Duty. Did it excuse everything, even such cruelty? If they were not going to listen to her, they would damn well listen to him. He took hold of the boy holding the sack, gripping the skinny wrist until the lad winced. “Miss Stern, you may take the bag now.”
She grabbed it as the youth let go. The other lad advanced menacingly toward her. “We was promised a yellow bob if we brung them cats back dead.”
Someone in the group surrounding them gasped, but Dom was focused on the threat to Miss Stern. “One yellow bob for the two of you?”
Not taking his eyes off the wiggling bag, the youth nodded.
Dom dug into his waistcoat pocket and flipped one coin at the boy as he made a grab for the bag. It landed at his feet. He glanced at the lad whose arm he was still gripping. “Here’s one for each of you. Now leave.”
The boy who’d been holding the kittens appeared as if he wanted to argue but his friend, seeing the frowning faces all around them, pulled him away. After a few short words, the lads left.
Dom addressed the crowd that had gathered around them, “This is no concern of yours.”
He heard a couple of low sniggers made by a few of his acquaintances from White’s. Damnation, this was going to be all around Town by this evening.
“Saving animals now, Merton?” a snide voice remarked. “What will you do next?”
Raising his quizzing glass, Dom slowly surveyed the portly gentleman. His red face clashed with his purple coat, nipped in so tightly at the waist, he must be wearing a corset. “Perhaps I should save you from your tailor, Seymour.”
The man raised his chin. “This is the very latest fashion.”
Dom raised a brow. “Lavender pantaloons with yellow stripes?”
“I’m setting a trend.”
He gave an exaggerated shudder. “Lord save us from your sense of fashion.”
Finally insulted, Lord Seymour huffed off. Dom looked around to see if anyone else required assistance leaving, but the crowd was drifting away. Miss Stern, Louisa, and Charlotte huddled around the bag.
“What are you going to do with them?” Louisa asked.
For the first time Miss Stern seemed a little lost. “I don’t know.”
“We shall take them home with us,” Lady Charlotte offered. “You know how everyone fell in love with Whiskers after you saved her.”
Miss Stern shook her head. “I cannot. I promised Papa I would not bring any stray animals to your house.”
With what Dom could only describe as an evil grin, Louisa glanced at him. “Ask Merton to take them.”
Miss Stern looked up at him, her beautiful green eyes pleading. “I know I am asking a great deal, but would you, my lord? Give them a home?”
At that moment, he would have done anything for her; getting the better of Cousin Louisa was only an added benefit. “Of course. I’m sure they will come in handy.”
The smile Miss Stern gave him was more than the sun, moon, and stars all together. “Thank you. We should get them there quickly. I cannot let them out of this bag until we do.”
“Of course.” Just as he was wondering how he was going to keep them on the curricle after he took her home, Lady Charlotte solved his problem.
“We will all go and make sure they are safe and comfortable.”
As they walked back to the carriages, a barouche was stopped on the verge. Lady Bellamny, one of the Gorgons of theton,nodded. What the devil did that mean?
He inclined his head. “My lady.”
“Glad to see you finally doing something useful, Merton.”
Before he could respond, she signaled for her driver to move on.
A groom standing by the phaeton his cousins arrived in helped the ladies up.
