Leopold was terribly glad Rose was there to make introductions, although he’d prefer a few people as possible knew about his title. He managed a wan smile for her and lifted his free hand to offer it to Sam. The absurdity of shaking hands with someone who only moments before had been stitching him up struck him as terribly funny, but laughing was out of the question in his present state.

“You are too kind, Miss Tyler,” he told Rose. “I sincerely hope that neither of your lives have been put in jeopardy by barricading yourselves in here with me. Is there nothing we can do to end this madness? Or am I to understand that this is life as usual in this place?”