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Authors: Rosemary Stevens
Tags: Regency Romance
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scraping of claws down the side of the varnished coach door, preceded an ominous silence.
The vehicle stopped and chaos reigned.
Eugene scrambled out first and saw the cat lying on the ground, bright red blood streaked across his hind leg. “No! Bastet, this cannot be! Mihos, our little tiger, what have you done?”
The manservant began cursing in his native language while he dropped to his knees next to the cat.
The driver of the coach cried out his apologies to the earl.
“Silence,” Lord Ravenswood commanded while he stepped down from the coach. He turned to the gaping footman. “Fetch a bedsheet, a blanket or something, and be quick about it.”
Anthony bent over Mihos, who lay on the road stunned and breathing heavily. He saw the blood on the cat’s leg and silently prayed the limb was not broken. He reached out his hand and awkwardly, but gently, stroked the cat’s head. “That was a very silly thing to do, Mihos. You will not be flying about for a while, I daresay.”
Mihos closed his eyes, and Anthony felt his heart lurch in sudden fear. “Eugene!”
Although frightened by the cat’s condition, the manservant regained his calm air. “He is alive, master. Your touch merely soothed him, and he closed his eyes to rest. See how his sides are still rising and falling?”
The footman came running with a large white bedsheet. Eugene took it from him and folded it. Together he and his lordship delicately moved the cat from the ground and laid him on the sheet.
Eugene made as if to lift Mihos, but Lord Ravenswood was there before him. He gathered the cat, wrapped in the bedsheet, into his arms and turned to Eugene. “You do know how to take care of his wound?”
Eugene’s mind raced. “In truth, master, I cannot say that I do.”
“What?” Lord Ravenswood demanded.
“But I am certain that Miss Shelby will know what to do. She was raised in a vicarage around many animals. Miss Kendall, I am told, also grew up in the country among cats and dogs. Between them, they are sure to be able to help Mihos.” Eugene held his breath, waiting for his master’s response.
Anthony’s chief concern was to get the cat help immediately. There was no time to argue with Eugene or spend time wondering why the manservant had cried out the name “Bastet.”
“Let us go to Clarges Street, then,” he said, and gave the driver the directions.
He entered the coach once again, this time holding Mihos. As he gazed down at the cat, which appeared to be unconscious, he felt a strange tug at his heart.
If only he could be certain Miss Kendall and Miss Shelby would know what to do. Then he remembered Miss Kendall’s advocacy of the cat at Astley’s. He remembered the way she had taken in three dogs, even if one of them was troublesome. He remembered her continued concern for Mihos after he had taken him home.
Suddenly he felt himself relax in the knowledge that whatever the problem with Mihos, Miss Kendall would know how to handle it.
Chapter Four
Upstairs in Clarges Street, Daphne tried on one gown after another. Her lady’s maid, Biggs, wore an expression of strained patience.
Daphne was determined to look her best this evening at Almack’s. She told herself this feeling sprang from a desire to charm Lord Guy into clearing Miss Shelby’s name. At the same time, a vision formed in her mind of the Earl of Ravenswood’s compelling brown eyes glancing appreciatively at her appearance.
“What do you think, Biggs?” Daphne asked anxiously while holding an ivory satin gown with a green velvet trim in front of her. “Will this serve?”
Although she knew very well her mistress appeared divine in the ivory dress. Biggs paused consideringly for a moment, then nodded her approval. “Yes, miss, I believe it is the very one. Only, the green velvet band around the sleeve is coming loose. Let me mend it for you quickly.”
Daphne handed her the dress and threw on an old gray gown she used to wear on walks in
The vehicle stopped and chaos reigned.
Eugene scrambled out first and saw the cat lying on the ground, bright red blood streaked across his hind leg. “No! Bastet, this cannot be! Mihos, our little tiger, what have you done?”
The manservant began cursing in his native language while he dropped to his knees next to the cat.
The driver of the coach cried out his apologies to the earl.
“Silence,” Lord Ravenswood commanded while he stepped down from the coach. He turned to the gaping footman. “Fetch a bedsheet, a blanket or something, and be quick about it.”
Anthony bent over Mihos, who lay on the road stunned and breathing heavily. He saw the blood on the cat’s leg and silently prayed the limb was not broken. He reached out his hand and awkwardly, but gently, stroked the cat’s head. “That was a very silly thing to do, Mihos. You will not be flying about for a while, I daresay.”
Mihos closed his eyes, and Anthony felt his heart lurch in sudden fear. “Eugene!”
Although frightened by the cat’s condition, the manservant regained his calm air. “He is alive, master. Your touch merely soothed him, and he closed his eyes to rest. See how his sides are still rising and falling?”
The footman came running with a large white bedsheet. Eugene took it from him and folded it. Together he and his lordship delicately moved the cat from the ground and laid him on the sheet.
Eugene made as if to lift Mihos, but Lord Ravenswood was there before him. He gathered the cat, wrapped in the bedsheet, into his arms and turned to Eugene. “You do know how to take care of his wound?”
Eugene’s mind raced. “In truth, master, I cannot say that I do.”
“What?” Lord Ravenswood demanded.
“But I am certain that Miss Shelby will know what to do. She was raised in a vicarage around many animals. Miss Kendall, I am told, also grew up in the country among cats and dogs. Between them, they are sure to be able to help Mihos.” Eugene held his breath, waiting for his master’s response.
Anthony’s chief concern was to get the cat help immediately. There was no time to argue with Eugene or spend time wondering why the manservant had cried out the name “Bastet.”
“Let us go to Clarges Street, then,” he said, and gave the driver the directions.
He entered the coach once again, this time holding Mihos. As he gazed down at the cat, which appeared to be unconscious, he felt a strange tug at his heart.
If only he could be certain Miss Kendall and Miss Shelby would know what to do. Then he remembered Miss Kendall’s advocacy of the cat at Astley’s. He remembered the way she had taken in three dogs, even if one of them was troublesome. He remembered her continued concern for Mihos after he had taken him home.
Suddenly he felt himself relax in the knowledge that whatever the problem with Mihos, Miss Kendall would know how to handle it.
Chapter Four
Upstairs in Clarges Street, Daphne tried on one gown after another. Her lady’s maid, Biggs, wore an expression of strained patience.
Daphne was determined to look her best this evening at Almack’s. She told herself this feeling sprang from a desire to charm Lord Guy into clearing Miss Shelby’s name. At the same time, a vision formed in her mind of the Earl of Ravenswood’s compelling brown eyes glancing appreciatively at her appearance.
“What do you think, Biggs?” Daphne asked anxiously while holding an ivory satin gown with a green velvet trim in front of her. “Will this serve?”
Although she knew very well her mistress appeared divine in the ivory dress. Biggs paused consideringly for a moment, then nodded her approval. “Yes, miss, I believe it is the very one. Only, the green velvet band around the sleeve is coming loose. Let me mend it for you quickly.”
Daphne handed her the dress and threw on an old gray gown she used to wear on walks in
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