That one screech drew out what sounded like a thousand more.
Run, Dare. Just run!
But he stood frozen for all of three seconds before he turned around—and then wished to God he’d run instead.
Something smashed into him. What in God’s green earth?
He stared down at a monkey, who bared its small white teeth and let out a shriek that tried, but failed, to rival the surrounding cries. One of those cries was his, but thank God that one sounded only in his head!
Why the hell was this damn monkey attacking him? No, why the bloody hell wereanimalsattacking him? First the bird. Then the alligator. Now a damn monkey with a red hat on his head.
His hand gripped the fur and yanked.
And tossed the thing, quite accidentally, onto someone else.
Dare’s eyes went wide.
A couple had entered the sphere of madness, and the monkey he had tossed aside now clung to a man’s head, whilst thewoman beside him leaped away with a yelp. What the devil was Calstone doing here? His gaze flicked to Leonora, whose eyes were blazing with laughter, one hand covering her mouth.
“Damn it!” Calstone let out a string of curses. “Get this savage creature off me!”
A portly man rushed forward, yelling, “Monty! Come here, Monty!”
Dare wanted to scowl at the man, but he couldn’t drag his gaze from Leonora long enough for his brows to grow solemn enough. In the end, he couldn’t help but demand, “How the hell does this happen? Are these things even allowed in the theatre?”
The man bowed while rushing forward, almost resembling that of a rocking chair set into motion. Only this rocking chair jiggled and had sweat dripping from his face like rain. “My apologies, my lords.” He dabbed a handkerchief at his face. “Monty is part of the second act, and he escaped.”
“As You Like Ithas a monkey in the play?” That was news to Dare.
“Monty was added last minute for a bit of comedic effect.”
Bloody hell, don’t talk to him about comedic effect! He had never been so humiliated in his life. His gaze flicked at Calstone, who still had the little beast attached to his face.
He instantly felt better.
“Oh, dear,” Leonora seemed to finally breathe through her amusement. She stepped up to the duke.
Dare wanted to protest. He wanted to stop her. Wedge his way in between her and Calstone, but a hand clasped onto his shoulder, keeping him from acting on his impulse and forcing him to watch as Leonora and the portly man fussed over Calstone, finally managing to wrench the monkey off the duke.
“Too many people,” Knox murmured, his grip tightening before he let go.
Only then did Dare notice the gathering crowd that had been attracted by the chaos. At some point, Knox and Drake had joined the fray, both their faces remarkably stoic given the ensuing frolics.
Dare turned from their dour faces only to see Leonora with the duke’s mug between her hands, inspecting his face.
The perfect couple.
He should leave. If ever there were a time to escape, this would be it. But his legs, for some reason, had changed their mind and instead of heading to the door as per their original intention, they now blasted forward to the pair.
Even his arms had developed minds of their own, for he certainly did not instruct his left arm to reach for her and clasp her wrist gently while the other pushed Calstone away hard.
No adequate curse word existed for this moment.
The drop of a pin would echo through the theatre, such was the silence caused by his shocking action. Even the monkey had gone silent, staring at him with big, confused eyes.
You’ve gone and done it now, Dare.
Chapter Twenty
