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So that answered another question - there was a brother, though Gaius would have to look into whether Pinaria's late husband had had any brothers or not. If not, did that mean that her son would be head of the household when he reached manhood?

And she had very neatly introduced the possibility of her remarrying. Interesting.

"And do you have any prospective husbands to consider, Pinaria Gaia?" he asked lightly, wanting to know more about her without prying too much. A first conversation was potentially tricky to navigate, after all - and a little caution did no harm.

 

@Atrice

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She looked at Gaius when he asked the next obvious question, when she carefully aired the possibility of her marrying again. She would like her son to have a proper father again, and she would like to have the freedom of living in her own household, rather than with her brother and his family. Not that they weren't good people, it was just something else, having a husband and your own family to think about instead. 

"I am sure there are many suitable bachelors in Rome. Too many perhaps." She added with a smile, "Finding the right man can be tricky. So alas... I am still in the market, as my brother would say." She added with a grin, "For how long, no one can tell." Pinaria added, wondering what Gaius would think. He did seem like a good man, he had the proper rank and no wife or any children from a previous marriage. Perhaps she was a bit old for a man like him, for his first wife, but maybe he would not mind. If he was interested, of course.

@Sharpie

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He wondered what she would consider to be 'the right man' - or rather, what qualities that man would have. Not  something he could easily ask about, though. He had not considered marrying someone who had been married before, let alone someone with a child from an earlier marriage - but really, there was no objection to being a second husband. And she was young enough,  and already a mother to a son, so that question was answered already: She could bear healthy children.

She lived with her brother, so he would be the one to approach if Gaius wanted to perhaps find out more and maybe - maybe! - enquire into a formal courtship. He was a little cautious after Ovinia, though, not being entirely sure why she had broken it off when everything seemed, on the surface, to be a perfect match.

Pinaria Gaia was older than Ovinia, and more mature - perhaps that could be an advantage.

"You make it sound as if every bachelor in Rome is trying to court you and you're having difficulty deciding between us all," he said. Was she being courted by anyone else, though - the whole question of him approaching her brother would be a moot point if there was someone else in consideration. He did notice that she hadn't outright answered his question, though he couldn't tell whether that was deliberate or an accidental oversight.

 

@Atrice - I am so sorry it's been so long since you posted!!

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She chuckled at his comment about the bachelors of Rome all trying to court her. That was a sweet thought, but she was not young anymore. Sure she had only been married once and one son did prove she could have children and even sons... which was remarkable on its own, since her own mother mostly had daughters. But she had a son and she was still young enough to be bear another, if she could find a proper husband. It might be Gaius, if he would have her. But his comment was clever, he was of course wondering if she had other suitors. 

"It's not quite like that. There have been suitors, but not as many as you seem to think." She replied, "My brother has been picky too, that's the issue. But I am sure that if the right man was to approach him and make a proper offer... then anything is possible." She said, looking at him with a smile. It had not been a bad idea to come here at all, today. They were talking and there were so many more words between the lines, than those spoken. And that was from both of them, which she thought interesting. She could get along with him and it would not be bad. Possibly even better than with her last husband. If Gaius was really interested.

@Sharpie

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"Brothers can be irritating, can't they," Gaius observed, looking in the direction his own had gone in.

He had not previously considered marrying a widow or a divorcee, but now that he was considering it, it seemed a sensible course to take. She was known to be fertile - more, she was the mother of a healthy son. She had been a widow for more than a year, thus fulfilling that requisite already - any children she bore after a marriage (to Gaius or anyone else) would be proven to be her new husband's children. What was not to like?

"I don't want you to think I'm rushing ahead like a fool," he said slowly, returning his attention to the lady. "After all, this is only the first time we've met, and this is our first conversation. But do you think you would object if I were to approach your brother and make that proper offer?"

After all, there were many, many marriages where the husband had met the wife's father and made arrangements before meeting the wife. Gaia at least had the advantage of having already met him.

And the thought of the tradition vow made him smile; it would be nothing but the bald truth in their case. ubi tu Gaius, ego Gaia - indeed wherever he was Gaius, she would be Gaia...

 

@Atrice

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She chuckled again, at his comment about irritating brothers, "Sometimes. Some more than others though, it seems." She said afterwards, it wasn't that her brother was terribly annoying, but he had his own things to do too and sometimes she felt like a bit of a bother. As if it was her fault that her husband had died and she had to return to her own family again, along with her son. Well, she'd gladly marry someone who'd be the right man. Gaius so far did not seem to be the wrong man.

Then he moved on, kind of sweetly, wondering out loud if she would object if he approached her brother. Really she would not. He was handsome enough, not that it should matter, but people were vain, even Pinaria. He was a Senator of a proper family, despite what his brother had done to the family. And he amused her, which was more than her late husband had done. And he appeared considerate too, since he wanted to know if she would even be interested. 

"You don't seem like a fool to me, Gaius. Quite the opposite." She said to him with a kind smile, "I do not see why I should object. You seem like a fine man, Gaius." Hopefully he wouldn't be the type who would be completely different at home, but she could not imagine he would, not with a brother like Lucius. And she kind of trusted that if Gaius should mistreat her, she had a friend in his brother. Not that she thought he would. He really didn't seem the type. Briefly she wondered if she should tell about the attack on her, but maybe that was too personal for their first meeting. And there would be another, right? 

