Page 84 of Nightshade

“It is riveting conversation. You are missing out.”

Discourteous laughter burst out of her, affecting her step, and she stumbled after him. “I insist you show me, then.”

Another glance, and he smirked. “As you wish.” Releasing her hand, he whistled at a bird, a large black bird, which sat on a branch of a tree on the path ahead. He cleared his throat. “Pardon the intrusion. I just wondered if you could point me in the direction of the Van Croix Estate.”

Hand slapped to her mouth, Lustina couldn’t muffle her laughter.

The bird remained silent, as she expected, watching the two of them.

“You are making me look like a fool,” Jericho said.

“Perhaps he is not in the right mood.” She giggled and swallowed back the urge to laugh harder. “You have to stroke their ego a bit, you know. Let me try.” When Jericho waved her on, she sauntered up alongside him. “Oh, handsome bird, will you not grace us with your magnificent and charming conversation?”

At the bird’s silence, she bent forward on a laugh.

“Nice try, fledgling. But perhaps he does not require such exuberant stroking. Some of us males take offense to such assumptions.”

“I am no fledgling. I can assure you, I have had lots of experience stroking males.”

The smile on the baron’s face dissolved to a frown. “Are you telling me you have lain with one? Many, at that?”

“Does it surprise you?”

He rolled his shoulders back, clearly affected by her comment. “Who are these unfortunate souls that I shall now have to hunt down?”

“At the moment, only one. And well, he is very sly. And mischievous.” The descriptions seemed to stoke his irritation, as his jaw shifted and clenched. “And when he crawls into bed beside me, he almost always takes up more space than he should.”

“I demand his name.”

Sighing, Lustina pranced ahead of him, casually running her palm over a tall flowerhead. “I am afraid I cannot give it to you, seeing as I have grown quite fond of his company and would hate to see him hunted.”

He lurched toward her. “You will tell me, or I’ll be forced to take a more severe approach.” His jealousy shouldn’t have tickled her the way it did, and she wanted to smack herself for taunting him that way.

“And what would you do? String me up for a lashing? You have already said you would not raise a hand to me.”

Hands in his pockets, he strode up to her, backing her against a nearby tree with nothing more than his proximity. “There are other ways to torment a woman. Now, tell me the name of this stranger who’s trounced on what is mine.”

“What is yours?”

“You heard me correctly.”

“All right, then.” Lips pursed, she tried her best not to laugh while saying his name. “Fergus.”

When he furrowed his brow, Lustina nearly broke into laughter once again. “Fergus? And where do I find this Fergus?”

“The woods, most likely. He meanders into the meadow from time to time.”

The crease of his brow deepened. “The meadow.”

“That is where the mice are. The big fat ones, anyway.”

The tension in his shoulders eased, and he looked past her, as if finally realizing who Fergus was. “This man who sleeps with you. Would he happen to possess feline qualities?”

Feigning thoughtfulness, she nodded. “Definitely.”

“Then, you have not lain with human males.”

She tapped her chin, as if to contemplate the question. “No. I do not believe I have. My apologies, you did not specify what kind of male.”