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Leo grunted and River smiled. However, it died instantly when Nora turned her fierce gaze on him. "And you, stop trying to provoke him. I understand it's difficult to find your sister suddenly married, let alone making a life more than a hundred years before you were born. But talk with any of us and you'll receive answers. It's really that simple."
He blinked. It'd been a long-ass time since someone had given him a scolding.
Although Nora wasn't done and looked at him and Leo in turn. "And there are rules for dining when we're together. Since I'm in charge of the menus, and ensure you eat every day, you follow them. That includes no cursing or referring to inappropriate topics." Her cheeks heated. "Sexual congress being one of them. Body parts are another." She glanced between him and Leo. "Understood?"
Part of him wanted to laugh at the prim look on her face, mostly because he'd love nothing more than to replace it with something better, such as her crying out his name as she came.
Wait, no. That wasn't going to happen, except maybe for the one-time claiming.
But he was also intrigued at the tiger that had replaced the timid mouse from earlier. It seemed Nora had her moments, and he wondered what it would be like if she found peace with whatever haunted her and embraced her inner strength full-time.
When Nora raised her eyebrows, Leo finally muttered, "Yes, Nora," and River followed suit.
Yesenia had been biting her bottom lip—no doubt to keep from laughing at them, the witch—but released it to speak up. "Don't take it too hard, River. I had a similar talking to about this not long after I arrived." Her face sobered. "I know it's going to be difficult to try and adjust, finding that balance between who you were in the twenty-first century and the version you create in the late nineteenth. I'm not asking you to completely change who you are—I love how my little brother has grown up—but maybe a little less swearing in public might help people accept you easier. I mean, you want to be a doctor here, right? Then you're going to have to act differently. This is London, not New Jersey."
Knowing she was right, he sighed. "I'll try. But I'll admit, it's a big fu—er, big change." He smiled and shook his head. Not cursing as much was going to be fucking hard. "For most of my patients back in Newark, not swearing would make them distrust me."
Nora asked, "Maybe you could tell us about this Newark? Yesenia had told me of Boston, but it's not in the same state, right?"
"Nah, it's a few states away. But it became home to me, when I was apprenticed at nineteen. I was awed at first at how different things were from Boston, but soon discovered it was where I belonged." He took a sip of his wine. "I miss my friends, and especially my motorcycle."
"What's a motorcycle?" Nora asked.
The corner of his mouth ticked up. "I'm not sure how to describe it so you can understand. I guess like a faster, more awesome mechanical horse?" He looked to Yesenia. "Do they have bicycles here?"
She nodded. "Yes. So it's kind of like a bicycle, but with something that makes it go on its own, and really fast, even faster than trains today."
Nora gasped. "Faster than a train? And that small? Why would you want to mount something so dangerous?"
Not wanting to think of Nora mounting him, River chuckled and focused on his reply. "It's not something I can really put into words well. But I bet if I could get you into some pants and on the back of my ride, you'd hold on to me and learn to love it. There's nothing like the breeze on your skin, the scenery rushing by, and the roar of the engine between your thighs."
Nora's cheeks heated. "So it means riding astride."
He blinked. "Um, yeah?"
Nora shook her head. "Females don't ride horses astride, but sidesaddle. So I don't think females would ride this mow-tuhr-cycle you talk of, even if it existed in this time. Unless we can perch sideways?"
Jesus fucking Christ. Was she being serious? "You ride sideways on a horse? How the fuck don't you fall off?"
Nora sniffed. "I haven't ridden a horse since I was a child. But females use a sidesaddle to accommodate their skirts. It's quite possible to do, even with some speed."
That sounded fucking dangerous, not to mention uncomfortable.
Although he fixated more on the first part of her reply. "Why haven't you ridden a horse since you were a child?"
Leo grunted. "Don't ask her that."
River ignored his brother-in-law and stared at Nora, willing her to answer.
* * *
Nora didn't knowhow they'd ended up at a dreaded question about her past, but somehow River Vale had steered the conversation there.
Everyone working for Leo's gaming hell—The Fated Wheel—knew she didn't leave either side of the building, the public or residence portions, and didn't ever ask why.
She had a feeling Leo had made that clear to any and all who worked for him, to leave her alone unless she sought them out.
It had been one of the conditions of her finally leaving their father's old country house after their sire had died, where she'd rusticated for decades with her son, and had come to live with Leo in London.