@Sharpie

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"Even with the fact my brother has done what he's done in throwing his status away?" There was nothing wrong with being an equite, of course - they were perfectly respectable members of society, with certain roles only being open to members of that class (the prefecture of Egypt, for example. Or the prefecture of the vigiles...)

"Some people might think I was foolish to let him do it," he added, wondering what Pinaria's opinion might be. If he hadn't let Lucius do what he'd done, he had no idea what his brother might find to do instead, and he had enough grey hairs as it was without his brother adding to them. Let someone else have the responsibility for him, for once.

"I daresay some people think I'm soft," he added, smiling down at Pinaria. It was an accusation he could live with, so long as they realised it was only true where his family was concerned - when it came to anything else, he was as Roman as any other senator.

 

@Atrice

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He was sweet, she thought again. And the type of man who both cared for his brother, yet worried about his family and what his brother had done to it. She gave him another soft smile, "That's something your brother did, not you. And I met him before his current status. He longed for something different. You are kind, that you allowed him to have that." She replied to him, "I am sure your brother is grateful too." Pinaria could only hope her own brother wouldn't see it as a bad thing. But she didn't see why it should be. Besides, her brother did want her to remarry. 

She chuckled when Gaius then spoke of being soft, "Soft or openminded and kind. I don't always see why it is so wrong to be soft. Yet I know it's considered a feminine and weak trait. Not that it means I have to agree. Or that you do." She added. The more she considered it, the more she though it a good idea to marry a man like Gaius. He could use a woman's advice and guidance, she thought. He was a good man. He had potential for many good things. She would be happy to help.

@Sharpie

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Gaius wouldn't necessarily have considered himself to be 'kind' - but both Ovinia and now Pinaria had chosen that word to describe him. Well, maybe he was. Or, more likely, maybe he was just a pushover where his brother was concerned. Though, really, Lucius was no longer his brother now that he'd been adopted into the Manius Victorius family.

"Perhaps, though being soft isn't exactly something that's well thought of in Rome. People are apt to try to take advantage of people they see as being soft, after all." Within the family was one thing, outside of it would be quite another.

"So what sort of things do you like to do when you're not walking in the public gardens?" he asked, privately adding and being set up with Senators by those Senators' irritating younger brothers.

 

@Atrice 😳

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Pinaria nodded at his words, he was right of course. Even if she did not think it a bad thing that he was kind and openminded - or soft, as he called it - many other people were of a different opinion. Especially the men in Rome looked down upon soft people. But was it really weakness, to allow your brother to follow his dream... rather than doing the opposite and see how miserable he'd be and how he'd slowly shrink into a shadow of himself? No, Gaius had done the right thing. And so had Lucius.

"Then you must be soft, as you call it... but firm at the same time." She suggested after a bit of thought, and she was sure that he already was. But he definitely didn't seem to be the worst type of man in Rome. Now he asked into her interests, which was also very kind of him to do.

"Lately I've not done much. I am supposed to socialize, and this is an attempt. It's going well I think." She said with a small smile at him, "I also visit the temples quite often. Worship of our gods is important to me." She explained and was surprised a moment later, when Lucia had come up beside her and clearly wanted to say something. Pinaria stopped and looked at her servant, "Domina, it is time to return home." The servant said and glanced to the sun. Pinaria followed her eyes and nodded. 

"I'm afraid Lucia is right. But I do hope to see you again, Gaius. It's been very pleasant to meet you." She added. It had been very pleasant indeed and she did believe she'd see him again. If her brother and the gods willed it. And she thought they might.

@Sharpie

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A private person, and a devout one... Gaius was beginning to have a sneaking suspicion why Lucius had engineered this meeting. It seemed that despite their very different ideas of duty, Lucius was a perceptive man. He needed to give his brother more credit - which was easy enough to do when Lucius was absent but irritatingly hard to do when he was present thanks to his immense irreverence.

"Extremely well," he said, returning her smile with one of his own.

They were interrupted by her slave before he could add anything further. Either she had told the slave to interrupt after a decent interval, or the girl was protective of her mistress and had given them enough time before coming to get her mistress. Either spoke to Pinaria's care and caution.

"I'll walk you to your litter," he offered. It was the proper thing to do and a nicer conclusion than just letting her go off on her own.

 

@Atrice

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She smiled when Gaius commented that she was doing extremely well when it came to socializing. Well they socialized. And that had gone well, she thought. He clearly thought the same. A handsome man, she thought when he smiled at her. He was going to age well, like wine. Less wealthy men did the same, but she couldn't very well marry them. She hoped her brother would like the idea he'd be presented with soon enough. Then her servant Lucia came to her, saying it was about time they left and Pinaria judged it was true.

So she could only tell Gaius how pleasant it had been to meet him - and she hoped it would happen again. He seemed fine with her leaving and promised to walk her to her litter. She welcomed the offer and allowed him to escort her back. She climbed in as elegantly as one could - which sometimes failed, but luckily not today - with him standing there, watching her. Once she was inside, she pushed the curtain a bit aside.

"Until next time, Gaius." She said with a smile to him and then clapped the side of the litter, letting the bearers know they could move. And that was that. What an interesting trip it had been today. And it had indeed gone very well, this socializing thing. Perhaps better than one could have hoped.

@Sharpie 

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