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O nly Regina’s hand in his gave Leo the will to put up with the absolute mayhem he unleashed with those words.

“Thank the lord for that. I thought it would never happen,” Aunt Theodosia said loudly, and he fought the urge to roll his eyes.

She was outrageous, but he supposed he was in good company because what he had just done broke every single rule there was, and he was likely going to break more before he was finished.

“What did you just say?” Harrison asked, his face slack with disbelief.

Leo couldn’t blame him. He could hardly believe he was doing it himself, but Regina Mason wanted him, so there was no way he wouldn’t stand his ground. Even if he felt like a fox facing down hounds. He had never felt so endangered in his entire life and he absolutely hated it.

“I believe you heard me.”

“Have you lost what little mind you have?” Harrison asked.

“Regina, what is going on, what is he saying?” her mother asked in Marathi, watching them with a mixture of concern and outrage. Captain Mason was harder to read.

Harrison’s mother was less so. Without even an attempt at civility she sneered at him. “That Barony is one of the oldest in the country. The day it passes to one of your ilk is the day herds of swine take flight.”

“Then there will be pork in the treetops come morning,” he replied even as his stomach clenched in warning.

“Leo, what is going on?” Regina asked and the older woman rounded on her, her beady little eyes fixed on their joint hands.

“And you, are you so simple that you believe this twaddle? Or are you too much of a wanton to care about what is fit and right?”

“Don’t speak to her that way,” he started to take a step forward, but Regina squeezed his hand drawing his attention.

“Is it true?” She was only looking at him, tears in her eyes. Terrified of believing what he was saying. Or perhaps terrified it wasn’t real. Either way, she only wanted to know his response. She was here with him, trusting him even though she didn’t understand.

He nodded and then her mother walked up and yanked her hand out of his.

“We are leaving.” She said brusquely in her native tongue, pulling Regina along with her.

“Aai, wait,”

“No, enough. We are leaving now.” Mrs. Mason insisted, sending one glare at him over her shoulder.

Regina tried to unlock the almighty grip her mother had on her but when her father took her other arm she gave up, sending him a desperate parting glance.

“Regina.” Her name tumbled off his lips as she was pulled further away, all his attention focused on her dark pleading eyes.

“Yes, do leave,” Mrs. Harrison called after them. “They had no business being here in the first place. I can’t imagine what that previous Baron was thinking opening a door to those savages.”

“She is clearly a better judge of character than you, Alyssia,” Aunt Theo said as her nephew Albert wheeled her closer. “She took one look at your lack luster progeny and knew something had to be wrong.”

“You are raving, old woman,” Mrs. Harrison continued.

“Perhaps, but his claim is something I can prove.” Aunt Theo nodded at him, a new light in her eyes. Was that pride? Was that meddlesome little harpy proud? Why did it matter to him so much?

Edward and his mother stared at her in disbelief. “That is impossible.”

“I think you mean improbable,” Aunt Theo replied sparing them a glance before looking Leo up and down with a smirk. “Well done you.”

Her audacious approval in the face of their outrage shocked a chuckle out of him. The tightness in his chest was easing a little now. He wasn’t actually alone in this.

“You knew about this? About him?” Harrison growled.

“I knew before he did.”

“I’m going to kill you for this, you meddling old bitch.”

“This near the grave?” She shook her head and gave her nephew a pitying look. “You’d be doing me a service.”

He took a menacing step forward and Leo moved between them. She was a ‘meddling old bitch’ to be sure but she was also a fragile old woman and there was no way he would let him put a hand on her.

“Easy,” he warned.

“And you. If you think I am going to stand for this, you had better think again. I don’t care what so-called evidence you have.”

“I don’t think the rumor mill will be enough to fix this one for you, Edward.”

He smiled. “You think that piece of paper you have will stop me? I take what’s mine, Kingston, one way or another.”

“That would be impressive if anyone wanted what you have,” Leo replied. “The title is mine by law.”

“For now. That title has belonged to others as well.”

Something in Edward’s eyes had the hair on the back of Leo’s neck standing up. A coolness that went past the typical disdain he’d seen in the eyes of those who deemed themselves his betters. Edward spat at his feet, turned on his heel and stalked away, his mother following closely behind.

Those words made Leo wonder if the rumored curse associated with the barony had an all too human genesis. He’d worried about others harming Regina because of his coming forward, but now it seemed the trouble was closer to home than he’d originally thought.