Six tall, handsome commanding men, staring down their noblenoses at him cowered in an alley.
They were led by the king.
Buttersnatchstared in shock up atthe mightyNoctorno, knowing it was his end andfeeling a strange sense of pride he would meet it at the edge of a royal blade.
“Fancy serving your king?”his monarch asked.
Buttersnatchblinked into the fog.
Another, stranger sense of pride stole through him, and hewas surprised at how strong it was.
This meant he straightened from his squat.
Only to bend forward and bow.
Epilogue
Let’s See about You
Loren
They rode up to the back of the house.
It did not bode well to see his wife standing in the opendoorway, Carling lurking at her shoulder, her arms crossed on her chest, herlovely face set to, as they put it in her world, really seriously pissed off.
He grinned.
She caught it and looked even angrier.
“Carling!Break out the whisky,” Marlow ordered.
“Do that first, milord, or call a physician?”Carling askedin return.
“Physician,” Middy scoffed through a broken lip.
“We had a deal, you and me,”Satrinecalled to her husband.
They reined in, and his four brothers were much swifter indismounting than he.
Corliss’s stable boy rushed forward to grab the reins.
Loren took his time sauntering to his wife, who barely movedas his friends slid by her into the house, Croft being the last and sending hima “best of luck” expression.
Carling followed them.
Loren stopped in front of her.
“I’m notsurewhat you findamusing!”Theyheard Mary say loudly and imperiously from inside.“My niece was ina state.There’s nothing amusing about a lady ina state.No, you there, alsograb a bottle of brandy.We’re out in the parlor, and I’m parched.”
They waited, and when no more could be heard from the house,she started it.
“I wasn’t in a state.”
“I’ve no doubt.”
And he didn’t.It would take a lot more than theiractivities that night to shake hisSatrine.
“You’re bleeding,” she told him something he knew.
