Page 56 of Lord of Mischief
Chapter Thirty
Freddie managed to find a servant who brought him a large handkerchief with which to stem the blood.With the handkerchief covering his broken face, he left the party via a side entrance, and staggered the short distance home to Grosvenor Square.
He found his way into the kitchen, and after grabbing a jug, filled it with cold water from the pump outside.He rinsed the handkerchief out several times before finally managing to stem the flow of blood from his nose.Saintspreserveus stayed uncharacteristically on his bed in the corner, watching Freddie’s every move.
Freddie ran his finger tentatively along the length of his nose, flinching when it got to the break at the bridge.For all his foppishness, Francis was possessed with a hell of a punch.
When he had seen Trenton greet the Saunders siblings at the ball, he had been filled with fear.He had intended to find Trenton and ask what the devil he was up to, but Francis Saunders’s fist had interrupted his plans.
Dealing with Trenton would have to wait.Freddie’s nose needed attention.
Saintspreserveusfinally rose from his bed and wandered over to Freddie.He nuzzled Freddie’s leg.
“Always my loyal boy,” he said, giving him a pat.
The dog pushed harder against his leg, before finally wandering over to his food bowl and standing beside it.
Freddie groaned.He had been so wrapped up in his worries about feeding himself, he had forgotten about the dog.On the high shelf about the stove, a dog bone was wrapped up in cloth.
“Here you are, lad,” he said, retrieving the bone and placing it on the floor.
As the dog leapt upon the bone with unrestrained relish, Freddie remembered he had not made it as far as the supper table at the ball.The meat on the dog bone looked more appealing than it should.
“Looks like bread and cheese again tonight for me.Enjoy your meat,” he muttered.
Setting his nose again could not wait.Once it became swollen, he would not be able to do it properly.
Using a stack of books, he stood a small hand mirror up on the kitchen table, then took a seat and made himself as comfortable as he could.Having played rugby at school, he had seen plenty of others take a broken nose in hand and set it straight.The thought of moving his bones back into place made his stomach turn.
“Come on, get it done,” he urged himself.
Placing his hands either side of the bridge of his nose, he felt where the nasal bones were out of alignment.He held his breath and pushed hard to the left.Pain shot through his brain.
“Ooh,” he winced.
He sat back and waited for the pain to subside, then leant forward and inspected his face in the mirror once more.His nose looked a lot straighter than it had been a moment earlier.He took a deep breath of relief, then sighed.He could breathe properly once more.
At least I have been able to fix something this evening.
With his face sorted, Freddie could consider the other problem this evening had created.
Eve.
He had only seen her briefly exchange greetings with Trenton, but he doubted Trenton was simply making small talk.
He washed his face and topped up Saintspreserveus’s water bowl.For a moment he stood and looked at the dog as it lapped at the water.
“Hattie was right.You have a ridiculous name.”
With his membership of the Bachelor Board no longer an issue, he didn’t have to inflict such a foolish name on the loyal beast.He bent down beside the dog.
“I think it’s time you and I agreed on a new name.How about Zeus?While you won’t ever be an ancient god, I do think it adds a certain level of gravitas to your impressive size.”
The dog’s ears pricked up.Freddie walked out of the kitchen before stopping at the bottom of the stairs.
“Zeus!Come on, boy,” he called.
The sound of paws and claws scattering on the stone floor came from the kitchen, followed by the appearance of a large head in the doorway.Zeus had a huge grin on his face.
