“But how do you show this?”
“A variety of ways. But an underlying principle is...” he extended his hand to a mare, “liberty with carrots.”
For a long moment, she watched him. Eventually she reached for the bucket and picked out a dusty carrot. His dogs had crept from the stable and sniffed stealthily about the bucket. When Lady Marianne saw them, she let out a little yelp and leaped onto the bottom slat of the fence.
“Careful,” he said, eyeing her.
“Your dogs.” Her voice was a breathless squeak. “Sorry, I didn’t see them.”
Gabriel glanced at Hugo and Tatin, cautiously sniffing Lady Marianne, their tails wagging. They were well-behaved, but the fascination of a new person in camp was too much not to investigate. Also, they’d discernedfoodwas on offer. They weren’t much for carrots, but no food in camp escaped their interest.
“Hugo, Tatin, stand down,” he said to the dogs. He looked back to her. She clung to the fence, regarding his perfectly docile dogs as if they might tear her limb from limb.
“I’ll send them away,” he offered.
Before she could reply, Hugo shoved his nose into her skirts, sniffing deeply. Lady Marianne startled. The sudden movement intrigued the dog; he raised his paws to her hip.
“Hugo,down,” Gabriel said, but not before Lady Marianne cried out and scrambled higher. She hiked a leg over the top railing and balanced there, clinging to the wood with both hands. The mares in the paddock skittered backward, whinnying and snorting. Hugo didn’t understand the game and he barked.
“Sorry, sorry, sorry,” whispered Lady Marianne, squeezing her eyes shut. She dropped the carrot into the paddock and the horses clomped to gobble it up. The crowd of mares confused the dog, and Hugo barked again. Lady Marianne gasped and hiked herknee against the boards. This movement knocked back her wet skirts, and her leg was exposed.
Gabriel had been signaling to the dogs, trying to banish them to the stable, but the paleness of Marianne’s bare leg caught the moonlight, and he turned to stare. The cream of her skin was streaked with mud, but beneath the dirt he saw—
“What’s happened to your leg?” he demanded.
She didn’t answer. She clung tightly to the fence, eyes squeezed. Gabriel stepped closer, leaning toward her leg. The skin of her calf was marred by an angry red wound. It wasn’t new, and it appeared to be healing nicely, but clearly it had been a deep and painful spate of punctures and lacerations. There were two bloody arcs of red set end to end, the incisions in the shape of the letterU. Anopen mouth. She’d been bitten by an animal.
“Hugo, Tatin, I said go,” Gabriel growled over his shoulder. The animals fell back.
He stared up at her. “What happened?”
“Hmm?” She’d opened her eyes and was now staring wildly after the retreating dogs.
“They’ve gone, you needn’t worry. I’m asking about your leg. Did you suffer an attack?”
“Oh.” She looked down, saw her bare leg, and yanked her skirts, dropping wet cotton over the wound. “Sorry I didn’t realize my leg was... not covered. I’m not usually so panicked around dogs. I... Well, I suppose you can guess why.”
“You were attacked. What happened?”
She looked at him, her expression desperate. She pinched her lips together and shook her head.
“Lady Marianne?” he repeated.
Another headshake.
“Was it a dog, then?”
“I—” she began. “Yes. Several weeks ago. It’s nearly healed. It’s why I give dogs a very wide berth. This new fear is almost as bad as the attack, actually. Previously, I was very fond of dogs. I love them still, it’s just...”
“On what occasion were youattacked by a dog?” he asked—but suddenly he knew.
Instead of answering, she raised her eyebrows. She sat up straight on the fence.
“Maurice,” he guessed. And now Gabriel felt as ifhewas in the grip of powerful teeth, like a beast was trying to dig out his very heart.
“It was Maurice’s dog—yes.”
“No.”
