Page 70 of Shining Knight
“He wants to be roaming the grasslands in Africa,” Eugenia muttered under her breath.
“You must admit he is spectacular,” Graham said as he admired the large cat.
“I think he is pining for Duchess,” Edmund said indicating a female lioness in the next cage.
“Can they not be together?” Isabella asked. “How lonely it must be for them, not to mention cold and damp.”
“I told you it was pitiful,” Eugenia agreed.
They continued walking and saw an array of cats– more lions, tigers, and leopards. Eugenia did think they were amazing, she just felt incredibly sorry for them.
“I read that there used to be an elephant and a polar bear here,” Isabella remarked.
“That was several hundred years ago,” Edmund told her. “I would love to see them both, but I am not certain I would enjoy the Arctic.”
“Shall we see the monkeys? They are my favorite species,” Graham said. “I find their intelligence fascinating.”
“I remember Lady Babcock had a pet monkey at her ball last Season, and it was all the rage,” Eugenia said. “It used to sit on her shoulder and chatter at everyone as if it were human.”
“I would have loved to have seen that,” Isabella said, watching the little creatures swing about on some ropes.
“It was quite the spectacle until the monkey decided to swing on the chandeliers. He caused the candles to fall and one of them caught Lady Babcock’s wig on fire!”
Eugenia turned around to describe the scene when a loud screech sounded behind her and the bars began to rattle.
She screamed and jumped as something grabbed onto her bonnet and whipped her head back.
“The monkey wants your hat!” Isabella called.
Graham began to swat at the monkey. Eugenia did not give a fig for the hat; she just could not untie the knot on the ribbons beneath her chin.
“I need a knife!” she cried urgently.
“You cannot kill the monkey,” Edmund said.
“I want to cut the ribbon beneath my chin,” she growled.
The commotion attracted more monkeys to vie for the fake fruit on her bonnet, as well as a crowd to see what was happening. The monkey had a death grip on a banana, and nothing would compel the knot beneath her chin to loosen.
“There is a knife in my boot,” Graham said to Edmund.
Her brother found the knife and opened it but as the blade came near, the monkey continued to try to pry the fruit from her head.
“Be still!” Edmund commanded. Eugenia was not sure if he was speaking to her or the monkey.
Graham continued to swat and tried to pry the little hands—or were they paws—from her hat. Eugenia felt the blade against her skin and closed her eyes while her brother tried to free her.
She heard the cutting of the ribbon and felt the bonnet release from her head. She sagged with relief and Graham pulled her away as the monkeys chattered wildly at their new possession. To her astonishment, they managed to pull it into their cage, and taking it to the far corner, attacked the thing.
“Are you quite well?” Isabella asked, leaning close to study her face.
“Yes, yes,” she reassured everyone. She could not wait until Graham began to tease her about wearing food on her head.
“Do you wish to go home?” he asked.
“I certainly feel no compulsion to remain amongst the menagerie, but you did promise me an ice.”
Graham was never one to leave an opportunity for wit untouched. “As long as you promise not to wear it on your head,” he said quietly, just to her.
