Eight for Losing, One for Loving (Wicked Sons #9)

Chapter 16

Dearest Belinda,

I am most deeply vexed by you, my friend. Now I understand why you were so interested in Mr Knight. Fool that I was, I suspected you had a tendre for him, or at least that you meant to pretend one to incense your father. Now I see it was more diabolical even than that. Have a care, Belle. Felix is a dear friend, and I will not see him sacrificed at your altar simply to best your father. I hope your intentions are honourable, if they are, however, you may count on my support, only let me in on the secret!

―Excerpt of a letter from The Most Hon’ble Catherine ‘Cat’ St Just, Lady Kilbane (daughter of The Most Hon’ble Lucian and Matilda Montagu, the Marquess and Marchioness of Montagu) to The Lady Belinda Madox-Brown.

28 th June 1850, The Rutland Arms, Newmarket, Suffolk.

Leo guided Vi down the stairs and left her with Jenny whilst he paid the reckoning. Mau came with him, draped over his shoulder and vocal in his disapproval at having been left in Jenny’s care for several days.

“I’m sorry, old man, but some things are private,” Leo told the cat in an undertone.

Mau stared at him, yellow eyes unblinking, tail swishing irritably.

“I said I’m sorry,” Leo told him with a sigh, reaching up to stroke his head.

Mau batted at his hand with his paw.

Leo stopped, giving Mau a stern look. “Now, none of that. It’s not like you don’t adore Vi yourself… or is that the problem? Jealous, are you?”

Mau butted his head against Leo’s cheek, a deep rumbling purr emanating from him. Leo laughed, and then looked around, suddenly aware of people staring at him. He cleared his throat and hurried to the front desk, where Mrs Rogers was waiting. She gave Mau an uneasy glance before looking at Leo.

“I never saw a cat like that one, sir. Does he always go with you? Seems more like a dog, don’t he?”

Mau miaowed, such a sound of disapproval that Leo had to smother a laugh at Mrs Rogers’ look of absolute horror. “He’s an Egyptian Water Sphinx,” Leo said, struggling to keep a straight face.

“Is he now?” Mrs Rogers said, apparently impressed.

Leo paid the bill, leaving a generous tip in the hopes Mrs Rogers would accept Mau without protest if ever they stayed here again.

Leo returned to escort Vi and Jenny out into the yard and helped Vi into the tilbury before assisting Jenny to sit up on the back where Norton usually resided. He’d bought a travelling case to transport all Vi’s new dresses and the other items they’d purchased for their stay, and the ostlers were strapping it on with his own valise. Mau leapt down from his shoulder, sniffing around the tilbury’s wheels with interest.

“Mind the horse, Mau,” Leo warned him, for whilst most horses did not mind Mau’s presence, occasionally one would object. Mau looked up for a moment before carrying on his inspection of the carriage. Knowing Mau was more than capable of looking out for himself, Leo went to check the horse was hitched to his satisfaction and shared a few words with the ostlers. He was just thanking them and handing over a tip when he heard a furious growling noise, followed by a bark.

“Oh, the devil,” he muttered, turning to see a large man who looked like the very image of a country squire, had entered the yard with two hunting dogs at his heels.

Naturally, the dogs had spotted Mau and thought to hunt him. They bayed and barked excitedly, tails wagging with the thrill of the chase. Except Mau did not run from dogs, he faced them down.

“Get your dogs under control, sir, before they get hurt,” Leo shouted at the man as he hurried to intervene.

The squire looked surprised and then rather annoyed. “It’s only a cat. Dogs chase cats, it’s in their nature.”

“The cat is mine, sir, and it is not in his nature to be chased. Your dogs risk—”

Before Leo could finish the sentence, Mau swiped out, claws extended towards the closest dog, who yelped and retreated, whimpering and hiding behind the squire. The second dog, having not learned a lesson from his comrade, surged forward, barking and snarling. Mau leapt, claws digging into the creature’s back. The dog took off like a rocket, with Mau clinging on like a small furry jockey.

“Leo!” Vi cried in alarm.

“I know, love,” Leo replied, rushing after the dog. The frantic animal had unfortunately entered the inn, almost knocking an elderly man flying as he burst through the door ahead of him.

“Sorry, sir,” Leo shouted to the old man, trying not to do the same as he ran past the fellow, the indignant squire at his heels. He halted in the foyer, for the dog had disappeared, but it did not take long to discover its whereabouts. A howl rent the air, followed by feminine screams and male shouts of annoyance.

Muttering curses, Leo took off towards the disturbance, barrelling into the dining room, where many patrons were still enjoying a late breakfast. A crash met his ears as Mau leapt from one table to the next, plates and teacups smashing to the floor as he went. The dog barked, believing he was in pursuit when Leo had no doubt Mau was only leading him a merry dance. The dog knocked a table over, china exploding on the tiled floor beneath and upturned a chair as women screamed and ran from the room. A large lady in her middle years swooned dramatically, caught by her husband, who was far finer of build and not up to the task. The two of them tumbled to the floor with a billow of deep purple satin as the lady’s vast skirts enveloped them. Mau leapt over them and the man gave a shout of alarm as the dog followed.

“Mau!” Leo shouted, certain that his wicked cat was enjoying himself enormously and was not about to stop the fun. “Mau, you devil, stop it at once.”

Mau leapt from the table onto a large, handsome oak dresser and regarded Leo from his lofty position, yellow eyes gleaming.

