Second Chances

by Carol Ashby

  “I’m glad to hear that Claudia doesn’t have the kind of marriage I have...had. We were married less than four years when my husband started spending most of his nights with...others. Lucius and I have had nothing even remotely resembling a marriage since I opposed what he tried to do to Claudia after he got their father killed. I was delighted when she escaped from him.

  “I only stayed married to him because I didn’t want him to take my boys and Drusilla. He would never have let me see them if I’d divorced him. Once he decided to do something that would hurt Drusilla, that was the end of it. There was no reason to stay and every reason to leave. I have my dowry to start over well in Perinthus. Titus will know how to help me. It sounds like Philip is wealthy enough that he’ll know how as well.”

  Hector had been leaning toward her, but he leaned back at her comment on two rich men helping her reinvest her dowry. She kicked herself for those words. She should have expected that response. He was totally uninterested in her money. He must have a good idea of how rich she was from the weight of the gold chests in his room and hers. He’d spoken of her “treasure” during their first argument like a man who didn’t particularly worry about wealth.

  That lack of interest made him even more intriguing. She already knew there would be men in Perinthus who would eagerly pursue her hand in marriage because of it. She’d seen that happen several times with friends who divorced and retrieved their ample dowries, and hers was even greater than most of theirs. Those second marriages turned out as bad as the first ones. She would stay single before going down that path again.

  “My only regret in leaving Lucius is that I will see less of my boys.”

  He leaned forward again. “So you have sons as well as Drusilla?”

  Satisfaction surged as she smiled at the first personal question he’d asked her. Perhaps the first sign of some interest in her.

  “I have two sons, Lucius and Marcus, who are tribunes serving in Judaea, so I don’t get to see them often. My third son, Tertius, is eighteen. He lives with his father in Rome, but he came often to the villa to see Drusilla and me. He warned me of my husband’s plans.”

  His eyes were fixed on hers. She had his full attention, and that unleashed the flirtatious girl in her. It had been years since she fished for a compliment, but somehow, she couldn’t resist.

  “When you have three grown sons, it’s hard to fulfill the Roman ideal of beauty anymore.” She combined a wistful smile with a slight shrug.

  “Motherhood hasn’t made you look any older than you are.”

  He meant that to be a compliment, but it was the clumsiest one she’d ever received. The laugh she fought to suppress escaped anyway. What should she expect but an unusual compliment from the most unusual man she’d ever had the good fortune to meet?

  Hector straightened at Anthusa’s soft gasp. Cornelia had laughed at his unintended insult, but maybe she laughed only to hide the hurt. He often smiled to mask his pain.

  “That came out wrong. I’m sorry if what I said offended you. I meant no offense. I don’t move in circles where words are twisted to make people think well of you so you can get what you want.”

  She laughed again at his summary of her world. “No offense taken, Captain. It’s refreshing to talk with a man who doesn’t play games with words.”

  “Word games are sometimes just lies in pretty language. God made me an honest man.”

  He liked the amused smile that lifted the corner of her lips and put a sparkle in her eyes. It made her seem more like a woman and less like a queen.

  “I wish more men valued honesty as much as you do. That’s rare among my acquaintances in Rome.”

  He returned her smile. He liked a woman who didn’t take offense when no offense was meant. He sometimes put things too bluntly when talking with women and hurt their feelings. She wasn’t some fluttery young woman he had to be careful around. There was something about her that made it comfortable to speak his mind, even when they disagreed―which was not infrequent.

  He wasn’t sure what to say to her next, so he stood. He scooped up a handful of dates and selected a piece of bread.

  “If you’ll excuse me, Cornelia, it’s time for me to return to work. We can talk more about Perinthus another time.”

  “Of course, Captain.”

  Their conversation had ended too quickly. Cornelia hadn’t learned anything important about him at all.

  She watched him walk away. He was a remarkable man―honest, handsome, strong, reliable, kind. Especially kind. That was so rare among the men she’d known.

