A brief smile curves her lips the touch of his thumb against cheek, though she lifts her hand a moment later, curling fingers over his, pulling his hand away. They cannot be seen as such, however much she may yet desire his touch upon her skin. "Should my husband be called away from the ludus, as he often is, there will be time yet for us to be alone together," she says. "But until then you must be careful not to touch me with too much familiarity."

This is all going to end badly, she can see it already. There is little to be done in the long term. She cannot imagine Sawyer staying at the ludus and she cannot send him out to make his own way in Rome. There is little chance of either of them getting away with such lies.

She needs time. Perhaps she can't see a way out of this from where she stands now, but with time, Ilithyia is sure she can come up with something.