Page 41 of Saved By the Highland Beast
Her hand froze over the brush as she suddenly realized that she was feeling more for her employer than she should.
What will happen now if I fall in love with him?
She looked at her reflection in the mirror.
Am I already in love with him?
Panic suddenly gripped her heart as she realized that Dean meant more to her than what she’d admitted to herself.
Nessie barked at her and turned her head to the side in a questioning glance, drawing Sophia from her thoughts.
“I know, girl. You want to go outside pretty badly, don’t you?” Sophia fixed her grey skirt as she stood and pushed the chair back under the table. Her questions and self-reflection would have to wait for now. “I’m sure Cillian is already waiting for you.” She nodded her head toward the door. “Let’s go.”
Nessie hopped excitedly in a circle while yapping and tapping her tiny paws on the floor as Sophia made her way to the door.
“All right, all right.” She laughed. “Calm down, it won’t be long.” She reached over and grabbed the handle of the door before looking at the dog. “Mind you, don’t run down the hall. I don’t think that Granny Amalthea likes you very much.” She considered her words. “Then again, I think she might like you a little more than she likes me.”
The dog yapped again and bounced on her paws.
“So have at it, girl.” She opened the door and gestured with her arm. “Run as free and as fast as you like.”
Nessie was out the door and down the corridor before Sophia could even finish her sentence.
“John!” Cillian yelled with glee as the tiny white dog came running into his arms. “Ye look so different, boy!” He hunkered down and let the dog lick his face as she jumped into his arms.
Sophia smiled at the scene and giggled. “I’m afraid that the color isn’t all that changed,” she said to Cillian with a smile. “It turns out that our little boy is actually a little girl. Your father decided that Nessie would be a suitable name for her.”
Cillian stopped playing with the dog and narrowed his eyes in suspicion. “I hope she can still do all the tricks now that she’s a girl.”
“No, Cillian,” she began. “That’s not how that works. She didn’t change.” She paused as she thought of a suitable way to explain to the boy that the dog had been a girl all along and hadn’t, in fact, changed. “You know what?” She chose her battle. “I’m sure she will be able to do the tricks even better now that she’s a girl.”
“That would be amazin’!” Cillian said happily, fully placated by her response. He and Nessie both jumped up and run down the hall at lightning speed.
Sophia shook her head and smiled to herself at the innocence of a child.
“Bah!” Duncan let out a yelp and clutched at his chest just as he came around the corner, Cillian ran past with Nessie in tow, nearly knocking him over. He leaned against the wall with one hand on his chest as he spotted Sophia. “Is it just me, lass, or was that dog a different color yesterday?” he asked with narrowed eyes.
“We gave her a bath, Duncan,” Sophia explained.
“This is a hall, not a path.” He looked at her in confusion.
Sophia mouthed the word bath until he understood what she was trying to say to him.
“Oh, a bath, aye.” He nodded. “I nearly thought that the old bat had killed the wee beast an’ Cillian was playing with a ghost.” He chuckled to himself. “I’m glad the dog is nae dead. He’s a good boy.”
“Actually…” Sophia began but quickly shook her head. She would leave it up to Dean to explain to Duncan that the dog was not male. “I was just heading down for breakfast.” She gestured down the stairs.
“Very well, Miss Haddison!” Duncan called after her as she descended the stairs. “Watch out for the old bat! She may nae have killed the dog, but she still has her dirk out for ye!” He chuckled.
Sophia shook her head and laughed. There was plenty to do today without having to explain complicated matters to small boys and old men that were hard of hearing. She smiled to herself as she reached the bottom of the stairs and made her way to the dining hall. She rather liked Duncan the more she got to know him. He was a feisty old goat, albeit a bit hard of hearing.
She quickly spotted Dean at the head of the table and took a deep breath as she walked into the room. She hadn’t been expecting to see him so early this morning. He usually had his breakfast later than everyone else, as he usually saw that everything was in order before he ate.
He quickly stood when he spotted her. “Good mornin’,” he said almost awkwardly.
“Good morning.” She made her way to the table as he pulled out the chair adjacent to his for her. It seemed as if neither of them knew how to act after what had happened the night before.
“I thought I might join ye for breakfast this mornin’,” he explained as he pushed her in once she had taken a seat.
