An Unnatural Vice (Sins of the Cities, #2)

by K.J. Charles

“So you’ll be serving him his knackers fried with green sauce?” She spoke as if it were unquestionable. A wrong was being done; ergo Nathaniel was going to wreak havoc until it was put right, because that was the kind of man he was and what he did. “Bless you. Yes, I am.” He looked at his hand on the bar. A capable, strong hand, one that could wield a number of weapons, chief among them a pen. “I damned well am.” “It’s lovely to see you enjoy yourself.” She reached over to give him a pat on the cheek, easily done since she was his own height. “Give him a kick in the doings from me.”

Nathaniel wondered what it would take to make Clem think ill of anyone. One would probably have to hold him at gunpoint.

Breakfast had to be toast because that smelled homely but not ludicrously domestic. Like his own master, he’d placed a strict household ban on any form of bacon, smoked fish, or boiled cabbage as entirely unspiritual odours.

Lazarus had wanted to find Nathaniel’s weakness, the hole in his soul, and he’d seized on Tony to do it, and Nathaniel thought he could weep from gratitude at that. Just to be seen, even in such a way, even by such a man, because the recognition was so much better than invisibility.

One of them rustic accents.” “Where from?” “Rustic. You know, sheep. Cows.” “That’s the entire country except London, you useless overgrown moony.”

Why the hell should I be the one to drudge for pennies when earls commit bigamy and hire murderers? I will lie to rich idiots for the rest of my life if that’s what I have to do to fill my pockets, and I won’t be bloody patronised for it by someone with houses he doesn’t even use!”

He did it again for the sheer enjoyment, and recoiled as a thing shot out of the trees by his foot, across the path. “What the hell was that?” “A rabbit.” Nathaniel made no effort to hide his amusement. “You must be familiar with the breed?” “Only in pies, and then they’re usually cats.”

“It was a long time ago.” That ought to sound like a dismissal. It didn’t. It sounded like, It’s been a long time in gaol.

Justin gave some helpful tips on boiling water that got the reception they deserved,

That stopped Nathaniel. He read, agitated, voted, and wrote about the suffering of the poor; he cared about it; but it was not his world. It was a world he observed and felt pleased to know something about. It gave him satisfaction to make others understand a little more, or to offer support, financial or otherwise. He’d never lived it.

“You can live your entire life as an offensive gesture, or decide to treat everyone as you’ve been treated. But don’t tell me there’s nothing more to the world than nature red in tooth and claw.

“I’ve been walking through fog for five endless freezing years and it has finally, finally cleared because of a damned cheating brilliant fraud with the most astonishing eyes, and you’re telling me I don’t need anything? My God, do you want me to beg?”