind. He readied his hoop.
‘Why do you assume I know what to do?’ Though even as she asked the question, she had her hoop balanced and the stick in the optimal position.
‘Because I remember you telling me that you played with Nerva when you were little.’
She looked up at him. ‘You remember that?’
‘Yes.’ He remembered everything she told him. ‘Ready?’
She stared off down the path. ‘I am at a big disadvantage. You are faster than me.’
‘But you’re better at doing multiple things at once.’
That earned a smile from her. ‘All right, go,’ she said, hoop already rolling away in a straight line.
‘You are also the biggest cheat I know,’ he called, taking off after her.
She laughed over her shoulder. ‘Not my fault you are slow off the mark.’
He bit back a grin and concentrated on his wobbling hoop. Once he had it under control, he picked up speed. ‘First to the bridge.’
She squealed as her hoop went off course for a moment. Nero glanced across, preparing to grab it if it suddenly turned for the river. There was no chance of him going in to get it.
‘I believe I am going to win,’ she teased, moving farther ahead. ‘Perhaps we should have put some coin on it.’
‘You don’t have any coin, remember?’
‘Exactly.’
He was too busy watching her to put in the effort required to win. She was laughing, forgetting herself—just the way he liked her. He kept on her though, all the way to the bridge.
When she reached it first, her hand slapped the stone, marking her victory. She turned to him, panting. ‘Please tell me you did not let me win.’
He stopped next to her and collapsed against the bridge. ‘You’re the true victor.’ Letting his hoop and stick fall to the ground, he slid down the wall onto the dirt, and she sank down next to him.
‘Let me catch my breath and we can race again,’ she said.
He drew his knees up and linked his hands in front of them. ‘One more race. Then I better get you home.’
She rested her cheek on her knees, looking at him. ‘I do not want to go home.’
His eyes went to her. ‘Aquila’s keeping her hands off you, isn’t she?’
‘She prefers venomous words nowadays.’
He blinked with relief. If anyone put their hands on her, he would not be able to contain himself. ‘It’s just noise. Block it out.’
‘Easy for you to say. Everyone in your household adores you.’
‘Maybe the children.’ Nero faced the river again, calmed by the sight. ‘Any body of water always reminds me of India—even the murky Tiber.’ He released a breath. ‘It was a good life.’
She was silent a moment before speaking. ‘You could always go back there. If you wanted to.’
He rolled his head to look at her. ‘It wouldn’t be the same on my own.’
They watched
one another for a moment.
‘Then take someone with you,’ she said. ‘Marry and travel there with your wife.’
He tilted his head, trying to tell if she was serious or not. ‘And who shall I marry?’
Now it was her turn to look at the water. ‘Do not pretend you have no prospects. I have heard Felix mention Cassia from the tavern a number of times.’
She sounded jealous, and it pleased him immensely. ‘Cassia and I have fun. She is no more interested in marrying me than I am her.’ He flicked a small stone at her foot. ‘Besides, what would you do without me?’
‘I would be forced to find someone else to climb trees and race hoops with.’
Nero thought. ‘Licinia, perhaps?’ Her head fell back as she laughed, and he watched in awe. ‘All right, enough playing matchmaker. Are you ready to lose?’
She turned her smiling face to him. ‘No.’
He took in her brazen expression. ‘Too bad. You only get to win once.’
Nero knew Dulcia had to be home in time to help with dinner, and he insisted on walking her the entire way. Everyone they passed seemed to be in a hurry, while they strolled, not wanting the afternoon to come to an end.
They went along the outskirts of Subura in order to avoid the chaos. Nero stopped to say hello to a butcher he knew. The man was cleaning a pig in the alleyway, a stream of bloody water pooling on the street. When they left, Nero guided Dulcia around it. They moved from the alleyway to a main street, and when cavalry approached, he moved her to the other side of him.
‘Goodness, I am getting dizzy from you throwing me about,’ she said. ‘Remember, I survived on the streets just fine before I knew you.’
She said that, yet whenever there was a fight, someone shouting, or a drunk stumbling in their direction, she always shifted so close to him that he felt the warmth of her body. ‘When are you going to come by and see the children?’ It was easier to change topics than try to explain his actions.
‘Soon, hopefully. I miss them.’
She was expected to be on call at the Papias household, so Nero had grown used to seeing her in small bursts. But he hated not knowing when they would see each other next. ‘Tomorrow afternoon, perhaps?’
They were nearing the house.
‘Maybe. I really cannot predict Aquila at the moment.’
‘She can’t object to your praying, surely. I could meet you at the temple.’
Her warm eyes assessed him. ‘If I can get away, I will wait for you there.’
She was standing really close again, visibly relaxed. His fingers twitched at his sides. They were silent all the way up the hill, but when they reached the house, he stopped and turned to face her. The orange sky did something to her complexion. She looked so beautiful painted by the colours of the setting sun. He thought about telling her, then changed his mind. This was the part where she was supposed to go inside, but she did not move. It was like she was waiting for something, but he did not know what.
He was about to ask when the front door opened. Dulcia flinched at the sound, and he took a small step back from her in case it was Rufus or Aquila. But it was neither. He looked up just as Manius strode out. The charioteer paused on the top step when he saw them. There was no mistaking the flash of annoyance in his eyes before he managed a smile in their direction.
‘Dulcia,’ he called, descending the steps towards them. ‘Twice in one day. Lucky me.’
It was comical that the man had the audacity to act surprised by the encounter when he had shown up on her doorstep.
Dulcia took a step back, as though she had been caught doing something wrong. Nero resisted the urge to pull her back to him.
