Alexander the Caracal's Christmas

The Rival Suitor

Following Alan up the stairs, Alexander pawed at the feet of his master's elder nephew. The Northern Caracal would do this on occasion. He would never scratch, but he would bat at the feet of someone when they were headed up to the second floor of Quebec Castle.

Due to the arrival of Tom Bligh, a successful local businessman looking to buy Quebec Castle, and his son Cody, a rival of Alan's for Gemma's hand, the lesson for the two redheads had been cancelled for the time being. Thus, did Alan search Quebec Castle for Gemma, he wasn't sure where exactly she had run off to in order to escape Cody, but he was sure she was somewhere about.

Alexander had met Mr. Bligh and Cody before, neither of whom were individuals he particularly liked. Even before he had properly known them, he had not liked them. There was just something about them, something inherently sinister, but not so much as Herr von Fell. If Herr von Fell was a devil, if not the Devil, then Mr. Bligh and his son were some sort of lesser demon.

He understood that Cody had been a rival of Alan for Gemma's hand for some time, though both Cody and his paterfamilias had been absent from Oshawa since just before Alexander had arrived at Quebec Castle. They had not returned until a week following the triple wedding and Alexander did not know where these two of the House of Bligh had been, nor did anyone else, only that they had been gone for quite a while.

His ears pricking up, Alexander could hear something.

"You hear it too, Alexander?" Alan asked, looking down at his caracal companion. Alexander looked up and meowed at his master's elder nephew. "Sounds like they are in the top floor of the library!"

Boy and caracal moved quickly, seeking out Gemma and her unwanted suitor, a Paris to her Helena. Indeed, they did find the two at the top floor of the library, Gemma at the top of the staircase and Cody a few steps below her.

Cody was the same age as Alan and Gemma, light-skinned and standing at a height of five feet, ten inches and three quarters. He was athletic in build with black hair that was short and soft and very beautiful green eyes. He was handsome with a charming mouth and a high beaked nose and strong jaw, which he had inherited from his father. Dressed similarly to Alan, there was a striking difference in Cody's attire: his blazer was black leaving him without any colour.

"Gemma, please! Just say you'll marry me when you are old enough!" insisted Cody, his voice charming, even if he was anything but.

"I would rather marry Mehmed V!" exclaimed Gemma, wanting nothing to do with Cody. She proceeded to walk away when Cody suddenly grabbed her by the hem of her kimono.

"I'm not done speaking with you!" The Younger Bligh growled.

Stepping forward, Alan said: "Gemma has made it clear she is, Cody. Why don't you leave her alone when she asks?"

Alexander watched as Cody let go of the hem of Gemma's kimono. He knew well that the Younger Bligh often showed unprovoked and open hostility and there was none he was more hostile to than Alan.

His hand forming into a fist, Cody snarled: "You dare speak to me, Irish dog?"

He would have struck Alan right then and there had Alexander not charged forward and scratched Cody on the right knee. Yelling in pain, Cody looked down at the Northern Caracal just in time to see Alexander flatten his ears against his skull and hiss at him.