/Our New Lady/

/Uchiha/

The more Obito considered the matter, the greater his uneasiness grew, even though he was dashed very fond of his new little cousin, this lead him to not place any very firm trust in her promise to keep away from those money-sucking usurers. As a just man, he had to own that if Naruto couldn't apply to Sasuke for the debt, then borrowing from a cents-per-cent was the ideal solution. In his opinion, Naru was magnifying Uchiha's wrath rather absurdly. Because, although it is unlikely that he'll hear the confession with complaisance, he was a man of generous temper and is a good deal more than common. Uchiha would pardon her now with no loss of tenderness, not if he ended up discovering that she had been playing an undergame, the openness of his disposition would cause him to regard her with revulsion.

He might even end up suspecting her of having formed a guilty attachment to one of those most inveterate seekers, that called themselves admirers, after crim. Mr Tobi was pretty well persuaded that Naru had no eyes for any man but Sasuke: surely, she lit up considerably whenever Uchiha happened to enter a room she was sitting. And though he suspected that their marriage wasn't running as smoothly, he was certain that whatever had gone amiss with their marriage hadn't got anything to do with lack of affection.

All these gloomy thoughts had occurred in that moment before he left the macao-room. The events that had stirred his most formidable solution to "Naru's Matter" had begun then.

The Viscount, being set on twenty pounds, and naming seven as a main, threw eleven, nicking it, something that promised well for the night's session. Even Shukaku, who had been trying to lose money to his companion for more than a six-month (beginning to despair of achieving his ambition) felt hopeful. It was then that Obito was just about to leave the hazard-room, Kurama, who had been too deeply concerned with the fall of the dice to notice his entrance, happened to look up, and to see Obito trying to leave the premises.

He called a careless greeting (more from obligation than feel), but it was too late; on that instant Obito was smitten by his idea.

He stopped, regarding the blond, who hadn't even waited for a response and turned back to his game, with something akin to awed realisation glimmering in his dark grey eyes.

If he could be persuaded to do it, Kurama was the one person who could tell Sasuke, unexceptionally, even, perhaps, with advantage, the truth. He had dismissed Lady Uzumaki (for several reasons). Mr Tobi had no doubts that he was the one to put Naru into all this flim-flam. It would be an easy matter for the Viscount to convince Uchiha that Naru had yielded only to his urgent entreaties; Sasuke would be swift to recognize and to appreciate the courage that enabled him to perform so unpleasant a duty.

Only did he possess that courage?

Obito, joining the scattering of lookers-on gathered around the table, glanced speculatively at him, considering the matter.

Physical courage he certainly possessed to a pronounced degree; but Mr Tobi couldn't suppose that he had any strength of moral character, in spite of him taking pride in being thought a Care-for-Nobody. Obito was not one of Kurama's admirers or friends, but he did him justice to acknowledge that although he was a resty young blade he had never been known, even in his most reckless mood, to step over the line that lay between the venial peccadilloes of a wild youth and questionable exploits as mist bring his name into dishonour. He was both generous and goodnatured, and it was rather common knowledge that he held his sister in considerable affection. He knew too, that Uchiha (better acquainted with him), and rivaled by his starts, was by no means despaired of him.

He remembers Sasuke saying:

'He may be a scamp,' said Uchiha, 'but there's no sham in him - nothing of the dry-boots! It would give me a great pleasure to go sharply to work with him,' he said, adding. 'But he's pluck to the backbone... and I own I like that.'

Mr Tobi had a great respect for his cousin's judgement, and, remembering these words, he made up his mind to have at least a touch at Kurama.

It never occurred to Obito that his opinions were a bit too biased and 63% from the fact that he didn't like the way Kurama held himself.

The table broke up at a comparatively early hour, even the Viscount agreeing, after a series of throw-outs, that the game had become languid and boring. Mr Tobi was simply relieved that he wouldn't have to stand and look over a game for yet another couple of hours. Kurama did not rise a loser (for once), but his winnings were not large. Obito watched with expertly concealed impatience as the Viscount, flush cheeks and bright eyes, merrily gathering his cane and setting his outer cloak about his shoulders.

