"And the fact that he was willing to kill me rather than spend an hour in jail." He replied. "He also said that I should have gathered proof and gone to you with the evidence, before he'd go to jail." He sighed. "He kept telling me he'd kidnapped her and murdered her. I kept telling him he'd only taken her. I didn't suspect him of murder. He looked scared when I told him about the lady in red and the lady in black. He said I was lying about the woman in black, but I wasn't. I was right there."

Niabheara visibly froze, but her voice remained calm. "You don't think he really killed her," she said quietly. "You think he was just trying to bait you?"

"He was baiting. That would have meant the lady in red had lied, too. If she wanted me to really kill him, she would have told me he had her killed. Does that make sense? I think he grabbed her for someone else." He frowned at her. "He also said that killing me would mess up his plans." He added. "Do you want some mead? You look like you could use it."

"Aye, an you would, good neighbor." Omauduan, worried, came and put his head on her knee. She ruffled the fur between his shoulders. "I just . . . I don't understand why. He . . . he did tell you the truth. His plans aren't so secret; I already knew about them."

Davide went over, unstopped a bottle and poured the mead into a cup which he handed to the Countess. "I can't tell you why. Usually people only do things like that when they're threatened with something that's worse than what they're being compelled to do." He explained. "What are his plans, then?"

She bowed her head politely and accepted the cup. "They are house business. Nothing so much, but personal. And sufficient that one would think he would not want to cross me."

Davide nodded, figured he'd hear it from Judith anyway, and sat back down. "I'm sorry to have upset you so." He said, after a minute. "You'll let me know if there's anything I could do for you?" He asked.

She bit her lip. "Lay low of Dierdre," she said. "I know you have already been doing so. I'm going to put a guard on this hall and let on that Mother's put you under house arrest. I need to pacify Duncan at this time, make him think I've taken his side in this."

"I have been avoiding them." He replied. "Do you want me to tell the guard how terribly unfair I think it is? I know Duncan likes to talk to servants, and I don't mind being followed through the castle. The only people I'd want to visit are Seth and your Mother, anyway." He told her, and frowned. "Would I be allowed that?"

"Of course you would," she said. "It wouldn't be like house arrest at all. You know Dierdre's hours, and Duncan so far as I know likes to be awake when she's awake--he's also about very early in the morning, so they tell me."