“Oh, what luck.” She turned her head to watch the road just as he did. “Was Eleanor with her?”
“I did not notice, but she might have been. I saw Mrs. Haverwick and panicked.”
Sophie’s shoulders shook with her repressed laugh. He felt it against his arm. “I should think your panic was well-placed. I haven’t the faintest what we would tell her should we see her—and both of us having cried off her party as well? It would not have been an enjoyable meeting.”
Andrew nodded his agreement, eyes still on the road. Had he missed her passing in the brief moments he’d glanced at Sophie? “She ought to have gone by now, but I’ve not seen her.”
“Perhaps she passed as we entered? Or else went into a shop?”
“Maybe.” A tug at the back of his pants nearly set him off balance. “What in the—”
A loud bark accompanied a set of paws pressed against his thighs, pushing him forward and into Sophie. In an instant, he fairly flattened her against thewall, his chest meeting hers and his shoulder pressing into her cheek. He kicked backwards to fend off the mutt, but it only barked louder, then nipped at the back of his jacket. Pressing a palm to either side of her, he pushed himself away, attempting to give her space to breathe. Her eyes were wide, and her hands gripped his waistcoat. Before he could tell her to get out of reach of the devilish animal that seemed moments from tearing either his pants or his jacket, she slipped out from beneath him.
“Soph, no—”
She paid him no mind. “Come here, you ridiculous creature. Oh, gracious, Andrew, he has muddied your clothes horribly. No—no, stop. Sit! Stay!”
With another almighty push against him, the dog returned to all four of his limbs, and Andrew spun, stepping to Sophie’s side. The dog yapped at them both—far less fearsome now that Andrew could see how ragged he appeared. His head came to about Andrew’s waist, and he must’ve been some sort of mixed breed, because Andrew could not tell just what his lineage might be. But regardless of parentage, his meaning was clear in the spread of his stance and harshness of his bark. This was his home, and Andrew and Sophie were interlopers.
Andrew lifted his hands. “Good boy, we were only visiting… We have no intention of taking over your domain.”
The dog barked in return, no less harshly than before.
“I do not know, Sophie,” he said, not moving his eyes from the animal. “Do we risk the dog or Mrs. Haverwick?”
Sophie snorted. “The dog has far less long-reaching consequences… butshedoes not bite.”
“True enough. Haverwick it is.”
In tandem, they cautiously circled the dog, not giving their backs to the animal. He watched until they were near the mouth of the road, then, with a last bark, slunk back into the darkness.
They stayed where they were, not quite out of the alley, but only a few steps within. “I had not planned on a standoff with a dog this morning,” Andrew said, watching the spot where he’d disappeared.
Sophie’s cheeks creased with a restrained smile. “Nor I. Come, he truly did a number on your clothing.”
He lifted his arms out, and she circled him, brushing at the back of his coat with force to remove the spots of dirt the dog had left. Evidently, he’d also left a great wet spot from his mouth, but hopefully that would dry as there was not much to be done for it. Andrew saw to the backs of his legs, but Sophie stayed near to inform him when he’d missed a portion.
She was chuckling with mirth by the time they finished, and he arched a brow at her. “You find my near demise hilarious, do you?”
“Near demise? You could handle that dog, certainly.Iwas never afraid.” She smiled up at him, eyes dancing. “But how did we find ourselves in such a situation? Hiding from the town gossip only to meet the town guard?”
Andrew let out a chuckle of his own. “We are a lucky few. Shall we skip work altogether and join a gambling table instead?”
“It is tempting.” And something in her voice made him watch her more closely.
She’d kept him informed about the events of her position daily, stating that it felt as if she were constantly in the midst of a test—and truly, she was. He could see it was beginning to wear on her, the constant, near-hidden surprise when she performed well and the continual checking of her work. She wished to be appreciated for her skill, which was plentiful. The night before, she’d walked him through an equation she’d found interesting inThe Lady’s Diary, and he’d become lost at least twice. She was brilliant.
He didn’t want to question her choices—she could make them for herself—but he did hope she knew that she needn’t continue if the position was too demeaning. “It sounds as if we should sic Sir Chivalry on Mr. Whitcomb,” he said instead, hooking his thumb back at the dog.
The spark reentered her eyes. “Perhaps I should bring a dog with me. It may keep him from looking over my shoulder at every opportunity.”
“I will acquire one for you. You know I will.” Andrew stepped out of the alley, glancing back and forth.
“Yes, I do know it. That is one of the things I dearly love about you,” she said, taking his offered arm and squeezing. “You are ever gallant.”
“Gallant. Witty. A flirt. Careful, Sophie, I might grow too big a head around you.”
“It would be well deserved.”
