"Read all you like into the rumors," he replied, half a smile hidden behind his wine glass as he watched her, his eyes moving only briefly to her hand and to the board. "I don't think they could possibly paint me any blacker than they already have." He was pretty certain she did know what he meant, and for him the problem was not that it was inappropriate - he had never given a damn about what was appropriate, at least not where he himself was concerned, else he might not have spent his entire career shamelessly playing favorites and bullying twelve year-olds. It was more that he was groping his way around territory that he had lost the lay of a long time ago.
He wasted no time in moving his next piece, slowly adjusting his play to the defensive move she had recently made. "As for cues, that's up to you. But I've never found common wisdom worthy of much attention."