'Yer luck is verily uncertain, Namikaze,' one of the company joked him. 'Ye'll be obliged to go back to faro after all.'

As rounds of drunk and sober, male laughter rippled around the room, Tobi nearly gritted his teeth from the eluding, his fingers itching to wring the man's throat, sorely yearning for a minefield grenade to blast them into debris. He heard that they were extremely effective weapons.

Kurama cheerfully replied to the man: 'Only a muttonhead could be blind to the signs of reviving fortune, fellows.'

Another round of laughter spread around the room, Tobi agitatedly waited.

'Not a vowel of mine in the table!' said Kurama.

'And upwards of forty guineas in your purse!' added Mr Kazesuna encouragingly. 'To my mind, that clinches it, Kyū: stick to the bones!'

'Yes I think I shall,' agreed Kurama, as they made for the anteroom. 'Dashed if I won't try my luck at this new house Jack was talking to me about! Granny Tsunade and Father used to say that they often found it answered to shift one's ground.'

The Namikaze notorious unsuccess as gamester was just as notorious as Lady Senju's unfortunate career on that track. Everyone, except Mr Tobi, thought that the Viscount could hardly do better than to follow their advice; and watched him leave with a variety of pity and amusement. Obito was simply mitigated, the prospect of executing his plan was alleviating.

/Our New Lady/

/Uchiha/

With Naru at the Uchiha Grounds

Hours Earlier when she was conversing with my lady Sakura

'... So, if you do very particularly wish to look at pictures tomorrow - I daresay they will be a dead bore, too! - I think I should go to my aunt's and make her comfortable again.'

Naru agreed to it.

Though had she been less preoccupied with her own matters, she might have wondered at Sakura's sudden concern for Mrs Thorne's comfort. That Mrs Thorne might be piqued by a lack of proper observance could surprise no one who knew Sakura, for without having the least ill-nature (or want of disposition to render attention where it was due); she had never been taught to consider the feelings of others. Having so easily won Naru's acquiescence, she took herself off to her own bedchamber. Where she perused (for the third time) a greatly unsettling letter she had received from Mr Lee.

Naru had set a cloak about her shoulders and descended from her boudoir, leaving the front steps of the Main House with a sunny orange bonnet in her hands and a basket of snacks the downstairs wizard had prepared for her. Her footman was just returning from his earlier errand of sending her letter to Kurama.

'His lordship's groom informed me of the Viscount having gone out.'

'Oh, that is unfortunate,' Naru uttered. 'Did Jū happen to know when Kurama would be back?'

'No, his lordship's man had not been able to say when he expected him to return,' the footman told her, apologetically. He then extended his speech, 'He assured me Viscount Namikaze should get the letter first thing once he steps in his lodgings, my lady.'

'Then,' sighed Naru, smiling a bit. 'I shall await his return with impatience.'

He bowed as she walked away, a fond and knowing shimmer in his eyes. 'I really need to inform Lord Uchiha of her mischiefs...' he said, turning to the house. 'But that would put a sure end to her entertainment.. Providence knows her ladyship needs that, with all these conflicts growing about her.'

Naru waited in vain for Kurama to put in an appearance that afternoon, with Kurama Jr at her side, whom she was (fruitlessly) striving to inculcate orders.

'Here, Kurama, here, cub, come here.. Oh, dear, this is futile,' Naru sighed. Her gesturing hands falling limp on her skirt, the palms opening slightly.

She squealed (most embarrassingly) with startled surprise when Kurama Jr leaped into her lap and started yipping eagerly. 'Kurama! Stop it, eeeeewww! I didn't say jump onto my being! Ugh! You're starting to stink! A bath would do you good!'

