“Because you have not yet told me your name.”
“Dorothea,” the girl said without a moment of hesitation, making Catriona smile.
“Well, her name is Nina. And mine is Catriona.”
“Nina and Catriona are really pretty names.”
“As is Dorothea.”
Dorothea shook her head. Her hand shot back as Nina rose, but then she reached out to pet her again. “It’s not as pretty as Nina.”
Nina barked at that, startling Dorothea so much that she nearly toppled over. Catriona put a hand on her back to keep her from falling to the ground.
Before Catriona could think of what to say to that, a giggle filled the air. Dorothea shifted closer to Nina, a small smile on her face as she said, “Nina, sit.”
Nina obeyed which drew another beautiful giggle from the little girl. The sight was lovely.
“Nina, roll over,” Catriona ordered.
Nina eagerly obeyed, tongue lolling out the side of her head in a playful manner.
“Speak, Nina,” Catriona said, and Nina barked on command, making Dorothea flinch and laugh at the same time.
“She is so pretty!” Dorothea gushed suddenly. She looked just about ready to throw her arms around Nina. Catriona knew for certain that Nina would love the attention. “Is she always with you? Will you come here again? Can I see her the next time I come?”
Catriona hesitated. She didn’t even know where this little girl came from. The fact that she was alone was dangerous in and of itself, so the last thing she wanted to do was encourage her to keep coming back without her governess.
Just as she opened her mouth to say as much, a sharp bark rang out behind her.
“What is going on here?”
CHAPTER 2
Dorothea stiffened, then whirled. The change was instantaneous. She’d gone from awed and excited to fearful, immediately tucking her hands behind her and lifting her chin like a soldier standing at attention. Catriona turned to see a dark-haired man marching towards them with such fury that she could not help but step in front of the small child, instinctively wanting to protect her from whatever was about to happen.
Striking blue eyes were the first thing to catch her attention, stealing her breath. For a moment, Catriona forgot her mission. She almost forgot about the frightened little girl standing behind her, whom she’d already decided to protect with her life. Her only focus was on how devastatingly handsome this man was, the sort of gentleman that would have been written about in the romance novels she liked to read. Broad shoulders, a full head of dark hair, smoldering eyes that seemed to see right through to her soul. A sharp jawline and a crooked nose that lent him a slightly boorish air, clouding him in mystery.
The man’s furious scowl grew even harsher when she moved in front of Dorothea. He drew to a halt in front of them, forcing Catriona to tilt her head up to look at him. He was impossibly tall, and those hard icy-blue eyes seemed to disassemble Catriona and deem her unworthy in seconds. Catriona braced herself, ignoring the way her heart stuttered in her chest when their eyes met.
“Can I help you?” she asked.
Disbelief overshadowed his anger for a moment, clearly not expecting her to ask such a thing. “I should be the one askingyouthat.”
“I do not see why, since you are the one interrupting us.”
His scowl deepened. Catriona didn’t know how that was possible. Nor could she understand how he somehow got more handsome when he did so. Perhaps it was because it drew attention to his hard, strong mouth, currently set in a harsh line. Which only made her wonder what it would be like if he smiled. And were his lips as soft as they looked, despite their disapproving downward tilt?
Goodness, now is not the time for such ludicrous thoughts!
“Do you know who is hiding behind your leg right now?”
“Is she one of the princesses of England?” Catriona asked with a raise of her brow.
He looked less than impressed by her answer. “If you do not know, why do you shield her?”
“You should ask yourself why I think she needs shielding in the first place.”
“I need not concern myself with what you think,” he dismissed. The scowl Catriona had been fighting broke free at those words. “Step aside.”
