Captive Heart (Truly Yours Digital Editions) by Darlene Mindrup

Author:Darlene Mindrup
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2013-11-30T14:00:00+00:00

NINE

Cassius stood staring out the bibliotheca window, his mind wandering from subject to subject. The beauty of the garden outside failed to soothe him as it normally did. Whichever way he went in his thoughts, they determinedly returned to Samah.

He didn’t want to admit it to himself, but the feelings he had for her were growing deeper. More complex. She was unlike any woman he had ever known. What was there that made her so different from the others?

Perhaps it was her genuineness. Her smiles were real, her feelings honest. There was no hypocrisy in her anywhere. This was something he had never encountered before. Women were known for their guile.

Before he had suspected even Samah, but now he found himself doubting his original judgment. Was it because his feelings towards his own mother had mellowed in the face of the new information he had received about her? Or was it because of Samah’s own gentle personality?

He had been wrong. So wrong. Guilt settled heavily around him like a shroud.

Democritus tapped at the door. “Master?”

For the first time he could remember, the word grated on Cassius’s nerves. Master. Slave. There was nothing wrong with such an arrangement, was there? Slavery had existed from the beginning of time, even among the Jews.

“What is it, Democritus?” he asked without turning from the window.

“General Trajan is here to see you.”

Cassius felt his stomach knot with apprehension. He hadn’t been able to face Trajan since that night by the river because he wasn’t exactly certain how to act towards him. He just couldn’t bring himself to think of Trajan as his real father.

Cassius sighed. “Bring him in.”

Trajan hesitated at the doorway, uncertain of his welcome. He stood tall and straight, his toga tucked into the crook of his arm. Cassius smiled and moved forward, hand outstretched.

“Come in and have a seat.”

Noticing the scrolls scattered across the desk, Trajan hesitated.

“You’re busy. I can come back another time.”

Cassius shook his head. “No. I was just reading over some old manuscripts. I think I was seeking some form of diversion.”

Trajan studied him. “You need diversion?”

Cassius scraped a hand back through his dark hair and turned away. Lifting one hand, he twisted the bulla around his neck that had been given him when he was a few days old. Though the charm had remained around his neck since that time, it had done nothing for his peace of mind. “I need something. I think I will go insane if I can’t shut the thoughts out of my head.”

Trajan seated himself beside the desk and picked up a scroll. He looked at Cassius questioningly. “Homer? Not exactly light reading.”

When Cassius turned and leaned his back against the window, the sunlight illuminated his features, revealing the haggardness of his expression. He shrugged, avoiding eye contact with the older man.

“Do you want to talk to me about it, Cassius?” he asked softly.

Cassius stared at him, remembering the times that he had confided in him. For years, Trajan had been his confidant, always there when he needed someone to talk to.

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