The Roman by Caroline Storer

Author:Caroline Storer
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780007568857
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2014-02-06T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER ELEVEN

“You are out of sorts this evening, Marsallas. Is there anything wrong?”

Marsallas turned to look at the beautiful young woman who spoke to him, noticing with wry amusement the frown of annoyance on her immaculately made up face, and the way she just about held onto her anger, as she drummed her fingers on the arm of the richly brocaded couch she was laying on.

And although the words had been said sweetly, he didn't for one moment believe that she meant them. Claudetta couldn’t care less if there was anything wrong with him. The only reason she said them, was because she was angry with him for being such poor company tonight. And being poor company, at one of her highly sought after gatherings was, in Claudetta's eyes, a major sin, and one that would not be tolerated at any cost! And now, as the last of the guests had just left, she finally got the chance to vent her frustration on him.

“Am I?” He replied at last, his tone laconic, as he bit back the smile that threatened, when he saw her face suffuse with colour, as her anger finally got the better of her.

Claudetta's lips thinned, her irritation coming to the fore, as she snapped, “Yes you are. And you know it.”

Marsallas said nothing, but instead reached over to pick up his wine goblet where is sat on a low table. Raising the goblet to the woman in a silent salute, he took a deep swallow of the rich liquid.

Although he never said anything out loud, he acknowledged that in all honesty Claudetta was right. He was out of sorts, and had been ever since he'd left his villa -and Justina - and had returned to Rome. And as he mentally bowed to the truth, the wine he had just swallowed settled in the pit of his stomach, like some bitter potion, a punishment of sorts for the way he had treated her …

Justina – who at this very moment was currently residing at his villa fifty miles away, and who, from the first moment he had seen her when she had turned up at his quarters in the Circus, had dominated his every waking – and sleeping – thoughts. To such an extent that he felt he was going mad with it. The only thing he could think of to restore his sanity was to leave, which was why he'd left his villa last week at the crack of dawn, and had ridden at breakneck speed back to Rome.

Back to Rome. Back to some kind of normality, that had been his plan. Only his plan hadn’t worked out quite how he had wanted it too. She made him lose the upper hand, and like a coward, he’d retreated back to the relative sanctuary of the Circus. He needed to think long and carefully. He’d long since learned that it was foolish to base his decisions on immediate reactions. He’d always planned his strategies, right down to the last detail.

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