`She told me what you already knew. Nothing added and nothing different. It seems very well rehearsed.' Despite the dusk, I knew that Helena had read my thoughts and smiled. `That does not necessarily make it untrue.'

`Perhaps,' I agreed.

`One other thing -' There was a new note of mischief in Helena's tone. `I didn't see the son, of course. I couldn't tell if he was in the house. They call him Birdy, by the way; I don't know why. I took the opportunity to ask one of the staff for an address for junior's divorced wife – ostensibly so I could pay condolences there too.' I said nothing. `Unless you want to take over that visit?' she enquired, in apparent innocence.

`You know me so well.'

`I expect you will claim,' Helena scoffed, `the divorcee may give us another side of the story. This may be a crucial breakthrough and you need to expose her directly to your experienced interrogatory skills?'

`My love, how comfortable it is to have a wife who understands my business.'

`Her name is Saffia Donata – and you need to know in advance that she is causing trouble!'

I said that sounded like exactly the kind of sweet little breakthrough I was looking for.

`She has three children and some money.' An excellent briefing. Helena Justina made a wonderful work partner – thorough, discreet, witty, and even fair to me. `I did not ask if she is pretty.'

I said I could discover that for myself

VI

NEXT MORNING I began to see why Silius Italicus was so secretive about where he lived: self-protection. We were still at breakfast when a message was brought up that Ursulina Prisca had arrived downstairs. I sent Justinus to get rid of her. I could be magnanimous. Let her have a few minutes of pleasure being rebuffed by a handsome, polite young fellow.

Once that role would have been mine. Now I was middle-class, middle-aged, and full of middle-rank anxieties. When you have no money there is no point worrying. Once you obtain some, all that ends.