Cornelia's moment of hesitancy passed, but her facial expression did not return to its more normal cool stillness. Porcia could not know it, but she was seeing a face only seen before by Magnus recently.

"No, my father is not coming to Rome. At least not at this moment. He is besieged, and its as if Caesar and Rome have forgotten him. No surprise with Caesar, but the senate really have been asleep at the reins in this matter. I had never thought to see him again."

Reaching for a goblet of wine, she flicked one of her dark eyebrows.

"It's our duty though, to wait and ran the family operation."

She sipped. " And anyway, I was hoping to see if Magnus can do something about this. It really is time to for him to be back in thick of things. This will give him something to focus on, and easily enough; he and my father worked together from time to time."

Cornelia smiled slightly. " Of course, I never tell my husband exactly how my father referred to him until not long before we married. The thing is," she continued,"he is a good husband to his wives, especially his Patrician wives. In fact," he smile became wry," he seemed to forget we have normal needs on our wedding day, and wouldn't put me down until I demanded to be carried to the latrine!"

A ruble came from Porcia on this, with her own more earhty sense of humor.

' Well," finished Cornelia," he wouldn't go off if he thought I were hurt or sick. Nor would he consent to allow me to travel except to get to better care. And hw won't think of any place much better than here. But he will need to go to help tata...."

"Are you sick?" Porcia asked simply.

"I honestly don't know. Something is going on in my body and I feel strange. I don't think this has anything to do with what happened with Sextus. How did you feel, when you expected your first child?"