Page 61 of Eight for Losing, One for Loving

“Oh!” Mrs Rogers shrieked, upon coming in upon the chaotic scene. She spied Mau on top of the dresser and wailed. “No! No, not my best china, oh, n—”

Leo watched the scene unfold as though trapped in some horrible dream where he was frozen to the spot, unable to do anything. He leapt, hoping to grab the stupid dog as it jumped onto the table, thinking itself agile enough to follow Mau up to the dresser’s top. Instead, it skidded across the tabletop, pushing the table over as it jumped inelegantly, and landed on the base of the dresser, before attempting to use the shelves as a ladder to scramble up to get Mau. China crashed down on all sides, the dog's claws scratching the polished oak as it tried to find purchase enough to climb.

Mrs Rogers screamed, threatening criminal proceedings, lawyers, and God alone knew what else as the squire belatedly caught up to them, puffing and red in the face. The squire hauled his dog down from the dresser and carried him out of the room, also shouting threats of suing Leo and his demon-possessed cat. Mau, the provoking creature, sat placidly on top of the dresser and washed his paw.

“Mau!” Leo growled in an undertone.

Mau paused his washing and looked down at him, his expression imperious as he surveyed the devastation in the room with mild surprise.

“Here, Mau,” Leo said, struggling to keep his tone calm.

He needed to defuse this situation as quickly as possible, and he dared not leave Mau loose to cause more chaos. Leo knew, however, that there was more at stake than Mrs Roger’s threats to sue him. He and Mau were well known, and it would not take long for the story to get about, nor the news that Mr Leo Hunt and his wife had been staying at the inn. He needed to get Vi out of here and a ring on her finger with as much haste as possible. That she might be embarrassed, or her reputation tarnished because of him, made Leo feel rather sick.

Mau finished washing his paw before he deigned to move. Then he leapt sinuously down and wound himself in and out of Leo’s ankles, purring. Leo bent and scooped him up, holding on tight. Mau butted his head at Leo’s chest, seeking caresses.

“You must be joking,” Leo told him frankly. “I am not speaking to you. That was very badly done and I’m exceedingly vexed.”

“He’s mad!” Mrs Rogers wailed, pressing a large handkerchief to her face as her staff hurried to comfort her. “He talks to the thing like it understands.”

One of the serving girls putting a glass of brandy into the woman’s hand and guided her to a chair. “I think it does!” Mrs Rogers cried, clutching at the girl’s hand in agitation, before taking a large swallow of the brandy.

Leo hurried out to the tilbury where Vi had captured the second dog, bless her, and was instructing one of the ostlers to lock it in a stall until the squire came back for it.

“Leo!” she exclaimed alarm, hurrying over to him. “Whatever happened? People ran from the inn screaming.”

“Not now, love,” he said tersely. “I need to make reparations and pray no one wishes to sue me as they are threatening to do.”

“Oh no,” Vi said in dismay. “This is bad, isn’t it?”

Leo did not wish to upset her, so he said nothing, only handed Mau into her arms. “Do not let him out of your sight,” he replied, his voice firm.

Vi nodded, and Leo hurried back inside to deal with the squire and Mrs Rogers.

Ten minutes later and Leo’s pockets were empty of all the money Kitty had given him and he had left his address, so any expenses that the amount did not cover could be paid at a later date. He did not doubt Mrs Roger’s china was going to turn out to be some rare variety of porcelain that was nigh on priceless, but he did not care about that. What he could not stop was the gossip.

He was quiet as he drove the tilbury out of the yard and back onto the road. Thankfully, the weather had improved a good deal, and it was a mild day. Glimpses of blue even showed behind the clouds.

Vi reached over and rested her hand on his.

“Don’t worry, Leo,” she said with a smile. “It will be fine. We’ll be married before the end of the day.”

“What if anyone looks into the business and discovers we were not wed during our stay there,” he asked her frankly.

Vi shrugged. “What if they do? My friends and family will not care a button and, if anyone else minds, they can stop speaking to me with my blessing. I do not care to know such judgemental fools.”

Leo could only smile at the superior tone in her voice. He looked at Mau, who had decided it was safer to sleep in Vi’s lap for the time being. The two of them were better matched than they knew.

“I’m glad to hear it, love, but I prefer you are caused no embarrassment. I promised I should never bring you trouble, and we’ve had nothing but.”

“I know,” Vi said, her lips trembling. There was a tone to her voice that he could not quite read. Was she going to cry, or was she trying to keep her temper?

“What is it?” he asked, frowning.

Vi shook her head and bit her lip.

“No, Vi, out with it. If you’re angry with me, I beg you will say so,” he demanded, for she had every right to be furious with him.

She turned her wide blue eyes on him. “A-Angry?” she stammered, then burst out laughing. “Oh—! Oh, Leo, you precious fool. I’m n-not angry. This… This is the most fun I’ve ever had in m-my entire life!”

Leo stared at her, disbelieving for a moment, then he let out a breath of relief and shook his head. “Darling, I would kiss you if I could,” he told her frankly, but there were carriages coming in the other direction and he did not wish to heap more scandal down upon them.

He ought not to have been surprised, however, when Vi reached up a hand, catching him around the back of the neck and pulling him down to her. She kissed him soundly, her lovely eyes glittering with mischief and happiness when she finally released him.

His heart gave a series of uneven beats in his chest as he realised how fortunate he was, just how kind the fates had been. It might be his last life, but it was going to be the very best of them all.