"I got lashed for talking back to Renaud's wife." He sighed. "Renaud's ambition is his own. I served him long enough, and don't care to deal with him any longer, unless he becomes of use to me. He's young again, and with a wife. That set his schemes back a bit."

"But the Admiral's wife is now Renaud's wife. Renaud puts the lash to you for talkin' back to her, and now you're sleepin' with me. The Admiral doublecrossed Marcello and sent him to the dread countess's dungeon for sleepin' with her, and now he's sleepin' with the countess. Lugh's bolts, we are an incestuous lot. Let's you go sleep with Niabheara and I go sleep with Marcello and the circle will be unbroken."

He laughed, a trifle nervously. "Yes, that would be funny. Er..". He swallowed.

Judith was abruptly quite humorless. "Please tell me you didn't sleep with the countess."

"No!" he said, aghast. "Listen. I thought I was sleeping with some second cousin of hers, all right, until I get up the next morning and... well. No one had told me O'Niall had gotten pucked."

Judith chuckled and put her fingertips to her temple. "Oh, gods. Congratulations. You have joined the list of many, many men O'Niall's sucked off behind a door. Don't worry. It's practically how he shakes hands."

He still looked uneasy. "Well, that's settled then. It was Samhain." He added, as if that made it all right. "I'm glad you see the humor in it."

She shrugged and moved in close again. "I told you. There's nothing. We are two people with a great interest in the Countess Niall's future. That's all. We're about as close as any two people who bet on the same horse at the races."

He laughed. "I didn't think you were still in love with him." He teased. "But it did make me think that I should be a bit more discerning in my future partners." He added, and twirled her hair again, pulling her in close. "Right after I finish with you."

"But I thought you were finished with me," she said in all innocence. "What with the way we've been lyin' here runnin' our mouths for way past the allotted hour."