Claudia, Wife of Pontius Pilate: A Novel by Diana Wallis Taylor Read Free Book Online

gracefully. Was something wrong? She began to rub her head and cover her eyes with her hand. Perhaps she could feign a headache.
    Tiberius was the first one to notice and she realized he watched her more than she imagined. “Are you ill?”
    “No, Majesty, only a small headache.”
    His large, luminous eyes focused on Claudia. Finally he nodded. “Milo, escort my ward to her room.”
    The servant bowed and helped Claudia up as another servant quickly slipped her sandals on her feet. When she entered her room, Hotep was nowhere to be found.
    She took an oil lamp and hurried down the dark hall toward the kitchen. Suddenly, in the shadows she heard voices, a girl, weeping, and the harsh voice of a man. Then there was the sound of fabric tearing.
    Claudia knew the girl was Hotep and with a jolt of fear, she realized who the man was.
    Choking down her fear, she gathered her courage and called out, “Hotep, are you there? I have been looking everywhere for you.”
    In the shadows, the man turned and his eyes blazed for a moment in the light of the lamp. When he realized who it was, he stepped back quickly, letting go of Hotep.
    His voice was low and smooth. “I heard your maid’s cries, Dominilla. It seems she fell and hurt herself. It delayed me from joining you at dinner. You are finished then?”
    The lie was blatant and anger boiled up in her heart as she faced him, yet something told her to be wary of what she said. He was a powerful force in the palace. She hoped he would not see the fear in her face as she struggled to remain calm.
    “No, my lord, I had a headache and the emperor excused me to rest. Hotep was not in my room to attend me. How fortunate of you to be near to help her.” She kept her voice innocent and soothing.
    He gave a slight bow of his head. “It was my pleasure, Dominilla. Please excuse me as I myself am late joining the emperor for dinner.”
    Her heart pounding, she watched him swiftly walk away. When he was out of sight, Hotep fell at her feet. “Have mercy on me, Dominilla. I only went to the kitchen to get some food for Felix. I disobeyed you. Do not have me beaten.”
    Claudia lifted the girl to her feet. “Hotep, I’m not going to beat you. I’m only glad I was here in time. The gods must favor you, for I felt strongly during dinner to return to my room and then searched for you. Did he hurt you?”
    “Not in the way he wished to. You were very brave, Dominilla. We are fortunate you are the emperor’s ward.”
    On the way back to Claudia’s room, Hotep told her of others in the castle who had crossed Sejanus and disappeared.
    Claudia was now more fearful than ever. That night she had a dream and saw the face of Sejanus, twisted with hate and anger, his hands reaching for her throat. She tried to scream, but no sound came. She woke suddenly, drenched in perspiration. What kind of a place had she come to?

 10 
    J ulia was dead. Tiberius stood on his balcony, watching the morning haze lift off the city. He held the scroll brought by a courier the night before. Surprisingly his vengeance brought him no pleasure. He’d learned she was dying when he gave the order for her seclusion—and starvation. As he considered the woman who had been his wife, the anger rose again. She was no noble Roman matron, blatantly dishonoring their marriage. Humiliated, he’d angrily left Rome for Rhodes, leaving her father to serve the divorce papers. With her condemnation by the Senate, Augustus did the only thing he could do to save her life. Under sentence from the Roman Senate, he’d banished her to Pandetaria. Why had Augustus relented and let her leave that barren island where she should have remained and allowed her to go to Reggio? She only continued her debaucheries, and now there was the child. Augustus knew about the girl, but did nothing. Tiberius pressed his lips together. Augustus was a foolish old man who, in spite of Julia’s sins, grieved for his daughter until he died. Tiberius shook