offer the variety of dishes you might be accustomed to, Leo, but Lady M’s cook has prepared a wonderful roasted chicken, just for you.”
Chicken sounded agreeable enough. The way his stomach was collapsing in upon itself, anything would suffice.
“It sounds charming. I hope it is a very large chicken.”
“You may have as much as you wish.” Using her fingers, she pressed a bit of meat to his mouth.
It was the driest, most tasteless morsel he’d ever consumed. He chewed and swallowed, and debated whether he ought to advise Lady M to search for another cook.
Then he realized they had done this deliberately. They’d probably skinned the damned thing, stuck it on a spit, and kept it there all day until every last bit of juice had dripped out of it. Just for him.
He wouldn’t complain. He would eat it gallantly. His stomach, after all, wouldn’t care that the wretched bird tasted like tree bark.
He opened his mouth for another bite. Mistress Jane readily complied.
He’d eaten worse. Surely he had. He racked his brain, trying to remember when.
“You are looking awfully disheveled, Leo. Why are you unshaven?” Lady M asked.
“I had no desire for a gigantic Frenchman to maul me with a deadly weapon, my lady.” He opened his mouth. This time he brushed his lips against Mistress Jane’s fingers as he took the meat. “And”—he turned pointedly to Miss Juliette—“Miss Juliette did not offer to shave me today.”
“Don’t be daft. The Frenchman would not harm a fly,” Lady M said.
“Perhaps you have forgotten the damage he did to my face?”
“Well,” she conceded, “there was that. It was purely defensive, however.”
One of Mistress Jane’s hands meandered up his thigh.
“Defensive? I was unaware that turning one’s body to view what is lurking behind oneself is considered an act of aggression.”
“Your actions could have been a prelude to an attack.”
“They were not.”
Lady M sighed. “Have you thought about what we asked of you, Leo? Have you thought about why you might be here?”
After the long pause required to chew and swallow another tasteless morsel of leather-chicken, Leo said, “Indeed I have.”
“And?”
“I spent some time contemplating the matter and have come to the indisputable conclusion that you cannot have a legitimate reason for this.”
Lady M, who stood right in front of him, released a breath with a hiss. Mistress Jane patted his thigh. “Then I hope you are comfortable here, Leo, because you will be here for a very, very long time.”
“Are you saying you will not allow me to leave until I somehow deduce what this is all about?”
“And deduce accurately,” Mistress Jane said.
“Not only that,” Lady M rasped, “but you must also understand the evil of your deeds and repent.”
“Repent what?”
“Your deeds, of course,” Mistress Jane said.
“My deeds would be simpler to repent if I knew what they were!” Leo exclaimed in rising frustration.
“Think of all the women you’ve had, Leo,” Lady M said.
He tensed. Some part of him had known it would come to this, but still he could not fathom why. “What of them?”
“Where are they now?”
He took a gamble. “I have a strong sense that three of them are here in this room.”
“And the others?” Lady M asked tightly.
She confirmed he knew all of them, including Miss Juliette. But how could that be true? She was so different from any of the women he knew. Struggling to contain his reaction to this revelation, he shrugged. “How would I know where any of them are now?”
The atmosphere in the room condensed, thickened. He sensed the women’s anger in the edgy movements of Mistress Jane’s arm, the hostility emanating from Lady M. Even Miss Juliette’s silence seemed somehow altered.
Miss Juliette finally spoke, her whispering voice filled with disappointment. “Do you not care about what has become of them?”
He released an annoyed breath. He used women as they
Chicken sounded agreeable enough. The way his stomach was collapsing in upon itself, anything would suffice.
“It sounds charming. I hope it is a very large chicken.”
“You may have as much as you wish.” Using her fingers, she pressed a bit of meat to his mouth.
It was the driest, most tasteless morsel he’d ever consumed. He chewed and swallowed, and debated whether he ought to advise Lady M to search for another cook.
Then he realized they had done this deliberately. They’d probably skinned the damned thing, stuck it on a spit, and kept it there all day until every last bit of juice had dripped out of it. Just for him.
He wouldn’t complain. He would eat it gallantly. His stomach, after all, wouldn’t care that the wretched bird tasted like tree bark.
He opened his mouth for another bite. Mistress Jane readily complied.
He’d eaten worse. Surely he had. He racked his brain, trying to remember when.
“You are looking awfully disheveled, Leo. Why are you unshaven?” Lady M asked.
“I had no desire for a gigantic Frenchman to maul me with a deadly weapon, my lady.” He opened his mouth. This time he brushed his lips against Mistress Jane’s fingers as he took the meat. “And”—he turned pointedly to Miss Juliette—“Miss Juliette did not offer to shave me today.”
“Don’t be daft. The Frenchman would not harm a fly,” Lady M said.
“Perhaps you have forgotten the damage he did to my face?”
“Well,” she conceded, “there was that. It was purely defensive, however.”
One of Mistress Jane’s hands meandered up his thigh.
“Defensive? I was unaware that turning one’s body to view what is lurking behind oneself is considered an act of aggression.”
“Your actions could have been a prelude to an attack.”
“They were not.”
Lady M sighed. “Have you thought about what we asked of you, Leo? Have you thought about why you might be here?”
After the long pause required to chew and swallow another tasteless morsel of leather-chicken, Leo said, “Indeed I have.”
“And?”
“I spent some time contemplating the matter and have come to the indisputable conclusion that you cannot have a legitimate reason for this.”
Lady M, who stood right in front of him, released a breath with a hiss. Mistress Jane patted his thigh. “Then I hope you are comfortable here, Leo, because you will be here for a very, very long time.”
“Are you saying you will not allow me to leave until I somehow deduce what this is all about?”
“And deduce accurately,” Mistress Jane said.
“Not only that,” Lady M rasped, “but you must also understand the evil of your deeds and repent.”
“Repent what?”
“Your deeds, of course,” Mistress Jane said.
“My deeds would be simpler to repent if I knew what they were!” Leo exclaimed in rising frustration.
“Think of all the women you’ve had, Leo,” Lady M said.
He tensed. Some part of him had known it would come to this, but still he could not fathom why. “What of them?”
“Where are they now?”
He took a gamble. “I have a strong sense that three of them are here in this room.”
“And the others?” Lady M asked tightly.
She confirmed he knew all of them, including Miss Juliette. But how could that be true? She was so different from any of the women he knew. Struggling to contain his reaction to this revelation, he shrugged. “How would I know where any of them are now?”
The atmosphere in the room condensed, thickened. He sensed the women’s anger in the edgy movements of Mistress Jane’s arm, the hostility emanating from Lady M. Even Miss Juliette’s silence seemed somehow altered.
Miss Juliette finally spoke, her whispering voice filled with disappointment. “Do you not care about what has become of them?”
He released an annoyed breath. He used women as they
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