Page 23 of Dared By a Lyon
She put her thumb and first two fingers together to mimic a closed mouth.
“That means no, we shouldn’t deprive other children of their dog,” Miss Vickers explained, and Caro nodded. “She agrees with you.”
“Perhaps we can take the puppy outside to let it do its business before giving it a bath,” Gabriel suggested.
“Can we take it into the yard behind the kitchen—instead of having it use my rose garden?” asked the countess.
“It could offer excellent fertilizer, Mother,” Gabriel offered, grinning.
They all laughed.
“This sign language is an excellent idea,” Gabriel said, smiling down at his niece. “May I?” Not waiting for an answer,he reached down and picked up the puppy, turning it over. “Definitely ahe,so you might think of little boy names, sweetling.”
Caro pointed to a stack of biscuits sitting on a serving plate on the stove.
“Would you like one, Caro?” Gabriel asked, lifting the platter down to her. The puppy lurched at the plate, clearly in agreement with the offer.
Caro pinched her fingers together. Then she slapped her hip and pointed first to the plate of biscuits and then to the puppy.
“Surely you don’t intend to give the dog all the biscuits,” Gabriel said, arching a brow.
“No. I don’t think that’s what Caro is telling us. I think she wishes to name the dog Biscuit,” said Miss Vickers. Caro smiled excitedly and fisted her hand, bobbing it.
“Oh! I like that name for the puppy,” the countess said, clasping her hands together.
“Excellent! If no one else claims they are missing this handsome pup, you can keep him and name him Biscuit,” Gabriel said.
Caro smiled and reached for Miss Vickers’s hand, who squeezed hers in return.
“I’ll ask a footman to check. If they don’t find an owner, you can keep it, my darling Caro,” the countess said. “Meanwhile, let’s take it outside and introduce it to the kitchen’s backyard.”
Chapter Eleven
Ashlyn watched witha warm smile as Caro’s new puppy, Biscuit, possessively gnawed on his treats, while Lady Ravensthorpe had decided it was time for the dog to take a refreshing bath. Not wishing to miss a moment with the playful puppy, Caro had happily skipped after them, walking out through the back door of the kitchen alongside Betty, the maid now charged with giving Biscuit a nice cleanup.
Betty’s look of surprise made it clear to Ashlyn that the staff were not used to interacting much with Caro, even though the girl seemed perfectly comfortable. Ashlyn thought about how much difference a dog could make, remembering her love for all her pets—even those with broken wings. And she suspected no one would claim this puppy, except Caro.
Gabriel glanced out the door at the three of them. Caro was helping Betty wash the dog, while Biscuit was trying to hold his bone in the air, protecting it from the ravages of soap. “I would have never imagined this scene—would you have, Mother?”
“Not at all, my dear. It’s lovely to see, and suddenly, with Miss Vickers’s tutelage, I think our world will open for Caro. We owe you a debt of gratitude, Miss Vickers,” the countess said.
“I appreciate your thanks, but it is not necessary. I enjoy spending time with Caro. She’s a delightful child. I only wish I could do more,” Ashlyn said.
“As do we all. But I think we are making strides,” the countess said, wiping tears from her eyes.
Noticing Gabriel walking toward the door, Ashlyn quickly asked, “Would you mind if I go to the stables? Just point me in the right direction. I’d like to check on Billy.”
“Better than that—I can take you,” Gabriel offered.
“If you’re certain it won’t take you away from work,” she said.
“Not at all, I assure you,” he said.
“In that case, I accept,” she said, extending her arm. “I’ve been worried about Billy. He got tossed around quite a bit with the accident. He was so wet and muddy, we couldn’t see the extent of what had happened to him. I feared he’d gotten very banged up and was worried he might succumb to a fever.”
Gabriel wrapped the crook of his arm around hers, patting her arm and sending a pulse of heat up her arm to her shoulder and neck. She trembled slightly at the unexpected feeling of excitement.
“He’s a lucky young man,” Gabriel said. “He’s been doing well, so far. But he’s not out of the woods yet, according to Dr. Baker, who checked on him just this morning,” he added, seemingly oblivious to the thrilling sensation his touch had given her. “He had a slight fever the first night, and then again the next night, but it’s broken now. However, Dr. Baker mentioned being concerned about two wounds on his back. Both keep bleeding, and he’s tried sewing one up, only to have to release the stitches because of infection.”
