She smiled and turned her face up to his. “As are you.” His lips closed over hers. One of his hands moved to cup her face, the other rested lightly on her back. Her heart still pounded every time he kissed her, but at least she was in better control than the first time. Still, she soon pulled away and rested her head on his shoulder, relishing the feel of his arms around her. “It has been a good week.”
“It has. Although sometimes it is hard to believe that until seven days ago I had never kissed you. I just feel so. . . at home with you, Abigail.”
The words brought her eyes up to his, though she had to shift her head to make that possible. She said nothing in response. As much as she may feel the same, it did not change the fact that their homes were in very different worlds. Who knew how much longer they would be together? To keep from thinking about it now, she asked, “Did Samuel show you his tooth?”
Titus chuckled, pulling her a little closer to his side. “Only about four times. And of course, I saw the gap every time he grinned, which was practically all evening.”
Abigail chuckled too. “He is such a good child. Do you know, I think he is even beginning to win over your mother.”
At that news, Titus lifted a brow. “I find that curious indeed.”
Abigail smiled. “It is true. We were outside yesterday, as was she, only I did not realize it. Apparently Samuel came across her while he was playing, and of course it did not occur to him that he would be intruding, so he sat down and started entertaining her. I apologized when I found him, and she said nothing. But today, we were all out again, and she called him to her to finish telling her the story he had begun yesterday.”
The tale brought a smile to Titus’s lips. “My mother is a kind enough woman at heart. She just has so few chances to show it, in this house. Life has not been gentle with her, nor has my father.” Titus untied the end of Abigail’s braid and ran his fingers through her hair. “I noticed she actually spoke to you at dinner tonight, too. I was quite surprised. I think that is the first time she has done such a thing, and you have been with us for almost a month.”
Abigail grinned. “I suspect she did it mainly to irritate your father. I heard them arguing earlier today.”
“If they speak at all, it is to argue. One thing I learned from them is that a marriage for politics is quite simply not worth it if the parties do not at least like one another.”
Abigail nodded her agreement but decided not to contemplate who Titus would end up marrying one of these days, when she had gone back to Israel. Instead, she considered his parents. “It is a pity they cannot get along. Ester and Cleopas loved each other so very deeply, and it made their years together wonderful and their house a peaceful place in which to reside.”
“From what I understand, my parents never got along. According to Antonia, the hostility in this house has been there since the day they entered it.”
“Your mother is beautiful, though. I am surprised your father . . .” she tapered off, heat rushing her cheeks.
Titus smiled. “My father likes beautiful women, it is true, but he likes only the ones he can rule. My mother has always been an independent woman. She had her own wealth, you see, and has never needed to rely on my father. Moreover, she brought him connections he needed, and he cannot tolerate being indebted to anyone. But they remain married because it provides them both with a necessary level of respect in the eyes of the city. Even if everyone in it does know that they would prefer to have nothing to do with each other.”
Abigail shook her head. “Promise me you will never subject yourself to such a marriage, Titus.”
“Oh, you have my word on that. Need I request the same promise from you?”
Abigail dropped her gaze and pulled away a bit. “I will never remarry. I am a widow with another man’s child.”
He rubbed a hand over her arm. “It is not the hindrance you think it. In fact, you may need to be careful. Your son has his inheritance, and you are beautiful. You may be just what many men are dreaming of.”
Abigail straightened her spine and silently met his gaze.
Titus grinned. “I dream about you, my love, but not for those reasons.”
“I know that. But then, we will never be married.”
Titus’s brows drew together. “It is not that I do not wish it, Abigail. It is simply not poss–”
She halted him with a finger on his lips. “I know. You need not explain what I myself have already considered. But the point remains: I will not remarry. My body was Jason’s. My heart is yours. My soul belongs to my God. I have nothing else to give another.”
Their gazes held for a long moment, and Titus buried his fingers deep in her hair. “Is it wrong of me to feel relief at that?”
Abigail felt herself smile. “No more so than it is for me to be jealous of your future wife, when you have not even found her yet.”