It had been almost a week since Liadan had been taken into custody by the aurors. She'd been questioned more than once, and was constantly asking when she got to return home- but never got a straight answer. Liadan had a feeling it was going to be a while, especially when she realized that her cell was under a special lock and key. Liadan wasn't sure who the secret keeper was to her cell, but she knew that there was one. Honestly, she was glad for it. The idea that any ministry employee could walk down to the holding cells and see her sitting there was an unpleasant one. Liadan didn't want anyone to know she was there who need not know.

She felt incredibly under dressed and didn't like not being able to go through her appropriate grooming every morning. Her hair was lackluster and tied back carelessly instead of shining and carefully styled. Her dress was crumpled and ill fitting. And sleep? It was barely coming to her. The very diligent beauty regiment was ruined, and Liadan was worried it would take weeks to get herself back to her usual good looks.

On the bright side, however, Liadan was fairly certain she would lose some of the weight she had been trying to shed since she'd breached the 100 pound mark months back.

Liadan had been sitting cross legged on the cot in the cell when she heard shuffling. She sat up, minding her posture, and immediately began combing fingers through her hair. She had nobody to impress, that was certain, but the woman was attempting to keep as much of her dignity as possible.

She was surprised to see the face peering back at her through the cell door, though, and flushed dark red and quickly turned to hide her face. "I'm in no condition for visitors," she stated simply. How embarrassing it was for Oscar Whitman to see her like this! "I'll not see you or anyone else when I'm in a state such as this. I hate to be rude, but that's just how it's going to be. You can tell Auror Trevelyan or whoever sent you down this way that I'm not amused and I'll not be seen like this!"

Upon hearing the news (from a reliable source) that Liadan was being held by the aurors, Oz immediately felt compelled to do something. At first, it was his belief that the young blonde was being falsely accused but after the same reliable source shared some details, there wasn't much arguing that Oz could do.

Still, Oz's acquaintance with the woman to this point had been a pleasant one and knowing that she had very little close family to support and rally around her, he felt compelled to so something, even if it was to pay her a visit and perhaps raise her spirits. Afterall, what she was accused of was hardly the worst transgression a woman of her calibre could make. Hell, he had married a woman who had cheated on him and some might say that adultry was more offensive than kidnapping and a few shady dealings.

At any rate, Oz imagined she was getting her share of those who did not wish to associate with her and Oz hoped he could show her some kindness, if she would accept it. He strode with purpose down the hallway containing her cell but slowed up when he got close to it.

He saw her surprise and he heard her protests, which he acknowledged were probably rightly lobbied, for she was in such a poor state that Oscar Whitman actually felt some form of pity. Of course, he would never tell her truthfully that she looked homely and unkempt; that would be rude.

Instead, Oz smiled brightly at her and waved off her final words. "Oh nonsense! Stop being silly. Even the accused need human contact, Miss O'Morain. And what kind of man would I be if I allowed you to remain in here in such a state? You can save your breath for a while because I'm not leaving yet." He paused and from the inner pocket of his suit jacket he extracted a small pouch. He extended it towards her. "Besides, I promised Melanthe that I would give this to you. A few things to freshen up, she said. I'm not even sure they will allow you to keep them beyond my visit, but at least it is someting."

He gave the pouch a little shake to urge her to take it and added, "I promise I will look away until you tell me you are ready to be seen again..."

Liadan pouted when Oscar told her to stop being silly, holding out a pouch for her to take. With a defeated glare she snatched it from him, pulling it open to peer inside. "Now you're being silly, Mr. Whitman. If you've already seen me in such a level of disarray, there is no reason to turn your back now." Sighing quietly she immediately took advantage of the small amount of time she would have with the items he had brought, carefully brushing out her hair and styling it, pinning it up in its usual manner. She felt much better, cleaner, and more presentable by the time she had finished- glad for the attention to detail from her friend, but still disappointed in the fact that people apparently knew that she was being incarcerated. She could only hope Auror Trevelyan had kept his word, and that the reason for her arrest was being kept very hush-hush.

"You really shouldn't have come to visit me here," Liadan told him, tone less harsh. She perched as primly as possible on the simple cot of the holding cell, carefully patting the waves she had arranged on her head. "It's not a place that a lady would want to be seen."

"But I am thankful for the toiletries. And it is nice to see a face other than Auror Trevelyan's. I find that the more I know the man, the more I dislike him. And the more he makes me want to hex redheads on sight." It was an exaggeration to be sure- especially at this juncture, where she (much to her misfortune) was in his debt given the entire situation at hand. It vexed her even more that she was no longer allowed to loathe him as she had.

"I assume it is he who informed you that I was here. I'm sure he finds it some fantastic, cruel joke to send you down here to see me at my absolute worst. A man should never see a woman looking like this until after they are married." Because naturally prior to marriage all efforts should be made to make a man thing that you were beautiful twenty-four hours a day without having to put an ounce of work into it.

