Her husband, his lover, and his lover's wife.

As we dined, I got to know more about the Buress' and the Pocszinski's. Mrs. Holden-Buress' husband, Virgil, was in the hotel business, and Mr. Kristoff Pocszinski, owned a series of mines, dotted all across the country. All four of them had met at a wine tasting event and since then had become fast friends. And as the evening went on, the exact nature of their relationship with each other became slightly less clear.

In brief, the Buress marriage is one of convenience, orchestrated by their parents to cement their Fortunes together. A not uncommon practice. While the Pocszinski marriage is one of love. They had all come here to further their Fortunes, and keep an eye on Mrs. Holden-Buress' cousin. Mr. Buress had argued that it would be more economical and would make the most use of his trade, for them all to reside in the same building. There were no arguments made, and that is how they all came to live together. However, that was merely the reason they had given to others, prior to their leaving.

The true reason was that Mr. Buress is in a homosexual relationship with Mr. Pocszinski.

I fear I must admit that this news was not as shocking as I think they had anticipated it to be. And I think it might be because I had steeled myself for something like that. However, that did not stop me from having a few more glasses of Wine in their sitting room before asking them to divulge further.

The complex Web of their relations are as thus, and I shall be using their first names for clarity:

1. The Buress' are Virgil and Clara, the Pocszinski's are Kristoff and Sybil.
2. Virgil is in a homosexual relationship with Kristoff.
3. Kristoff is in a heterosexual relationship with Sybil.
4. Kristoff is also in a heterosexual relationship with Clara.
5. Clara is in a homosexual relationship with Sybil.
6. But, on the occasion when Kristoff was away overseeing a new excavation, Virgil would attend to both women.

My eyes were shut tight and I rubbed at my pained temple. "Pardon me for saying so, but that sounds overly complicated. Would it not have been simpler, to claim that you were the others' mistress'? It would still be a scandal, but a sympathetic one. At least in the case of your marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Buress."

They all paused and looked to one another, as if this was the first time this thought had occurred to them. "Well, it would have been. Were my husband not an exclusive homosexual," Mrs. Holden-Buress said.

"Forgive me once again, but evidently he is not," I countered, "given that he does sleep with both you and Mrs. Pocszinski."

"If I may defend myself, Mr. McKay," Mr. Buress said, putting his hand on his wife's, "I am a homosexual. That does not mean that I am incapable of making physical love to women. I simply prefer making love to men. That man in particular," he said, with a lingering, loving gaze at Mr. Pocszinki, before turning back to me. "And he cares very much for both of our wives. I am merely doing as he does for me and my wife." Dropping his voice, he leaned in close to me and whispered, "and in the dark, all orifices feel very much alike."

An uncomfortable chill ran down my spine and I tried very hard to hide my grimace. "And does Mr. Holden approve of this... arrangement you have?" I asked, clearing my throat loudly.

"Regardless of what they might be, my cousin's opinion on our marital affairs, are of no concern to us," Mrs. Holden-Buress replied curtly.

Mrs. Pocszinski tapped her finger on the table. "You know Clara, maybe we should look into finding someone for him. Would keep him busy for a while."

"It would. But who would want him?"

"Clara, it's Madsin. There's always someone for someone here," Mr. Pocszinki said. "And before anything else, what does Benji look for in a woman in the first place?"

This sparked a heated discussion amongst them, as they ran through all the Madosinites, who might be willing to take a chance on Mr. Holden, and who he might be interested in.