Page 31 of Dared By a Lyon
Caro nodded, ran to Ashlyn, and hugged her.
“You taught her these signs?” Lady Ravensthorpe asked.
“I did. I hope it was all right to do so,” Ashlyn said, suddenly worried. “We’ve spent time together in the evenings. Caro comes to visit me for a little while each evening, and I read her a story—well, her and Biscuit. I’ve been teaching her some signs that I learned from my uncle’s friend, who developed a sign language. I know there are probably three or four different types of sign language, but this one seems so convenient and easy. After a half-hour or so, I take her back to bed.”
“I…I think it’s wonderful. To know how Caro sees her life… You’ve given us such a wonderful gift, my dear,” Lady Ravensthorpe said, her voice trembling. “Please teach me some of the signs you’ve taught Caro. I want to keep working with her, so we can communicate.”
Gabriel stood and picked up his niece, who insisted on holding her puppy. Laughing, he adjusted his embrace so he could better hold them both. “I love you, Caro. Your mama and papa love you, too. They are angels, and they watch you every day. And right now, I’m certain that they are very, very proud of you.” He squeezed her and kissed her on her forehead.
The little girl pointed to Biscuit and then to her heart.
“You love Biscuit, don’t you?” Ashlyn asked.
Caro nodded and tugged the little puppy more tightly into her arms.
“Caro, we will work on a couple more signs. You are doing so well with the ones you’ve learned,” Ashlyn said. “I’ll be happy to share these with you, my lady. I’ll write a description of them down for you.”
The countess turned to the little girl. “Sweet Caro, your mama and papa are so proud of you for learning so much this week. And I just know your mama loves Biscuit and is happy you found him.”
“This has been a very informative breakfast,” Gabriel said. He looked at Ashlyn. “You’ve helped my niece so much, and I thank you.”
“We are still going riding, aren’t we? I’ve been thinking about it since you mentioned it,” she said eagerly.
“Yes, shall we head out in about an hour?”
Ashlyn nodded. “I’d love to. I’ll change into my riding habit.”
“Excellent. I’ll meet you in the kitchen in about an hour. By then, Mrs. Fitz will have finished packing up our picnic lunch,” Gabriel said.
As he leftthe room, Gabriel thought about the arrival of the adorable puppy. Biscuit had come the day after Miss Vickers.Mr. Grimes had asked the neighbors if they were missing a puppy, but oddly, there had been no indication of anyone owning Biscuit—or even having puppies at this time. Caro was clearly smitten with him, and the puppy loved her back.
Could Mother have been right?
Chapter Fourteen
That afternoon
Ashlyn had toadmit that Elizabeth had been right about buying the riding habits. When Ashlyn had objected, Elizabeth refused to waver.“Don’t be silly. We’ll need them in Hyde Park.”Madame Trousseau had thought the olive-green velvet would be lovely for Ashlyn. It brought out the red undertones in her burnished-brown hair—a feature her father had always praised, especially when the warmer tones showed through.“Yer dear grandmother would love seeing her Scottish heritage peeking through in her beautiful granddaughter’s hair. She had no doubt you’d have the temperament. She told me you’d be independent, loyal, smart, and quick-witted, and she was right.”
Just thinking of Papa’s words made her miss him and her mother more than she’d imagined. She wondered what he’d say if he found out what she and Elizabeth had gotten into.No,Elizabethgot us into this. She left me no choice.
But was that the truth? Ashlyn could have stayed in London until her aunt and uncle arrived. At most, they were a few weeksbehind her and Elizabeth. It had been Ashlyn’s choice to attend the house party.
So, the blame is mine. Even if there had been no reasoning with Elizabeth, I had control of my own actions.
As Ashlyn and Gabriel neared the stable, she noticed that the rain had ushered in colder temperatures, making the riding habit and matching leather gloves perfect for the day. Alice had declared she looked perfect for her outing. Ashlyn wore her hair with soft curls framing her face, and the rest gathered into a braided chignon at the back of her head. The dark beaver top hat with an olive-green plume trailing behind added the perfect amount of elegance and practicality to the ensemble.
“Let me check on the horses,” Gabriel said, walking toward the ostler.
She glanced around, taking in the expansive stable. There must have been a dozen stalls for horses. The stable hands were running around with feeding pails, and she imagined most were full.
She looked in Gabriel’s direction and saw him deeply engaged in a conversation with Mr. Grimes, both pointing toward the back of the stable.
A moment later, he returned. “Mr. Grimes suggested that you choose your mount, since neither of us knows your preferences. From what you’ve told me, you are probably an experienced horsewoman. We have several well-tempered geldings and a mare with a mind of her own. My mother enjoys riding and often chooses her. Do you know what type of horse you’d like to ride?”
“What are their names?” Ashlyn asked, walking beside him as they entered the stall.
“Ah! That’s the first time anyone has ever asked for the horse’s name before choosing a mount,” he said, smiling.
