In Magician's Embrace [BOOK 1 of Price Family Saga]

4. Chapter (At The Red Cat)

"In yonder abode resides Lady Kendall, a faithful friend and correspondent of our mother. May God shield us from her," Felix said with a touch of irony, eliciting laughter from Daniel.

"Draw the curtains, for she may yet glimpse us and hasten our betrothals," he advised his brother, glancing out the window onto the bustling London street. "Much remains unchanged in this place," Daniel remarked.

"Nay, dear brother. From tadpoles, these maidens have blossomed into exquisite women," replied Felix with an admiring tone.

Daniel shook his head disapprovingly and spoke with disappointment, "Do you never tire of fixating on skirts?"

"'Tis not merely the skirts that captivate my attention," he replied, a wide smile playing upon his lips, mischief dancing in his eyes.

"Ah, it had not occurred to me," Daniel grinned wryly.

"Shall I, then, bind my eyes with a black ribbon so as to see nought?" quipped his younger brother dramatically, gesturing with flair.

"By all means, give it a try. Perchance it shall prove beneficial," the elder brother continued to jest.

Felix sighed, leaning back against the carriage seat and spoke in a feigned melancholy tone, "Very well! Yet, I am willing to do so solely to spare my gaze from beholding your unsightly face," earning himself a sharp jab from his brother.

"Come now, cease being so serious," chuckled Felix.

"As an heir to the duchy, I must exercise restraint. Better late than never," said Daniel, noting his brother's sceptical expression.

"We are not in the public eye now, Daniel. Besides, whose favour do you seek to gain with such amiable conduct?" The younger of the Grays inquired.

"Mainly father's and mother's, as usual," his brother replied and were it not for the confines of the carriage, he might have added a touch of sarcasm with a bow.

Felix chuckled and retorted, "If I am the great seducer and jester, then you, dear brother, are an even better actor and a dissembler."

"You hold yourself in high regard," Daniel remarked, not allowing him to continue as he had caught sight of something. "How intriguing," he mused.

"What catches your eye?" Felix asked, attempting to locate the object of his brother's interest, though his view was mostly obstructed by his brother's head.

"A charitable orphanage in such a respectable quarter is a rare sight indeed," replied Daniel, signalling the coachman to halt.

Children, not only those from the orphanage, had gathered before a handsomely adorned edifice. Some sat upon small benches facing an impromptu stage. The stage played host to a theatrical production depicting a prince rescuing a fair princess from a formidable six-headed dragon. While several children performed on the stage, a small, ragged boy with tattered ribbons meandered through the crowd, proffering his cap for voluntary contributions. The simple tale evoked smiles upon the faces of both young and old, yet only a handful deposited coins into the boy's cap. As the child drew closer to the carriage, Daniel beckoned him forth.

"Will you lend support to our charitable cause, sir?" The boy inquired, a smile adorning his face.

"Indeed, young lad."

Placing within the cap a sum far weightier than the boy's hands had grown accustomed to, Daniel discerned the widened child's eyes in astonishment. When their gazes met once more, wonder robbed the boy of speech, causing the cap to tremble within his small grasp.

"I-I thank you in the name of Saint Angelica's Orphanage. Please come to our forthcoming performance," the boy stammered before hastening toward the stage where two elder ladies, surely the matrons of the orphanage, stood.