“In a gargantuan way, apparently,” Bennett said, chuckling. “Other than a few mentions in, of all places, spell books and medical writings, the Romans basically dismissed the possibility of a same-sex relationship between women. The Greeks, however, were far more open-minded, and they came a thousand years before the Romans. Not only did they view male-male couplings as acceptable, but Plato mentioned female-female relationships. They appear in The History of Sparta, and of course, there’s Sappho. She wrote thousands upon thousands of lines of poetry revolving around her love for other women, and the Greeks had no issue with it. They believed her to be one of their greatest poets. The church, on the other hand, disapproved. It’s rumored they were why most of Sappho’s poetry no longer exists, except for Ode to Aphrodite. It’s the only complete poem in existence by her, and thanks to Max being a collector of all things homosexual in nature, once I had fully grasped the Greek language, I was able to read it.”

“So that’s when you realized you were a lesbian?”

“No. It’s not that kind of poem,” Bennett said, amused by Ruby’s X-rated assumption. “But by the time Angelique returned, my eyes were open a little wider.”

***

England – The Spring of 1632

Simeon strode into the study, followed by Angelique, Max, Bennett, and two of Simeon’s burly sidekicks. With tankards of ale in hand, the two bearded beasts settled into the chairs in front of the fireplace, and Angelique slipped into one near the desk. Unsure how the night would play out, Bennett took her place behind the desk and opened a book Max had yet to return to the shelf.

Simeon dropped into a chair by the chessboard and rubbed his hands together. “It’s been too long, Max. Don’t take this the wrong way. I appreciate your hospitality, but I haven’t played anything close to a challenging game since last I was here.”

Max cast a knowing glance at Bennett as he made his way to the liquor decanters. “You’re just trying to boost my ego so you can coerce me into another wager. We both know I’m no match for you, and my wagering days are officially over.”

“Now you’re just being a mouse,” Simeon said with a huff. “You almost got me the last time, and how in the hell are you ever going to hone your skills if you refuse to play?”

“I’m not refusing to play,” Max said, handing Angelique a small chalice of brandy. “I’m refusing to bet.”