“You ought to have known I’d eventually find it,” her mother said. “Honestly, the smell, Sarah. I can’t imagine what you were thinking.”
Sarah hadn’t noticed a smell. At least not one strong enough to prompt her mother to investigate.
“I trust your mother was not aware you’d acquired a pet?” Brunswick asked.
“It’s not a pet,” Sarah said. “It’s a rescue.”
“All the more reason to keep it in the mews with the other animals,” her mother said.
Sarah wanted to remind her that theother animalsconsisted solely of horses and wouldn’t be appropriate companions for a small, helpless rabbit, but her father made a shushing sound, halting her comment. “The performance is starting.”
Sarah sank back in her seat and tried not to feel too annoyed. Her parents knew she was passionate about this. She’d been saving animals most of her life, and she always made sure they didn’t cause trouble for anyone else.
“Tell me about the rabbit,” Brunswick whispered against her ear once the opera was well underway.
And so she did. She told him how she’d found it and brought it home, how she’d cleaned its wound, bandaged its leg, and fed it.
“Is this something you do a lot?” he asked once she was done with her tale. “Take in helpless animals and patch them up.”
“It happens on occasion.”
“On how many occasions?” he asked with a teasing lilt to his voice.
“On at least seven that I can think of. It all began with a puppy I found by the garden gate when I was eight years old. His ear was torn and he’d clearly not been fed for a while, the poor thing was so scrawny. So I took him to the kitchen and fed him.” She smiled at the memory. “Our cook at the time promised to keep quiet about it, but hiding a puppy is no simple task. Charles was the first to find out. He even offered to help and ended up becoming Mozart’s designated walker. Even after Mama and Papa agreed to let me keep him.”
“Do you have any other pets?”
“They’re technically not pets.” She lowered her voice even further. “My parents won’t tolerate those on account of the shedding.”
“I see,” he said with a chuckle.
“How about you,” she asked. “Have you ever had a pet?”
“Once, when I was a boy. My fa–”
Sarah watched his entire demeanor change, and she realized he’d spoken without thinking, only to be reminded of what he’d lost.
“Excuse me,” he muttered and started to rise.
Once again he was trying to run, to distract himself so he would forget.
Sarah reached out and grabbed his hand. “Have you ever been to Kew Gardens?” she asked.
“No. I, um, actually–”
“Neither have I, but I hear it’s quite splendid. Perhaps we could go together?”
Her suggestion had the desired effect. Brunswick smiled, his distress a moment earlier seemingly put to rest. “I must say, Miss Townsbridge, I’ve never been invited out by a lady before.”
“As you’ve probably already realized, I am different from the norm. And besides, there’s a first time for everything, Your Grace. Shall we say Thursday?”
“I can bring my carriage to pick you up at nine. Is that too early?”
“No. It’s perfect.” Immensely pleased with her ability to lighten his mood and ensure she’d see him again soon, Sarah turned her attention toward the stage while a smile played upon her lips.
It wasn’t until later, when the lights came back on for intermission, that she realized she still held his hand.
#
