Eleanor tensed as I nodded slowly. “You’re right. I did find an outlet by using the rules humans set for animal welfare against them. And you’re also right that it did help the injustice in my mind. But it wasn’t morally acceptable, and Eleanor helped me realise I couldn’t keep exploiting any living creature.”
Jethro raised his glass in a toast. “To our mutual personal growth thanks to our women.”
“Here, here.” I clinked my glass with his.
A companionable silence fell, a welcome reprieve to fill plates with delicious home-cooked fare and to indulge in a nutritious breakfast.
The Hawk children came dashing back in halfway through our meal. Emma had a dead mouse in her hand, and Kes had a falcon balancing on his forearm with its plumage ruffled and wings spread against the chaos of being tethered to a kid.
Jethro immediately put his knife and fork down, signalling Kes to bring him the falcon. “Did you go up to the mews without permission, Kes?”
The boy cringed as he passed his father the bird of prey. “They haven’t flown today. I figured—”
“You know to wait for me.”
“I know.” He kicked the carpet. “But you guys are taking so long.”
Nila patted her mouth with her napkin, standing elegantly from the table. “Seeing as breakfast is interrupted, would you like to see an aerial dance?”
I pushed aside my plate and stood. I did my best not to focus on the string around the bird’s foot or the fact that it was captive. It might have a good life with the Hawks. It might be fed and kept safe, but at the end of the day, it wasn’t free to fly wherever it wanted.
It made me want to snatch the bird and cut the tether, but I balled my hands and kept my opinions about animal ownership to myself. I would never consider tying Pika or Skittles down. They spent time with us on their own accord, not because they were forced to.
“Sounds interesting,” Eleanor said, her eyes also locked on the string around the bird’s leg. “Lead the way.”
Jethro brushed past me, his eyes on mine, knowing full well my disapproval as he held the falcon aloft.
In a neat file, all adults and children followed Jethro from the ancient looming hall into the watery English sunshine. There was no heat in the light. No humidity in the sky.
My skin prickled for both, and the urge to leave amplified, especially when Eleanor crushed against my side, and murmured, “Is it just me, or is that leash on the raptor driving you nuts?”
I sucked in a breath. “And that is why I fucking love you, Eleanor Sinclair.” I couldn’t help myself. I had to kiss her, so I did.
I kissed her in full view of Jethro and Nila Hawk while their two kids squabbled over who would throw the dead mouse.
At least the mouse was dead.
I wouldn’t have been able to control myself if it’d been alive and facing torture by being thrown into the talons of a hunter.
With another guarded look my way, Jethro ordered Emma to throw the mouse as high as she could. At the same time, he swooped his arm up, boosting the falcon with its tawny feathers into the sky.
The bird screeched and shot after the mouse missile, snatching it from the sky in a blink.
Nila gathered Emma close, ducking on her haunches to watch the bird sail high and circle the estate. It would’ve been an impressive display if a leash wasn’t trailing after the bird, its shackle ready to bind him back to earth always present.
“Goddammit.” Jethro huffed beside me. “You’re a real pain in my ass.”
I stiffened, glancing at my friend. “What? Why am I a—”
“You know why.” Pinching the bridge of his nose, he stomped away. “Nila, I’ll be back. Ten minutes.” Before she agreed, Jethro broke into a run, chewing up the manicured lawn in a hurry, heading toward the stone stables in the distance.
“What was that about?” Nila asked, leaving Emma to watch the falcon and coming to my side.
“No idea.” I wrapped my arm around Eleanor. “All I can say is you married a strange man.”
“Stop.” Eleanor dug her elbow into my side. “Isn’t it obvious?” She huffed as if I was stupid. “You’ve put feelings in his heart...about the bird. I can only guess how much it’s driving you mad...which, in turn, has driven him mad.” She looked at the swirling bird above our heads.
“Oh, my God, he’s gone to the mews.” Nila squinted into the sun after her husband.
“Are there more birds like the one above us?” I asked, tipping my head to follow the cruising path of the winged predator.
“There are seven or so, I think. Kestrels and hawks. Even an osprey.”
We waited in silence as Jethro disappeared in the distance. Guilt crept over me for whatever my friend had felt. I hadn’t meant to think of his animal care as subpar. I didn’t want him to think I judged him for trapping birds...even though I did.