  The more she saw of the captain, the more she admired him. If she could find a man like him, she would seriously consider remarrying.

  In fact, if he were to show the interest in her that she felt in him, she would give serious consideration to marrying the captain himself.

  He was not a wealthy man by her standards, but he didn’t need to be. She had more than enough herself. He’d been a captain for many years, and he probably made good money from his share of the profits on the cargo of a ship this size. He already had a farm, so he knew about being a landowner. He should be comfortable as her partner in running an estate.

  He wasn’t Roman, but after twenty-five years with Lucius, she’d had her fill of aristocratic Roman men. None in her broad acquaintance ever stirred her like this Greek sea captain.

  And there was one thing she knew for certain. Drusilla would be thrilled if he became her husband. Hector would make the finest father a girl could ever have.

  Leaving Rome and taking Drusilla to Perinthus was risky, but the greatest rewards often came from the greatest risks.

  Cornelia stroked her cheek as she stared at the corner of the cabin where Hector had disappeared. Would life with the captain be more of a risk or a reward?

  Chapter 16: Better Than Money

  Circus Maximus in Rome

  The murmurs of a quarter million spectators waiting for the races to start filled the Circus Maximus with an ocean of sound. Lucius wove through the crowd on his way to join Marcus Corvinus in the senatorial seating.

  His progress was blocked by a well-fed equestrian and his even-better-fed wife arguing over whether he should sit by a willowy young woman or move up a row.

  A hand rested against his upper arm, and he turned to find Didia Galla, her other hand fondling a necklace of spun gold and rubies.

  “Lucius, how delightful to find you here.” She looked past his shoulder. “And alone. My husband has gone to Corinth for business and…pleasure. I’m missing the company of a man.”

  Her mouth curved into a seductive smile. “One particular man’s company would be most welcome this evening.”

  If Didia had been a tigress, her tail would have been swishing as she eyed him.

  “I knew Flaccus was out of town. We dined together at Marcus Corvinus’s just before he left. Since you’re feeling lonely, you must be glad he’ll be home in less than a week.”

  “Yes, well…” She fingered the ruby earring that matched the necklace. “We are no longer each other’s favorite evening companion. Neither of us minds if the other enjoys…conversation with another. We agree that we may part soon.”

  Another seductive smile and she moved closer to him. “Rather like you and Cornelia. I hear she’s left you…no great loss and not that you’d care. A handsome man like you shouldn’t waste his time with a plain, proud woman who’s a fool not to want you and would run off with your daughter.”

  Lucius straightened. “What do you mean?”

  “Didn’t she divorce you and just disappear, taking your daughter with her?”

  Lucius flipped to full alert. This was one cat it paid to be nice to. She moved in all the gossip circles, and whatever tale he could get her to believe about Cornelia’s actions would soon make the rounds of Rome.

  “We did agree to divorce, but she didn’t just disappear. She’s traveling with our daughter, expanding her knowledge of
the Empire before I betroth her.”

  Her smile broadened. “What a fine idea. I should have done the same with my girls before they married.”

  “You must excuse me, Didia. I’m already late meeting someone, and we have some business to discuss before the races start.” He patted her hand before lifting it from his arm.

  “Of course, Lucius. But do remember what I said.”

  He graced her with an appreciative smile. “I will. Not this week, but perhaps another trip will offer an opportunity.”

  As he continued down the steps to join Marcus, his smile broadened. Didia Galla would spread the tale he wanted abroad. No matter which faction won, he’d come out ahead with something better than money on this race day.

  Chapter 17: Fit to be Tied

  Midmorning the next day, Cornelia heard Drusilla’s laughter as she came around the corner of the cabin. She watched for the captain to step into view as well, and her heart quickened when he did. He looked directly at her and smiled as if he was glad to see her looking at him. But why was he carrying two lengths of rope?

