The butterfly grew tired of the game and rose into the air, leaving Brutus behind. The dog looked forlorn, gazing into the empty air.
“You’ll get it next time,” Nathaniel said, rubbing the dog’s head. Brutus seemed calmed by his master’s voice and resumed his walk. He stopped by a certain plant, which was something of a routine. There was a day when he had come across a dead bird, and since then, he had to check every day just in case another appeared.
They walked along a little further when suddenly Brutus cocked his head and sniffed the air. Before Nathaniel could say anything, Brutus veered to the left and crashed through a thicket, not caring at all for the upkeep of the garden.
As vexing as this was, Nathaniel had to remind himself that it wasn’t Brutus’ fault. He was just a dog after all.
But something had clearly caught the dog’s attention, and Nathaniel would have to investigate. Brutus could be rather exuberant at times and didn’t seem to realize how big he was. A small animal might be terrified by him, or a maid could find herself having her legs swept from beneath her as he came charging forward.
Nathaniel strode around the looping path as he heard a woman exclaim, the fear and surprise clear in her voice. He broke into a run, hoping that Brutus wasn’t making too much trouble.
“Brutus!” he called out as he rounded the trees. He arrived just in time to see Brutus leaping toward Charlotte, knocking into her legs. Charlotte twisted her body toward the dog, so Brutus ended up knocking her over. Charlotte cried out again, falling back and landing on the ground with a thud. She was clutching something close to her chest, although Nathaniel could not see what it was.
“Get off me, you beast!” she yelled as Brutus leaped upon her. His powerful legs straddled her. Charlotte cowered, expecting him to claw at her or bite her, but instead his pink tongue lolled out, and he licked the side of her face. Then, he made a panting sound, as though he were laughing.
A moment passed, and he jumped off her, as though he was getting ready to be chased. His tail wagged happily, and his eyes were bright. Nathaniel watched the dawn of realization on Charlotte’s face. She pushed herself into a sitting position and stared at the dog.
Brutus came back, nuzzling into her lap. She petted him on the head, her fingers running beneath his chin. Brutus tilted his head in response, and one of his hind legs began to shake. There was no trace of fear on Charlotte’s face any longer.
Another animal of his had shown an affinity toward her.
“Brutus, heel!” Nathaniel commanded.
Both Brutus and Charlotte looked up. Her lips dropped open at the sight of him, and her hand fell away from the dog. Brutus stared at Nathaniel for a moment, but then stretched out over Charlotte’s lap, as though it was something he had spent his life searching for.
“I apologize on his behalf. He isn’t usually like this, although he can be boisterous. I hope that he did not cause you too much alarm,” Nathaniel said.
“Only for a moment, but thankfully, he made his intentions clear quickly,” Charlotte replied. “He is a beautiful animal.” She ran her slender fingers along his body, stroking his stomach. The paleness of her skin was made more apparent against his dark fur. Brutus’ body lolled, entirely at peace, which wasn’t the case with every stranger he met.
Something about it irked Nathaniel, although he couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was.
“I pray he did not injure you.”
“No, it was just a bump,” she said. “I managed to protect the most important thing.” She raised a notebook in the air as she said this.
“While he’s often curious, Brutus is not usually so comfortable with strangers. Brutus, heel,” Nathaniel commanded once again, and once again, Brutus ignored him.
“I’m sure it’s just because he wants someone new to play with. Animals are strange creatures sometimes. They always seem to take a liking to me, however.”
Nathaniel inclined his head and then approached her, holding out his hand.
“Let me assist you to your feet,” he said. As he grew closer, Brutus started to respond to him. The dog rolled his body off Charlotte’s lap and got to his feet. Nathaniel looked down at Charlotte. She hesitated for a moment before she placed a hand in his.
Her palm folded against his skin. Her fingers curled around. They fit perfectly together. Warmth emanated from her skin. It ran up his arm, eliciting an unfamiliar sensation. It was so sudden he almost jerked his hand away, but that would have caused her to fall back to the ground.
Nathaniel’s strict adherence to honor would not allow that.
“Thank you, Your Grace.” Charlotte’s voice was soft and honeyed. Her eyes shone in the morning sun, the hazel shade of her eyes accentuated by the light, the dusting of freckles across her nose more apparent.
She squeezed his hand as she rose to her feet. His heart skipped a beat, a sensation for which he was entirely unprepared. Brutus whimpered in dismay at having lost his cushion.
Charlotte’s hand slipped out of his, and she stepped back. His hand remained outstretched for a moment, feeling the absence of hers, until he pulled it back toward him. Charlotte didn’t seem to notice as she was inspecting herself. She smoothed down her dress, brushing away the shadow of dirt.
Nathaniel’s gaze lingered upon her, despite himself. As she gathered her composure, she pressed her dress tight against her hips, accentuating the femininity of her figure. His throat tightened before he wrested his gaze away.
This kind of thing is beneath you, Nathaniel. Get a hold of yourself. Thewords were like hammers in his mind. He turned his attention to Brutus instead, this time succeeding in bringing the dog to heel. Brutus padded toward him, settled by Nathaniel’s feet, and proceeded to lick his fur.
“I think you need some more training, Brutus. It should not take you three tries to obey your master’s command,” Nathaniel scolded.
