To Love A Myth - Book 2: Mr. Higgs and the Lady 🎩✔️

7

"What do you mean that Lady Hinkley is in the drive?" Higgs asked.

"The usual way, by horse drawn carriage?"

"We should clean up." Merida said, looking around the room.

"We don't have time for that!" Higgs yelled, standing up in a flurry. "Edgar, you'll have to stall her for a moment while I change my clothes into something more English and more human. Merida, come help me."

"Why? Ye look nice as ye are."

"I can't let her see me like this." He said, narrowed pupils and eyes wide.

"An ye want her to fancy ye and maybe break this curse, then she'll have to see what ye look like at some point, ye ken it."

Higgs sighed, but she was right, as usual. He smoothed out his robe and moved his long hair so that it was laying over his shoulder.

"Well?"

"Here, let me braid it."

Merida walked over and grabbed his silky soft hair and she began to braid it. Higgs watched her sadly.

"I'm sorry."

"Stop that now. An ye want to get this curse broken, ye cannae get hung up on things ye cannae change. As it is, we cannae be together so ye take this time to get to ken Lady Hinkley. Ye only have two choices, Mr. Higgs: push forward or make up yer mind now. Trying to have both is what got us in this muckle bit in the first place, aye?" she said, poking him in the forehead. He smiled and she patted the end of his braid. "Go and make a good impression on her. This will be the first formal beastie that she will meet."

He nodded and walked off as Merida stared after him, her own hangover still throbbing in her head as well as the wound he never tended to. She sighed and tried to make herself look as presentable as possible.

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"And then, there was this one time where-"

"Young man, where is Lord Northumberly? We've been listening to you babble on for the past fifteen minutes. It's obvious you're stalling." Gretchen growled.

"Gretchen, no need to patronize the boy. We did decide to come unannounced and I'm sure it's just taking Lord Northumberly some time to prepare himself. It's also quite early in the morning."

"Knowing him, he's trying to hide some sort of transformation- ow!"

"Oh, pardon me." Edgar said, moving his leg from where he had 'accidentally' kicked her.

"Lady Hinkley, Ms. Weebles; what a surprise." Higgs said as he walked into the room.

Edgar looked up as relief washed over his face and then curiosity. Elizabeth and Gretchen turned in the chaise, Gretchen making a face as Elizabeth just blinked.

"You look... quite different, Lord Northumberly." Elizabeth said, trying to keep her disposition.

"Yes. This is what I look like at rest with the kitsune. The um... Oriental creature I spoke of at the party?"

"Ah, yes, I remember now. You look very regal."

"Thank you very much." He said, sitting down across from the ladies. "May I ask what brings you by?" He elbowed Edgar. "Get out." He growled from the side of his mouth.

"Don't have to tell me twice." He said under his breath. "It was nice talking with you both."

"You did most of the talking." Gretchen mentioned.