Rejar eyed the plate of liquid warily. He was hungry; it was true. However, he preferred eating in his natural form. Not a possibility at this moment.

Resigned, he began lapping at the rich nourishment, not doing a very neat job of it.

"Oh, my."

Rejar looked up, cream dripping from his whiskers.

Lilac put a hand to her lips, giggling. "You're something of a piggy, aren't you?"

Rejar narrowed his eyes at her.

Unaware of his glowering look. Lilac picked up her cloth napkin. "Would you let me wipe your face?" Very gently, she blotted the cream off, tapping his nose with a linen-covered finger when she was done. "There; you're quite handsome again."

The cat swished his tail.

"You may say thank-you."

Thank-you. Looking slyly up at her, he quickly licked her hand.

"How sweet! You know, I really do need to name you. Let me see..." She tapped her chin. "How about... Rejar?" She p.r.o.nounced the strange name: ray-jhar.

Lilac blinked. Where on earth had that come from?

The cat purred loudly.

Hmm. He seems to like it. What an odd name to think of... Well, it seems to suit him. "I guess Rejar it is."

Replacing the tray on the stand, she threw back the covers and walked over to the window overlooking the garden, delighted by what she saw. "Auntie's lilacs have bloomed! Come look, Rejar!"

As if he understood her, the cat jumped down from the bed, crossed the room, and leapt onto the window seat.

Rejar noted the alternating cl.u.s.ters of purple and white flowers blooming on the large bushes which rimmed the walled-in garden. Lilacs. So, she was named for a flower. Would they smell as sweet as she? He doubted it.

"Aren't they beautiful?" She sighed.

You are well named, he agreed.

"Let's spend the entire morning in the garden! You can lie in the sun on your fat belly and I'll read to you from James Weatherby's Introduction to a General Stud Book."

Stud? Adeeann had once referred to him in such a way. Perhaps he would find out what she had meant.

In any case, he would stay close by Lilac until he felt more comfortable with his surroundings, at which point he would begin to explore. Familiars always liked to thoroughly know their territory before venturing forth. Besides, staying in the garden sounded like a good way to- Fat belly?!

Rejar was incensed. Did the woman not recognize solid muscle when she saw it? he grouched, pacing.

Eager to be outside, Lilac dashed over to her dressing room, completely missing the fact that the hair on the cat's back was standing straight up in the air as he padded across the floor.

And his ears were down flat.

Lilac raced down the hallway, book in hand, looking forward to spending time in the garden with her new pet. She sprinted to the stairs. The frisky cat playfully scissored back and forth between her legs.

His frolicsome sport caused her to laugh out loud. What a tricky little imp!

She was still laughing when they reached the downstairs hallway, both of them skidding around a corner together.

"Lilac." Auntie Whumples stood just outside the sitting room door.

Discretely wagging an admonishing finger at her niece for her very unladylike behavior, she continued on in a louder voice, "Look who has come to visit with you-it's our Lord Creighton."

Lord Creighton stepped into the foyer from the sitting room.

The smile instantly died on Lilac's face.

"Good morning. Miss Devere." Executing a perfect bow, the obnoxious lordling proceeded to examine her with his ever present quizzing gla.s.s.

Lilac frowned. Lord Creighton examined everything with his quizzing gla.s.s. The insufferable boor!

What was he doing here? She thought she had been quite obvious in denouncing his attentions. Good lord, she had turned down every single invitation the c.o.xcomb had issued to her! What more did it take?

Always in fashion, Lord Creighton was dressed in the blue coat and buff-colored waistcoat that Brummell had decreed was de rigueur for gentlemen's morning wear. His mousy brown hair was cut fashionably short with the curls in the front tousled just so over his forehead. His cravat was perfectly tied and so stiff, it seemed he was having trouble seeing over the foolish thing. Lilac sighed forlornly.

Who is this interloper? Bristling, Rejar observed the dandy before him. He snorted derisively at the man's short hair. What kind of eunuch cut off his hair? Where was his masculine pride?

He did not seem like much of a man to him.

Did he not know that the hunt had begun and a Familiar had already marked his "prey"? Lilac had taken him in. Now she was his to capture.

If the foolish man thought to interfere between a Familiar and his ...

Well, he did so at his own peril.

Besides, he did not like the way the flug was peering at her through that tiny piece of gla.s.s!

"And what have we here?" Lord Creighton made the unfortunate mistake of kneeling down to get a closer look at the cat through his quizzing gla.s.s.

Rejar arched his back, emitting a low, threatening growl at the man, his blue and gold eyes flashing. Lord Creighton jumped back, his face going deathly pale.

"Zounds! Miss Devere, is-is it dangerous?"

Lilac looked speculatively at her cat. Hmm... Maybe it can accomplish what I apparently cannot.

She bent toward Lord Creighton in a confidential mien. "Only if provoked, my lord. You won't provoke him, will you?" She spoke as if frightfully concerned for his welfare.

Lord Creighton's tiny eyes almost popped to normal size. "What-" he ran a finger around his tight collar, swallowing-"what exactly provokes him, Miss Devere?"

Lilac bit her lip as if she were pondering the dilemma. "We haven't quite figured that out yet."

His lordship gulped at Lilac's words but bravely stood his ground. Lord Creighton considered himself a Man of the World. T'wouldn't do to appear squeamish in front of the miss.