  Drusilla bounced over and took hold of both her hands.

  “Come sit with us, Mother. Captain is going to teach me how to tie knots like a sailor. You should learn, too.”

  Hector settled himself on the couch after moving one of the small tables in front of it. “Your mother may not care to learn.”

  He was right that she didn’t care whether she learned to tie knots, but the opportunity to sit close beside him as he taught her was irresistible. “Actually, Captain, I do. You never know when I might need to tie something up.”

  His eyebrows rose at the enthusiasm in her voice. “Very well.” He patted the couch on each side of him. “Join me, and we’ll begin.”

  Drusilla sat to his right, and Cornelia settled in to his left. She sat close enough that she sensed the warmth of his body beside her. Funny how just sitting next to him made her heart rate rise. She cast a sideways glance at his classic profile. He was focused on the ropes in his hands, oblivious of her watching him. He probably had no idea that he could tie her in knots as easily as he could tie the rope.

  He handed one of the ropes to Drusilla and kept the other himself. “We’ll start with something easy.” He turned toward Drusilla. “You’ve seen the loop in the rope that goes from the bow to the post on the pier.” She nodded. “That’s a bowline knot. Let’s do that one first. Take the rope like so…now watch how I thread the rope around itself.”

  He tied the knot slowly so they could watch what he was doing. Drusilla watched his fingers attentively while Cornelia watched the captain’s profile. Then he untied it.

  “Now, copy me as I do it again.”

  Drusilla copied his motions exactly as he made the first small loop away from the end of the rope, then the larger loop that would go around a post. Then he threaded the end of the rope back through the first small loop, wrapped it around the rope behind the small loop, and finally threaded it back through the small loop before tightening. Her first attempt produced a knotted loop that looked almost like his.

  He smiled broadly at her success. “Nice. You have the makings of a good sailor.”

  “If I were a boy, I’d love to work on your ship, Captain.”

  “And I’d be glad to have you on my crew. Now, you practice the bowline while I teach your mother.”

  Simply sitting next to Hector while she watched him teaching Drusilla was enough to distract Cornelia. She hadn’t paid close attention to what he’d done, so she wasn’t prepared when he handed her the rope and waited.

  She made the first small loop and then the large one. She remembered that he’d threaded the end through the small loop, but she’d been watching his face and not his fingers after that.

  “I’m afraid I didn’t watch carefully enough, Captain.”

  “Let me help you.” He leaned closer and wrapped his hand around hers to guide it.

  His touch was unexpected, and her heart jumped at the contact. The sensation of his calloused palm on the back of her hand and his fingers lying against hers was delightful.

  As the subtle scent of roses filled Hector’s nostrils, he was acutely aware of Cornelia being so close. She had several different perfumes, and he’d started to notice which one she wore each morning. This one was his favorite.

  Her skin was silken, and the warmth of her small hand brushing against his palm increased his awareness of her perfume. He finished helping her wrap the rope around itself and thread it back through the small loop.

  He leaned back and rested both hands on his knees. “You’ve got it. Now tighten it.”

  She pulled it taut to make a reasonable bowline.

  “Not as good as Drusilla’s. You’ll have to practice more if you want to be part of my crew.”

  A playful smile drew his attention to her lips, and the twinkle in her blue eyes pulled his completely away from the rope. “You may have to show me a few more times. I’m not as quick a learner as my daughter is.”

  “I can do that. I need to teach you a reef knot, too. If I have to send you aloft to help, you’ll need to know that one.”

  She laughed as she rested the elegant fingers of her petite hand on the back of his large, work-roughened one. “If you need to send me aloft, we are in serious trouble.” As she pulled her fingers across and away, a tingle shot up his arm.

  He grinned back. Her laughter was musical, and it made her seem less like a queen. “You never know what you can do until you have to do it. I’m sure you could do anything if your daughter needed you to.”

