Erskine nodded, hesitantly at first then more firmly. He understood.

He stepped back into the kitchen to make the call, speaking with Anton for a minute or two without bothering to lower his voice--giving Bakura plenty of opportunity to eavesdrop on at least his half of the conversation, if the man felt the desire to do so. Just as he was about to hang up, Anton asked to speak to Bakura. Erskine dutifully trotted the handset back into the other room and passed it off, moving back into the kitchen once again to avoid eavesdropping himself. He didn't need to know. He didn't want to know.

While the conversation finished up in the other room he took one last gulp of the wine still left on the table and resumed his cat's cradle.