The fox cub, seeming to realise that he wasn't getting any treat, scrambled over her shoulder and begun yipping at a pair of crows in the air.

'Ugh, do all fox cubs shed as many furs as Kurama does?' Naru muttered dejectedly, picking a number of fur from her gown's skirt. After a while, when she was done with her task and Kurama had curled up beside her to nap, she sighed, watching the clouds in the distance (opposite the sun), which were turning golden. 'I guess, the people living there are at sunset already... I'd bet Kurama is at White's or Waiter's, I wonder when he's coming?'

And thus, she waited in vain as the sun slowly inched down, painting her own sky a magnificent golden; where her footman came to fetch her in.

'My lady, the dinner hour is soon,' Menma said elegantly. 'I shall see to the fox cub.'

'Oh, I nearly forgot, thank you, Menma,' she said, standing up and dusting her skirt before making way to the house, a small frown on her face. 'Kyū, what in the world may you be doing? This means I'll have to wait for the morrow to see you! Unless you call now?'

He didn't call, as we all know, but spent his time at Waiter's.

/Our New Lady/

/Uchiha/

The morning light was faintly illuminating the scene when the party dispersed on the steps of the club.

Obito, who knew that it might be days before he found an opportunity to approach Kurama, considerably surprised the Viscount by suggesting thet they should bear one another company on their way to their respective lodgings. 'Duke Street, isn't it?' he said. 'Take a look in at my place, and play off your dust! All on our way, and the night's young yet.'

Kurama looked at him, suspecting him of being slightly mellow. For he couldn't think of another reason to account for the man's sudden friendliness. But before he could answer, Shukaku, who lived in St James Square (and had already sent the porter out to procure a hackney), generously offered to take both him and Obito up, and to set them down again at their lodgings.

Obito, who's patience was running on thin ice, wanted to snap the man's head with his cane. 'Very much obliged to you,' he responded, a shade of annoyance showing on his face. 'Think I'll walk, however. Devilishly stuffy in the club: need a breath of air!'

More like need to strangle you, he thought with a flash of crimson in his eyes, how many more evading will it take for me to talk to the bloody Viscount!? He met the Viscount's alert, speculative gaze, and said curtly: 'Got something to tell you!'

'Have you, though?' said Kurama, considerably intrigued. 'I'll go along with you, then!'

Obito could have shed a poetic tear at his words, en fin!

They left the club together, setting out on the cobbled streets. Obito breathed deeply, happy at getting opportunity to set his idea to action.

Almost immediately, they were overtaken by a gregarious gentleman, who fell in step with them and whose mood was chatty. 'Since my destination is in King Street, and I need to walk off some some of the liquid, I'll walk with you.'

Obito, ready to crack a skull, opened his mouth to politely send him off, but was beat to mark by Kurama; who cheerfully accepted his company. Mr Tobi foresaw that it would be difficult to shake the man off. Very nearly cried out with frustration. He watched with poison in his eyes as Kurama and his acquaintance (Mr Wittering) jovially begun a discussion.

It would be a hard task to avoid the necessity of including Mr Wittering in his invitation to Kurama, but he was determined to do it. No matter how much it went against the grain with him to appear inhospitable. He managed to perform this feat at the cost of standing patiently, while the Viscount and Mr Wittering maintained for twenty minutes an argument which had been started before the party had crossed over to the other side of Piccadilly. The argument was pursued with a considerable animation, and it afforded Obito with a novel view of the Viscount.

The victory of Bonaporte at Lützen over General Wittgenstein, commanding the combined forces of Russia and Prussia, had not long been known in London, and was still being much discussed. Mr Wittering, shaking his head over the disaster, expressed the opinion that there was no doing anything against Boney, and there would never be. Since this pessimism was shared by many (such remarks having been heard for years past at any social gathering), Obito did not think it worth while to reply. But the with the Viscount it was otherwise. He was ready to agree that none of the foreign generals could have the smallest hope of defeating Boney.

