Page 35 of A Duke's Overlooked Spinster
The duke chuckled, standing up and dusting off his breeches, which were buckskin riding breeches. They fitted his thickly muscled calves in a way that made Sarah flush red, though she did not know exactly what made her flush so.
“Can we run up there?” Henry asked, gesturing to the front of the lawn, near the Royal Crescent buildings. The duke lifted a shoulder.
“I cannot imagine why we shouldn’t,” he said lightly. He smiled at Sarah. “Miss Brooke?” He reached out a hand to help her up. Sarah’s heart thudded in her chest, and she took it. Muscular and firm, his hand enveloped hers and she gasped as she shot upright. He pulled her to her feet with no real effort.
“Thank you,” Sarah murmured, looking at the lawn. She was aware of the duchess standing a few paces away and she fancied the air crackled with a heat of resentment as they walked off across the lawn. She wondered idly if the duchess had been coming to fetch him and she winced, thinking that would explain her ire.
“Thank you for agreeing to have little Henry sitting with you,” the duke said with a grin. “I am pleased that he has adults in his circle who he trusts.”
Sarah smiled. “I am honoured that he trusts me,” she said honestly. “I suspect he is a cautious, shy child. Where people are concerned,” she added, watching him run heedless down a stone path. “Not where anything else is concerned.”
“No. He is most incautious of things that could do him harm,” the duke chuckled. “But then, I wonder that my brother and I survived our childhoods.”
Sarah giggled.
The duke’s gaze narrowed, and Sarah frowned, looking where he looked.
Henry had been running towards the Crescent, and then he had disappeared.
“Where is he?” the duke asked.
Sarah’s frown deepened. “I know not.” she stammered. Her heart thudded hard in her chest.
“Behind that bush, perhaps,” the duke suggested, walking closer. “We should look.”
“Yes,” Sarah agreed, hurrying with him across the lawn. She could not imagine what had happened, but all the unforeseen dangers flooded her mind. The duke glanced at her. She could see the fear in his eyes and she knew that he was thinking the same way. They both started to run.
Sarah held her skirt out of the way. It was uneven lawn for a run.
“Son? Son!” The duke yelled. Sarah’s heart twisted with concern and sympathy. The duke let out a yell. Sarah frowned, discerning other noises—whimpering, and a strange high-pitched sound as though some animal was in distress.
“Son! There you are. What have you done?” the duke demanded.
Sarah turned to where the duke stared. Her jaw dropped as she spotted Henry. He was covered in dirt, his hair tangledwith twigs. And his arms were firmly clasped around a wriggling puppy.
“He’s hurt, Papa. Please can we keep him?” Henry demanded.
The duke’s eyes widened. Sarah glanced at the puppy. He was white, with wiry fur and a squarish face. His fur was matted here and there, brown- and gray-stained with dirt. She winced, seeing how starkly his ribs stuck out under the fur. He had been on the street for some time, she thought. Her heart twisted in pity. The creature was, nonetheless, full of life and attempting to lick Henry’s face. The puppy seemed to understand that the child wanted to help.
Sarah looked at the duke.
“Son...” His hands were clasped in front of him, twisting in concern. “I do not know. He might be dangerous, or sick. I don’t know if I can...” he began.
“Please?” Henry begged. His eyes were wet with tears and Sarah noticed that, along with dirt, he had tears on his cheeks. “He was so scared. It took so long to lure him out from under the bush. He’s hungry,” Henry pleaded.
“Son, I think...” the duke began, but Sarah could not bear the boy’s pain, or the thought of the puppy being left to starve.
“I will take him,” she said at once. “I will nurse him and look after him and if he is sick, then we will soon know. I helped with the cook’s cats,” she added, seeing the duke’s incredulous face. “I will look after him, but you can see him as often as you want. And then when he is well, he will be yours,” she said to Henry. She ignored the duke, not wanting to know what he thought of her interference.
“I think...” the duke tried, but Henry exploded with delight.
“Hooray! Will you? Miss Brooke? Hooray! You have a home!” he cheered, lifting the puppy up in his arms. The creature wriggled but it did not look frightened. Sarah smiled.
“Sorry,” she said to the duke ruefully as Henry, still clasping the little puppy, came over to her.
The duke shrugged. “It is a fine solution,” he said with a slight smile tugging at his lip.
“Thank you,” she replied teasingly. He grinned; a swift, radiant grin that seemed as bright as the sunlight.