“Oh!” Mrs Rogers shrieked, upon coming in upon the chaotic scene. She spied Mau on top of the dresser and wailed. “No! No, not my best china, oh, n—”

Leo watched the scene unfold as though trapped in some horrible dream where he was frozen to the spot, unable to do anything. He leapt, hoping to grab the stupid dog as it jumped onto the table, thinking itself agile enough to follow Mau up to the dresser’s top. Instead, it skidded across the tabletop, pushing the table over as it jumped inelegantly, and landed on the base of the dresser, before attempting to use the shelves as a ladder to scramble up to get Mau. China crashed down on all sides, the dog's claws scratching the polished oak as it tried to find purchase enough to climb.

Mrs Rogers screamed, threatening criminal proceedings, lawyers, and God alone knew what else as the squire belatedly caught up to them, puffing and red in the face. The squire hauled his dog down from the dresser and carried him out of the room, also shouting threats of suing Leo and his demon-possessed cat. Mau, the provoking creature, sat placidly on top of the dresser and washed his paw.

“Mau!” Leo growled in an undertone.

Mau paused his washing and looked down at him, his expression imperious as he surveyed the devastation in the room with mild surprise.

“Here, Mau,” Leo said, struggling to keep his tone calm.

He needed to defuse this situation as quickly as possible, and he dared not leave Mau loose to cause more chaos. Leo knew, however, that there was more at stake than Mrs Roger’s threats to sue him. He and Mau were well known, and it would not take long for the story to get about, nor the news that Mr Leo Hunt and his wife had been staying at the inn. He needed to get Vi out of here and a ring on her finger with as much haste as possible. That she might be embarrassed, or her reputation tarnished because of him, made Leo feel rather sick.

Mau finished washing his paw before he deigned to move. Then he leapt sinuously down and wound himself in and out of Leo’s ankles, purring. Leo bent and scooped him up, holding on tight. Mau butted his head at Leo’s chest, seeking caresses.

“You must be joking,” Leo told him frankly. “I am not speaking to you. That was very badly done and I’m exceedingly vexed.”

“He’s mad!” Mrs Rogers wailed, pressing a large handkerchief to her face as her staff hurried to comfort her. “He talks to the thing like it understands.”

One of the serving girls putting a glass of brandy into the woman’s hand and guided her to a chair. “I think it does!” Mrs Rogers cried, clutching at the girl’s hand in agitation, before taking a large swallow of the brandy.

Leo hurried out to the tilbury where Vi had captured the second dog, bless her, and was instructing one of the ostlers to lock it in a stall until the squire came back for it.

“Leo!” she exclaimed alarm, hurrying over to him. “Whatever happened? People ran from the inn screaming.”

“Not now, love,” he said tersely. “I need to make reparations and pray no one wishes to sue me as they are threatening to do.”

“Oh no,” Vi said in dismay. “This is bad, isn’t it?”

Leo did not wish to upset her, so he said nothing, only handed Mau into her arms. “Do not let him out of your sight,” he replied, his voice firm.

Vi nodded, and Leo hurried back inside to deal with the squire and Mrs Rogers.

Ten minutes later and Leo’s pockets were empty of all the money Kitty had given him and he had left his address, so any expenses that the amount did not cover could be paid at a later date. He did not doubt Mrs Roger’s china was going to turn out to be some rare variety of porcelain that was nigh on priceless, but he did not care about that. What he could not stop was the gossip.

He was quiet as he drove the tilbury out of the yard and back onto the road. Thankfully, the weather had improved a good deal, and it was a mild day. Glimpses of blue even showed behind the clouds.

Vi reached over and rested her hand on his.

“Don’t worry, Leo,” she said with a smile. “It will be fine. We’ll be married before the end of the day.”

“What if anyone looks into the business and discovers we were not wed during our stay there,” he asked her frankly.

Vi shrugged. “What if they do? My friends and family will not care a button and, if anyone else minds, they can stop speaking to me with my blessing. I do not care to know such judgemental fools.”

Leo could only smile at the superior tone in her voice. He looked at Mau, who had decided it was safer to sleep in Vi’s lap for the time being. The two of them were better matched than they knew.

“I’m glad to hear it, love, but I prefer you are caused no embarrassment. I promised I should never bring you trouble, and we’ve had nothing but.”

“I know,” Vi said, her lips trembling. There was a tone to her voice that he could not quite read. Was she going to cry, or was she trying to keep her temper?

“What is it?” he asked, frowning.

Vi shook her head and bit her lip.

“No, Vi, out with it. If you’re angry with me, I beg you will say so,” he demanded, for she had every right to be furious with him.

She turned her wide blue eyes on him. “A-Angry?” she stammered, then burst out laughing. “Oh—! Oh, Leo, you precious fool. I’m n-not angry. This… This is the most fun I’ve ever had in m-my entire life!”

Leo stared at her, disbelieving for a moment, then he let out a breath of relief and shook his head. “Darling, I would kiss you if I could,” he told her frankly, but there were carriages coming in the other direction and he did not wish to heap more scandal down upon them.

He ought not to have been surprised, however, when Vi reached up a hand, catching him around the back of the neck and pulling him down to her. She kissed him soundly, her lovely eyes glittering with mischief and happiness when she finally released him.

His heart gave a series of uneven beats in his chest as he realised how fortunate he was, just how kind the fates had been. It might be his last life, but it was going to be the very best of them all.