“I should like to have a puppy,” Archie said thoughtfully as they headed back toward the castle.
“Would you, now?”
He nodded vigorously.
“A big one like Faye?”
He nodded again.
They walked along and Dorian spoke once more. “That was quite brave of you. It takes great courage to overcome one’s fears.”
“It is silly to be afraid of horses,” the boy mumbled sullenly. “My mother loves them; Father did, too. And you have a great big horse of your own.”
“No fears are silly,” Dorian reassured him. “And it will take time for you to learn to trust horses again. Today was an excellent first step.”
They walked along in thoughtful silence before Archie finally asked, “May I see the foal again?”
Dorian turned to the boy, pleasantly surprised by the request. “If you would like.”
They returned to the castle and encountered Amelia and Clara on a walk of their own. He couldn’t help his grin at Amelia’s second glance when she saw Archie with him.
“And why are you not with your tutor?” Amelia asked her son, a fist propped on one of her hips. She took in his dirty shoes and dusty clothes. “Where on earth have you been?”
The boy looked up at Dorian as if requesting permission to speak. After receiving a subtle nod, he looked back at his mother. “We went to the village. I met a foal! She was so sweet and small—smaller than Faye!” As he continued to describe their outing, Amelia’s shock settled into pleasant surprise. Dorian’s chest tightened when he noticed emotion welling up inside of her and threatening to spill over, held in check only by the way she bit her lower lip.
“I am so pleased you had a nice time,” she finally said, her voice slightly tremulous. “Clara, would you mind bringing him inside to Nanny? Archie needs a good dusting after his adventure.”
Alone, Dorian and Amelia stared at one another for several long seconds heavy with unspoken feelings. Eventually, he offered her his arm and they began to stroll at a leisurely pace.
“However did you convince him to interact with a horse?” she asked, awe still coloring her words. Dorain began to detailhis plan all the way from when he’d recognized the boy’s fear, to how his inquiries in the stables had led him to Angus the groom’s family farm, to how slowly he’d introduced Archie to the harmless foal.
It took him several minutes to realize that she’d begun to cry.
Stopping instantly, Dorian pulled her into the shade of a large tree and held her face in his hands.
He shushed her. “It is alright, love,” he murmured consolingly as he used his thumbs to wipe her cheeks. He found he truly could not abide her tears. “Did I do something to upset you?” She gripped his wrists in her hands and sniffled up at him.
“You did nothing wrong…I am simply so grateful. I do not know why you are being so incredibly kind to him, but I do not really care. I am so pleased that Archie seems to be healing. Thank you.”
Unable to resist, Dorian kissed her lightly. It quickly turned more urgent—a kiss with clicking teeth and hungry sighs. Amelia clung to him as he bore her back against the rough trunk of the tree.
“I need you so badly,” he growled. “I want you so much that it hurts. I might commit murder if we are interrupted again.”
She stared up at him, her heart in her eyes, her plump lips parted and glistening. “Tonight,” she said, almost breathlessly.
“No children?”
She shook her head.
“No dogs?” He cast a sideways glance to where Faye kept her vigilant watch.
“No,” Amelia laughed.
“Thank God,” he said, slumping dramatically. He then proceeded to scoop her up into his arms when she laughed at his antics. “And what, pray tell, is so amusing about my suffering?”
“Set me down before someone sees!” she squealed.
“Let them…”
