The Patrician's Fortune- A Historical Romance by Kayse Joan

Author:Kayse, Joan [Kayse, Joan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Historical Romance
Publisher: Ink Lion Books
Published: 2013-03-07T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

Gods, the woman could argue.

Damon wrestled with the heavy folds of a plain, white toga, finally managing to drape it over his left shoulder. He felt trapped by the voluminous garment, but as a free citizen of Rome he would be expected to wear it in public. And that had been at the heart of Julia’s objections.

The past two weeks had been a whirlwind of activity. They had attended every single dinner, poetry recital and social gathering to which they’d received invitations, each appearance solidifying the illusion of spousal devotion. Who could doubt the commitment Damon Pontus had for Julia Manulus when they were witness to his constant attention and devotion. A kiss here, a loving touch there, the way he kept her close at hand and looked into her eyes.

And it had been sheer torture.

Damon snatched a gold wristband from the table and clamped it around his wrist. Each public display of affection had made it nearly impossible to hold to his promise to distance himself from Julia. Every caress, every brush of his mouth against those sweet plump lips, the heat of her body against his as they greeted their hosts, even the sweet, succulent scent that was hers alone, that stirred his blood into an inferno, had chiseled away at his control until he feared he go mad.

Insanity would have been a small price to pay had their excursions rendered any results. While Quintus had been in attendance at most of the functions, Damon had not been able to elicit one piece of useful information. He cursed under his breath. The bastard was as slippery as the eel he’d compared him to.

Julia was feeling the strain too. Her indomitable patience was wearing thin and she was becoming increasingly irritable with her servants who were now going about their duties in hushed silence, stunned by their mistress’s behavior. Yesterday, he’d even heard her snap at Aunt Sophia who had burst into tears. The devastated look on Julia’s face had almost done him in.

That’s when he’d decided on his next course of action, push the Prefect a bit, prod him into making a mistake. Damon hadn’t expected Julia to agree with his plan but he also hadn’t expected her to spend over an hour trying to talk him out of it. He’d won the argument and she’d grudgingly agreed to follow his lead.

And the new plan started this morning. Damon was going to begin acting like the head of this household. He’d already instructed Basil to provide a list of Senator Octavian’s clients and he planned to visit each one. Word would spread quickly through the Forum and right to Quintus’ ears that the husband of Julia Manulus Pontus was conducting the business of his father-in-law.

He lifted Octavian’s knife from the table, tested the weight of it in his hand. It was a fine blade despite its opulence. Honed to a sharp point, it was the perfect tool for extracting information. There wasn’t much a man wouldn’t tell with the edge of a knife pressed to his throat.

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