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lioness. She blinked her slanted brown eyes at them and went to pace the railing.
    Primrose let out a long breath.
    Rue wasn’t certain if it was relief at having Percy so well protected or relief at being no longer under the scrutiny of the werecat.
    They found Percy sulking in his library.
    â€œPercy, there you are.” Primrose bustled in.
    Percy looked up. His expression suggested that his sister was akin to some kind of shoe fungus. “Would you care to make any more banal comments?”
    â€œPercy! I was worried about you. So was Virgil.”
    â€œThe answer is clearly yes, banal comments will continue.” Percy was extra grumpy this evening.
    Aren’t we lucky?
“What ho, Percy. I wasn’t worried.” Rue grinned at him.
    â€œWhat happened to make you storm off so?” Primrose was nothing if not persistent.
    Percy was rather fond of Rue, so it was startling to everyone when he rounded on her at this juncture. Rue had never seen such anger on his face and she’d known him since they were in nappies. She took a tiny step back.
    â€œThat French boy of yours! Have you
any
idea what he’s gone and done?”
    â€œQuesnel? Isn’t he still overseas?”
    â€œHe can go to the devil for all I care! What has that to do with anything? Traitorous beast. I don’t know why I’m surprised given his ancestry and inclinations. French
engineer
indeed!”
    Rue and Primrose exchanged looks. All Percy seemed to be accusing Quesnel of was, frankly, being himself. True, Quesnel was theoretically French, but he’d been mostly educated in England. And there was nothing wrong with being an engineer. It’s not like Percy would get his lily-white hands greasy; someone had to keep them floating while he navigated.
    Rue shifted her stance. “Yes, yes, but what did he
do
, Percy?”
    Percy went all broody. “If you don’t know, I’m not going to tell you. I shall enjoy watching you find out exactly as I did. The shock of it. In the meantime, I’ll have my revenge. Just you see if I don’t.”
    He sounded like the villain in a gothic novel. Rue hid a grin. “Percy, darling, I realise, unlike some, that what I don’t know could fill the Library of Alexandria. Hence the reason I keep you around, charming though you may be.”
    Percy puffed a bit at what he took as a compliment.
    â€œOh really, Percy!” Primrose did not find her brother funny. “Do try not to be so
ridiculous
. Have a nice cup of hot tea and you’ll be more the tick in two shakes.”
    â€œI was thinking the same thing.” Rue was slightly concerned about what Percy might do to get back at Quesnel for this perceived slight, but that was Quesnel’s problem. If past experience was anything to go on, Quesnel could handle Percy. He could also rile Percy up like no one else. Since it was clearly some gentlemen thing, Rue refused to dignify it with her concern.
    She pierced Percy with a glare. “So, why are these men looking for you?”
    Percy stopped at that. “Men? What men?”
    â€œExactly what we wish to know.”
    Percy lost some of his pique in confusion. “I’ve no idea what you’re on about, Prudence. Now, I will kindly ask you ladies to leave me in peace. I have some vital research to conduct and I need chatter-free quiet in which to conduct it. Is that my valet skulking in the background?”
    Virgil moved further into the library. “Sir?”
    â€œOh good, I seem to have lost my hat. Find another one? There’s a good lad.”
    Virgil said, “Yes, sir,” in a tone that suggested he was humouring his master. He disappeared into the stacks towards a corner of the room that presumably housed Percy’s wardrobe.
    Rue and Primrose, summarily dismissed and knowing they would get nothing more out of the redhead, made their way out.
    Spoo ran them down in the hallway, rubbing her eyes, short