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She nodded once and when his arms fell away, leaving her too exposed to the sudden chill in the air, she followed suit, wrapping her arms around herself and taking a step back.

She wouldn’t cry, she told herself. He needed a partner, not a child to comfort.

If she meant to be his wife and his equal, then she would show him her strength now.

With burning eyes, she turned and walked back towards the house, refusing to look back.

*

Two days. It took two days for his name to be registered and the title to be officially transferred to him.

It was a little alarming how fast it had gone.

Apparently, The Crown had been only one step behind Aunt Theo which only spoke to the level of efficiency the woman operated at.

At the conclusion of that bit of business, Basil, newly back from his honeymoon in France, had insisted upon taking him and Richard out for drinks at his club.

The stares were unnerving, but Leo imagined he’d need to get even more used to those from now on. Just as he needed to get used to the new signet ring on his finger.

“I can’t get over you being a Baron,” Basil mused shaking his head.

“Shut up, Basil.”

“God truly is a comedian,” Richard replied.

“And to think we nearly extended the honeymoon again. I would have missed all of this.”

“You’re welcome.” Richard saluted him with his glass.

“You had your hand in this as well, Thornfield?” The man was a bloody menace.

“Don’t bother yourself with that, you have your own things to be getting on with.”

“Oh?” He was almost afraid to ask.

“Oh yes, a new wardrobe for starters,” he said his eyes sweeping down Leo’s clothing.

“Very true and you’ll have to pick your clubs,” Basil added.

“Clubs?” Did he actually have to join one of those ridiculous things?

“Oh yes, very important for hobnobbing, and we know how much you enjoy that,” Richard wiggled his eyebrows at him and Leo shook his head in annoyance.

“He’s a champion hobnobber,” Basil agreed snickering into his glass of brandy.

“I can’t imagine why I’m friends with either of you.”

“You don’t have to be now.” Richard replied, with a sigh. “You’re officially a son of the nobility, man. Title and all.”

Leo shuddered. “Yes, so it would seem.”

“You could be rubbing shoulders with my parents in no time,” Basil suggested and Leo groaned in response.

They weren’t the worst people he’d met but Basil’s mother had been too much even before Leo became a Baron. The idea of her fawning over him now the title was officially his was exhausting.

“Your mother would love nothing better. She’s been a fan of Leo for some time now,” Richard wiggled his eyebrows.

Basil, bless him, winced. “That could have been my fault. My brother was trying to act as though nothing serious had happened to Ada and Miss Hawthrone when they were taken and I got angry.”

“Thanks for that Bas,” Leo said, raising a glass to him in a mocking toast.

“All joking aside,” Richard said, “I do have the name of an excellent tailor. He’d be only too happy to receive your custom.”

“I suppose I should get something before I leave to go for Regina,” he mused.

Her parents wouldn’t take kindly to his presence at all considering what had happened the last time they met.

He would need to present himself as the undoubted heir, capable of providing all the stability and prestige she needed.

Many things would be different as they took on their titles.

He didn’t really enjoy being around people, it was true enough, but he couldn’t hope to enjoy the anonymity he’d had before. At least he wouldn’t be alone in that. His Rajani. His devika.

“Yes, you are engaged to Miss Regina Mason. Did you know that when you agreed to take the title?” Basil asked.

Leo looked at him in confusion. “What do you mean, Bas? She is the only reason I bothered with this nonsense to begin with.”

Basil stared at him for a moment. “I don’t even know what to say to that.”

“He was half in love with her nearly a month ago.” Richard added.

“That was fast work.”

“Our Leopold is a man of action.”

“She’s a wonderful woman, brave and kind and beautiful.

” He remembered how she had looked the night he came forward.

How beautiful her skin had been against those rich hues.

How she had clung to him after, giving him her trust even when he knew she didn’t agree with his suggestions.

It hadn’t taken long for her to win him over at all.

The silence at the table caught his attention and he looked up to see his two friends staring at him.

Bastards. “She’s considerate of others as well which is a damn sight more than I can say for you lot. ”

“Mmm, I suppose all that is true.” Basil commented, but he didn’t look convinced.

“Some of us are made of sterner stuff, Bas.” Richard commented with a diabolical twinkle in his eye. Leo grinned. Basil would never live down the story of his break neck courtship of Richard’s sister.

“Don’t.” Basil gave him a warning glare.

“It’s true, not every man can be kidnapped by their prospective bride,” Leo added.