Oz was perfectly used to difficult women so Lia's reaction was hardly an anomoly to him. He considered that most of the difficult women in his life were easily ignored but he was not inclined to do such a thing in this instance. On her, it was an endearing trait...one becoming of a damsel in distress.

Smirking as he turned, he quipped, "I assure you I am perfectly capable of erasing the image from my mind. I shall remember you as a vision of beauty."

Even as she gave him permission to look anyway, Oz took a moment to inspect her area of confinement. He was somewhat disheartened to know that a creature of her delicate nature was spending (an unknown amount of) time here. Sighing, he turned back to face Liadán as she put the finishing touches on herself.

"You can thank Melanthe for my being here, dear. When I confided in her that I was worried about you being here, she suggested that I visit with the care package and see after your well being. You are a dear friend," he explained calmly. He paused and then cleared his throat. "To both her and to me."

Oz tentatively stepped closer, not wishing to overstep her personal space. "So you see, I would do anything to help you if I could. " He paused again after she voiced her assumption that Trevelyan had informed him of her whereabouts. "Actually, no. I had another source. It's nice to have connections."

Addressing her comment about seeing her like this without being married, he joked, "So then we should get married. Then you can have no further objections about my being here to see you..."

"It still troubles me that Melanthe knows about my... predicament," she said to Oscar. "I was hoping that most of society wouldn't be aware about my situation. It has been bad enough the last six months without adding this to the list. But I suppose that's what I get..." Liadan trailed off, frowning. "I should have known better than to do a lot of the things I have done. But that is of no consequence now. I cannot change the past, only alter my behavior in the future to prevent a repeat of this predicament."

"I shall have to give her my sincerest thank you, and hope she will keep most of her gossip minimal. And I do hope, Mr. Whitman, that even if you have the connections necessary to discover the true nature of my incarceration, that you would be so kind as to not relay the information to your cousin? I would prefer she think I am here for less heinous acts."

Hopefully that way Melanthe had nobody to tell. Oh, Liadan was certain it would be a wonderful piece of gossip either way. Imagine what they would be saying behind her back the next time she attended a party or event. The whispers were going to be dreadful. She would have to keep her head held high and ignore them all.

Oz's next comment, however, caught her off guard. She was conflicted at how to react to the statement that they ought to get married then. She was partially offended- such a joke was hardly appropriate to make at a time like this, and yet partially flattered that he could even entertain the notion enough to make it a laughing matter. Liadan settled for a thin lipped stare, and a very defiant hair toss.

"I hardly find this to be the appropriate time to make any marriage proposals- whether in jest or not. Besides, I am quite certain that you have far more promising marriage possibilities than me." Fishing for compliments? Liadan? No, never. "Not to mention, as much as it may wound your proud or be inappropriate to bring up on my behalf, you are not the only man who has been attempting to win my affections these last few months. I believe it is only fair to give the others a chance to propose as well, so that I might make the most of making such an important decision."

"Melanthe only knows because I specifically asked her if I should bring anything to you on my visit," he said in a low voice. "It wasn't exactly practical for me to bring flowers here, now is it?" His comment was in reference to his sending bouquets of flowers to her home for weeks. It has been his way of apoligizing to her for not being able to fit another date with her into his busy work schedule. It had also been a way of letting her know that he still was interested in her.

Oz allowed Lia to prattle on about her concerns regarding what people might think of her being there, Melanthe in particular. He was confused about why she would worry about what Melanthe might say or do because of it, but perhaps that was something between the two of them.

Oz's "offer" of marriage was made primarily in jest, an attempt to lighten the mood and hopefully nudge Liadan out of her self pity and deprecation. So, when her reaction seemed to be more serious than before and also rebuffed it, Oz bristled a bit.

"More promising marriage possibilities than you?" He shook his head and chuckled before clasping his hands together in front of him. "Oh how I wish that were true, my dear. The truth is that there are very few women that I can tolerate for very long these days. Call it a lingering side effect of my marriage to my ex-wife." He briefly realized that his comment might not exactly sound like a compliment, but he aimed to clarify. "I wouldn't have used topic of marriage so flippantly with you if I didn't like you," he told her seriously. "I haven't exactly thought much of marriage these days, but I think if I were to try it again, it would probably be to someone like you."

Oz's face darkened when Liadan brought up other suitors and his jaw tightened as he inwardly fumed. He bloody well knew she had had other suitors besides him. Hell, he had seen her out with that grandfather-of-a-date Prideaux. Without a doubt the man had money enough to lavished Liadan with anything her little heart desired but there was still something Oz felt compelled to point out.

Crossing his arms in front of him, Oz turned so that she was only privy to his profile now. He paced a bit in the small space. Then, gruffly, he asked, "So...uh....exactly how many of those other men have been to see you in your time of need?"

Liadan sighed. Oscar was right. Bringing flowers to her cell- though they would have made the place slightly more cheery, weren't exactly practical. And being allowed to freshen up with the appropriate items made her feel better than she could have ever imagined.

