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‘Nor me,’ said Gia, darkly.

Gia stood at the window, with her back to her. Claudia sensed that she was not in a good mood, and she couldn’t blame her for it.

‘I am so sorry you had to witness that,’ she said.

‘We cannot trust him,’ said Gia, still not turning to face her.

‘You think?’

‘My gut is telling me he’s hiding something.’

‘Are you sure you’re not just opposed to him on principle?’

‘Obviously, but that’s not the reason.’

Claudia walked up behind her, looping her arms around her waist, but Gia’s body language was not as receptive as usual.

There was a gulf between them.

Gia moved to sit on the bed and Claudia followed.

‘Please, don’t take it seriously,’ she said. ‘I’m just used to entertaining men from the years I served in my father’s court.’

‘You shouldn’t have to do that,’ said Gia.

‘I know, yet it is second nature to me and I need to play nice with Darius for now,’ said Claudia. ‘You heard what Hieronymus and Damocles said. Flatter him, make him believe I desire him. Do you think I convinced him?’

‘You almost convinced me,’ said Gia.

‘That was nothing,’ she laughed, putting her hand around Gia’s neck and using her nails to gently tickle her. ‘I was just warming up.’

‘Then I should steady myself for more?’

Claudia didn’t have an answer prepared for this question. She didn’t know how far she would have to go yet. That was the truth of it.

‘Maybe,’ she said. ‘It is expected of me.’

‘I would believe you, if I were him,’ Gia said. ‘I’d think you might actually marry me.’

‘That was the idea, wasn’t it?’ said Claudia. ‘That’s why he’s here in Rome, after all. We have been engaged, from the beginning, before you and I even met. If I cannot prevent it, or if it would be unwise to prevent it, then I must be sure he believes it.’

‘I didn’t think you would be so persuasive. That you would be so good at acting. Are you pretending with me? How would I know, if you were fooling me in the same way?’

The words wounded her, but then Gia was hurt.

‘It’s entirely different. He is a stranger I am contractually engaged to against my will, and you are the person I love with the freedom of my soul,’ said Claudia.

Neither of them said anything, breathing softly in the quiet room as they listened to someone moving towards the staircase.

‘You love me?’ said Gia.

‘I told you so before, didn’t I?’ said Claudia, looking away. ‘When we were on the ship, after escaping Pompeii. I said, “I didn’t love you then”. That rather implies that I do, in fact, love you now, does it not?’

‘It’s not really the same thing, if you say it in the middle of confessing to killing someone,’ said Gia.

Claudia flushed.

‘I suppose not,’ she said. ‘You didn’t believe me?’