It made me all the more determined to safeguard my position and keep a low profile, enjoying the safety of being far removed from the great city. Yet once again fate conspired to place me close to the centre of things, though not for some time. In fact, looking back, this sojourn in the country with Claudius was the longest period of tranquillity and security that I could remember in my life. I continued to be a firm favourite of Claudius, and though I never felt the passion for him that I had for others, I did regard him with considerable affection. He was kind to me, and I did my very best to give him pleasure in bed, and cause him no problems outside it. Can a slave girl hope to do more for her master?
It was during this lengthy period of stability that I began a love affair that was t
