"My lord," the minion bowed. "Your cousin Decius Aemilius Scaurus Minor and your wife."

Catulus looked up from the list he had been compiling and gestured to chairs that had been set out. "Please. Be seated."

The room remained quiet for a long time as Catulus and Maria studied one another. Decius sat very still, his face more than ordinarily inscrutable. At length Maria smiled thinly and remarked, "What an awkward little gathering this is."

"I am conscious of no awkwardness," Catulus remarked blandly. "It is always a pleasure to visit with my dear cousin. And of course I am overjoyed to be reunited with my wife."

"I am not your wife," Maria snapped. "The emperor declared us divorced."

"Did he?"

"Yes. And the emperor's word is law."

"That is so," Catulus replied affably. "But only as long as the emperor remains alive to enforce his rulings. And the Thracian is very dead. His word now means nothing."

Maria bit her lip and looked away. Catulus turned to his cousin and asked, "I know that my wife would prefer water, but you, Decius. Would you care for wine?" When Decius nodded, the slave who had remained on duty behind his master moved to serve them. "You prefer the white wine of Falernum, I know, but I'm afraid I have only Chian."

Decius shrugged and accepted the proffered goblet.

Catulus watched with a slight smile on his face as Maria began to pleat her skirt with nervous fingers. Decius touched her arm gently and she stopped, flicking him a glance compounded of gratitude and anxiety. "What do you want with us?" she asked in a resigned voice.

"What makes you think I want anything beyond the deep satisfaction of my wife's companionship?" His smile broadened as Maria's face flushed with anger. "I am sure we shall both derive much pleasure from renewed intimacies."

Maria's cheeks blanched. "Catulus, there is no power on earth that could compel me to—"

Decius put his hand on her arm and shook his head. She fell silent, but her lips trembled and he knew she was fighting tears. He frowned at his cousin. "Catulus, this is all very entertaining. But you can't possibly think Maria will submit to you now. So stop all this playacting. You would not have exerted so much effort to bring us here if you did not want something. Now what is it?"

"Very well." Catulus' manner changed abruptly and his eyes hardened as he considered his wife. "Madam, you may yet find me useful to you." He gestured to the slave standing at the doorway. The man nodded and departed. Catulus remained silent but an anticipatory smile had replaced his cold demeanor.

Several minutes elapsed before a middle-aged woman appeared leading a small red-haired boy with very dark eyes and an extraordinarily pale skin. The child smiled and ran to Catulus. Maria gasped and rose from her chair, holding out her hand in amazement as the boy climbed on Catulus' lap and rested his cheek on the man's chest. "I'm glad you sent for me, father." Catulus laid his hand affectionately on the boy's shoulder and whispered something in child's ear. The boy turned to survey Maria for a moment before asking gravely, "Is this my mother?"

"Yes, my son." Catulus nodded slowly. "She is your mother."

"Catulus," Maria whispered bewilderedly as she sank back down. "I-I was told that—YOU told me that—"

"You were told what was necessary," Catulus replied coldly. "And you know why it was necessary."

Maria swallowed hard. Her eyes welled with tears as she held out her hands, palm up. "Please, Catulus. Don't—don't say more. It's—"

"Father?" The child looked up at his father inquiringly. Catulus nodded his head almost imperceptibly and the boy slid to the floor. He walked calmly to Maria and took her hand. "Hello, Mother. It is nice to finally meet you," he stated formally.

Her lips parted and she began to cry as she embraced the boy. The child submitted to this treatment momentarily then squirmed to be let loose. Maria released him reluctantly and watched as he returned to his father. Catulus put his hand on his son's head and turned the boy to face his mother. Decius rose impatiently and stood behind Maria with his hands on her shoulders. He locked eyes with Catulus and asked grimly, "What do you want of us?"

Catulus ignored him and focused on the boy. "You mother is very tired, as I told you she would be. Would escort her to her bedchamber?" The child looked at his father questioningly. And Catulus smiled reassuringly. "You may talk to her for awhile, if you wish. Make sure there is a lamp left burning for her when you leave. She fears the darkness." He gestured deprecatingly to the boy. "You would not indulge such a weakness yourself, but try not to judge her harshly. Frailty is less important in a female than in a man. And it is understandable for your mother to suffer from this shortcoming because it stems from a highly unfortunate incident that occurred when she was very young and impressionable. That was very long ago, however, and cannot harm you." He looked at Maria and asked, "Can it?"

"No, " she whispered. "No harm shall come to him from that ancient history."

"Then it need not concern us," replied Catulus approvingly. His piercing gaze caught Maria as he added, "We should not dwell on things that cannot be changed. No matter how much we might wish to alter them. Be kind to your mother, son. It is not her fault she was taken from you."

"Yes, father." The boy nodded seriously. "I will take care of her for you." He walked back to Maria and held out his hand to her. "Come with me, please. I will ask Drusilla to bring you warm milk sweetened with honey. I don't care for it much," he added confidingly. "But she brings it to me when I'm very tired."

Maria looked up questioningly. "Go with your son," Decius urged gently. He released his grip on her shoulders and helped her to rise. He looked at Catulus challengingly and added, "I will see you before I go to sleep, Maria."

Catulus made no comment until the child and Maria left the room. Then he turned to Decius and asked, "Do you want her?"

Decius was in the act of sipping his wine and almost choked. He paused before answering firmly, "Yes, I want her. But I want to marry her. I have no wish to maintain a clandestine relationship with your wife."

"I wasn't offering to share her with you. I've no need of her, after all." Catulus took a meditative sip of his wine. "And yet, that is not quite true. I'm not being completely honest with you. I do need her. My son needs her."

"What do you mean?"

Catulus remained silent for a very long time. Abruptly, his voice grated out, "I want you to adopt the boy. Marry his mother and take the both someplace far away from Italia."