“You absolute little shit.”

Leo snickered. “How was the honeymoon with the little abductor, Bas?”

Basil continued glaring at Richard, but nothing could prevent the light in his eyes at the mention of his marriage to Richard’s sister. “It was wonderful. You should consider France for your honeymoon, Leo.”

“I shall.” He’d always wanted to travel more, and he couldn’t think of a better reason.

Basil turned his attention to Richard. “And then I suppose it’ll be you next, eh, Richard?”

Richard gave them both a flat stare. “I beg your pardon.”

“You’ll be the last one standing once Leo here surrenders to his well-chosen fate.” He saluted Leo with his glass and Leo returned the gesture.

Turnabout was fair play after all. “Very true. You should put Miss Hawthorne out of her misery.”

“You noticed that as well?”

All the mirth in Richard’s face evaporated. “What the fuck are you two blathering on about?”

“Melbroke’s beloved daughter, Ada’s best friend, Miss Hawthorne. She is sweet on you.”

He scoffed. “She is nothing of the kind.”

Was Richard truly ignorant of her obvious interest in him? “She stares at you half the evening and smiles at you for the rest of it.”

“She is an only child who sees me as an older brother, nothing more.”

“Ada doesn’t look at you like that” Basil replied and Leo choked back a laugh.

“You certainly seem to have a preference for her company,” Leo added.

“She is an intelligent and charming young woman,” Richard said with a nonchalant shrug.

It was a truly novel experience watching someone as sharp and intelligent as Richard ignore so many obvious signals. “Interesting descriptors.”

“Oh? And which would you choose?”

Basil blinked at him in disbelief. “Imposing? Forceful?”

“Violent?” Leo suggested, thinking of the way she and Ada had perforated the late Mr. Trent with their knives disguised as hairpins.

Richard shrugged. “If you are afraid of her just say that.”

“She’s fucking terrifying.”

“All three of those girls would have given any sane man pause at one point or another. Ada is more stubborn and doggedly determined than a bulldog and Miss Mason’s brain borders on Machiavellian to say nothing of the fact that she is an alarmingly effective liar.

But that didn’t stop either of you from seeing their finer points. ”

Leo glanced at Basil whose eyebrows were high on his forehead. There was something going on with respect to Miss Hawthorne, he was almost certain of it. But he was equally certain that his brilliant and perceptive friend was entirely ignorant of it. Somehow.

“You make a fine point, Richard.” Basil glanced pointedly at Leo.

“Indeed, but it rather proves our point, wouldn’t you say?” Leo asked.

Richard closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh, his mouth tightening in annoyance. “You are both being very tiresome,” he mumbled.

“Kingston!” Harrison called out stalking up to their table.

“Fucking hell,” Basil mumbled leaning back in his chair, and Richard looked to the ceiling and mumbled something under his breath.

“Harrison,” Leo replied easily. He couldn’t pretend he was surprised to see him here or that he would wait until now to make a scene. He probably thought that with all the white men around he was perfectly safe in attacking a peer of the realm in public.

“I thought the custom was to refer to you by your title now that you are a Baron,” Richard said with obnoxious wide-eyed innocence.

Leo tried not to smile; he really did. The man was more likely than not a murderer, but it was a relief not to have to face the attacks alone for once.

“I’ll be damned if I ever call him that,” Harrison hissed.

“Well, that’s between you and the vicar,” Basil replied.

“It’s not enough that you stole my title and my fiancée, now I must suffer you at my club as well?”

“You should be grateful. I hear suffering is good for the soul,” Leo said, while making a mental note to avoid this club at all costs.

“You insolent—”

“In any event, one cannot steal a title. The plain fact is that you were a bit presumptuous in laying claim to it and Miss Mason before the due diligence was conducted by the Crown.”

“Don’t—”

“That is not my fault or my problem.”

“For now. I fixed you once, Kingston. I’ll fix you again. No one takes what is mine, especially not a jumped up little—”

A footman walked up to them, a concerned look on his face. “Excuse me gentlemen, is there a problem?”

“Not yet,” Leo replied, watching Harrison steadily. He didn’t want to fight him, not really, but on the other hand he hadn’t gotten into a fight with Basil and Richard since their school days and he was more than willing to take a trip down memory lane.

“I believe Mr . Harrison was just leaving.” Basil’s tone was cool and sharp as a winter wind. Good old Basil. He wasn’t a scrapper but he was fast enough to dodge a blow and strong enough to land a solid one.