She tried to study him objectively. He was a handsome son of a bitch, no doubt about that. His hair was the same color as wheat right before harvest time, and it curled a little over the back of his collar. As he turned to make a comment to Dora, his profile stood out against the sky, and she decided there was something pagan about it, like the drawing she'd seen of a Viking-a smooth, high brow, a straight nose, and an aggressive line to the jaw.

"… then Sugar Plum pushed the raspberry bonbon away with her nose and picked a lemon one instead. Isn't that the sweetest thing you've ever heard?"

Pugs and raspberry bonbons. The woman was a damn fool. Kit sighed loudly.

Cain glanced back at her. "Is something wrong?"

She tried to be polite. "I don't hold much with pugs."

There was a slight movement at the corner of Cain's mouth. "Now, why is that?"

"You want my honest opinion?"

"Oh, by all means."

Kit darted a disgusted glare at Dora's back. "Pugs are sissy dogs."

Cain chuckled.

"That boy is impertinent!"

Cain ignored Dora. "You prefer mutts, Kit? I've noticed you spend a lot of time with Merlin."

"Merlin spends time with me, not the other way around. I don't care what Magnus says. That dog's 'bout as worthless as a corset in a whorehouse."

"Baron!"

Cain made a queer, croaking noise before he recovered his composure. "Maybe you'd better remember there's a lady present."

"Yessir," Kit muttered, although she didn't see what that had to do with anything.

"That boy doesn't know his place," Dora snapped. "I'd fire any servant who behaved so outrageously."

"I guess it's a good thing that he works for me, then."