Page 34 of The Viscount's Promise
Clearing her throat loudly, she leaned back away from him. Lord Morley, too, moved in that moment, lurching to his feet. She did not miss the surreptitious step back he took, though he seemed to make pains to have it appear as natural as possible. He reached his hand out to help her up. She could not have placed her fingers in his in that moment for anything, so hurt was she. Stupid, stupid girl, to forget so easily his true feelings regarding her appearance.
“No, thank you,” she managed. “I’m fine on my own.”
She heard his frustration at her stubbornness in his softly expelled breath. His next words were much more akin to the gruff meanness he had shown her upon their first few meetings. “Don’t be a fool. Take my hand and let me help you up.”
“Oh, and I’m surethatattitude will make me want to accept your help.”
From his silence, she expected he was as surprised as she by the venom in her voice. Truly, no one frustrated her like this man.
“Damnation, woman. You are the most stubborn creature I have ever had the displeasure to encounter. Why your brother thought you needed looking after I haven’t a clue.”
She smiled, syrupy sweet, up at him. “You may be pleased to know, you are the only one who brings about such a side in me.”
A reluctant admiration flared in his eyes. “Truly now? Well, I’ll haveyouknow—”
But whatever he had been about to say trailed off into nothing. His gaze, which had been planted firmly and disconcertingly on her face, shifted off to her left. She thought for a moment he was ogling her scar again, and felt the return of her hurt and fury, when he spoke.
“Lady Emily.” Lord Morley’s voice, while calm and soothing, was filled with a peculiar tension. “Stand and move to my side.”
She raised her eyebrows in disbelief. “What in the name of all that is good has come over you?”
“Do as I say.” Tension was threaded through his body like veins in marble, his entire body taut. He held his hand out to her again. “I beg of you.”
“You are acting most peculiar, my lord. I will do nothing of the sort.”
“Dammit, come here now.”
The sudden sharpness of his tone shocked her. It was quickly followed by a sound that turned her blood to ice.
A low, menacing growl vibrated the very air around her. A dog, she immediately knew, and not a happy one at that. Briefly she considered taking Lord Morley’s proffered hand and allowing him to pull her to safety. Horrified curiosity won out. She turned her head.
Yes, it was a dog. And not a pleasant-looking one. Its fur was filthy and matted with so much dirt she could not determine its color. The ears were so covered in bramble that their length was a mystery. One eye was completely missing. Even under the mass of dirty fur, she could tell the animal was gaunt. She should have been frightened. The creature was so close it could have lunged for her in a moment, had its jaw around her throat before she had time to even scream.
Yet she wasn’t afraid. This was the dog she had seen around the estate, the dog she had worried over. The dog that had made friendly overtures toward her.
“Hello there,” she crooned, making her voice as soft and calming as she could while still perched on her derriere in the dirt.
At the sound of her voice, the beast shifted its gaze, which had been centered furiously on Lord Morley, to her.
There was a choking sound from his direction. “What in the hell are you doing?”
“Trust me,” she sang pleasantly, her eyes still glued to the dog. The animal tilted its head. Those matted ears, which had been lying flat against its skull, perked forward.
“I have been looking for you, you know,” she chided gently. “I have been worried sick.”
“Lady Emily.” Lord Morley’s voice was hoarse in his anxiety. She thought she sensed movement from his direction. The dog’s one eye slid back to Lord Morley, a low rumbling coming from its chest.
“I really must insist, my lord, that you remain still,” she crooned, keeping her voice pleasant. Really, if the man continued in this vein she may very well lose her one chance with the creature. To her relief, however, Lord Morley did stop, though the tension coming off of him was so thick she could have cut it.
Putting him from her mind, she centered her full concentration on the poor beast before her. “Now, my beauty,” she said to the dog, “come here, and make friends with me. I have had sore few of them and truly think we could do each other some good.” She held out one hand, slowly so as not to startle it. “Come along. That’s a good dog, come here.”
The creature studied her for a long moment, its big brown eye blinking slowly. It seemed to tense, and for a moment she feared it would bolt. To her immense relief, however, it crept toward her, its moist nose skimming over her fingers. Then, to her shock and delight, she felt a warm tongue lathe her hand once, twice, before it pushed its matted head under her arm. Its long tail, up until then stuck straight out behind it, began a slow wag. Emily had the insane urge to burst into tears from the joy that this wretched creature was putting its trust in her.
Just then voices could be heard. Emily had but a second to compose herself before Daphne and Sir Tristan, laughing and talking gaily, strode into view. The baronet held his hat before him, filled to the brim with berries. Funny, that she had forgotten completely about them in the furor of finding the dog.
“Ah, there you are,” Daphne called. “I had wondered where you had gotten off to. As you see, we found the meadow, and there were ever so many berries...” Her voice faltered as she took in Emily’s position on the ground. Frowning, she hurried forward. Until the dog in Emily’s arms lifted its great dirty head and peered at her. She let out a small squeak and skidded to a halt, sending up a cloud of dust. Sir Tristan was at her side in an instant.
“Emily, what in the world is that thing?”
