"Persephone is the other one. A black cat. She keeps to the shadows more than Hades does, so it surprises me much less that you haven't come across her. I'm sure she'll make her presence known in due course, though. Once she warms up to a new person, Persephone can be very affectionate."
"You speak of her fondly," James said. "As if you were fond of the creature."
"Well, I confess I am," Maxwell said. "She's lived here in this house for two years, after all. I find both cats to be enjoyable additions to the household. I like having both of them here."
"I just can't believe this," James said.
"Why is it so unbelievable, Your Grace?" Maxwell asked. "Forgive me, but the dowager duchess would hardly be the first lady to keep a pet or two."
"But when did they come into her possession? Surely my late cousin wouldn't have permitted those creatures into his home?"
"I think he would have," Maxwell said. "You'll pardon my saying so, but I think the late duke would have allowed any sort of strange circumstance, he was so excited to be bringing a young wife into his home. If her choice of pet had been a snake, he probably would have found a way for his home to be a good place for a snake."
James shook his head in disgust. Of course he wouldn't have endorsed any acts of violence by the dowager duchess, but he also had no regard or respect for his late cousin. The man seemed like an abominable person. To think that he had been so eager to get his hands on a young lady that he would put up with any conditions he had to…what a disgusting man.
For the first time, James found himself feeling a stab of sympathy for the dowager duchess. She had a lot to answer for, to be sure—the way she had allowed her reputation to deteriorate was shameful. But at the same time, she must havebeen appalled by the conditions under which she had come to live here in this house. Of course she would have been miserable.
"As it happens, the cats did not come here with the duchess," Maxwell said. "She obtained them a few months following the late duke's demise. It was the first sign to many of us that she was stepping into her role as mistress of the house. Since the late duke died on her very first night here, it quite understandably took her some time to settle into her new life. She walked around looking very frightened for the first few weeks."
"Frightened," James mused.
"I think any young lady in her situation would have been frightened," Maxwell said.
"Do you think she was frightened that the constables would catch up with her?" James asked. "That they would discover she'd had a hand in the late duke's death?"
"Oh, no, Your Grace," Maxwell said, shaking his head quickly. "We know of those rumors but…none of us on the staff believe that the duchess had anything to do with that. You should have seen her on her first night here. She was such a terrified young thing. It's impossible to imagine that she could have done anything of the sort."
"I have a very good imagination," James said dryly. But he could see that the staff were sure of their opinion of the matter. Maxwell, at least, wasn't going to budge on what he thought about the duchess.
"Well," he continued, "we will have to get rid of the cats. I'm not going to share my home with a pair of wild animals. Sharing it with a wild lady is quite bad enough!"
"The cats are perfectly well behaved," Maxwell assured him.
"You just told me this one walks around as if he owns the place, Maxwell. And it's true. What was he doing in my study? This is not his study. If cats are to be in a house, they ought to be confined to one room, not given the run of the place. I'm not going to have this."
"What would you have me do, Your Grace?"
"I've told you. Get rid of it."
Maxwell hesitated.
"What?" James demanded.
"Well, it's just that…I know how much the cats mean to the duchess," Maxwell said. "I couldn't bring myself to simply turn them out. I think it would break her heart."
"You're refusing?"
"I'm asking you not to require this of me," Maxwell said. "Please, Your Grace. If it must be done, please find someone else to do it. I couldn't do it to the poor lady."
"I didn't realize my staff felt suchpityfor her."
"Your Grace, you must remember that we've served her loyally for two years. We do serve you now, and happily so, but I personally can't simply forget or set aside all the time I spent in service to the duchess. I do care about her."
"I can't believe this. What's the point in having a staff that's loyal to her over me?"
"Your Grace, if you truly require this of me, I will do it," Maxwell said. "I am simply asking you as a kindness to spare me this task."
James groaned. "I suppose I ought to do it myself," he said. "After all, this is my house, and I ought to have the conviction to be clear about who—and what—I will tolerate living here. I'll speak to her."
