As the food and watered wine took effect, they relaxed and eased into each other’s company again. The initial awkwardness of such a long absence slowly faded away.
Lucius looked at his much younger sister and marvelled at how much she had grown. She was a young woman now, plain but beautiful in her own way. He hoped the horrors of her childhood had faded from her memory, but suspected that they were buried deep down, and that thought made him sad. He had not been there for her, ever, nor for his younger brother, Caecilius, who still had not joined them.
“Clarinda,” Adara suddenly said, looking across at her sister-in-law. “Your tunica looks much like a priestess’ robes. Is it a new fashion here?” Adara knew the question sounded absurd, but she had had enough of the silence. She wanted to