'Wait and see how quickly Wellington would knock him into flinders,' Kurama recommended Mr Wittering.

'One victory or two in Spain makes no odds,' Mr Wittering said disparagingly.

'I'm ready to bet a monkey that the English army would be over the Pyrenees before the year is out,' the Viscount instantly offered.

Obito lifted one brow at that, and watched with impatient fascination as the argument rapidly took more heat. Mr Wittering was no supporter of the Wellesleys and the words he spoke next nearly made Obito slap his palm to his face; he was unwise to talk such in front of the Viscount (who was retardedly gaining Obito's valued respect).

'I declare that Wellington's victories are all exaggerations,' he said, unwisely enough.

Within a very few minutes Mr Wittering was not only being dragged relentlessly through the previous year's campaigns, but was being given a lesson in strategy into the bargain. To Mr Tobi's surprise, Kurama, whom he had always supposed to be perfectly feather-headed, not only appeared to be passionately interested in the subject, but very obviously had an astonishing talent for it. Mr Wittering, on the retreat (more than partly désaxé from the Viscount's thoroughness and genius), acknowledged that Wellington was a good defensive general.

He could have left it there, Kurama would have let him leave (quite ready to rid himself of the slow gentleman) with that; and Obito was just brimming with impatience.

'He is too cautious,' Wittering added. 'And has no brilliance in attack.'

The Viscount's face took shades of incredule, looking about ready to grab the man by his shoulders and shake them and Obito could relate; only, he was ready to strangle the man.

'No brilliance in attack?' demanded the Viscount. 'After Salamanca ?'

'Well, I don't know about Salamanca,' said Mr Wittering unguardedly. 'All I say is-'

But the Viscount cut him short. Obito, standing with impatience while armies were conjured and manoeuvred about him (and the Viscount drew invisible lines on the flagway with the point of his cane), reflected that it would henceforward be impossible for Mr Wittering to say (even if he had been fibbing about not knowing about it) that he didn't know Salamanca. Because when Kurama, passing from general to the particular, spoke of Le Marchant's charge, he did it with so much enthusiasm that Obito was moved enough to say that he seemed to know it as though he had taken part in it.

'By jove, don't I wish I had!' Kurama said impulsively.

'Well,' said Mr Wittering, preparing to take his leave (not wanting to be exposed any longer to this side of the Viscount), 'what you ought to do, Kurama, is to join! You go and tell old Hook-nose what you want him to do!'

Hence, he (finally) left, muttering to himself: 'I shouldn't wonder at it if he got to be a general! One might think he studied at an academy! He's gonna have Hook-nose following his stratege in no time! There's no saying but what it might make him break up from cantonments before the summer's over!'

With that Parthian shot he left the Viscount to explain to Mr Tobi that the lack of news from Wellington's headquarters undoubtedly presaged some brilliant move, probably in an unexpected direction.

Obito did not pursue the matter. They presently reached his place and he ushered his guest into the comfortable parlour he on the entrance floor of the house, showed him to a chair and produced from a large sideboard a bottle of French cognac. 'Eye-water?' he inquired. 'Mix you a Fuller's Earth, if you like it better; or I've got a pretty tolerable madeira here.'

'I'll have a drop of eye-water,' the Viscount said. He watched (a stalling) Obito pour some cognac into two thick, heavy glasses, and remarked with engaging frankness: 'I'd be damned if I knew what you want with me. Thought at first you must be a bit on the go, but you don't seem to be,' he said.

Mr Tobi handed him one of the glasses. 'Got something to tell you,' he replied briefly.

'You haven't had a tip for the Chester races, have you?' asked Kurama hopefully.

'No: nothing like that.' Obito took a fortifying sip from his glass, now that he finally had the Viscount all to himself, he couldn't help stalling. 'Awkward sort of business. Been teasing me all day, and night.'

That surprised the Viscount. 'It sounds to me like a dashed havey-cavey business!' said Kurama eyeing him in astonishment.