Rejar chuckled to himself. So, his little minx was trying to be rid of the flug. Too obvious, my Lilac. I will have to teach you about subtlety. He almost purred aloud at the enticing idea.

At that moment, Lilac turned a beseeching gaze to the cat, hoping against all hope that her pet would help her out by being obnoxious to the dandified twit.

You want me to help you with this one? Rejar made a great show of yawning.

Why, oh why, did a cat never do what you wanted him to? Lilac rolled her eyes in disgust. She'd just have to handle the c.o.xcomb on her own. "Lord Creighton, I was just going into the garden-"

"Without your parasol?" Auntie Whumples t.i.ttered at her disapprovingly.

"I quite agree." Lord Creighton shook his head firmly. "We wouldn't want to spoil this lovely complexion, would we?" Surprising Lilac, Lord Creighton ran a clammy finger down the curve of her cheek.

Rejar c.o.c.ked his head to one side. Ah, so the flug believes he has the right. I think, not. You give up on me too easily, Lilac. ...

The cat suddenly hissed, surprising everyone.

Whereupon he stood calmly watching as his lordship leapt three feet in the air.

Upon landing, Lord Creighton glared at the wretched beast from a safe distance of several feet. Trying to recover his composure, Creighton then affected what he considered a strong, masculine pose, making him look as if he had swallowed a bad piece of mutton.

"We should retire to the sitting room, my dear. I fear the strong sun might be too harsh for your frail const.i.tution."

Frail const.i.tution? Rejar let his expert gaze skim the voluptuous lines of Lilac's curvaceous form. The man was a half-wit. He would wager this const.i.tution would go all night long with him.

This time he did purr at the very thought.

Lilac was fuming. She was not going to get rid of him! Her shoulders slumped as she followed "his boorishness" into the sitting room.

Giving the appearance of extreme feline boredom, Rejar made a great production out of stretching before he finally got up to follow.

His blue eye twinkled. This should prove most amusing.

Lord Creighton sat sprawled in the middle of the old-fashioned Queen Anne settee.

To Lilac's irritation, the dandy never failed to sniff disdainfully at the outmoded decor of the sitting room. So what if their furnishings were not "all the crack"? She liked the way the room looked and felt! Bother Lord Creighton and the rest of the ton with their silly expectations!

"More tea, my lord?" Auntie Whumple's voice came from somewhere in the shadows of the room. While proper behavior decreed she must chaperone, she didn't want to appear to be too intrusive.

"No, thank you, Lady Whumples. I'm quite finished." He fastened his small eyes on Lilac. "Miss Devere, I was wondering; will you be attending the Stanhope's soiree?"

"When is it?" As she spoke. Lilac noticed the cat jump onto the back of the settee behind Lord Creighton's head. He settled himself comfortably across the rim, half-leaning against the man's shoulders.

Lord Creighton froze the instant he realized the wretched beast was actually leaning against him. The position brought the animal frightfully close to his throat. He gulped nervously.

"Lord Creighton?" Lilac prompted.

"Ah ... yes. It's the Friday after next."

The cat began swishing his tail. Up. Down. Up. Down. Lord Creighton gave her a sickly smile.

"I haven't been invited," she replied. Thank G.o.d.

"Yes, well, that can be remedied, you see, I-" A bushy tail draped across the top of his head, hanging down over his forehead.

Being a gentleman, Lord Creighton was obliged to ignore it.

"I-I thought I might-"

The tail began to seesaw atop his head in an undulating motion. Up. Down. Up. Down.

"That is, if your-"

Lilac tried her best not to laugh. She truly did.

But when the tip of the cat's tail reared up to wave at her from the vicinity of Lord Creighton's eyebrows, she was undone. She clutched her stomach, peels of laughter issuing forth.

"Miss Devere,"-Lord Creighton looked concerned-"are you quite all right?"

"Yes, yes, I'm fine." She wiped the corner of her eye, trying to regain her composure. From the corner of the room, she thought she heard Auntie Whumples stifle a few t.i.tters of her own.

"You were saying, my lord?"

"Perhaps you would care for some snuff to calm you?" He reached into his coat pocket with his left hand and held a little enameled box out to her.

Lilac detested snuff. She thought it the most disgusting of habits. "No, thank you. I do not partake of snuff."

"May I?"

She waved her hand, indicating he should please himself.

Lord Creighton began to prepare himself for the fine show he was about to perform to impress her.

Carefully, his left hand held and opened the tiny box. With a movement Lilac knew he must have practiced before a mirror for hours to accomplish, he let the dainty lace of his sleeve flutter against his pampered right hand as he ever-so-carefully raised a pinch to his quavering nostrils for a delicate snort.

Rejar was stupefied.

His mouth parted in disbelief as he watched the bizarre ritual. What was the zorph-brained fool doing? Did he actually think to impress a woman with this ridiculous display?

Wait. What if the powder had magical qualities of some kind? It could even be ... an aphrodisiac. This required research.

Rejar leaned over Lord Creighton's shoulder to get a better look at the mysterious powder. He stuck his head close to the still-opened box to see what curious secret he would uncover.

Lord Creighton, suddenly noticing a huge cat head looming over his shoulder, gave an involuntary jump, sending a cloud of snuff into the air and all over the inquisitive kitty's face.

Lilac winced as the poor cat instantly reared off the couch howling and sneezing.