"Then I think we need to do something about him," Marcello replied. "What would he do if he did accuse you? Would he have any proof?"

"If he wants to make a formal claim he would have to go to our liege," she said. "Which would be Pepita. She could dismiss it. But if he does it three days running, by law, she has to hear his plaint before the Court. Or he could use it as grounds to divorce Dierdre, which would mean making the same plaint before our court. It's a matter of if he wants to announce it before half of Tir-Nan-Og or half of Avalon."

Marcello shrugged. "And what proof would he have?" he asked. "Dierdre wouldn't be fool enough to say anything. I wouldn't say anything. Morgana wouldn't say anything. It would sound like slander."

"I don't know what proof he might have. Obviously, he has not been forthcoming about that," she said grimly. "I do know he must have an accomplice somewhere because one man can't swear plaint without a witness."

"Do you think they've actually witnessed anything?" Marcello asked. He swore under his breath. "Are you sure you won't talk to Dierdre? She's the one who has the most to lose in this, doesn't she, with the babies? What if he took them?"

She bit her lip. "We've discussed that. He swears he won't. Granted, he's already blackmailing me so his words don't hold much water, but . . . Marcello, I am starting to think he wants her kept out of it on purpose. I honestly do not know what would happen."

"Of course he's keeping her out of it on purpose," Marcello replied. "When you're blackmailing your wife's best friend, you don't tell her about it."

"He is blackmailing me into something that would ultimately be very lucrative," she said icily. "But . . . he's lying to her. He's using her against me and she doesn't e'en know it. And I've nearly told her a half-dozen times now but he's always with her, and when he isn't, Im afraid of what he'll do."

Marcello sighed. "I'll talk to her," he said. "Or I'll talk to him. I just...of course he wants you silent. I think the more people we tell, the better."

She took a deep breath. "Marcello. I don't know if you should speak to him at all, but if you do . . . he's already threatened to tell you that Dierdre and I are still together. He knows what happened last time. Marcello, I swear on my own name that there's been nothing since."