“You know about your brother’s reputation as—”
“One of the Rakes of St. James?” Lady Adele finished for Loretta. “Everyone does. That’s one of the reasons I trust him to pick a husband for me. He knows all about men. The good ones and the bad ones. Speaking of gentlemen,” Lady Adele continued, “I wonder where Hawk and Mr. Quick are. They certainly are taking their time over their drinks and talks, aren’t they?”
Loretta stared at Lady Adele’s green eyes. It had not been more than five or six minutes since they left the gentlemen. So not long at all.
“It’s Hawk’s wish, as well as mine,” Lady Adele continued, “that I be happy in my marriage, and I trust him to pick the very best gentleman for me. And if that person turns out to be your brother, I will trust Hawk made the right choice.”
Loretta had thought her uncle would be the best person to pick a husband for her, too, until she attended the Season and realized there were gentlemen she enjoyed being with much more than Viscount Denningcourt. That had been a shocking realization for her and one of the reasons in the end that she didn’t marry the viscount.
“If you were to ask me, I would suggest you wait and meet all the gentlemen who attend the Season. To find the man who makes your heart beat faster and your breath grow short every time you look at him. And if Paxton doesn’t do that for you, keep looking. I do believe you will find one who does.”
“But what if I don’t? I am not foolish, Miss Quick. And I do like what I see in your brother. He suits me very well. Enough talk of gentlemen,” she said suddenly. “It’s makingmy head hurt and it’s really quite boring, is it not? To waste so much time talking about men. Would you like to see my dog’s new puppies?” Lady Adele asked, completely changing the subject. “Miss Wiggins had a litter. Mr. Quick saw them this afternoon while you took a walk with Hawk.”
It was difficult for Loretta to understand Lady Adele’s simple way of looking at life, but she must have been the same way when she was eighteen. She had allowed her uncle to choose a husband for her. She couldn’t fault Lady Adele, only try to help her. Maybe it was that now Loretta knew more about life, feelings, and men and she didn’t want to see either Lady Adele or her brother be unhappy with their decisions.
“Yes, I’d like that very much. I haven’t seen a puppy in years. What kind of dogs are they?”
Lady Adele rose from the settee. “Spaniels. A small breed and they are all so adorable, but of course I have a favorite already. Minerva, we’re going to see the puppies. Do you want to go with us?”
Minerva stopped playing and stood. “If you don’t mind, I’ll take this time to go upstairs for a few minutes. I’ll meet you back down here by the time the gentlemen come in.”
“Of course. I know you don’t really care to look at the puppies again.” Lady Adele looked at Loretta and smiled. “She must see them at least five or six times a day. I hate to stay away from them.”
“Have you ladies finished your tea?” Mrs. Philbert asked. “I can have the tray removed.”
“Yes,” Lady Adele said. “And take your time. We are quite able to care for ourselves for a few minutes.”
Loretta saw the untouched tray sitting on the table in front of them, and smiled as she rose from the settee. LadyAdele had been so busy talking, she’d never even thought to offer the tea.
The duke’s sister took Loretta to a small storage room at the back of the house. There were chairs, tables, sofas, and other pieces of furniture stacked in the room. Near a window, fenced in by wooden crates, she saw three little fur balls in the makeshift pen. One was trying to sleep and the other two kept running over him.
“Miss Wiggins isn’t here,” Lady Adele offered. “I guess she has been let outside for a few minutes, which means we have come at the right time. She’s a bit jealous and doesn’t like for me to hold them.”
They knelt and Lady Adele reached down, picked up one of the puppies, and held it up for Loretta to see. “This one is my favorite. See how she has no white patches on her anywhere. Her coat is so many shades of brown and tan that she reminds me of dried chocolate mixture before the milk is added to it. Isn’t she the most beautiful creature you have ever seen?”
Loretta smiled at the squirming puppy. One side of her face was blond, tan, and light golden-brown tufts of fur, and the other side was more chocolate and chestnut coloring. “She absolutely is.”
“Here, you hold her.”
Loretta looked at her white gloves and wished she didn’t have them on so she could feel the softness of the fur. Lady Adele hadn’t bothered removing her gloves, so Loretta took her lead and took the puppy in both her hands. She lifted it up to her face and smiled. The pup tried to bark but hadn’t yet found her voice and sounded more like a goose. She squirmed a little but didn’t fight to be put down.
“Oh, you must have just eaten!” Loretta laughed, as she smelled the distinct puppy breath. “Your stomach is so round and firm.”
She put the puppy’s head up to the bare skin of her neck and cuddled it. The fur was silky soft, and its body so warm. With her hind paws, she tried to climb up higher on Loretta, and she laughed when the puppy started to nibble on her chin with sharp teeth and licked her neck.
“I can’t decide what to name her,” Lady Adele said. “I was thinking maybe I’d call her Cocoa. Not only because of the beautiful coloring, but she reminds me of a delicious dessert that we sometimes have that’s creamy chocolate and divinely sweet. What would you name her if she were yours, Miss Quick?”
“Cocoa is a very clever name and certainly seems to fit.”
Loretta continued to rub silky fur against her bare skin and delight in the warm, squirming body next to her. “She’s so lovable. I wish I could take her home with me.”
“I’m sorry, Miss Quick, I would give you one of the other two, but they’re already promised out to others.”
“Oh, of course. I only meant how loving she is,” Loretta said, looking at Lady Adele and shaking her head to dismiss the idea. “I wasn’t asking for one of these. No. I only meant that it would be wonderful to have a dog. Someday.”
“I can save you one from Miss Wiggins’s next litter.”
“In that case, that would be lovely if it works out that you can. Thank you for offering.”