It was a grand compliment to hear that the topic of marriage came about because he liked her. "I can imagine after what happened with your ex wife that you would never be inclined to marry again," she said quietly. It had to be a sensitive subject for him, and Liadan did not want to press any unneccessary buttons. "That you would think someone like me could change that... Well..." she trailed off, twisting a bit of hair around her finger and blushing slightly.

But only moments later his arms were crossed and he turned. "I have been refusing visitors, and attempting to keep it out of common knowledge that I am currently incarcerated. It's a very embarrassing situation and it breaks my heart to think that anyone would ever see me in such a state. Especially you."

Appealing to his affections might not be a wise move after her last comment, but at least she was speaking truth. "I would prefer you think of me as pristine, innocent, and quite possible in fallible. We all have our secrets, Oscar, and I am a woman who prefers to keep hers. That you could know I am capable of doing anything so heinous as to put me in a holding cell- one that had to be made unplottable- well, it hardly gives me any hope that you could ever think of me as you did before."

"A wizard such as yourself deserves a lady without blemish. If you ever were to marry again, the last thing you need is one steeped in scandal and gossip. If our social circles even thought you were visiting me while I was imprisoned, your reputation would be totally ruined. I could never have that on my conscience along with everything else, my dear Mr. Whitman."

"Indeed, I feel as though I have been inclined to never marry again," Oz confided with more forcefulness than he had anticipated. The topic of his ex-wife and her infidelity was, and might always be, a sore subject with him, for it might forever be difficult for him to swallow the notion that he had been duped. He never wanted to be so blindly or stupidly in love again. He never wanted to give someone else the power to hurt him like Aileen had done.

Her betrayl had made a different kind of man out of Oz. Hardened and stoic and unwilling to bend to the whims and wiles of the women in his life. Rarely did a woman affect him so much that he was inclined to wave his intentions to be emotionless.

This made his interactions with Liadan all the more interesting for him as he navigated the line between allowing her in just enough to enjoy himself without becoming too vulnerable for another blindsided betrayl that was surely inevitable.

Seeing her blush, coupled with her overall vulnerability stemming from her incarceration, Oz could not help but feel more drawn to her, even as a little voice in the back of his mind warned him that she could easily be as dangerous as the young Aileen had been.

Oz stepped closer to her as she continued to tell him of her wish that he not see her in such a state and though he considered them to be silly protestations, he allowed her to continue. When she seemed to have exhausted herself, he held out his hand to her.

"I appreciate your concern for my reputation, Miss O'Morain. But I assure you that my life has had its fill of scandal, including that to which my ex-wife subjected me to, and I have managed to rise above it well enough." He paused, and looked expectantly at her, hoping she would take his offered hand. "In any case, I'll take my chances. For surely I am less than perfect in the eyes of some as well, and perhaps you will soon grow tired of me and my Whitman ways."

Liadan knew that Oscar had managed to make good of even the worst scandal- but that luck had to be short lived. She hesitated before stepping forward, and tucking her small hand into his. "Grow tired of you?" she asked. "Why would I do something like that? You are an incredibly charming and very handsome man. I doubt you are capable of being boring- unless you are specifically trying."

Liadan sighed quietly, offering a gentle smile to the wizard. "What a pair you and I make, hm?" she questioned. "You the law, and I the lawbreaker. Unfortunately it happens to have tragedy written all over it, does it not? I've seen similar stories at the opera before, or in plays... What is that phrase? Star-crossed lovers?"

She was speaking with more bluntness than usual, but they were in private, and she was feeling vulnerable. Liadan also did not want Oscar Whitman to think that she was indifferent to his attentions and affections. She had remained rather garded the last couple of months, and being spotted at the opera with Vedir had no doubt harmed her standing with Whitman. She was attracted to Vedir- but had made no promises to him, or to Oscar. And until any promises were made, she was at liberty to change her mind and be fickle if she so desired.

"I should expect, however, that you shall grow tired of me first. I am certainly not as exciting as many of other young women my age. They tease me quite often for being too old fashioned and reserved."

"You are are right," Oz replied agreeably with some of his patented Whitman conceit. "No one should grow tired of me. And if they do, it's clearly their fault."

He flashed her a grin, a rare occurance for the usually stoic Oz. But strangely, she had a way of bringing that side of him out. He then did another thing that was unusual. He turned to reassuring her woes. Oscar cleared his throat. "Well, as I have been firm in believing from before I came to visit you, there are far worse things you could have done, or be accused of--in my mind at least. And perhaps that is not a very good judgement to have considering my ex-wife, but there you have it."

He gave her hand an affectionate squeeze. "And excitement is overrated. There's something to be said for someone who does not seek ­­­more excitement than they need. It would do more ladies in our culture good to hold firmly to those old fashioned values."

Oz smiled again and in a moment of impulse, he leaned towards her and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'll take my leave now, but I could hardly grow tired of you, Liadan. You make that quite impossible."