She laughed loudly, and the noise drew heads. As a married man, Freddie ought to have minded, but he was long past the point of trying to be subtle about flirting with other women; instead, he rather enjoyed the attention. That he was talking with a much younger woman, and an attractive one, was not something that would have been missed by the leery-eyed patrons of the Hog's Head, and that fact alone would have earned him bragging rights the rest of the night if the interaction ended up going no farther than that. Not that he thought that was very likely — all of the language she was using seemed to imply that she was up for a bit of fun. Lost the path was a familiar enough euphemism for a woman of less-than-conventional morals. What brings you to me instead of what brings you here also felt rather telling. She was prepared, he thought, to enjoy more than just the atmosphere at the Hog's Head.

"I gave up on my fortunes," he said with a sly grin. "Now I'm just on the lookout for a little fun."