'No, it ain't exactly that, though I don't mind telling you I'd lief not break it to you,' said Mr Tobi, who was finding his self-imposed task getting more and more difficult by the second.

His eyes widened a split second before his mouth opened. 'Good God, you ain't going to tell me you've been set on to tell me Father's slipped his wind?' exclaimed Kurama, sitting up with a jerk.

'No, of course I haven't!' said Obito, irritated. 'Ain't likely to be the man to break that sort of news to you.'

'No, but you ain't the man to invite me at half-past four in the morning either!' retorted Kurama. 'It's no use bamming me you've got a sudden fancy for my company, for I know dashed well you haven't.'

Obito was quite surprised. 'Never said anything of the sort. No objection to your company, mind, but it wasn't that I wanted. The thing is, it's a deuced delicate matter!'

'Well, I can't guess what the devil it can be, but there's no need to skirt around it!' he said encouragingly. 'In fact, I'd lief you cut line.' Viscount Namikaze leaned forward: 'I can stand a knock or two!'

At the impatient face gazing steadily at him, Obito nearly gulped, had he known it would be this difficult, he wouldn't have put the plan into motion. Mr Tobi tossed off the rest of the brandy in his glass, setting down the glass with finale. Here goes.

'Concerns your sister.'

/Our New Lady/

/Uchiha/

The Viscount stared at him. 'Concerns my sister?' he repeated. 'What the devil-?'

'Didn't think you'd like it, don't like it myself. You know George Burnley?'

'WHAT? ' thundered the Viscount, setting his own glass down with such violence that a web of cracks ran up the thick, expensive ware.

Obito winced, and protested. 'No need to bellow at me!'

'No need to-' Kurama began, and Obito could have sworn that his pupils jumped into wild slits. 'What has that ginger-hackled court-card to do with my sister?' demanded the Viscount, a very dangerous light in his eyes.

'Hasn't anything to do with her,' replied Mr Tobi, pushing away his fear and dismissing it as surprise. 'What's more, though I don't say he isn't ginger-hackled, he ain't a court- card. Friend of mine. Dashed if I know why you're in a miff just because you're asked if you're acquainted with him!'

'You said it concerned my sister, you damned Uchiha!'

'Didn't say anything of the kind. At least, not about poor George.'

'Well, what has Burnley to do with it?' asked the Viscount, mollified but impatient.

'Gave him a look-in this morning. He lives in Clarges Street,' his eyes beginning to find his snuff-box interesting.

'Yah, yah, I know he does. If that's what you wanted-'

'Got a house opposite Jew King's,' said Obito, contemplating his elegant snuff-box with rapt attention.

He was met with a momentary crushing silence. 'Go on!' said Kurama grimly.

Mr Tobi glanced up at him. 'Well, that's it.' he said apologetically. 'Saw Lady Uchiha. Recognized her bonnet. Heavily veiled - no need to fear George knew her!' he assured, adding with a mumble. 'Though there were rumours about me already in circulation by evening.'

'Are you saying she went into Jew King's place?'

'No. Meant to, but I stopped her.'

'I'm much obliged to you,' he obliged gratefully, he then stood up and tossed his golden head. 'Bird-witted little folle!' He growled savagely.

'Don't have to be obliged to me: got great regard for her! Besides, made up my mind the best thing to do was to tell you, Kurama.'

'Much obliged to you!' he said once more. The Viscount nodded, and straightened to his full, towering height. His eyes bleeding a deep crimson with momentary anger (and after effects of alarm), in the warm lighting of Obito's cozy place.

'I'll give her pepper for this...'

With a blink, his eyes were a startling blue once anew.

/Our New Lady/

/Uchiha/

Not too far away, in the Main House, a slumbering Naruto dreadfully shivered; that, had her Miss Sutton seen it, she would have had a list of remedies ready for her ladyship.

/Our New Lady/

/Uchiha/