Indy sat

[hairs]

14D The old express it in empty rhetoric, yet originally (9) begins with I 7D Character accepting totals for the first time arrives at fifteen (9) L?I?????R Leicester?

[bibblebub]

14d INTERCITY = anagram of IT + IN + R(hetori)C + YET

17d LEICESTER looks to be it

character = LETTER
accepting totals for the first time = replace the 1st T with ICES [totals = destroys = ices]

fifteen ? what is the answer to #15 ?

[MissSpell]

Intercity, I think - and LEICESTER though I cannot work out why ! Peter

[MissSpell]

Intercity, I think. And LEICESTER, though I can't work out why !