“Where is his protectiveness now?”
Excellent question. “His lordship and I are to walk in the park tomorrow afternoon, so stop goading me, Mr. Dorning.”
The music’s final refrain was softer, slower, appropriate to a good-night waltz. Mr. Dorning twirled Della one final time, so she could sink into a curtsy, holding his outstretched hand. She wanted to keep right on going, to settle onto the floor in an exhausted heap, for she’d made no progress tonight with any of her objectives.
Mr. Dorning drew her gracefully to her feet. “I’m not goading you. If we’re friends, we’ll be honest with each other. I honestly do not like your viscount.”
Said without malice, also without a smile. “He’s not my viscount,” Della said, placing her fingers over Mr. Dorning’s proffered hand.
Right now, she did not much like Viscount Effington either. Della kept that to herself as well.
*
“That is not a dog, that is a mastodon,” Lady Susannah said, stopping short four yards from Will and Samson.
Georgette gnawed on a stick over in the shade of the maples, and on the far side of the lilac border, children yelled about a kite stuck in the trees. Lady Susannah had worn a lovely periwinkle walking dress for this outing and apparently left her parasol at home.
“His name is Samson,” Will said, stroking a gloved hand over the dog’s head. “He’s shy and reserved, but well mannered.” Much like present company. Samson needed to learn to make friends too, also like present company.
“He is to be my teacher?” Lady Susannah asked, coming not one step closer.
Will would be her teacher, because he was an idiot. He’d already stolen too many kisses from her ladyship, though she seemed to enjoy his thievery.
“You and Samson will learn together. I’ve only had him for a few months, but he’s ready to enlarge his social circle. Come make his acquaintance.”
“He’s quite sizable, Mr. Dorning. I suppose he has all of his teeth?”
Samson was studying Susannah, women being something of a novelty for him. He seldom came into the house during daylight hours, now that the weather was moderate, and thus spent most of his time with the grooms in the mews, with Will, or napping in the garden.
“His nickname is Sam,” Will said. “You must not smile at him.” Not that her ladyship had been on the verge of any such display.
“He’ll pounce on me and lick me to perdition?”
“He’ll think you’re showing him your teeth, and he’s easily unnerved by aggressive displays.”
Throughout the exchange, Samson had been sitting calmly at Will’s feet, which was a testament to the dog’s steady nerves.
“I’m unnerved by aggressive displays too,” Lady Susannah said, taking a few steps closer. “Oddly enough, those do tend to be accompanied by bright, toothy smiles. Good day, Samson.”
The dog’s ears twitched, for he knew his name.
“Hold out your hand,” Will said, “but remain relaxed, and look at me, not the dog.”
Her ladyship complied, more easily than Casriel’s head groom would have. Some women had an innate sense of how to avoid confrontation, and that served them well with powerful, nervous animals.
“He’s breathing on my glove,” Lady Susannah said, studying Will’s lapel. “Exactly like a presuming gentleman. That pansy is the same color as your eyes, Mr. Dorning.”
While Lady Susannah’s eyes were the same shade as… Some cats had eyes that blue, that steady and noticing.
“When you’re out late dancing, you can’t be reading by candlelight,” Will said. “Your eyes aren’t as tired this morning.”
“The rest of me is tired enough. Do you think those children will ever rescue their kite, and do you suppose Samson is done sniffing at my glove?”
Yes, Samson had sniffed her ladyship’s glove to his satisfaction, while Will wanted to list the colors of blue that matched Lady Susannah’s eyes.
“You can pet him, a pat on the head, a tug on his ear, nothing effusive. Then we’re taking a walk. Georgette, come.”
Georgette gave up her stick and ambled over, while Lady Susannah offered Samson the minimal overtures necessary to establish friendly relations.
“If this dog decides to go bounding off, Mr. Dorning, I will either drop the leash or be yanked off my feet.”
“Dropping the leash is the wiser alternative in many situations, my lady. Today, you’ll have Georgette, and I’ll take Samson.”
They kept to the less traveled trails, but Hyde Park was popular even on a quiet morning, and so inevitably, they crossed paths with other people walking their dogs.
“I thought dogs always had to sniff each other, and growl and paw,” Lady Susannah said. “Georgette and Samson barely notice the other dogs as long as the other dogs are well behaved.”