Page 60 of The Runaway Duchess
“I do not know,” he confessed, picking up his spoon. He was quiet as he slowly stirred his porridge.
Caroline patted his hand and gave him an encouraging smile as he looked up at her.
“You can tell me anything, Georgie, I promise,” she told him.
George nodded, but was quiet for another moment.
“He still frightens me sometimes,” the boy confessed with a small frown. “A little. But other times, he is quite nice. Like at dinner last night. And I know he was angry when I got out of bed, but there was a biscuit in my room like he promised. That was nice too.”
Caroline nibbled on her bottom lip as George began to eat his porridge. George wanted to like Damien; she was sure of it. She was also quite certain that, despite the fact that Damien was still searching for Georgie’s parents, he did not hold anything against the boy. She recalled how unsure, how almost timid, he looked when he saw George with her and Jeremy last night, as if he simply had no idea how to act around a child.
Despite what had just happened between them, Caroline felt her desire to be the bridge between the boy and man renewed, and decided to speak on Damien’s behalf.
“You know, for quite a while I was quite afraid of Damien too,” she said, her tone conversational as she picked up her cup of tea.“But then I spent some more time with him, and you know what I learned?”
George looked over at her as he chewed and shook his head. Caroline leaned toward him, giving him a little grin.
“That Damien is much like a bad dog. He barks quite often, and sometimes he growls, too. But heneverbites,” she whispered, as if telling him a great secret.
George’s lips split into a wide grin, and he tossed his head back and let out such a pure, mirthful laugh that Caroline forgot her awkwardness with Damien from earlier and laughed with him.
“A bad dog?” George repeated, giggling.
“Exactly,” Caroline said, happy to see the boy so cheerful. “That is all he is. So do not worry. He will not hurt you. I promise.”
George gave an eager nod and spooned up another bite of porridge.
“Now come along,” Caroline gently urged, trading her cup of tea for a fork. “It is a beautiful day outside. Let us finish our breakfast and go enjoy it. I do not think there is anything wrong with having our lessons in the sun, do you?”
Three Days Later
“Do you have another headache, Jeremy?”
Caroline looked up from her book as she heard George’s question and found Jeremy walking into the parlor. She bit back a grin as she took in his wrinkled clothes, messy hair, and theway he rubbed his head as he squinted from the light.
She and George had just finished their morning lessons, and they were taking a small respite in the parlor. Caroline had chosen to read some of her book, and George had been quietly drawing pictures on a large sheet of paper as he lay on his stomach on the rug in the middle of the floor.
“You are very astute, my boy,” Jeremy remarked, stopping in front of the drink cart. “I had a very long night, and now I suffer the consequences. But worry not, it is nothing a little hair of the dog will not fix.”
The sound of a cork popping followed, and Jeremy poured himself a snifter of brandy.
“Does hair of a bad dog work the same?” George asked, cocking his head. “If so, then maybe we could ask Damien for some?”
Caroline stifled a giggle as Jeremy choked on his brandy and looked at George curiously.
“What was that, my boy?” Jeremy asked, looking from George to Caroline.
“Oh, just a little jest he and I share is all,” she replied.
“I see,” Jeremy mused, rubbing at his head again. “And pray, what is the jest?”
“Damien is a bad dog,” George stated matter-of-factly, and went back to his drawing.
Jeremy’s mouth dropped open as his brow furrowed deeper in confusion. Then he closed his eyes, raised his brows comically high, and announced, “You know what? I do believe I am still suffering far too much from bottle-ache to understand thisconversation.”
Caroline and George both giggled, and after Jeremy took a moment to ruffle George’s hair, he plopped rather slovenly onto the couch beside Caroline, then took a drink from his glass.
“Does that really help?” she asked quietly, using her eyes to point to the brandy.
