Tiberius thought it was a bit of a stretch for her to state so confidently that he liked her, but decided to let the remark go without further comment. He'd already said his piece, and the aggravated tone she'd responded with made it clear that she'd heard and understood him: whatever her contribution to this child was, he did not think it important enough or valuable enough to merit the risks of the pregnancy.

"Did you have another question?" he asked after a moment.