Amortentia Dolorosa

Roddy ran into the house, laughing. "Guess who's going to St. Mungo's Charity Ball!"

Brigid came up from the back of the house, carrying a rag -- not that she needed a rag to do the cleaning, she just liked the sense of normality it conveyed. "And I suppose you're either going with Lucius, or you've conned some rich girl into dragging you out?"

Roddy giggled. "Neither. Some American lad. He's one of the apprentices -- required to go. I -- heh -- I told him I had a sister. Well, that's not really right. I tried to weasel Lucky into taking me, but I couldn't just say that in public, so I tried to weasel him into taking the sister I don't have. He was after declining, like I figured he might, when this apprentice jumps in and says he'll do. So, what was I to say but 'yes'?"

"Roddy, he's like to be very angry when he figures it out," Brigid warned.

"Then I'll just have to be sure he doesn't, yeah?" Grinning like a fool, Roddy shouted up the stairs. "Caolan! Caolan, come down, I need you to help me!"

"Oh, aye, you need help." Caolan swaggered into the hall and cuffed Roddy upside the head. "In yer head."

"Ah, come on, Caolan, it's not like that. I can't think of any of us with the way you've got with a needle, and I need something to wear!" Roddy batted his eyes and rested his head on Caolan's shoulder. "I'll make it worth your while, I will."

"You're really something, to your wizards, you are," Caolan began, with a grin, "but making it worth my while? You know, Ceallach might be able to do something of the sort, but you? Pfft. There's a reason Clover's your concubine. That kid's too young to know good yet. What's it, twenty-five, now?"

Brigid shook her head. "If you two are going to have at, take it outside," she admonished, heading back to her dusting. "I'll hear no more of this, today. I've been hearing it in my house for the last four centuries. Take it outside, and don't do to this one what you did to the last one of my sons to try your patience, aye, Caolan?"

Caolan turned violent shades of red. "Yis, auntie. I'll be careful."

It turned back to Roddy and smiled a smile it must have learned from the O'Ruadhains. "What d'you want, exactly, and what'll you give me for it, hm?"