Once Upon a Temptingly Ruinous Kiss - Bree Wolf Page 0,86
time he would not be too late. That this time he would be able to ensure her safety.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Among Family
Darkness had already fallen when Leonora returned home. The moment she stepped inside, loud voices echoed to her ears from the drawing room, jarring her from her thoughts.
Frowning, she closed the door behind her and quickly slipped the cloak off her shoulders. Then she walked toward the commotion, wondering what on earth was happening that had her family in such an uproar. Agitation lingered in the air, and she heard people moving about, quick footsteps carrying them through the room.
Squawk. “Pretty bird. Pretty bird.” Squawk.
Leonora paused at the sound of what could only be another one of Harry’s pets. Truth be told, Leonora could not remember her sister having a parrot. However, Leonora had been gone most of the afternoon, and judging from experience, that was plenty of time for Harriet to acquire a new pet.
Suppressing a laugh, Leonora moved forward and pushed open the door. Inside, she found more or less what she had expected.
Almost her entire family was assembled there, talking, even arguing. Only her grandmother sat in an armchair in the corner by the fireplace, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes and utter amusement painted all over her face as she watched the scene. Jules stood near the door with Louisa and Phineas, who still wore their coats, just like Harriet, who was currently locked in a bit of an argument with Christina.
Leonora guessed that the three of them had been out for the afternoon and somehow encountered a mostly red-feathered parrot, presently seated on the armrest of the settee. It seemed to be watching the commotion with a keen eye and almost as much interest as Grandma Edie. Occasionally, it would rake one of its long talons through the feathers on the back of its head, making it look as though it was scratching its head in thought.
Squawk. “Pretty bird. Pretty bird.” Squawk.
“You cannot be serious, Harry!” Christina exclaimed full of indignation as she stared at her sister in disbelief. “A parrot? Truly? Don’t you think you have enough pets by now?”
Shrugging out of her coat, Harriet all but tossed it onto the settee. “What is it to you, Chris? You—”
“What is it to me?” Christina demanded, hands on her hips now as she leaned forward and all but glared at her sister. “For a reason I will never understand, somehow your pets always end up in my chamber, sometimes even in my bed. Do you even know where that toad of yours is at present? Do you?” Harriet opened her mouth to reply, but Christina would not allow her. “I will tell you where! Your precious Prince Charming is currently trapped in the left-hand drawer of my vanity.” She threw up her hands. “Don’t ask me how it got in there!”
Harriet gawked at her sister. “You trapped him in a drawer? How could you?” Then she spun on her heel and rushed out the door, Christina following on her heels. The argument continued on as they hurried across the foyer and then up the stairs, heading toward Christina’s bedchamber.
“I’ll see to them,” Jules mumbled and then excused herself.
Turning back toward the rest of her family, Leonora smiled, heaving a deep breath of relief to find herself distracted from her own troubles. “Where did she find the parrot?” she asked looking at Louisa and Phineas.
Phineas merely chuckled, exchanging a meaningful glance with his wife.
“We went to Hyde Park,” Louisa began to explain, an amused smile tugging on her lips as she spoke. “Harriet had decided that it was time to release Sir Lancelot into the wild and—”
“The wild?” Phineas asked with a laugh. Then he shook his head and marched across the room to seat himself next to Grandma Edie. A moment later, the two of them stuck their heads together, deep in conversation.
Louisa smiled after her husband in a way that made Leonora ache all of a sudden, but she quickly pushed that longing away and refocused her attention. “So, Sir Lancelot is no longer with us?”
Louisa shrugged. “For now. Honestly, it wouldn’t surprise me if that creature were to find its way back here.”
“Although, you must admit, Sir Lancelot always seemed rather reluctant to remain with us, wouldn’t you say?” Leonora inquired, remembering how often she had seen her youngest sister chase after the rabbit.
Louisa nodded in agreement, and Leonora turned her attention to the parrot still sitting upon the arm rest of the settee.