Page 2 of The Love Position

‘Humph. I don’t know about that. I’m just a persistent old bugger.’

Sophia squeezed the coin tighter, as if it held all the secrets of the universe as well as her fortune.

‘Can I…?’ She let the question hang in the air.

Maggie chuckled. ‘You can have it on loan. Just don’t start muttering “my precious” to it.’

Snorting with laughter, Sophia held it up in the dying light. ‘My preshhhhhhhus!’ she hissed.

‘I’ll report what I’ve found to the Finds Liaison Officer in the morning,’ Maggie said. ‘Do you think it’s enough to get a dig?’

‘I’m going to drive straight home and show this one to Marcus. It’s ultimately his decision what we do in the department, but after the research I’ve already done on this site, hopefully the coins will be the tipping point to get the green light.’

‘Even though they’re not Roman?’

‘He’s not that biased.’

Maggie gave her the side eye. She wasn’t a fan of Sophia’s boyfriend, archaeology professor Marcus, and he openly despised detectorists.

‘I’ll sell them as “Roman adjacent”.’

Turning away from the view, they strolled back through the field towards their cars.

‘He’ll be pleased you’re back early,’ said Maggie.

‘Yes. He was a little grumpy that the conference was over his birthday weekend.’

‘The big six-o?’

‘Maggie! It’s his fiftieth and you know it.’

The older woman smirked. ‘So, what have you got him?’

‘A framed silver denarius of Marcus Aurelius and a weekend away in Rome.’

‘He’ll love that.’

‘I hope so. Anyway, it’ll be nice to surprise him. I’m going to pop into Tesco on the way home and grab a takeaway.’

‘Italian?’

‘Of course.’

Sophia swung her car through the gap in the laurel hedge and came to a halt outside the house she shared with Marcus. As well as his Alfa Romeo, there was a shabby Vauxhall Corsa parked on the drive. It was vaguely familiar, but Sophia couldn’t place where she’d seen it before.

Marcus had guests?

She’d rung him to say she was coming home early, but the call had gone to voicemail. Taking a fortifying breath, she got out of the car.

Sociable face on and make an effort.

It didn’t matter how tired she was, or how much she wanted to tell him about Maggie’s finds. Today was Marcus’s birthday so everything needed to be about him. Luckily, Sophia had bought enough food to share with whoever he was with, and she could always eat toast if there wasn’t enough for everyone.

Opening the front door, she was hit by the smell of burning and vinegar, and music from Marcus’s favourite CD. The musicians were playing copies of ancient Roman instruments and Sophia always thought it sounded like the percussion section of an orchestra had been taken over by enthusiastic ducks.

‘Hi!’ she called out over the sound of honking reed instruments and cymbals. ‘Only me.’

‘Magis! Ita!’ Marcus roared through the living room door.

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