Page 21 of The Lyon and the Unicorn
The little indents from his teeth had faded, leaving a faint red mark. But unlike the scar on her arm, it was not the mark of ownership, of subjugation, declaring her as nothing more than a commodity to be exploited for the satisfaction of others—it was a mark of desire.
And it was most improper. She could only imagine how Miss Peacock would react to such an act.
But I’m not like Miss Peacock, or those other ladies, no matter how much Mama wants me to be.
“Have you something to tell us, sister?”
She glanced across the carriage to see her brothers staring at her, then lowered her hand and leaned back in her seat.
Cornelius nudged Nathaniel.
“She does, Nate, doesn’t she? I recognize that look on her face.”
“What look?” she asked.
“When you’ve been up to mischief again. What have you done this time?”
“Nothing.”
“Nothing, eh?” Cornelius teased. “I overheard Miss Peacock say you threw a glass of punch over someone because he asked you to dance.”
Her stepfather leaned forward. “Is that so, Clara? Mr. McTavish said he’d encouraged you to do it.”
“Surely you didn’t believe that tale?” Clara’s mother said, laughing. “I daresay Mr. McTavish was being gallant.”
“He seemed something of a savage to me.”
“I found him charming, for all that he’s a little…rough at the edges,” Mama said. “But what matters most is whetherClarafinds him charming.”
“Tuffers thinks highly of him,” Nathaniel said. “He’s his cousin, you know. Tuffers calls him the unicorn.”
“Why unicorn?” Clara asked.
Nathaniel rolled his eyes. “Don’t you know your history? King James V was known as the unicorn.”
“You’re making it up,” Clara said. “There was no King James V.”
“That’s where you’re wrong,” Nathaniel replied. “He was King of Scotland when Henry VIII was King of England. Papa might remember—aren’t you old enough to have known him?”
“Less of that, young man,” Clara’s stepfather said. “You’re not too old to be given the strap.” He winked at Clara.
“Who’s King of Scotland now?” Clara asked.
“The same as the King of England,” Cornelius said. “The crowns were united when James I took the throne. He was James VI of Scotland, you know. So, you see, therewasa JamesV. Nathaniel isn’t lying—this time, at least.” He gave his brother a push. “Stop teasing her—she can’t help not knowing. She’s learned twice as much over the past few months than you’ve learned in a lifetime.”
Clara’s cheeks warmed at the reference to her past. But her stepbrothers loved her regardless, weathering her behavior when she’d arrived at Pittchester Castle, a savage creature, all teeth, claws, and curses, determined to hate everything and everyone.
Nathaniel grinned, a wicked glint in his eyes.
“The unicorn’s a magnificent beast, you know,” he said. “He has a single horn.”
“I know,” Clara said.
“A verypotenthorn. You can tell us about it when he shows it to you.”
“Nathaniel Martingale, I’m warning you,” Papa Harcourt growled. “If you’ve nothing sensible to say about Mr. McTavish, I suggest you keep quiet. I’m not above tossing you out of the carriage and making you walk the rest of the way home.”
Nathaniel folded his arms and sat back.
