Read Online Daughters of Rome by Kate Quinn - Free Book Online Page B

sick myself as soon as Thrax arrives—lots of headaches to keep me in bed, but I won’t be alone there—”
    “Flavia’s ill?” Cornelia halted. “What’s wrong with her? Have you summoned the doctor?”
    “Oh, she just has a cough. My maids are watching her every minute.”
    “Why aren’t you watching her yourself?”
    “I read to her every morning. What else can I do?” Lollia blinked. “The slaves know how to look after her much better than I do.”
    “If Flavia were my child, I wouldn’t leave her to the care of slaves! A child should be raised by her mother—”
    Lollia laughed. “Not one of us was raised by our mother, Cornelia. You, Marcella, Diana, me—all of us were brought up by slaves. And we turned out well enough.”
    “Our mothers all died young , Lollia. I don’t see why Flavia should have to—”
    “And I don’t see why it’s any of your business. Flavia isn’t your child.”
    “Maybe she should be!” All at once Cornelia’s temper snapped. “Your daughter lies ill, and you’re out buying a pet stud!”
    “And maybe if I loan him to you, you might get a child instead of envying me mine,” Lollia flared. “Because your husband clearly isn’t getting it done.”
    “Don’t you dare say a word about my husband!” Cornelia rounded on her cousin in the middle of the atrium.
    “Oh, he’s such a catch?” Lollia’s voice turned acid. “He turns up his nose at my grandfather every time they meet, and so do you! Just because he’s slave-born and believes in working for a living, making all that nasty money the whole family likes to borrow. Your Piso certainly doesn’t turn up his nose at that .”
    “You’re jealous,” Cornelia snapped. “Just because my husband will be Galba’s heir—”
    “Yes, and you can look down on me even more once you’re the Empress.” Lollia planted fists on hips, glaring. “Don’t think I never see you and Marcella smiling behind my back when I talk! You two always looked down on me, and Diana too—”
    “Well, why not?” Cornelia demanded. “Why shouldn’t we look down on the pair of you? A girl who runs around like a common slave, and a girl who sleeps with them!”
    “Maybe you should try it. Have you ever had a good screw?”
    “My husband adores me!”
    “Well, that’s certainly fatal. Adoration doesn’t make for good lovers, Cornelia. Why don’t you go back into that auction room and buy yourself some hulking Greek with a cock like an ox, just to see what you’re missing?”
    “And you wonder why I look down on you? A mouth like a common dockside whore; anyone can see you’ve got slave blood! Someday you’ll realize what a slut you are.”
    The slave dealer stared cautiously from his door. Two patrician women shrieking at each other like fishwives in the middle of his atrium.
    “You’d better hope that fertility charm works, Cornelia.” Lollia’s eyes narrowed. “No emperor wants a barren wife, you know. Your precious husband will divorce you for some pretty little thing who will pump him out lots of sons, and then the most perfect wife in Rome won’t be looking down at me anymore.”
    Cornelia slapped her. Lollia slapped her back.
    They stood a moment, glaring at each other.
    Cornelia stamped away, before Lollia could see the tears spill out onto her stinging face.
     
    W ELL , Diana thought, it finally happened .
    She twirled a lunatic circle in the grass, smiling a new and dreamy smile: utterly, madly, and completely in love at long last.
    “So, who’s this Briton you keep talking about?” Diana had asked the faction director for the Reds as the hired litter turned down a smaller lane. “I thought I knew every horse breeder in Rome.”
    “Used to be a rebel in Britannia somewhere, now he breeds horses. Doesn’t sell many, but they’re good. He might have something that will do for the Reds.” Xerxes looked at her irritably as the litter swayed down the muddy lane. “Why did I bring you,