‘Manius,’ she said, unable to hide her genuine surprise. ‘I was not expecting to see you here.’
He trotted down the steps, coin jingling in hidden pockets and rings reflecting the sun. ‘I was just meeting with your father,’ he said, stopping in front of her.
A bad feeling enclosed Nero, squeezing tightly. It was not helped by Manius’s smug expression.
‘I will let him tell you the good news.’
Nero stood taller, his hands balling into fists.
‘I should go inside,’ Dulcia said to her feet, her shoulders rounded.
The confident woman who had stood before Nero a moment ago was gone. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow.’ His feet did not move. He could not leave until he knew she was safely inside. Though how safe could she be with Manius roaming freely about the place?
‘Good day, Nero, Manius,’ she said before turning away and walking slowly up the steps.
Normally she ran. It was all a big display of propriety for the man who seemed to think he had a right to stand there watching her also.
When the door closed, Nero faced Manius.
‘So what’s the good news?’ He hoped the man could not hear his stomach churning.
Manius eyed him coolly. ‘Nothing that concerns you.’
‘If it concerns Dulcia, it concerns me.’
‘How do you figure?’
‘She’s family.’
Manius’s lips twitched. ‘I suspect Rufus might see things a little differently.’ He clapped Nero on the arm before turning and striding off in the other direction.
Nero stood frozen in front of the house, dread coiling inside of him, squeezing the air from his lungs. Manius was up to something, possibly something Nero was not ready to consider. Or perhaps the charioteer was just toying with him, his pride still recovering from the loss.
That was what he told himself as he headed back down the hill towards the slums.
Chapter 4
‘Where have you been?’ Tertia asked, smoothing down her daughter’s hair. ‘Rufus wishes to see you.’
She had been afraid of that. ‘See me about what?’
‘It is not my place to speak for him. He waits for you in the tablinum.’ She gave Dulcia a gentle push in that direction, but her daughter’s feet had suddenly grown roots. ‘What is the matter?’
Dulcia held her mother’s arm. ‘Has it something to do with Manius Liberia? I ran into him outside.’
Tertia cupped her daughter’s face. ‘Please listen to what he has to say before you worry.’ Her warm hand fell away. ‘I assure you it is good news.’
Good news for whom?
Dulcia nodded and walked to the tablinum, where she found the door open and her father seated behind the large table, quill in hand. He looked up at the sound of her soft footsteps.
‘Come in,’ he said, placing the quill down and straightening. ‘There is something I wish to discuss.’
Dulcia wiped her clammy hands on her stola before stepping into the room. Her eyes went to the large painting of a naval ship hanging on the wall to her left, then to the sculpture in the corner, a stone carving of Augustus. She usually only entered the room when cleaning it.
‘Manius Liberia came to see me this afternoon,’ he began.
She cleared her throat. ‘Oh?’
‘He wishes to take you as his wife.’ Rufus leaned back to watch her reaction.
She wished she had been able to display something other than blind panic in that moment. Wife. ‘That is…’ What was it? An honour? A mistake? A mistake, surely.
‘You seem surprised.’
That was one word for it. ‘Yes, very. I barely know him, and he is… Manius Liberia.’
Rufus suppressed a smile and stood, walking around the table and sitting on the front of it. Crossing his arms, he looked almost… proud. ‘I was equally surprised by his interest, but it seems you caught his attention. He tells me you have been spending time at the Trigarium, a fact I was unaware of.’
‘I like to watch the horses.’ It was mostly true.
‘And that slave boy your sister took in, it seems.’ There was disapproval in his tone.
‘He is not a slave,’ Dulcia replied, her voice suddenly quiet. ‘He is free, like me.’
Rufus regarded her for a moment. ‘The man was raised in a brothel.�
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Dulcia felt the small hairs on her body bristle. ‘He was left on the streets with no one to care for him.’
Rufus nodded, clearly not wanting to argue the details. ‘I do not judge him. I am just stating the facts.’ He paused. ‘You are not children anymore, and some might jump to conclusions. Rightly or wrongly, it seems people have connected you with the Papias name. While this opens some doors for you, it also means you will be scrutinised.’ He was silent a moment. ‘I told Manius you would be honoured to accept his proposal. Your mother has been informed and was also agreeable.’
She felt completely betrayed by that last comment. Her mother had agreed without even so much as asking Dulcia what she thought of the man. ‘I can only assume Manius has forgotten I am slaveborn.’ It seemed the only likely explanation.
Rufus shook his head. ‘Manius would not take a wife without first knowing who she is. He was clear on his choice.’
She suppressed the rising panic and tried to think logically for a moment. Manius was best known for his wealth, and as the blue team’s most skilled charioteer. But racing was not a long-term occupation for a sensible man. That was why he had decided on a political career, which had so far amounted to nothing. ‘Does Manius’s family approve of his choice?’
A nod. ‘He would not have come here without his father’s approval.’ He uncrossed his arms and held the edge of the table. ‘You seem hesitant, and I must question why.’
Hesitant? She was terrified, and something else. ‘I have spent most of my life as a slave. I am just trying to understand why he chose me.’
‘It is a mutually beneficial union. Manius comes from a long line of merchants and businessmen. Successful men, but not a drop of noble blood among them.’
‘And you will help him change that?’
‘Yes.’
She thought for a moment. ‘And what do you get in return?’
‘Much-needed funding for public projects, for one.’ Rufus pushed off the table and walked back around the other side. ‘Many families are preparing to travel south to their villas to wait out the heat. A modest wedding celebration when they return, perhaps. That will give you time to get to know your husband, get used to the idea.’
