“Pull over Daniels!” Mr. Bateman had the sliding window open before she could finish making her request. “We’ve got to get that smell off this dog.”
He’d been enduring it for her. This man was becoming too endearing for words.
Mr. Daniels pulled off the road and although she couldn’t see the brook, she could hear it babbling nearby.
“I have some soap––in one of my trunks––and a linen to dry him with. The water will be cold. I don’t want him to get catch a chill.” Aubrey explained her plan to Mr. Bateman as he assisted her out of the carriage. “Oh, do hold tightly to him. I don’t want him to run away. Not that he oughtn’t be allowed his freedom but really, he doesn’t appear to be much of a hunter and likely will starve without me.”
But Mr. Bateman had already somehow secured a small rope around Mr. Dog’s neck and placed him onto the ground. “You hold him,Princesse. While I get your trunk down.”
“Oh, thank you.” Only she’d rather he not actually go through her belongings. She hadn’t locked it but a lady’s personal effects were… well… personal.
Mr. Dog tugged at the rope, however, as he sniffed in search of, ah yes. The perfect place for him to lift his leg. She was rather proud that he sought to go about his business outside. Perhaps he had been trained at one point.
She was vaguely aware of Mr. Bateman hefting one of her rather large trunks off of the carriage and onto the ground but couldn’t very will interrupt Mr. Dog’s endeavors.
“The soap is in this one?” Mr. Bateman was fiddling with the latch. “You’ll have to come over herePrincesseand show me which linen you’re willing to give up for poor Mr. Dog over there. I cannot imagine you’ll want to bring it along once we—“
Aubrey glanced over in concern to see that the dratted man, had, in fact, gone rifling through her belongings and was holding up the single garment she owned that she would wish no one know about.
Sheer and lacy, the sapphire colored negligee dripped through his fingertips looking even more sinful in the full light of day.
“Mrs. Tuttle insisted I take it.” Red faced, Aubrey dragged Mr. Dog to where her trunk rested and pointedly snatched the offending article out of Mr. Bateman’s hand. “I assured her I had no use for it. That I never would, but she insisted there might come a time…”
Aubrey stuffed it toward the bottom of the trunk beneath her high necked, long sleeved white cotton night rail and other modest garments wishing she’d ignored Mrs. Tuttle in this particular matter. Pretending nonchalance, she then located her satchel with a cherished bar of soap as well as an old apron that she’d happily sacrifice in order to rid Mr. Dog of his odoriferous state forever.
Mr. Bateman had yet to speak a single word since his discovery and Aubrey ignored the heat burning her cheeks.
She’d nearly left the garment behind but stuffed it in at the last minute. Not only was it beautiful, but it was a gift from a dear friend. And a part of her had somehow embraced the promise that came along with Mrs. Tuttle’s sentiment.
Only if the right gentleman were to come along, which Aubrey had doubted would ever be the case.
Without waiting for him to make some embarrassing comment, Aubrey lifted Mr. Dog into her arms and carried him in the direction of the brook. The animal’s legs were so very short that if Aubrey wished to make a quick escape, the dog could not be depended on to keep up with her.
“He ought to have waited for my permission.” She impressed her dismay upon Mr. Dog. Of course, the most scandalous item Aubrey had ever owned would be the first thing Mr. Bateman laid eyes upon the moment he opened up her trunk.
The brook came into view and as she knelt beside the gently flowing water, Aubrey wet one of her hands and pressed it to her cheeks, neck and forehead in an effort to dismiss her humiliation.
“Have a care,Princesse. I don’t think Mr. Dog is going to enjoy this.”
Of course, he had followed her.
Aubrey slowly lowered her long bodied pet into the water and before his toes had barely submerged, the poor dear clawed and climbed his way back into her arms.
“Give him over.” Mr. Bateman reached over to wrap his hands around the dog’s now dirty and wet abdomen, his arms grazing Aubrey’s breasts and his chest inches away from her mouth. Despite the cold water Mr. Dog had splashed on her, and despite the awful smell, Aubrey thought she could easily become inebriated on Mr. Bateman’s… essence.
“Get your soap ready,Princesse.” And his lovely accent.
“This won’t hurt a bit, little fellow. No one will hurt you. Just need to get all that stink off. What do you say to that? If you’re going to belong to aPrincesse, you first must smell like a prince.” He spoke in soothing tones to the dog as he lowered him into the icy water and scooped handfuls along the dog’s back.
It brought that first moment back to mind, when she’d been watching him brush his horse, melting Aubrey’s heart all over again.
“Let’s make this as quick as possible.” Mr. Bateman glanced over, spurring her into action with the soap. She couldn’t keep her hands from brushing his as she scrubbed the dogs back and neck. Working together like this, she could not prevent pressing her breasts against Mr. Bateman’s muscular arms.
At first, she resisted the sensations, but as Mr. Dog seemed to settle down and enjoy her scrubbing hands, she too found herself taking pleasure at being so near this man.
Mr. Bateman rinsed the animal off and when he finally pulled Mr. Dog from the water, Aubrey was surprised to see that his short hair wasn’t brown at all, but more of a deep auburn. “Aren’t you lovely!” But before she could wrap the apron around her pet, he shook from the top of his head to the end of his tail sending cold water flying in all directions and soaking she and Mr. Bateman in the process.
Astonishment struck her numb initially, but seeing a similar expression of dismay on Mr. Bateman’s face, and that he, too, was soaked, she couldn’t help but break into a fit of giggles.