  “I’m honored by your confidence in me, Captain, but I probably don’t deserve it.”

  The warmth of her smile and the sparkle in her eyes made her face almost pretty. If she had fished for a compliment today, he could have given her one that would make Anthusa smile instead of gasp. He could honestly say her love for her daughter softened her face in a way a man like him could admire.

  Looking too long at Cornelia’s laughing blue eyes was stirring up feelings he hadn’t expected―an attraction both physical and mental. Sitting so close to her was unsettling, but that wasn’t a bad thing.

  It was good she wanted to tie knots.

  He lifted the rope from her fingers. “Time for the next knot. Let’s try the clove hitch. We use that to secure a line to a post or a rail.” He pulled the table closer so each of them could reach a leg. “You start it this way…”

  A knowing smile tugged at Malleolus’s lips as he watched the lesson. He had grown old living among the aristocrats of Rome, and he’d watched many Roman ladies play their seductive games with Lucius. Cornelia was not a game player. Lucius had abandoned their marriage bed eight years ago, and she’d still lived chaste and faithful to her marriage vows.

  He’d have to be blind not to see she was attracted to Hector. She was even beginning to flirt with him. Could it be that her heart, so wounded by Lucius’s cruelty and neglect, was ready to risk loving another man?

  Since Cornelia’s marriage into the Drusus family twenty-five years ago, he’d watched over her. He’d seen her grow from an innocent maiden to a wise woman made strong by years of caring for herself and raising her children virtually alone. He couldn’t love her more if she were his own daughter. Like any good father, he longed to see her happy.

  Her bell-like laughter and the captain’s responding grins―perhaps two wounded hearts were opening up before him. She deserved a good husband, and the captain was as fine a man as he’d ever met. What did it really matter that they came from two different worlds? Cornelia had already rebelled against the rules of patrician society when she took Drusilla. She was wise enough to see the worth of a man wasn’t set by the value of his property or the noble blood in his veins.

  Perhaps by the end of this voyage they would discover they had much more to share than affection for Drusilla. He would do all he could to help them along.

  Anthusa pulled the brush th
rough Mistress Cornelia’s hair as she leaned her chin on her hand and gazed into the mirror.

  “It was a lovely day. I never would have imagined it could be so enjoyable to just tie knots.”

  Anthusa continued brushing. “I think the captain liked teaching you, mistress. Drusilla looked so happy when he praised her and teased her about joining his crew. The captain is so kind to her, the way he does things with her so she doesn’t feel too lonely.”

  Mistress turned in the chair. “He is kind…and patient…and I like his eyes. When I talk with him, he looks at me like what I’m saying really matters. I find him one of the most attractive men I’ve ever known, and it isn’t just because he’s so handsome. Lucius is handsome, and he repels me. I’d find the captain attractive even if he were ugly. Does that seem odd to you?”

  “No, mistress. Any woman would think the captain is attractive.”

  “When he was guiding my fingers so I made the knots right―he probably didn’t mean anything by it, but it felt like he wanted to touch me. I know it sounds silly, but just sitting next to him and watching his fingers make the knots so quickly was so...well, I don’t know how to describe it. The last time I felt like that was when I was a girl talking with Lucius in private before our wedding.”

  “The captain is a much better man than your husband ever was.”

  “He would make such a wonderful father for Drusilla. You know, I wasn’t planning on ever marrying again. I didn’t want to risk getting another man like Lucius. Men often aren’t what they seem before you marry. They act one way, but then the ugliness comes out after the wedding. That would never happen with the captain. There’s no ugliness inside him. I would actually consider marrying him. For Drusilla, of course.”

  Anthusa listened, nodding her head in agreement with everything her mistress was saying. Except for the final thing. The captain would be at least as good for the mistress as he would be for Drusilla. She should do whatever it took to get the captain to become her second husband. Mistress deserved to be happy, and being married to the captain would make her a happy woman, indeed.