KIT
The little menaceI was in love with tucked into her roast with less smug fanfare than I would have anticipated while a small fistfight occurred at the nearby table. Yes, her cheeks were flushed with victory, but I’d expected at least a few words of excitement.
I was still wavering between absolute awe at her magnificence and the need to beg her to give a damn about her own safety.
We continued in silence, consuming but not enjoying our merely edible meal.
Davina’s fork clattered to her plate, which caught the attention of no one but me, while another entire table’s worth of dishes and glasses fell to the floor nearby. But her single utensil yanked my gaze from my plate.
“Oh, for the love of— Just have at it,” she demanded.
“Have at what?”
“Whatever lecture you’re working on. I know I shouldn’t have done it, but I couldn’t resist. And they were intending to fleece you of every scrap of coin you had.”
“I wasn’t working on a lecture. And I know, that’s why I said no.”
“They weren’t going to accept your no. And of course you are.”
Ambrose groaned as his compatriots managed to down him, directly into what was probably once a bowl of soup but was now a puddle of soup and broken china.
I turned back to her. “If I were to stress to you how essential your safety is to me, explain precisely how many grey hairs I’ve found that are entirely your fault, press your hand to my chest so you can feel the way my heart still has not recovered, would it stop you from running headfirst into the next one?”
“Probably not,” she replied. I thought I caught a bit of sheepishness in her tone, but that might have been wishful imagining.
“Then why would I bother? I’m merely glad I was there to step in if need be.”
“That’s it?”
“Oi! A little help here,” the sweaty man called over to me as he clung to one foot and the fuchsia-faced one clung to the other.
“Put your back into it,” I called over. To Davina, I added, “That’s it. Do I wish you were more concerned with your own well-being? Absolutely. But we have one, perhaps two days left together. Why would I waste them on unpleasant, fruitless endeavors? I’d rather waste them on pleasant, fruitless endeavors.” I added what I hoped was a rakish grin, but it was unfamiliar on my face and I rather worried it was a bit silly. Davina’s giggle all but confirmed it.
Before she could respond, the maid stopped by the table. She tipped her head toward the three men writhing in the messof supper. “Any chance you can assist in removing those three before they destroy the entire place? Ernie ain’t what he used to be.” She pointed a thumb at the ancient barman. “Dinner and as many drinks as you want will be on the house.”
“Can I hit the blond one while I do it? Just once.” Then I recalled the way he’d implied Davina was a whore. “Eh, maybe fifteen times.”
“You’ll hear no complaints from me.”
I sighed and tossed my napkin on the table. Davina rose to follow. “Stay there, there’s broken… everything.”
For once in her life, she listened to reason and sat back down, then turned her chair to face the fray. She propped an elbow on the table and rested her chin on it, settling in to watch the show.
Ruddy and Sweaty were still clinging to the other man’s thrashing legs while he smacked them about the ears. I rounded the top of him, my boots crunching in dishware. I bent down and wrapped both arms under his shoulders and heaved. I managed to get him partly upright before the weight of three—not particularly small—men became too much. “Would you louts let his legs go? We’re taking this outside.”
It took them a moment to obey, but then they released him at the same time and I nearly stumbled back at the lighter weight of my singular charge. When I regained equilibrium, I marched him outside, his arms flailing between us.
He was covered in bits of food and soaked with drink. There were stains I suspected were blood from broken glass and I struggled to ensure at least a few inches of space between us. The other two men followed, equally covered in food. I shoved him away and he stumbled to a knee. Glancing down, I saw that I hadn’t escaped their mess. My waistcoat and shirt had bits of Lord only knew what all over. This trip hadn’t been kind to my wardrobe.
Ambrose righted himself, turning on me. “You! You and your strumpet!”
As much as I joked, as much as I wanted to mill the man before, Ihadn’tintended to do so. It was something of a surprise when one moment he was glowering at me and the next he was on the ground.
It took a moment for the pain in my hand to register. I’d struck him. I’d never struck anyone. No matter how many times I fantasized about pommeling Hugh during settlement negotiations for Katie, I hadn’t actually done it. I shook my hand out, waiting for the pain to worsen or subside.
Now that he was down, the other two had found a second wind and were smacking him pathetically.
I dragged my uninjured hand through my hair just as Davina appeared at my other side. She caught my hand in hers, examining it. A soft thumb traced my knuckles, before working my thumb back and forth.
