Abigail returned the smile, her hand settling comfortably on his arm as he held her son. “But the time is coming, Titus, when look for a wife you must. And you must promise me that when you find her, you will invite me to the wedding and provide a long enough engagement to give me time to arrive. I would share in such a joy with you.”
His face sobered, his eyes searching hers. “But how will I find a suitable wife in Rome, Abigail? I am not fool enough or vain enough to think I could maintain a faith when surrounded totally by unbelievers. I will need a wife who believes. But I daresay that at this moment, the only such woman in Rome is you.”
“Truth travels quickly. Already Arminius and his family believe, and they will tell their friends, and soon there will be a church forming in Rome as we heard was forming is Israel. You will not be alone here. But even if you were, as long as you seek God earnestly, he will sustain you.”
Titus reached out to cup her face tenderly. Gratitude shown in his eyes. Gratitude and something else she could not quite define. “How is it that such a beautiful, delicate flower is never bent by the winds of doubt?”
Abigail leaned just a bit into his hand. “I have been bent double, Titus, until I thought I would break. Perhaps it has made me stronger, or perhaps I am now only in a calm between the storms. But this I know: our only hope to escape it is through our Lord.”
For a moment, she thought he would kiss her. She could almost convince herself that the glint in his eye was akin to the one Jason had gotten so often, right before claiming her lips. But he pulled away, dropped his hand. “In this last week or so we have, Abigail, we should resume our lessons. There is surely much I have not learned.”
“Yes.” She looked to her son, afraid he would see the disappointment in her eyes. Benjamin was asleep. “Tonight after dinner. I will make sure Samuel joins us, too; I have not been attending to his lessons as I should.”
“You have been busy learning yourself. You have practically devoured our library.”
“And I will miss it when I leave.” She made sure her tone was just as light as his as she took Benjamin back. Titus trailed her into her room, where she would put him down for his nap. “I will pine over those books, Titus. And my longing for their knowledge may even remind me to miss you a little, too.”
Titus smiled but said nothing until they had returned to his room. “I think I may have found a eunuch to purchase, but I did not want to make a decision without you. You should see him for yourself.”
“Meet him, you mean.” The corners of her mouth tugged up. “Seeing a man will not tell me much about his loyalty, will it?”
Titus smiled in return. “I suppose not. Meet him, then. He has been serving these past years in the house of an acquaintance of mine, as the guardian of the daughter. But she has just married into a house that has no need of her slaves, and her father has no need of this one, either. He has always served her with devotion, I know, and I find it hard to imagine anyone serving you with anything else, since you treat them as your equals.”
She grinned. “They are my equals. Not only because I was a slave, but because we are all the children of God, and we should not be judged according to our fortune or misfortune.”
“You are of course right, as always,” he granted. “But there are few enough others to share your view that you stand out as an extraordinarily kind and deserving mistress. Which was my sole point.”
“Then your point is granted. What is this man’s name, and when shall I meet him?”
“His name is Phillip.” She was almost surprised he knew that detail. “And you will meet him tomorrow, if that is to your lady’s liking?”
“I like it very well,” she said with a muted grin. “And now, my lord Asinius, I would like you to take me on a stroll through your magnificent gardens, as soon as I call Antonia up to watch over the babe.”
“I submit most gladly to your wish.” To prove it, he called for Antonia himself while she prepared herself to go outside once more.
Chapter Thirty-Four